Look upon my affliction and rescue me,
For I do not forget Your law.Plead my cause and redeem me;
Revive me according to Your word.Salvation is far from the wicked,
For they do not seek Your statutes.Great are Your mercies, O Lord;
Revive me according to Your ordinances.Many are my persecutors and my adversaries,
Yet I do not turn aside from Your testimonies.I behold the treacherous and loathe them,
Because they do not keep Your word.Consider how I love Your precepts;
Revive me, O Lord, according to Your lovingkindness.The sum of Your word is truth,
And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.(Psalm 119:153-160)
One of the more well-known verses in this psalm identifies God’s word as truth (Psalm 119:160). However, it is not enough to merely recognize that the word is truth. We must also obey it if we hope to be saved.
The Sum of God’s Word is Truth
“The sum of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting” (Psalm 119:160).
This twentieth stanza brings together some themes we have seen throughout this psalm. We have already seen in this psalm that God’s word is truth (Psalm 119:43, 142, 151). This same thought is expressed elsewhere in the Bible. In particular, we should note the passages from the New Testament. In Jesus’ prayer to the Father, He said, “Your word is truth” (John 17:17). Paul identified “the gospel” as “the word of truth” (Colossians 1:5; cf. 2 Timothy 2:15).
The reason why the Bible is the truth is because it is from God. He “cannot lie” (Titus 1:2). Because of this, the promises contained in His word serve as an anchor for us. The Hebrew writer made this point in his letter: “So that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil” (Hebrews 6:17-18). We can have hope because God’s word is right and cannot be wrong.
In considering this point, it is important to note that the sum of God’s word is truth. All of it is true because it is all from God. Paul told Timothy, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Since all of the Bible is from God, we can be confident that it is all true.
However, many will attack various parts of the Bible, claiming that they are not true, but instead are myths, lies, mistranslations, etc. This is commonly done with events like the Creation (Genesis 1), the crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:15-31), and the resurrection of Jesus from the dead (Matthew 28:1-9; et al.). Yet if we reject parts of the Bible – as is often done with examples such as these – how can we believe any of it? The psalmist wrote, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3). Faith comes from the word of God (Romans 10:17), but if our faith in the integrity and veracity of the Scriptures is compromised, where does that leave our faith? Regarding the resurrection of Christ, Paul wrote, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied” (1 Corinthians 15:17-19). If Jesus was not raised from the dead, our “faith is worthless.” In the same way, if we do not believe His resurrection really happened, our faith is just as worthless. We must always remember that the sum (entirety) of God’s word is truth.
God’s Word is Everlasting
“The sum of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting” (Psalm 119:160).
We have already seen that God’s word is “settled in heaven” and has been “founded…forever” (Psalm 119:89, 152). However, there is another way in which we can look at this point.
Jesus is the Word (John 1:1, 14). “He was in the beginning with God” (John 1:2). That necessarily means that He existed before the world did. John continued, “All things came into being through Him” (John 1:3). Paul wrote, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created… He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:15-17). Therefore, because Jesus existed before this world was created, the truth of God’s word is older than the world as well. It was revealed later, but it existed from the beginning (cf. Colossians 1:25-27; 2:2-3).
A similar thought is expressed by the proverb writer about wisdom. Wisdom said, “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old. From everlasting I was established, from the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth” (Proverbs 8:22-23). We acquire wisdom through the truth (Proverbs 23:23). Wisdom – and the truth from which it is derived – is timeless and will exist as long as the earth stands.
Salvation Comes Through His Word
“Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek Your statutes” (Psalm 119:155).
Why is salvation far from the wicked? It is because they do not seek after God’s word. Those who do not follow God’s instructions cannot be saved.
Today, “the gospel…is the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16). His word gives us “the inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32). Salvation is far from the wicked even now simply because they reject God’s word. Paul said that those who do not “love…the truth” cannot “be saved” (2 Thessalonians 2:10).
However, if the wicked turn to God’s word, they can be saved regardless of their past. Peter told the household of Cornelius, “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him” (Acts 10:34-35). Paul identified himself as the “foremost of all” sinners, serving “as an example” that the Lord can save anyone (1 Timothy 1:15-16). But until the wicked change their attitude about God’s word so that they are willing to hear, believe, and obey it, they cannot be saved. The way of salvation is shown only through God’s word. We cannot find any other path to salvation (cf. Jeremiah 10:23).
Despite Obedience, Salvation is Not Earned
“Look upon my affliction and rescue me, for I do not forget Your law. Plead my cause and redeem me; revive me according to Your word” (Psalm 119:153-154).
“Great are Your mercies, O Lord; revive me according to Your ordinance. Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, yet I do not turn aside from Your testimonies” (Psalm 119:157).
“Consider how I love Your precepts; revive me, O Lord, according to Your lovingkindness” (Psalm 119:59).
Notice what David said about his commitment to obeying the word of God.
- “I do not forget Your law” (Psalm 119:153). He always kept the word of God in his mind.
- “I do not turn aside from Your testimonies” (Psalm 119:157). He continually followed God’s law.
- “I love Your precepts” (Psalm 119:159). He obeyed God eagerly and willingly, not grudgingly.
Despite his commitment to obedience, David recognized his need for God’s grace and mercy. He appealed to God to “rescue” him (Psalm 119:153) and “revive” him (Psalm 119:154, 156, 159). He could not deliver himself without the Lord’s help.
In the same way, we must obey God, but we do not earn our salvation. Jesus said, “So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done’” (Luke 17:10). Jesus certainly did not teach that serving Him was unnecessary. He simply taught that such service is our obligation, not something we do so that we will deserve a reward from Him. We are saved “by grace,” but this does not mean that engaging in “good works” are optional or unnecessary (Ephesians 2:8-10). We must respond to God’s grace as the psalmist did.
- We must keep God’s word in our minds (Psalm 119:153). The Hebrew writer quoted a prophecy from Jeremiah which said that God’s law must be in our minds and written on our hearts (Hebrews 8:10; cf. Jeremiah 31:33). We must not forget God’s word.
- We must continually follow God’s law (Psalm 119:157). Jesus said, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine” (John 8:31). This requirement of discipleship – continuing in His word – means we must be obedient to Him. When Jesus gave His apostles the Great Commission, He told them to “make disciples,” then teach these disciples “to observe all that I commanded” (Matthew 28:19-20). We must live a life of obedience.
- We must obey God eagerly and willingly (Psalm 119:159). While we are expected to obey the Lord, we are not to do so grudgingly as if we are being forced to do so. God’s people are to be “zealous for good deeds” (Titus 2:14). This means that we should have a fervent desire to do what is pleasing to God. Engaging in good works should be something we want to do, not something we only do because we have to do.
Truth is Not Determined by Numbers
“Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, yet I do not turn aside from Your testimonies. I behold the treacherous and loathe them, because they do not keep Your word” (Psalm 119:157-158).
David’s adversaries were “many” (Psalm 119:157). He considered them, but he did not join them. Instead, he said he loathed them (Psalm 119:158).
We should take this as a reminder to not be tempted to join the majority. Jesus warned about this in the Sermon on the Mount: “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). Popular opinion will change, but the truth of God’s word will not (Psalm 119:160). Therefore, we must not look at numbers to determine what is right; we must look to the Scriptures.
Conclusion
Truth is not found in the changing opinions of culture. It is found in the timeless standard of God’s word. We can have the hope of salvation if we follow His truth.
This entire series is available in paperback. Click on the link for more information – The Psalm of the Word: A Study of Psalm 119.
