AYIN. I have done justice and righteousness; do not leave me to my oppressors. Be surety for Your servant for good; do not let the proud oppress me. My eyes fail from seeking Your salvation and Your righteous word. Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy, and teach me Your statutes. I am Your servant; give me understanding, that I may know Your testimonies. It is time for You to act, O LORD, for they have regarded Your law as void. Therefore I love Your commandments more than gold, yes, than fine gold! Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right; I hate every false way.

With confidence, the writer declares his way, "I have done justice and righteousness..." His statement is not a boastful declaration of personal achievement and attainment, but a description of his faithful and uncompromising service to the Lord. It is not difficult to consider God's way and to know that it is both just and righteous. To consider the path of justice and righteousness is easy, to walk it is much more difficult. So often, folks are aware of the way of God, even esteem it, and yet, walk in the paths of man. The Psalmist did not conduct himself in this manner.

Again, the writer speaks of his path, "My eyes fail from seeking Your salvation and Your righteous word." Young's Literal Translation renders this, "mine eyes have been consumed for Thy salvation and for the sayings of Thy righteousness." Certainly, we might conclude from this that the Psalmist sought the council of God's word as revealed in the holy scriptures so much, he would tire his eyes in the reading of the inspired record. Friend, we ought to desire the word so much! Recall, near the beginning of this Psalm, the writer declared, "Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You!" (119:11) So great are the benefits for those who will diligently seek to know and act according to the will of God. And yet, perhaps these words in verse 123 indicate more the limitation of man in fully comprehending the salvation which God bestows. Though we devote the whole of our attention to looking at the salvation of God, and to the study of His word whereby He has made it known, we still fail to reach a full appreciation of all that the Lord has done for us. Paul said such in this way, "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!" (Romans 11:33) And again, "To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." (Eph 3:8) The depth of riches which are in Christ Jesus are beyond our capacity to comprehend. How shall we understand infinite love and majesty fully with the finite mind of man?

Because the Psalmist devoted himself to walking in the way of God, and sought after the wonderful sayings of God's word which can make one wise unto salvation, he is confident make his requests known to God. Jesus taught often of how to petition the Lord. We are to do so with faith (Luke 17:6). We are to do so with persistence (Luke 18:1-8).

So, with faith in the hand of God to save His elect, and with great insistence, the writer pleads that the Lord might not allow the oppressors to obtain the victory. In fact, he calls upon God to be a pledge or security of victory. "Be surety for Your servant for good..." Our triumph over those who would beset us is found nowhere but in the Lord. He alone can strengthen us to combat the hosts of Satan who seek to destroy. He alone can defeat the enemy of our souls – yes, he HAS ALREADY defeated the devil at Calvary. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31)

Not only did the writer desire security from the Lord, but understanding (119:125). Understanding is the perception of how things work together. One might have all kinds of knowledge, but without understanding, it is for nought. The one who is blessed with understanding will usually also exercise wisdom, putting into practice those things which he has learned. In James 1:5-6, we are told to ask of God if we lack wisdom, for God seeks to give to all liberally. God wants us to understand His word. He wants us to know His ways, and to make them our own. He wants us to obey Him, understanding His way to be far superior to our own. But James warns us, "ask in faith"!

How forward is our writer as he speaks to God? Listen, "It is time for You to act, O LORD, for they have regarded Your law as void." How can a man command God to do this or that? What manner of boldness is this, that a mere mortal should direct the Creator of all to action? His affirmation that it is time for God to act is nothing but a request that God fulfill His word. The Lord has promised victory to His saints over those who oppose them and His will. The unrighteous have not regarded the Law of God. They have acted against it, have persecuted those who follow it, and have made themselves enemies of the Almighty. The Psalmist is simply asking the Lord to keep His word.

We too can approach God with such boldness. One New Testament writer expressed our valued position by saying, "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16). Indeed, our communication to the Lord must be with great reverence, but we can be both reverent and bold at the same time.

If we will diligently seek God's way, and love that which is the basis of all justice and righteousness, then we will be studious people of the Scriptures. Our attitude toward it will be that which we see in the Psalmist, that God's word is the object of our love, it is more precious to us than the great treasures of this world, that we consider His precepts to be right in all things, and we hate those things which would lead us in falsehood. So many today wish to cast doubt on the scriptures; even among those who are religious people, claiming to be Christian, we find opponents of God's word. Why, I cannot understand. The follower who truly loves the Lord and His way acknowledges that His word is right in all things!

A push for innovations to the worship of God and to the doctrines which are given in His word has been present since His word was given. Israel, God's chosen people of the Old Covenant did so. Some in the early church sought to change the way of God, preferring the doctrines of men. And it is no different in our present day. So, what shall we do? If all others were to depart from the holy commandments of God, we are responsible to maintain our faithfulness to His divine instructions. Even if those who are about us and with whom we worship set aside God's will for man's, our task is to remain faithful.

There is nothing that should derail the Christian's focus on the path of justice and righteousness. Paul confidently declares, "...I am persuaded that neither death nor death, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39). Friend, let us therefore remain faithful, in all points; employing His will as our constant guide to life eternal.

Click here for this week's Answering The Atheist
How will God judge people, according to their words and deeds (Matthew 12:37; John 5:29) or according to their beliefs (Mark 16:16; John 3:18, 36)? Is there a contradiction?