Read Psalm 119:153–160
Questions from the Scripture text: What does the psalmist ask God to consider (Psalm 119:153a)? What else does he ask God to do? Why (verse 153b)? What three things does he ask God to do in Psalm 119:154? According to what? What is far from whom (Psalm 119:155a)? How do we know (verse 155b)? What are great in Psalm 119:156a? What does verse 156b ask YHWH to do? According to what? Who are many (Psalm 119:157a)? Yet, what does the psalmist not do (verse 157b)? What does he see these many to be (Psalm 119:158)? With what response? Why?
With what arguments can believers plead to be revived? Psalm 119:153–160 looks forward to opening portion of morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these eight verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that believers can plead with God to be revived upon the basis of the gracious work that He has begun in them, and upon the basis of the abundance of His perfections which can never change.
Revive me by grace. Revive me! Cause me to live! That is the repeated refrain (Psalm 119:154b, Psalm 119:156b, Psalm 119:159b) of this stanza. Here is the cry of the person who knows that even all of his physical life comes by God’s grace, and especially any spiritual life in him must come entirely by God’s grace.
Reasoning from previous grace. If we do not forget God’s law (Psalm 119:153b), that is by God’s grace. Men are already the work of His hands, but how much more the believer has claim to that title. Do you remember His law (verse 153b)? Do you seek His statutes (Psalm 119:155b)? Then surely this is because He has done this in you. This is the work of His hands. You are the work of His hands. He will not neglect or abandon you.
So, the Spirit teaches believers to pray for God’s consideration (“Consider my affliction,” Psalm 119:153a), deliverance (“deliver me”), advocacy (“plead my cause,” Psalm 119:154a), redemption (“redeem me”), and reviving (“revive me,” verse 154b) by reasoning from this other work of His (“for I do not forget Your law,” Psalm 119:153b). This is what His Word has taught us to expect for those whom He has brought into righteousness (“according to Your Word”).
The converse, however, is true for the wicked. As those who do not seek God’s statutes (Psalm 119:155b), there is no “work begun” to which they can appeal in their distresses. Deliverance is far from them (verse 155a).
Reasoning from God’s character. “Great” in Psalm 119:156 and “many” in Psalm 119:157 are translating the same word. There is a competition here between two multitudes: a multitude of YHWH’s tender mercies, and a multitude of persecutors and enemies.
The believer needn’t downplay how bad things are getting in his situation (or in the community, the church, the nation, etc.).
However multitudinous is the evil, it can never outnumber or outdo the Lord’s compassions.
Though the wicked be loathsome (Psalm 119:158a), let the believer turn his attention more upon YHWH’s tender mercies (Psalm 119:156a), judgments (verse 156b), and lovingkindness (Psalm 119:159b).
The psalmist asks the Lord to act in accordance with His own character, not because the outcome is in doubt, but precisely because the outcome is not in doubt. The head (“entirety” in NKJ, Psalm 119:160a) of YHWH’s Word is truth, and unto eternity are the judgments of His righteousness (verse 160b).
When we pray, we are not attempting to “change” the outcome, but rather laying hold of God Himself, and His character, and the good that He has planned to do, even by/through response to our prayers.
What evidence is there in your life that you love God’s Word? From where could this have come? What is your practice of reasoning with the Lord in your prayers? What are some attributes of God from which you could/should reason more? How are you working on improving that?
Sample prayer: Lord, how great Your love has been to us! It is by Your grace that we have come to love Your law. And that same grace gives us strength, and hope, and joy as we draw near to You now to call upon Your Name. We do not have life in ourselves; we must have life from You. And it is with great confidence that we ask for that life. For, You are abundant in compassion and faithfulness and power and justice and steadfast love. Though our troubles and enemies be many, they are not to be compared with the multitude of Your mercies. So, in Your own unchanging perfections, gather us unto Yourself and give us life to worship and serve You, we ask, through Christ, AMEN!
Suggested songs: ARP119U “My Grief Regard” or TPH119T “See My Distress, and Save Me”
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