161 Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word.
162 I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.
163 I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.
164 Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.
165 Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
166 Lord, I have hoped for thy salvation, and done thy commandments.
167 My soul hath kept thy testimonies; and I love them exceedingly.
168 I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies: for all my ways are before thee.
We enjoy tremendous peace and security when we walk with God according to His commandments.
Rejoicing, overwhelming awe and appreciation fill our hearts as we read God’s Word, hope in His salvation, and embrace His commandments. As we look around us and see lying and deceit everywhere, we are thankful to find the truth here. When we see the peace that comes with biblical peacemaking and living by the rules of God’s law, we are thankful.
Verses 161-163.
In Richard Wurmbrand’s book, Tortured for Christ, he details the horrific, communist prison tortures inflicted on Christians in the 1950s. He writes, “We made a deal. They tortured. We preached.” The only way they could withstand the relentless scientific brainwashing was by what Wurmbrand called a “heart washing.” They combated the lengthy persecution by love for Christ, love for God, and love for their persecutors. At one point, the atheists in Romania printed millions of copies of a Bible in which they tried to mock the Word with side comments. However, the believers were overjoyed to have access to printed Bible verses. They ignored the “stupid criticism” of the verses, while rejoicing over the “unspeakably beautiful” words of Holy Scripture contained in the book! Here are real life illustrations of what the Psalmist describes in verse 161. Powerful people viciously persecuted these Christian men and women for no reason other than the fact that they had tried to worship God in their homes and churches. Their survival had everything to do with the fact that they were utterly taken by the Word of God in those prison cells.
As you read the story of these persecutions, you will find that these believers actually rejoiced at the Word, who is Christ (John 1:1-3). The 783,137 words of Scripture speak of Christ (Luke 24:27). If we miss the Word in the words, then we fail to receive the Word, and we will never rejoice in the Word! The words of Scripture must all lead us to Christ; to accept Him, to love Him, to worship Him, and to serve Him.
This should not detract from the truthfulness of Scripture. To commend homosexuality, for example, is to disagree with Christ. The homosexual lifestyle is not the life of Christ; it is the life of death and corruption. Likewise, the Christian will abhor lying wherever it is to be found. He abhors the movies that present the fornicating lifestyle as a preferred state. When multi-level marketers appeal to the idolatrous, materialistic, covetous desires of men in their sales pitch, the Christian finds this equally abhorrent. They are lies. They present the “good life” as something very different from the way the Word presents it. Throughout Scripture, we get a picture of the good life: It is walking in accordance with the laws of God, found in Old and New Testaments. It is feeding the orphans and widows and seeking God’s kingdom above all things.
Verses 164-165.
Now the Psalmist reflects on the glorious character and the blessings of the Word of God. This is worthy of deep contemplation. In spite of the most egregious violations of God’s law on the part of serial killers and tyrants, God’s judgments are never frustrated. His justice is always vindicated, and His decrees still stand. Hence, we can say that things are never “out of control,” from God’s perspective. At the end of history, we will look back and see that God had things well in hand, and all things worked together for our good and His glory. We will praise God seven times a day and all the way into eternity for His righteous judgments.
Our souls are restless until they find their rest in God. The life of rebellion and “doing things our own way” can never render true peace and contentment. As wandering sheep, we are not doing what we were created to do. We are only safe when we are feeding in the pasture, fenced in by the laws of God. We are not safe when we ignore God’s laws. When men ignore the safety rules and the cautionary road signs on the highway, they will find themselves victims of terrible traffic accidents. How many church leaders have fallen into devastating scandal when they began to find the laws of God restrictive and unwelcome? The first steps toward scandal and serious moral stumbling come when men grow tired of the laws of God, read and preached. They do not want to be held accountable to God’s Word in family and church.
Verses 166-168.
Again, the believer iterates his basic confession of faith. He hopes that God will save him, and he lives by the commandments of God. In the book of Revelation, these are the ones who have “the testimony of Jesus” and “keep the commandments of God” (Rev. 12:17, 14:12). You cannot have one of these without the other. They are inseparable elements to the faith.
Three times, the Psalmist confirms his commitment to keeping the commandments, the precepts, and the testimonies. Others may wander away from the Word of God. They lose interest in the Word; we see this all the time in the apostasy of the West. Contrariwise, the defining characteristic of the true believer is the keeping of the Word ever before him. He is especially conscious of the fact that God is present in his life. When a son lives at home in relationship with his family, his father is usually aware of his son’s attitudes and activities. He knows when his son is uncooperative and slothful at his chores. He knows when his son’s attitudes change toward reading the Bible or attending church. He knows when his son is irascible with the other members of the family. In an even fuller sense, God knows our ways, our attitudes, our habits, our inclinations, and our disinclinations. If we are in a good relationship with God, then we are happy to know that God knows our ways. We are happy to live in God’s family if we are comfortable living with God’s rules and His presence.
What are the things that capture our attention, that monopolize our time and mental energy? The believer is drawn to Christ and everything about Christ. Thus, the Word of God plays a huge role in the Christian life. He can hear Christ speaking through the words of Scripture, because he knows that Christ is a real person. This renders way more meaning and value to the words of Scripture. That’s why he can say, “I rejoice at thy words, as one who finds a great treasure!” This is reminiscent of the parable of the treasure in the field (Matt. 13:44-46).
The believer also loves the truth, and hates every lie that misleads and misguides. Can you detect lies, whether in your mouth and mind or somebody else’s? Do you react negatively to these lies? Do you see the great danger in one who lies to himself and to others?
If the Psalmist praises God seven times in one day, then certainly the church should incorporate praise in the worship service. We review God’s righteous judgments, and we praise Him for the perfection of His plans, purposes, and works.
1. How did the believers that were tortured in communist prisons survive their persecutions?
2. What or who should we find in the words of Scripture?
3. How many times a day does the Psalmist praise the judgments of God?
4. What are the two things that mark a Christian in the book of Revelation and in verse 166 of our passage?
5. What is the first indication that a man may fall into moral scandal?
1. Is there any lack of peace or lack of a sense of security in this home? Is there a love for the Word? Is there a love for God’s law? Is there a love for Christ?
2. What do we find in Scripture? Have we read the words about the Word (Christ) and yet missed the Word? Does our relationship with Christ grow strong as we read about His stories, His laws, His works, His sacrifice, and His rule?