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TOPIC: Spurgeon - C.H. - The Golden Alphabet (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 22 Exposition of Psalm 119:169-176
Other Subjects in this Topic:
Exposition of Psa_119:169-176
by Charles Spurgeon
169. Let my cry come near before thee, O Lord: give me
understanding according to thy word.
170. Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me
according to thy word.
171. My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy
statutes.
172. My tongue shall speak of thy word:. for all thy
commandments are righteousness.
173. Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts.
174. I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord; and thy law is my
delight.
175. Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy
judgments help me.
176. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I
do not forget thy commandments.
The Psalmist is now at the last section of the psalm, and his petitions
gather still more force and fervency; he seems to break into the inner circle
of divine fellowship, and to come even to the feet of the great God whose
help he is imploring. This nearness creates the most lowly view of himself,
and leads him to close the psalm, prostrate in the dust, in deepest serf-humiliation,
begging to be sought out like a lost sheep.
169. “Let my cry come near before thee, O Lord: give me understanding
according to thy word.”
“Let my cry come near before thee, O Lord.” He is tremblingly afraid lest
he should not be heard. He is conscious that his prayer is nothing better
than the “cry” of a poor child, or the groan of a wounded beast. He
dreads lest it should be shut out from the ear of the Most High; but he
very boldly prays that it may come before God, that it may be in his ear,
under his notice, and looked upon with his acceptance. Yea, he goes
further, and entreats, “Let my cry come near before thee, O Lord”: he
wants the Lord’s attention to his prayer to be very close and considerate.
He uses a figure of speech and personifies his prayer. We may picture his
prayer as Esther, venturing into the royal presence, entreating an audience,
and begging to find favor in the sight of the blessed and only Potentate. It
is a very sweet thing to a suppliant when he knows of a surety that his
prayer has obtained audience, when it has trodden the sea of glass before
the throne, and has come even to the footstool of the glorious seat around
which heaven and earth adore. It is to Jehovah that this prayer is expressed
with trembling earnestness — our translators, filled with holy reverence,
translate the word, “O Lord.” We crave audience of none else, for we
have confidence in none beside.
“Give me understanding according to thy word,” This is the prayer about
which the Psalmist is so exceedingly anxious. With all his gettings he
would get understanding, and whatever he misses he is resolved not to
miss this priceless boon. He desires spiritual light and understanding, as it
is promised in God’s word, as it proceeds from God’s word, and as it
produces obedience to God’s word. He pleads as though he had no
understanding whatever of his own, and asks to have one given to Him.
“Give me understanding.” In truth, he had an understanding according to
the judgment of men; but what he sought was an understanding according
to God’s word, which is quite another thing. To understand spiritual things
is the gift of God. To have a judgment enlightened by heavenly light and
conformed to divine truth is a privilege which only grace can give. Many a
man who is accounted wise after the manner of this world is a fool
according to the word of the Lord. May we be among those happy children
who shall all be taught of the Lord!
170. “Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy
word.”
“Let my supplication come before thee.” It is the same entreat, with a
slight change of words. He humbly calls his cry a supplication, a sort of
beggar’s petition; and again he asks for audience and for answer. There
might be hindrances in the way to an audience, and he begs for their
removal — “Let my supplication come.” Other believers are heard by the
Great Lord himself — let my prayer come before thee: let me also have
audience of my God.
“Deliver me according to thy word.” Rid me of mine adversaries, clear
me of my slanderers, preserve me from my tempters, and bring me up out
of all my afflictions, even as thy word has led me to expect thou wilt do. It
is for this that in the previous verse he seeks understanding. His enemies
would succeed through his folly, if they succeeded at all; but if he exercised
a sound discretion they would be baffled, and he would escape from them.
The Lord in answer to prayer frequently delivers his children by making
them wise as serpents as well as harmless as doves.
171. “My lips shad utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes.”
He will not always be pleading for himself, he will rise above all selfishness,
and render thanks for the benefit received. He promises to praise God
when he has obtained practical instruction in the life of godliness: this is
something to praise for, no blessing is more precious. The best possible
praise is that which proceeds from men who honor God, not only with their
lips, but in their lives. We learn the music of heaven in the school of holy
living. He whose life honors the Lord is sure to be a man of praise. David
would not be silent in his gratitude, but he would express it in appropriate
terms: his lips would utter what his life had practiced. Eminent disciples are
wont to speak well of the master who instructed them; and this holy man,
when taught the statutes of the Lord, promises to give all the glory to him
to whom it is due.
172. “My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are
righteousness.”
“My tongue shall speak of thy word.” When he had done singing he
began preaching. God’s tender mercies are such that they may be either
said or sung. When the tongue speaks of God’s word it has a most fruitful
subject; such speaking will be as a tree of life, whose leaves shall be for the
healing of the people. Men will gather together to listen to such talk, and
they will treasure it up in their hearts. The worst of us is, that for the most
part we are full of our own words, and speak but little of God’s word. Oh,
that we could come to the same resolve as this godly man, and say
henceforth, “My tongue shall speak of thy word”! Then should we break
through our sinful silence; we should no more be cowardly and halfhearted,
but should be true witnesses for Jesus. It is not only of God’s works that
we are to speak, but of his word. We may extol its truth, its wisdom, its
preciousness, its grace, its power; and then we may tell of all it has
revealed, all it has promised, all it has commanded, and all it has effected.
The subject gives us plenty of sea-room; we may speak on for ever: the tale
is for ever telling, yet untold.
“For all thy commandments are righteousness.” David appears to have
been mainly enamoured of the preceptive part of the word of God, and
concerning the precept his chief delight lay in its purity and excellence.
When a man can speak thus from his heart, his heart is indeed a temple of
the Holy Ghost.
He has said aforetime (verse 138), “Thy testimonies are righteous,” but
here he declares that they are righteousness itself. The law of God is not
only the standard of right, but it is the essence of righteousness. This the
Psalmist affirms of each and every one of the precepts without exception.
He felt like Paul — “The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and
just, and good.” When a man has so high an opinion of God’s
commandments, it is little wonder that his lips should be ready to extol the
ever-glorious One.
173. “Let thine hand help me; far I have chosen thy precepts.”
“Let thine hand help me.” Give me practical succor. Do not entrust me to
my friends or to thy friends, but put thine own hand to the work. Thy hand