Psalm 119:41-48 begin with the sixth
Hebrew Alphabet “vav”. These verses affirm the mercy and salvation of the Lord
as declared in His Word. The Psalmist prayed to fully experience them. The
mercy of God was fully demonstrated when He sent His only begotten Son to earth,
to live and die for us. This is the epitome of mercy, God not giving us what we
truly deserve. Remember we are sinners fallen short of God’s prescribed standard.
And we deserve to be condemned to destruction. But God chose to shower upon us
His grace i.e. He gave us what we don’t deserve. He commended His love towards
us, sending Christ Jesus His only Son to die to redeem us from our sins. This
is a great demonstration of His mercy. And we dare not presume on them. So the
Psalmist, though not living in the dispensation of the New Testament, laud the
mercy and salvation of God promised in His Word. Hence he was not afraid to
face any reproach for placing His trust in the Word of God. He knew that in trusting
the Word of God had placed him on the path of His favor.
Because of his explicit trust in
the Word, his desire was to always declare it. In verse 43 he was actually declaring
his wish to keep on proclaiming the Word where his hope had rested. It is by
way of saying that the Word would never be removed from His declaration. Like
him we must not only continuously proclaim the eternal Word of God but also daily,
constantly and habitually keep them. The term ‘liberty’ more specifically
refers to the wide, spacious life in the Lord. By choosing to walk in that
space of liberty in keeping with God’s precepts, the Psalmist was assured a
life of freedom, unrestraint by sin.
For one who had experienced the liberating
power of God’s Word, it would not be a surprise for him to have boldness to
declare them, even before people of great authority. The Psalmist would unabashedly declare the
Word. Like him, we who have tasted of God’s goodness in His word, should never
be afraid to witness for Him before royalties or commoners. The Psalmist would
continue to delight in God’s commandments and demonstrate his love for it. In saying
that he shall lift up his hand is virtually saying that he would praise God and
His commands. He would love them and also muse about them and the precepts and
teachings. He was sure that in them he would find God’s liberating life. What a
way to live! In living the Word of God, we will find freedom to honor God.
Yes, His truth will set us free. And we, whom the Son has set free by His
liberating truth, shall be free indeed!
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