Psalm 119: Gimel 17-24

The psalmist rejoices in his past experiences that confirmed the revelation of God. As one who has experienced it aplenty in the past, he calls on God to deal with him in such a way that he can thrive and devote himself to establishing the truth of God’s Word. He wants to continue in the divine enlightenment that allows him to discern the immense value and power of what lies behind the words of the Covenant.

He admits that he is little more than a visitor, a sojourner in God’s domain, begging the merciful handling God had commanded in His Laws for strangers passing through. But instead of mere life support on his journey, he wants to find the moral sustenance of revelation. He confesses that his soul is crushed by longing for a word from Jehovah that would disclose His divine moral character.

Surely God as rebuked the arrogant souls who felt competent to judge right and wrong from their own reasoning. He begs that the Lord not let him fall into their contemptible errors. He has done his level best to give the Word precedence in his thinking.

People who gain political power tend to talk a lot, but the psalmist would rather keep his mouth shut and devote his attention to what God revealed as the way to live. Human wisdom is hardly on a par with the delight of examining what God says is true.