Psalm 119: Vav 41-48

The psalmist shows us a Life without Shame. The emphasis is on what the New Testament refers to as our witness before the world.

We start off with a picture of a servant’s petition for God to permit His Covenant loyalty — mercy and kindness to His vassals — to come and rescue him from human spite. He notes this is what God promised in the Covenant. This will help him answer those who pick at him according to human wisdom. He can offer calm words of assurance that his path, though seemingly fruitless and silly to some, will bring him the rich provision of his God. The psalmist pledges to demonstrate to all his trust in God’s promises.

Indeed, he prays that God not allow His Word of Truth to escape from his mouth, but to keep it locked in his heart. Then he reverses the image: In the grip of this Truth, the psalmist has stood ever ready for some command to carry out God’s whims, just hoping to be a part of His glory. He wants a part in making the Law of God persist in this world as a constant challenge to others.

In this way he can walk with princely self-assurance, as if nothing could stand in his path as he goes about seeking opportunities to act as God’s emissary. With such a commission, it’s entirely natural to promote God’s interests from the lowest to the highest of human authorities. Are they not all subject to the will of God?

He holds the Word of God as his dearest friend, a companion so delightful he can’t get enough of it, gazing with rapt attention and deep affection. He refers to a ritual act of lifting his hands, roughly equivalent to demonstrating some total dependence and devotion to someone, for the revelation of God is as much of His real Presence as we can bear. This ritual is performed with glowing pride, utterly shameless. He feels like there’s never really enough time in his days to give due consideration to the implications of what God has commanded.