The psalmist brings his circumstances to the attention of God. He has disciplined himself to live for God, but he knows that his behaviour will lead to strong opposition (v. 121). Therefore, he asks the Lord to give him a sign of divine favour, and the sign that he requests is that his opponents will not oppress him (v. 122). His request reveals that he recognised the sovereignty of God in the lives of his opponents, that the Lord could prevent them harming his servant.
The salvation that the psalmist desired was a visible one. He longed to see God act on his behalf. His hope was in a promise that God had given, that the Lord would come to his aid (v. 123). The promise was righteous in its content, but also righteous in its source, the living God; it would also result in righteousness, whether in the actions God took or in the blessings that the psalmist would receive,
The psalmist knew that he was God’s servant. He also knew that he had a loving, faithful Master (vv. 124-25). A good servant wants to know how to please his master. Here the psalmist comes to his Master requesting divine instruction. He knows that he can expect to be taught because he knows that the Lord is faithful to his people. This verse points to the instruction of Jesus when he told his heavy-laden disciples to take his yoke and learn from him because he is gentle and humble in heart, and he promised them that they would find rest for their souls.
The society around the psalmist was in a mess, the result of ignoring and disobeying God’s law (v. 126). Although the rejection was foolish, it was not a sign that God had been defeated. The psalmist knew that God had the power to turn it round and restore his rule. But he also knew that if God did not work, things would continue to get worse, so he prayed for the Lord to act powerfully.
Times of rejection of God’s law are not times for God’s people to reduce their commitment. Despite what others thought, the psalmist’s estimation was that God’s commandments were a great treasure to have (v. 127), more valuable than the best that earth can give. His assessment was that all of God’s commandments are right, and since that was the case, it meant that one like the psalmist who loves God’s law must hate all that is false (v. 128). It is impossible for such a believer to be indifferent about what is wrong.
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