Psalm 119:89-96 – Living for a Faithful God

The psalmist knows that nothing can remove the authority of God’s Word (v. 1). One obvious witness to this reality is the existence of the universe, whether the heavenly bodies in general or the earth in particular. Their ongoing existence is clear evidence of the faithfulness of God who maintains them where they are through his power. They are servants of God fulfilling his will, doing what he wishes (vv. 89-91).

Their service is unthinking, obviously. Humans too should be God’s servants, but instead of obeying God some disobey him and cause affliction to others. The psalmist had experienced such affliction, but in it he had discovered that God’s revealed will had been a source of delight for his soul (v. 92). Through them God had spoken to him and revived his heart (v. 93). They reminded him of divine realities, and they were powerful in their good effects.

The precepts of God also reminded him that he belonged to God (v. 94). Seeking to live by them is evidence of membership of the divine family. As a member, he could approach the Father; he could ask his Lord to use his power and deliver him from his opponents. He could use his lifestyle as an argument – he wanted to obey God whereas his opponents did not. The psalmist did not suggest that he had merited divine action on his behalf. Rather his focus was on the faithfulness of God.

He reaffirmed his determination to serve God no matter what the opponents would do (v. 95). Their thoughts were on his destruction, but his thoughts were on what God required of him. They were eager to get rid of him, but he was eager to discover how to continue pleasing God. The difference between them and the psalmist was not only seen in external activities; it was also seen in the secret wishes of their hearts.

The psalmist stresses the huge difference between the limits of human enterprise and the wideness of God’s provision (v. 96). Whatever is the product of human wisdom and skill eventually reveals its limits whereas the wisdom provided in God’s Word is boundless. Matthew Henry comments that it is a ‘poor perfection which one sees an end of!’ Those who walk in the broad fields of God’s commandments discover the wide range of his blessings. Each commandment has numerous applications and each precept is a door into endless promises.