After God’s Heart – Psalm 119:73-80

י YOD [1]

“Your hands have made me and fashioned me. Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.” Psalm 119:73

David acknowledged God as his creator. When he declared, “Your hands have made me and fashioned me,” he quoted from Job 10:8 word for word. [2]

In Genesis 2:7, it is written, “The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”

In Psalms 139:15-16, David wrote, “My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.”

David understood that his existence was not the result of chance but the intentional work of God. The same Creator who formed his body also gave him his mind, abilities, and purpose. [3]

God carefully formed each of us with the unique abilities, thoughts, and qualities that make us who we are. [4]

After acknowledging that God created him, David asked the Lord to help him understand God’s commandments. He needed God’s Spirit to help him comprehend them. In 1 Corinthians 2:14, Paul wrote, “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

“Those who fear You will be glad when they see me, because I have hoped in Your Word.” Psalm 119:74

What did David’s hope in God’s Word do for him? It provided immediate acceptance for him with others who highly respected the Lord.

In Acts 9:26-28, at first those who feared the Lord were afraid to welcome Saul of Tarsus into their gatherings, but after Barnabas vouched for Saul’s faith in Christ, they gladly welcomed him.

Those who love God rejoice when they see His grace working in the life of another. The new convert’s joy in God becomes a reason for encouragement and praise among all God’s children. [5] In 2 Corinthians 4:14, Paul wrote that God’s grace, having spread to many, causes “thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.”

Believers are especially encouraged when they see someone standing for truth. In 3 John 1:3-4, John the apostle wrote, “I rejoiced greatly when brothers came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”

“I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.” Psalm 119:75

By allowing David to experience persecution for his faith in God, God allowed him to become more like Himself. In Acts 13:22, God described David as “a man after My own heart.”

The Apostle Paul had scars from the severe beatings, lashings, and stoning he endured while preaching. In Galatians 6:17, he stated, ‘I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.’ His scars were visual proofs of his devotion to God. [6]

In Job 1:13-19, the devil viciously attacked Job. He robbed Job of his children and his wealth. What did Job do? In Job 1:20-22, “Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.’ In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.”

In Job 2:9-10, when Job’s wife said to him, “’Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!’ He said to her, ‘You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?’ In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”

David, Job, Paul, the prophets, and Jesus Himself suffered afflictions for the sake of the truth. Their steadfast faith in God amidst suffering demonstrated to those around them that God was real and present in their lives. For example, if Jesus did not really resurrect from the dead, how is it that the Apostle James was willing to be beheaded for his faith in Messiah? And we read in Acts 5:40-41, that after Peter and John were beaten for professing faith in Christ, “they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name.” O, that all of us “Christians” would love God with all our hearts, souls and strength! If such were the case, we would be powerful witnesses for Him.

In Romans 8:28, it is written, “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” When we understand our life’s purpose is to glorify God, things that we once deemed evil, we will re-deem as good.

“Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to Your Word to Your servant. Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live; for Your Law is my delight.” Psalm 119:76-77

David humbly asked God to be merciful to him during his affliction. He wanted to demonstrate both God’s justice and His compassion to others. He knew that he needed God’s help to be a good witness for God.

God has promised to show kindness to those who belong to Him, and we His servants can confidently remind Him of this. David also appealed to God based on the fact that he delighted in God’s Law. Because he loved God’s Word, he believed that God would show him favor. [7]

“Let the proud be ashamed, for they treated me wrongfully with falsehood; but I will meditate on Your precepts. Let those who fear You turn to me, those who know Your testimonies.” Psalm 119:78-79

David minimized in his mind what proud people did wrongfully against him. He maximized in his mind what those who feared the Lord said and did for him. He did not allow hate to define him.

Hatred hurts people. What did Jesus teach us to do with hatred? In Matthew 5:11-12, He taught us, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Jesus taught us to regard mistreatment from hateful people as proof that we are in His family. He will greatly reward us!

David prayed, “Let them be ashamed”—meaning that God would either bring them to repentance or expose the wrong they had done. David did not need to defend himself through anger or revenge. He could leave the matter in God’s hands. [8]

David remained focused on his relationship with God. Regardless of how others treated him, he resolved: “I will meditate on Your precepts.” He experienced joy in God’s Word. [9]

David prayed. “Let those who fear You turn to me.” It is good to also have people in our lives who love us because we love God. We need their love, prayers, and fellowship.

“Let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes that I may not be ashamed.” Psalm 119:80

David longed to experience not just the appearance of godliness but the transforming power of it. His desired to be wholehearted and consistent in his devotion to God. In this way, his inner life would be spiritually healthy and pleasing to the Lord. [10]

David feared the shame that comes from hypocrisy. He prayed, “That I be not ashamed.” He understood that hypocrisy eventually leads to disgrace. Those who only pretend to follow God will either be exposed in this life if they do not repent or face judgment in the life to come. [11]

David's prayer was essentially, “Lord, make my heart genuine so that I will not fall into serious sin, bring dishonor upon Your Name, or turn away from Your ways. Keep me faithful so that I may approach You with confidence and stand before You without shame.” [12]

A sincere heart gives a believer confidence before God. When our hearts are made true by His grace, we can look forward to the day when we will stand before Him with joy and thanksgiving.


[1] From Googles sources and Bible Gateway: “Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem. It contains 176 verses divided into 22 sections, with each section named after one of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Instead of just one line per letter, all eight verses in a given section begin with that specific letter. For example, verses 73–80 start with the י YOD, and this exact pattern continues sequentially all the way through the final letter, Tau (ת).

יָדֶ֣יךָ עָ֭שׂוּנִי וַֽיְכוֹנְנ֑וּנִי הֲ֝בִינֵ֗נִי וְאֶלְמְדָ֥ה מִצְוֺתֶֽיךָ׃
יְ֭רֵאֶיךָ יִרְא֣וּנִי וְיִשְׂמָ֑חוּ כִּ֖י לִדְבָרְךָ֣ יִחָֽלְתִּי׃
יָדַ֣עְתִּי יְ֭הוָה כִּי־צֶ֣דֶק מִשְׁפָּטֶ֑יךָ וֶ֝אֱמוּנָ֗ה עִנִּיתָֽנִי׃
יְהִי־נָ֣א חַסְדְּךָ֣ לְנַחֲמֵ֑נִי כְּאִמְרָתְךָ֥ לְעַבְדֶּֽךָ׃
יְבֹא֣וּנִי רַחֲמֶ֣יךָ וְאֶֽחְיֶ֑ה כִּי־תֽ֝וֹרָתְךָ֗ שַֽׁעֲשֻׁעָֽי׃
יֵבֹ֣שׁוּ זֵ֭דִים כִּי־שֶׁ֣קֶר עִוְּת֑וּנִי אֲ֝נִ֗י אָשִׂ֥יחַ בְּפִקּוּדֶֽיךָ׃
יָשׁ֣וּבוּ לִ֣י יְרֵאֶ֑יךָ ׳וְיָדְעוּ׳ ״וְ֝יֹדְעֵ֗י״ עֵדֹתֶֽיךָ׃
יְהִֽי־לִבִּ֣י תָמִ֣ים בְּחֻקֶּ֑יךָ לְ֝מַ֗עַן לֹ֣א אֵבֽוֹשׁ׃

Historically, each letter name corresponds to a concrete object. Over time, these pictures evolved into the letters used today. For example, י YOD was the symbol for closed hand.

[2-5] Material developed, added to and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[6] www.gotquestions.org/I-bear-in-my-body-the-marks-of-the-Lord-Jesus.html
[7-12] Material developed, added to and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary