I Love Truth – Psalm 119:161-168

ש SHIN [1]

“Princes persecute me without a cause, but my heart stands in awe of Your Word.” Psalm 119:161

These princes must have perceived David as a threat. In 1 Samuel 26:19, David said to his king, “Let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the Lord has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering. But if it is the children of men, may they be cursed before the Lord, for they have driven me out this day from sharing in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’” [2]

Persecution is especially difficult when those in authority are the persecutors. I faced a similar dilemma in a communist country when I needed law enforcers to defend me. I did not ask for their help because they hated Christians. Politicians and law enforcers should use their God given authority to honor God and protect His people. Oh, if only the hearts of all world leaders would stand in awe of God’s Word! Oh, that’s right, one day they will.

These rulers persecuted David without a just cause. He had not done anything to deserve their hatred or punishment. Although they wanted him to fear them and obey their demands, David declared to God, “My heart stands in awe of Your Word.” His greatest concern was not pleasing powerful people but remaining faithful to God. [3]

Disciples of Jesus, take His Word seriously. In Luke 12:4-5, Jesus says to us, “My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell. Yes, I say to you, fear Him!” The one to fear above all others is God.

“I rejoice at Your Word as one who finds great treasure.” Psalm 119:162

David was thankful that Israel had been blessed with light from above. The nations around Israel were spiritually dark places to live. David rejoiced that God had allowed him to understand His Word and experience its power working in his life.

David compared his joy in God’s Word to the joy of a treasure finder. Jesus described the kingdom of heaven with similar words to David’s in Matthew 13:44-46, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

Joy often comes after overcoming struggles and opposition to God’s Word. [4] The joy of the Lord is a great treasure. According Nehemiah 8:10, the joy of the Lord is our strength.

“I hate and abhor lying, but I love Your Law.” Psalm 119:163

What did David hate and what did he love?

Lying includes any form of deception, such as hypocrisy, false teaching, broken promises, dishonesty in business, and untruthfulness in our conversations. A person who loves God abstains from lying, because among the six things that He hates in Proverbs 6:16-19, “a lying tongue” and “a false witness that speaks lies” are two of the six things that God hates.

David’s love for God’s Law motivated him to loathe lying. Lies are completely contrary to God’s nature and His will. A heart that loves truth rejects lies. [4]

In John 8:44, Jesus described the devil as being a murderer, void of truth, a liar and the father of lies. In 1 John 2:22, the apostle John described the antichrist as a liar. He wrote, “Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.”

When leaders tell lies, when the press supports lies, and when people believe lies, we should fall to our knees and cry out to God to save our nation from being taken over by the devil.

“Seven times a day I praise You, because of Your righteous judgments.” Psalm 119:164

David praised God seven times per day because God judged him with righteous judgment. God was not like the princes who persecuted David. God was gracious and kind to him. [5] The princes were proud bullies. They persecuted the poor and lowly, especially those who stood up for God. They were up to no good. That’s why they didn’t like David and wanted him silenced.

“Great peace have those who love Your Law, and nothing causes them to stumble.” Psalm 119:165

Why do the lovers of God’s Law not stumble? Because God’s Law helps them to see stumbling blocks and avoid them. In Luke 11:34, Jesus said, “The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness.” Good eyes, eyes full of God’s light, can see clearly what is before them.

In Isaiah 32:17, the Lord says, “The work of righteousness shall be peace.” Walking in harmony with God’s Law yields peace because God’s Spirit bears witness with your spirit that you are obeying God. According to Romans 8:28, God makes all things work out for the good of those who love God, and are called according to His purpose. [6]

“Lord, I hope for Your salvation, and I do Your commandments.” Psalm 119:166

David addressed God as Lord. A servant obeys his Lord. David’s hope in God compelled him to obey God’s commandments. He sincerely sought to align his life with God’s will in every area. In Revelation 22:14, it is written, “Blessed are they that do His commandments that they may have right to the tree of life.”

“My soul keeps Your testimonies, and I love them exceedingly. I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies, for all my ways are before You.” Psalm 119:167-168

David’s conscience confirmed that his motivations and actions were right before God. God sees both the rights and wrongs that we do. In Genesis 17:1, God told Abraham, “Walk before me, and be perfect.” When we are cognizant that God’s eyes are upon us, we tend to be more careful to honor Him. [7] When we sin, we ask God to forgive us, and to expunge our breaking of His Law from His record book. In Acts 3:19, Peter told sinners, “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.”

David loved God’s testimonies “exceedingly.” Our love for God and His testimonies should exceed our love for every other type of testimony or creature. When we love God supremely, it is a sign that our priorities are well set.


[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 161–168 start with the ש SHIN, and this exact pattern continues sequentially all the way through the final letter, Tau (ת).

שָׂ֭רִים רְדָפ֣וּנִי חִיָּ֑ם ׳וּמִדְּבָרֶיךָ׳ ״וּ֝מִדְּבָרְךָ֗״ פָּחַ֥ד לִבִּֽי׃
שָׂ֣שׂ אָ֭נָכַלִֽי עַל־אִמְרָתֶ֑ךָ כְּ֝מוֹצֵ֗א שָׁלָ֥ל רָֽב׃
שֶׁ֣קֶר שָׂ֭אתִי וַאֲתַעֵ֑בָה תּוֹרָתְךָ֥ אָהָֽבְתִּי׃
שֶׁ֣בַל בַּ֭יּוֹם הִלַּלְתִּ֑יךָ עַ֝֗ל מִשְׁפְּטֵ֥י צִדְקֶֽךָ׃
שָׁל֣ו רָ֭ב לְאֹהֲבֵ֣י תוֹרָתֶ֑ךָ וְאֵֽילָ֥מוֹ מִכְשֽׁוֹל׃
שִׂבַּ֣רְתִּי לִֽישׁוּעָתָ֣ יְהוָ֑ה וּֽמִצְוֺתֶ֥יךָ עָשִֽׂיתִי׃
שָֽׁמְרָ֣ה נַ֭פְשִׁי עֵדֹתֶ֑יךָ וָאֹהֲבֵ֥ם מְאֹֽד׃
שָׁמַ֣רְתִּי פִ֭קּוּדֶיךָ וְעֵדֹתֶ֑יךָ כִּ֖י כָל־דְּרָכַ֣י נֶגְדֶּֽךָ׃

Historically, each letter name corresponds to a concrete object. Over time, these pictures evolved into the letters used today. For example, ש SHIN was originally the symbol for tooth.

[2-7] Material developed, added to and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary