Day 21 of the 119th Psalm, verses 161-168.
“Sin and Shin
“161 Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of Your Words.
“162 I rejoice at Your Word like one who finds great spoil.
“163 I hate and abhor falsehood, but I love Your Law.
“164 Seven times a day I praise You for Your righteous rules.
“165 Great peace have those who love Your Law; nothing can make them stumble.
“166 I hope for Your salvation, O YHWH, and I do Your commandments.
“167 My soul keeps Your testimonies; I love them exceedingly.
“168 I keep Your precepts and testimonies, for all my ways are before You.”
– Psalm 119:161-168
THE BREAKDOWN
Verse 161: Again, persecution should not keep us from the Words of God if His Law is written on our hearts.
Verse 162: Spoil in this verse means something valuable like a treasure. We should rejoice at God’s Word as though we found a great treasure.
Verse 163: God’s Law is truth. If we love His Law, we should hate what is false because it is the opposite of God’s Law.
Verse 164: The number seven is thoughtful. A week is seven days, and then it begins again. If we praise Him seven times daily, we should start again. Peter asked Yeshua if he should forgive his brother seven times. (Matthew 18:21). Yeshua answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (vs. 22). The number is not meant to be finite but ongoing. The same is true with our praises to God.
Verse 165: This verse parallels verse 11. “I have stored up Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.”
Verse 166: These two things go hand in hand. Doing the commandments does not give salvation, but not doing the commandments is why we need salvation. That’s why salvation must come from somewhere other than doing the commandments. The writer has put hope in that salvation because Yeshua was yet to come.
Verse 167: Keeping God’s testimonies should be a loving experience. What’s not to love about hearing all that God has done?
Verse 168: God knows all and sees all. All our ways are before Him, so He knows if we are keeping His statutes and testimonies.
Lord, help me to see Your Word as a treasure. Help me to love Your Law. Seven times will I praise You throughout the day. All my ways are before You, Lord. Keep them in line with Your ways. Amen.
Shalom.