Psalm 119:121-128 is the sixteenth stanza of this psalm,
and every line or verse begins with the sixteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet
“AYIN”, in the Hebrew Bible. For the first time, the
words "oppressors" and "oppress" appear in this psalm (vv.
121-122). The word describes the abuse of power and authority, taking advantage
of the underprivileged by either violence or deceit. The word includes the
ideas of accusation and slander. The Jews were commanded not to oppress one
another (Lev. 25:14, 17; Deut. 24:5-22), and this included the strangers in the
land (Ex. 22:2; 23:9). Often, God's people suffer oppression while the guilty
go free. When that happens, we need to remember the Lord and what He does for
us.
When we are being oppressed, we should remember that the
Lord is the Rewarder (v. 111). The psalmist was not boasting but affirming
to the Lord that he was not guilty of anything that deserved punishment. He was
a man of integrity who had a clear conscience; he had treated others justly and
had practiced God's holy laws diligently. That in itself was a blessing, but
God's people long to see justice reigning on the earth. When God rewards His
people, it is a witness to sinners that their day of judgment is certain (Psalm
58:10-11). "Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great
reward" (Heb. 10:35).
Most of all, we need to be assured that the Lord is our
Surety (v. 122). A person became surety when he or she pledged to pay
another person's debt or fulfill a promise. When Jacob refused to allow
Benjamin to go to Egypt for food with his brothers, it was Judah who willingly
became surety for his youngest brother (Gen. 43:1-10; 44:18-34). Judah's
passionate speech before his brother in Egypt assured Joseph that Judah had
truly experienced a change of heart and that it was safe to reveal his identity
to the men. To become surety for a friend's debts is forbidden in Scripture,
lest you end up with a burden greater than you can handle (Prov. 11:15; 17:18;
22:26-27). But the Son of God became surety for those who have trusted Him!
(Heb. 7:22).
No matter how many promises we might make to the Lord, we
can never fulfill them. But in His death on the cross, Jesus has paid the debt
for us, and in His ministry of intercession at the throne in heaven, He is our
living Surety. As long as He lives, our salvation is secure, and He lives "by
the power of an endless life" (Heb. 7:16). So, no matter what people
do to us and no matter how we feel, our Surety is secure and we remain in the
family of God. Jesus has taken the responsibility for our salvation, and He
will never fail.
Finally, we should remember that the Lord is our Master
and the final Judge (vv. 123-128). Whenever people attack us, they also
attack the Lord, for we belong to Him. When Saul of Tarsus persecuted
Christians on earth, He also persecuted their Lord in heaven (Acts 9:1-5). God
cares for His servants. He does not always prevent us from being oppressed, but
He always has a good reason for permitting it to happen. He is a loving Master
who teaches us His will and gives us the discernment we need to handle the problems
of life. Even more, He gives us promises that we can claim and thereby find the
strength and wisdom we need. As God's servants, we do not live by explanations;
we live by promises.
In our impatience, we sometimes want God to work
immediately and set everything right, but His ways and times are not always the
same as ours. Faith and patience go together (Heb. 6:12), and God's delays are
not God's denials. The day will come when the truth will be revealed and sin
will be judged; meanwhile, instead of complaining about what we have paid or
lost, let us rejoice in the wealth that we have in God's Word, wealth that can
never be taken from us. All of God's precepts concerning all things are always
right, so we can depend on the Scriptures and have the guidance that we need.
God bless!
