Psalm 119:57-64 is the eighth stanza of this psalm, and
every line or verse begins with the eighth letter of the Hebrew alphabet “HETH”,
in the Hebrew Bible. Whenever the people of Israel failed God and turned to
idols for help, it was evidence that they did not really believe Jehovah was
adequate to meet their needs. When the enemy threatened to
invade their land, the leaders of Israel often ran to Egypt for help, as though
Jehovah was unconcerned and unable to deliver them. The psalmist in this
section makes it clear that the Lord God Almighty is all we need.
First, He reminds us that God is our portion (vv. 57-58). This
is real estate language and refers to the apportioning of the land of Canaan to
the tribes of Israel (78:55; Josh. 13-21). The priests and Levites were not
given an inheritance in the land because the Lord was their inheritance and
their portion (Num. 18:20-24; Deut. 10:8-9; 12:12). Jeremiah, the priest called
to be a prophet, called the Lord "the Portion of Jacob" (Jer. 10:16;
51:19; Lam. 3:24), and David used the same image in Psalm 16:5-6. The
"lines" in 16:6 refer to the property lines of one's land, the
inheritance given by God.
Believers today have a rich spiritual inheritance in the
Lord Jesus Christ, for God's fullness is in Him and we are "complete in
him" (Col. 2:9-10). He is our life (Col. 3:4) and our "all in
all" (Col. 3:11). Because we are in Him, we have "all things that
pertain to life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3). Our riches in Christ are
revealed in the Word, which is our "spiritual bankbook," and His
wealth can never diminish. The psalmist had made promises to obey the Lord (vv.
8, 15-16, 32-34, 47, 106, 115), but that is not how we get our wealth from the
Lord. What He provides for us is a gracious gift, not a loan, and we are not
required to promise to repay Him (Rom. 11:33-36). Accept the inheritance He has
given you, rejoice in it, and trust Him to supply every need.
Next, we need to remember that God is our Master (vv.
59-61). The land inherited by the Israelites actually belonged to
the Lord (Lev. 25:23) and He cared for it (Deut. 11:8-17). If the people obeyed
the terms of the covenant, God would bless the people and their labors in the
land, but if they turned to idols, He would chasten them, first in the land and
then in other lands. Loving obedience was the condition for God's blessing,
even as it is today. Our mind belongs to Him ("I considered my ways")
and our feet belong to Him ("turned my steps"). Our time belongs to
Him and we must not delay obeying His will (v. 60). In ancient days, no servant
could say "No," no servant could linger or postpone doing the
master's will, and no servant could give excuses or say "I forgot."
The servant's responsibility is to hear the master's orders, remember them, and
obey them immediately.
Finally, we should make sure that God is our greatest joy
(vv. 61-64). It should be the Christian's greatest joy to know God,
love Him, hear His voice, and obey His will. Praying to Him and praising Him
should be more refreshing to us than sleep. Being with His people should
satisfy our hearts, and we should see the love and glory of God in all of
creation. Whether we are lying on our bed at midnight, meditating on His Word
(vv. 55, 62, 147-148), fellowshipping with God's people, or taking a walk in
God's glorious creation, we love God, listen to Him, and thank Him. "All
who fear you" is a fine description (vv. 63, 74, 79, 120), for the
fear of God ought to mark the people of God.
Despite the disobedience of mankind and the destruction of
sin that destroy God's creation, the earth is still full of God's
lovingkindness and mercy. And even though
we are pilgrims and strangers on this earth, God is our home and He is our all
in all (Psalm 90:1; 91), and we have nothing to fear.
God bless!
