TZADE. Righteous art thou, Jehovah, and upright are thy judgments.
This section of Psalm 119 opens with a verdict about God, not a complaint about people. The man who says it is watching those around him ignore God's word. Everything that follows in the section — the zeal, the smallness, the trouble — rests on this one statement about who the LORD is.
He names God's character before he names his trouble. That order gives him somewhere to stand.
In this section the psalmist feels the pain of the trial that comes from outside. Yet he begins with the firm confidence that the Lord is righteous. That is a real contrast to his enemies, and so it gives him a precious basis for appealing to Him. His judgments are upright, not swayed by change to the right hand or to the left. His testimonies, given as commands to be obeyed, are righteous and very faithful. What an anchor for the soul!
Where the ESV says "rules," older translations say "judgments." Both point to the same thing.
The righteousness of God's law, and the key it gives to God's ways, leads us to recognise what Jehovah is, who gave it. His judgments are the way Jehovah deals with a case — the moral decision He utters about it. His testimonies He had commanded according to righteousness and faithfulness. This is what marked them.
The two halves of the verse are one thought, not two.
Jehovah's word is what Jehovah is: if He is righteous, so are His judgments. And so are His testimonies too, of whatever kind. He cannot be anything but a faithful witness, in whatever matter it has pleased Him to give any testimony.
God's word stands out against the way people speak.
The psalmist recognises that God is righteous and that all His judgments agree with what He is. His testimonies are the witness of Himself and His ways. They are according to righteousness, and very faithful. Man's testimonies are the opposite: too often people give them only to deceive.
This is not calm theology written in comfort. The psalmist speaks it while people all around him are dropping God's word.
Here we have the trial of spirit that comes from the defection all around. With it goes that lasting sense of how precious the Word itself is. That sense is what makes the defection so full of anguish.
Saying God is righteous, where people ignore Him, has a cost. It puts a person at odds with the crowd. It also does not make him look impressive.
The God-fearing man recognises that God is righteous and that His testimonies are faithful. That brings him into conflict with those who forget God's words. His earnest zeal against evil was not simply hatred of evil, but love of the truth... Even so, the one who is zealous for the Word in a scene of evil will be insignificant and despised in the eyes of the world.
God's upright way of judging is also a standard. We are meant to be learning it now.
The judgments of His righteousness are the decisions He makes about right and wrong. They express and carry out the righteous character of God. We have much to learn about His "judgments". We must learn that He always judges in righteousness. He never judges on a whim, and never with prejudice, as men do. We must learn now on earth from Him how to judge as He judges.
The section ends where it started. That is the comfort: what people oppose now will still stand when the opposition is gone.
He knows the truth will prevail, and that God's righteousness lasts for ever. Enemies may surround him. Trouble and anguish may take hold of him. But trial and sorrow will pass away, while the righteousness of God's testimonies will remain.
- Ground. The psalmist starts with God's righteousness, not his own pain. That contrast with his enemies is his basis for appealing to God.
- Rulings. "Judgments" are God's decisions on a case. They never swing to the right or left, and never carry the prejudice that human judging carries.
- Match. God's word carries God's character. If He is righteous, so are His judgments and His testimonies. He cannot be an unfaithful witness.
- Cost. Saying this where people forget God's words brings conflict. It makes a person look small and despised in the world's eyes.
- Outcome. Trial and anguish pass. The righteousness of God's testimonies stays. That is why a person can make this confession while everything around him falls apart.
Thou hast commanded thy testimonies in righteousness and exceeding faithfulness.
Just before this verse the psalmist calls the LORD Himself righteous. Verse 138 turns that same word onto what God has said: His testimonies carry His own two marks — righteousness and faithfulness — and the psalmist holds to them while the world around him scorns them.
Why trust God's word? One writer points past the word to the One who spoke it:
The LORD's word is what the LORD is: if He is righteous, so are His judgments. The same holds for His testimonies, of every kind. He can only be a faithful witness, whatever He has chosen to testify about.
A testimony is what a witness says. Set God's testimonies beside the testimony people give, and the contrast is sharp:
The psalmist recognises that God is righteous and all His judgments are in keeping with Himself. His testimonies — the witness of Himself and His ways — are according to righteousness, and very faithful. Man's testimonies stand in contrast: too often people give them only to deceive.
These testimonies also put a demand on the reader. And that demand comes in a set order:
Remember what we said about this word "testimonies"? It testifies what God is, and it also shows me what I ought to be. Before we can "keep" His testimonies, we must first have received them, accepted them, and be willing to obey.
Some older translations read "exceeding faithfulness" here, which is why several writers call these testimonies "very faithful." The Hebrew word behind the phrase belongs to the same family as "faith" itself:
aman... In both the Old Testament and the New Testament, this word comes from the same root as "faith." It means being true to yourself, to your own nature, to any promise you have given, and to any trust placed in you... The commandments and testimonies of God are called faithful.
That has a plain consequence for anyone holding a Bible:
You can depend on God's word. We have the sayings of a God who cannot lie; the promises in them are faithfully performed by Him who made them; they are all "yes and amen" in Christ.
The psalmist writes this under attack. His confidence in God's righteousness is what gives him ground to pray at all:
In this section the psalmist feels the pain of trial coming from outside. Even so, he begins with firm confidence that the Lord is righteous. That is a real contrast to his enemies, and so a precious basis for appealing to Him. His judgments are upright, not influenced by change, whether to the right hand or to the left. His testimonies, given as commands to be obeyed, are righteous and very faithful. Wonderful anchor for the soul!
Notice the small phrase there: God gives His testimonies as commands. He does not offer them for discussion — He appoints them.
Holding this view of God's word does not leave a person passive. It stirs zeal, and it gives courage:
God's law is righteous, and it gives the key to God's ways. So it leads us to recognise what the LORD is who gave it... His testimonies He had commanded according to righteousness and faithfulness. This characterised them. People despised the LORD's words, and that stirred up a zeal in him that consumed him... And it gives greatness and courage to the heart. One may be small and despised, yet one still has the courage to keep God's precepts, despite the power of the world or its scorn.
- Source. God's word carries the character of its Author. He is righteous, so His judgments and testimonies are righteous too. He can only be a faithful witness.
- Witness. His testimonies are His witness to Himself and His ways. People often testify to deceive; God never does.
- Faithful. The word for "faithful" shares a root with "faith." It means being true to your own nature, to a promise, to a trust.
- Dependable. God cannot lie, so He keeps every promise He makes. They are all yes and amen in Christ.
- Anchor. This confidence gives you ground to pray under attack. It gives courage to keep His precepts, even when you are small and despised.