Psalm 119:21

Vs. 21 — You rebuke the proud—the cursed, Who stray from Your commandments.

Thomas Manton:

… of erring from God’s commandments. There is an erring out of frailty, and an erring out of obstinacy.
1. An erring out of frailty; and so David saith, Ps. 119:176, ‘I have gone astray like a lost sheep;’ and again, Ps. 19:12, ‘Who can understand his errors?’ This is not meant here of every failing and slip, every sin of ignorance and incogitancy; no, nor every act of rebellion and perverseness of affection which may be found in the children of God. Though there be pride in all sins against knowledge and light, that kind of sinning is interpretatively a confronting of God, a despising of his commandments; as David is said to do, 2 Sam. 12:9, pro hic et nunc, for the time; the will of the creature is set up against the creator; yet this is not the erring here spoken of.
2. There is an erring out of obstinacy, impenitency, and habitual contempt of the lawgiver. This is spoken of, Ps. 95:10, ‘It is a people that do err in their hearts.’ To err in mind is bad, to err out of ignorance; but it is a people that stubbornly refuse to walk in the ways God hath enjoined them. Some err out of simple nescience, ignorance, or mistake, or else through the cloud with which some present temptation overcasts the mind. These err in their minds, but others err in their hearts, that care not for, or do not desire to hear of, their duty to God. A man that erreth out of ignorance can say, ‘Lord, I know not;’ but those that err in their heart, they say, ‘We desire not the knowledge of thy ways,’ Job 21:14; they do not only fall into sin, but love to continue in it. The apostle speaks of ‘ungodly deeds ungodly committed,’ Jude 15. The matter of sin is not so much to be regarded as the manner, with what heart it is done, ungodly committed, with contempt of God. Now, such contemners of God and his law are here described, as all obstinate and impenitent sinners are. (Manton, T. (1872). The Complete Works of Thomas Manton (Vol. 6, pp. 194–195). London: James Nisbet & Co.)

Prayer:

O’ God, You rebuke the proud—the cursed, who stray from Your commandments. I pray to You this hour because it pleased You to deliver me from my proud and obstinate heart, removing my heart of stone and giving me a heart of flesh that chases after Christ Jesus. Forgive me for the pride that I still wrestle with each day. It is vile in every sense and opposes the Christ. I want to grow and slay the giant of pride. Its arrogance taunts me at times and deceives me. I want the jewel of humility to reign in my heart. Conform this servant of Christ to Your commandments.


Psalm 119:20

Vs. 20 — My soul breaks with longing for Your judgments at all times.

Comments from John Morison (1829):

How few are there even among the servants of God who know anything of the intense feeling of devotion here expressed! O that our cold and stubborn hearts were warmed and subdued by divine grace, that we might be ready to faint by reason of the longing which he had “at all times” for the judgments of our God. How fitful are our best feelings! If to-day we ascend the mount of communion with God, to-morrow we are in danger of being again entangled with the things of earth. How happy are they whose hearts are “at all times” filled with longings after fellowship with the great and glorious object of their love!

Prayer:

Lord, fill me with a continual overwhelming desire for Your judgments. Make my heart to long after You and Your ways, Your statutes, and Your righteousness. When my mind strays to seek contentment and satisfaction away from You, please stop me and quicken me to the truth. I don’t want to be content with my present state, that is, my current walk with and knowledge of Jesus Christ. I want to know Him in His sufferings, death, and resurrection and I want the desire to pound in my chest and keep my thoughts always aware of You and Your judgments. Pour such a longing upon us, the Church, that we may long for and live everyday, even every hour by the kingdom of Christ. Yes, Your kingdom come; Your will be done, on earth, in our lives, and in our family’s lives, as it is in heaven. Jesus, be exalted as the Lamb of God in my heart and life!


Psalm 119:19

Vs. 19 — I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me.

Thomas Manton:

What provision do you make for another world if you are strangers? Many bestow all their labour and travail about earthly things, and neglect their precious and immortal souls. They are at home; all their care is that they may live well here. O Christians! what provision do you make for heaven? A traveller doth not tray such things as he cannot carry with him, as trees, houses, household stuff; but jewels, pearls, and such as are portable. Our wealth doth not follow us into the other world, but our works do. We are travelling to a country whose commodities will not be bought with gold and silver, and therefore are we storing ourselves for heaven, for such things as are current there. Men that make a voyage to the Indies will carry such wares as are acceptable there, else they do nothing. Do you make it your business every day to get clearer evidences for heaven, to treasure up a good foundation, 1 Tim. 6:19; and do you labour every day to grow more meet for heaven, Col. 1:12. That is the great work of a Christian, to get evidences and a meetness for heaven. (Manton, T. (1872). The Complete Works of Thomas Manton (Vol. 6, pp. 178–179). London: James Nisbet & Co.)

Prayer:

O’ God, I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me. My heart belongs to another country, one that is lit by the glory of the Son of Righteous. Do not let our hearts, us who are saints by the blood of Jesus Christ, become too fond of this world or this life. But keep our hearts feeling as strangers anxious for the grand reunion. Turn our affections to heaven. Enable us to see, know, and live by Your economy of heaven and not put our trust in the ways of this world. Cause us to walk as strangers on this earth with an eternal perspective knowing the temporal state of this life. We long and await to see You face-to-face.


Psalm 119:18

Vs. 18 — Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law.

William Cowper:

“Open thou mine eyes.” If it be asked, seeing David was a regenerate man, and so illumined already, how is it that he prays for the opening of his eyes? The answer is easy: that our regeneration is wrought by degrees. The beginnings of light in his mind made him long for more; for no man can account of sense, but he who hath it. The light which he had caused him to see his own darkness; and therefore, feeling his wants, he sought to have them supplied by the Lord.

Paulus Palanterius:

Who is able to know the secret and hidden things of the Scriptures unless Christ opens his eyes? Certainly, no one; for “No man knoweth the Son but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.” Wherefore, as suppliants, we draw near to him, saying, “Open thou mine eyes,” etc. The words of God cannot be kept except they be known; neither can they be known unless the eyes shall be opened,—hence it is written, “That I may live and keep thy word;” and then, “Open thou mine eyes.”

Prayer:

Open my eyes, Lord, but not mine alone. Open the eyes of the Church that we may see wondrous things from Your law. We want to see more treasures within Your word. Most of all, we want to see You in Your word. Let our eyes see You that we may know You and walk with You.


Psalm 119:17

Vs. 17 — Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word.

The burden of this stanza deals with the sufficiency of God and His Word in times of difficulty. Out of obviously difficult circumstances, the young man of Psalm 119 cries out for enablement to meet severe pressures through the Word of God and dependence upon the God of the Word. (Kantenwein, L. L. (2003). Diagrammatical analysis (p. 87). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.)

Prayer:

O’ Lord I thank You for always dealing bountifully with me and all of Your servants. You are gracious with us in the small and big areas of our lives, even in the crisis. Deal bountiful with my brethren who are persecuted for Your name’s sake; bountiful in joy, peace, strength, and healing. I do not ask for bountiful things, but a fullness and completeness in faith and love in their hearts.