(8) Here he maintains that the Lord is now his portion, but he realizes it had not always been so, for he thought on his ways and turned his feet unto His testimonies. He realizes that his past associations with the wicked had robbed him of his portion, but he did not forget the promises of His Word. He can now arise at midnight to give thanks. He now finds a companionship in those that have similar exercises and fear the Lord. We learned in Psalm 25 that the secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him, and He will show them His covenant.
(9) He speaks here of having gone astray, which is the condition of the people of Israel at this present time. The word of the Lord had lost its place with them. This psalm looks at them when they have been restored and are looking back. He realizes that it was good to have been afflicted. Those around him had made false accusations against him. We read: “He that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.” Gal. 4:2929But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. (Galatians 4:29). But the tried and restored one can say his delight is in the law of the Lord, and it is better than thousands of gold or silver.
(10) The exercises manifested in the portions of this psalm show that they are the result of the Spirit of Christ working in them, in turning them to acknowledge their Messiah. The nation as such resists these exercises. Here the godly one speaks of the Lord as his creator, the One who has formed him and given him understanding, that which the nation as a whole lacks. The confidence of the speaker is an encouragement to others that have learned to fear the Lord, and causes them to be gathered together.
(11) There is here the longing for the salvation or deliverances from those who were persecuting the faithful. They were almost fainting under their trials. But the one here in all this has clung to the Word of the Lord, He knows that it will not fail, but he may fail. He asks for the riving or quickening power, that he may be able to go on cleaving to His Word.
(12) It was by the word of the Lord that the earth was created, and is being sustained for the fulfillment of His purposes. His Word is settled in the heavens, far beyond the reach of man to corrupt. The servant had been sustained by it and it had been his delight. Though he had to experience that the wicked were lying in wait to destroy him, he had the assurance that, “I am Thine.”
We have here the expressed delight in the law of the Lord, and through it he feels that he has a wisdom which is beyond that which this world has to offer. Such will be the case if the believer is trusting in the Lord and not leaning on his own understanding (Prov. 3:5, 65Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5‑6)). He feels that his feet have been kept from the evil way, and such should be the case, for our walk should correspond to the truth we hold. He then says that Thy words are “sweeter than honey,” which is true when one is born again, and seeking to go on in accordance with the desires of the new nature.
ML 04/30/1961