October 31, 2019 -- Psalm 119:43 -- Confessing Jesus Publicly
/And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
for my hope is in your rules.
Psalm 119:43 English Standard Version
Even a plain translation like the one I use, the English Standard Version, can be difficult to understand. Today’s verse is a good example. It is, in a sense, an emphatic negative—like when someone tells you something exciting and you say “No way!” Someone from a different culture learning the English language would think, “Oh, that man is disagreeing with what the speaker just said.”
The Hebrew, which is the original language is quite emphatic: “Do not plunder, or strip away the word of truth (which is firm, sure) from my mouth”—think of the times someone has asked you about your faith and you were at a loss for words. Every other time you can talk up a storm, but the moment a serious God-seeking person asks you a question suddenly you are stuttering. Or recall the times someone in your workplace was slandering God and dragging His Name through the mud. You know you should have spoken the Word of Truth, but you kept silent, it is as if the all the things you want to say have been snatched from your mouth. Then a moment later or an hour later you begin to feel the prick of conscience and sadness at your unwillingness to speak up for the glory of our God and King.
Remember what Jesus said, “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven” Matthew 10:32-33). It is a matter of life and death for us. We are called to confess our Faithful Father before others. We are to declare, everywhere and at all times, we are followers of Jesus Christ. That means we will give an account of what we believe and why at work and at play, at home and in political discussions—our lives are His and we soldiers of the cross who are ever and always prepared to give a defense of what we believe.
It is a bit odd at this point that the ESV translated the second part of this verse as it did; I believe it should read: “for I await (hope) in Your judgments”. We do not earn our salvation. We can’t add anything to what Jesus Christ has done for us. We are forgiven because of His blood shed on the cross, He took the punishment we deserved. We are called “Holy to God” because Jesus’ good life and perfect obedience are credited to our account when we believe in Him. The evidence of this, the fruit of this, is that we confess His Name. We speak and tell others we belong to Him. God’s judgment is against all who refuse Jesus Christ. God the Just Judge will condemn to hell all who trample on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and do not publicly acknowledge His Name. It is the just judgment of the Sovereign King we hope in. He has declared “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
Forgive us, blessed Jesus, for the times we froze, for the times we did not speak, and for the times we were too embarrassed and shy. With the psalmist we pray urgently, as we trust in the power of Your Spirit living in us, “And do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth for all our hope is in Your just judgments.” Let our lives bring You praise, Glorious Father, as we believe in Jesus and confess Him to any and all people we meet. Amen.
