February 23, 2020 -- Psalm 119:120 -- Crushed Enemies and Jubilant Righteous
/My flesh trembles for fear of you,
and I am afraid of your judgments.
Psalm 119:120 English Standard Version
What an odd verse for this day. How do we understand “the fear of the LORD”? It is a question that has come up several times in the Daily Devotions series. This morning I looked at the The Lange Commentary on Holy Scripture. Read on. You may need to read it once or twice to grasp it:
When God so to speak only passes by us, through some temporary taste of His presence,
it is a favor which He may also impart to sinners. But that He may make His abode in us,
as He promises in so many passages of Holy Scripture,
that He may be willing to remain with us and in us,
—for that there is demanded great purity in every respect.—S. Schmid:
Better is quite too great a fear of God than no fear,
if only it does not wholly take away confidence in God’s mercy (Psalm 119:120).
Quoted from BibleWorks10, Lange Commentary on Holy Scripture
When people in Scripture meet an angel, most frequently they are afraid. You can find many such references: Genesis 15:1; 21:17; Isaiah 41:10, Luke 2:10 and on and on. Why is there fear in the presence of the LORD’s Angel’s or in the Presence of the LORD’s voice or command? Because the LORD is Holy. He is Mighty. He throws down sinners and crushes the enemy under His feet (I Corinthians 15:15). We know we are not holy. We know the impurity that lingers in us against our will. Worse yet, we know the sins we cling to and the desires of our hearts that we do not deny.
The Judgment of the LORD refers to the fact that all sin and rebellion, all our trespasses and wicked deeds have been punished in the body and soul of Jesus Christ. If we love our sin and our misdeeds more than we love God we are right to have a fear of His wrath. The First Commandment instructs every person that God will not tolerate any idol, make-believe god or any other thing of veneration. He alone IS LORD of all and He alone is to be worshiped.
However, beloved in the LORD Jesus Christ, those who know Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection know that their sins are wholly covered. The Judgment of God makes us tremble for we know we face His discipline when we sin. Our Father in Heaven disciplines those He loves (Hebrews 12:6). Such discipline seems cruel, but is necessary for us to be purified from our deep-seated and ingrained sins.
Those who know Jesus Christ tremble at the bold sinfulness of all who reject Him. We have family members and friends whom we love who do not understand the Incorruptible Holiness of God that will not endure any hint of sin or rebellion or pride. All the enemies of God will be crushed (Psalm 68:21). It is a terrifying thing for believers to contemplate. Therefore we pray urgently for all who do not believe.
Yet for the psalmist and for us as believers we understand this glorious truth in Jesus Christ: Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other (Psalm 85:10). All the wrath of God against sin is spent for those who believe in Jesus. The Spirit of God brings us the full assurance that justice and mercy have been fully satisfied at the cross of Jesus Christ. The Father raised Him from the dead in glory and in greater glory seated Him at His right hand and His greatest glory will be revealed at the Day of Judgment when every eye will see Him in His majesty and terrible power and all people will be separated so that the wicked will be cast into hell and the righteous (whose righteousness is found in them because of Jesus’ work accomplished and believed) will enter the Splendors of the New Heaven and the New Earth.
God shall arise and His enemies shall be scattered! Great and glorious are You, O LORD, and all your enemies shall be driven away, all your enemies shall melt like wax in the fire. Your people exult before You, O God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Your people shall be jubilant with joy! You are the Father to the fatherless, the protector of widows; in Your goodness You provide for the needy. Awesome is God from His sanctuary! Blessed be God now and forever! Amen.
note this prayer is based on various verses of Psalm 68; only in the Psalms could I find language exuberant enough and deep enough to express the prayer of my heart
