I will keep Thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly (Psa 119.8).
The gospel reveals a heaven-taught logic which none but sincere Christians really understand and embrace. It involves the relationship between grace from God and obedience to God, and it declares that God’s grace precedes our obedience, not only chronologically but causally. “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4.19). Without the illumination which comes only through the Holy Spirit, we are apt to think in just the reverse way—that if I will take the initiative to seek God and to love God, proving my love by obedience to His commandments, then He will respond by loving me as His loyal son. If such were the case, we would all remain in our sins.
This worldly way of thinking even seeps in once again after God saves us. The evidence is that we try to please God in our own strength, without deliberate, concerted prayer for His help to make progress spiritually. Or, even when we pray, we somehow have confidence in our prayers rather than in a God who gives without being asked.
We have almost come to the time when many make “New Year’s Resolutions.” Like me, you may have begun thinking about them already. Some people used to make them and then stopped because they found experientially that such resolutions are rarely kept. They have become cynical about making any resolutions about anything at any time. Oh, how we should resist that temptation! On the other hand, many make resolutions with confidence in themselves. “This time I really will do such and such because I am very, very serious about this, and I do believe I have the willpower to accomplish it.” This mindset is no less worldly than the first one, because it is just as arrogant and irreverent.
Frankly, I was stunned in my study to see what several modern translations (or, mistranslations!) of the Bible have done to Psa 119.8. Accuracy in Bible translation requires not only dependence upon the best original language manuscripts and immense linguistic ability, but also a deep understanding and sympathy with the entire worldview and theology which Scripture reveals. These renderings, for example, fall far short of the AV’s excellence:
“I will obey all of them! Don’t turn your back on me” (CEV). This practically sounds like a reprimand for God from one who is more faithful to Him than He is likely to be to the reprover.
“I will obey your demands, so please don’t ever leave me” (NCV). This comes across as a whimpering argument why the speaker deserves to be continually loved by God. Pathetic! “I will obey your decrees. Please don’t give up on me!” (NLT). The same basic objection applies to this rendering; it subtly insinuates the reverse “illogic” of worldly unbelief.
The Living Bible paraphrase is doctrinally- orthodox here but irreverently “supplements” the inspired text: “I will obey! Oh, don’t forsake me and let me slip back into sin again.” There are absolutely no Hebrew words even closely approximating the last eight words (more than half the verse!). Translations should translate and keep interpretive comments completely out of the sacred text. Interpretation is for sermons and commentaries.
Personally, I doubt whether any modern translations have equaled the AV translators’ judgment in manuscripts, linguistic expertise, and profound sympathy with biblical teaching. Reread and appreciate the simple precision of the AV quoted first, and consider this as its basic doctrine:
True saints resolve to obey God by His grace.
Resolutions are a good thing, as long as they are warranted by Scripture and made in conscious, humble dependence upon God’s help. With that standard, Psa 119.8 is one of the best possible resolutions anyone could make.
A GODLY RESOLUTION
“I will keep Thy statutes.” The whole drift of the preceding verses is important to remember when interpreting this one.
The psalmist has spoken of the great blessedness of true piety (vv. 1-3). He recognizes that such an excellence of godliness is his solemn moral duty (v. 4). Therefore he prays earnestly for divine help in becoming such a person (v. 5). It is only by attaining reverent and comprehensive obedience to God that all occasion of personal shame shall pass away (v. 6). As God answers his prayer, bringing him progressively to the skillful and wise living which displays a mastery of godliness, the psalmist knows he will be able to praise God more purely (v. 7). The psalmist confesses that God’s glory is the greatest purpose of man’s piety.
This is the context in which he writes, “I will keep Thy statutes.” He is solemnly expressing his holy and heavenly resolution to God. The saying is not humanistic boasting but spiritual devotion. It may even be an expression of faith-based hope respecting the future, as if he had said, “Lord, I am confident of this very thing, that You who have begun a good work in me will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ” (cf. Phil 1.6). Spurgeon observed,
A calm resolve. When praise (v. 7) calms down into solid resolution (v. 8 ) it is well with the soul. Zeal which spends itself in singing, and leaves no practical residuum of holy living, is little worth: “I will praise” (v. 7) should be coupled with “I will keep” (v. 8).
A HUMBLE RECOGNITION
“O forsake me not utterly.” There is no dispensational consideration which makes this petition more fitting for old times than for new. This is just as worthy a prayer for Christians today as for reverent Hebrews 3,000 years ago.
The reason I say such a thing is that it never did teach or imply that God may have begun to save an elect sinner, only to abandon him utterly at a later time. We lately heard a pastor (!) express doubts about the propriety of praying Psa 51.11, “take not Thy Holy Spirit from me,” where the very same idea is latent. Neither of these OT prayers suggest in any way the unfaithfulness of God to His people, but rather the passionately-felt dependence of His people upon Him! In Barak’s case this attitude was a fault because his confidence was in the prophetess Deborah (Judges 4.8), but should we not exhibit this very mindset toward the Lord? We should be confident to do anything God commands if He will go with us, and fearful of lifting a finger if He will not go with us. Such a spirit necessarily begets great and humble prayerfulness, the precursor of spiritual victory.
The psalmist had experienced, along with all true saints through the ages, partial and temporary divine forsakings, and the result was his falling to temptation and into spiritual despondency.
Temporary desertion may be the seasonable chastisement of spiritual wantonness. When grace has been given in answer to prayer, it was not duly prized, or diligently improved. . . . When we have given place to temptation; when “our mountain stands strong;” when love for our Savior “waxes cold,” and our earnestness in seeking him is fainting; we must not be surprised, if we are left for a time to the trial of a deserted state (Bridges, in loc.).
This kind of “experimental Calvinism” is almost completely lost among modern evangelicals because of our prevalent apostasy from robustly biblical spirituality, but it was understood very well, both intellectually and experientially, by our Puritan forefathers.
Firm are his resolves, but he well knows that utter weakness may consist with strong desires. Experience has taught that when we would do good evil is present. He knows that real strength is heaven-born; therefore earnest cries implore that God at all times would uphold graciously (Henry Law, in loc.).
Our 1689 LBCF expresses a wise consensus:
Those whom God hath accepted in the Beloved, effectually called and sanctified by His Spirit, and given the precious faith of His elect unto, can neither totally nor finally fall from the state of grace; but shall certainly persevere therein to the end and be eternally saved, . . . notwithstanding through unbelief and the temptations of Satan the sensible sight of the light and love of God, may for a time be clouded, and obscured from them, yet He is still the same and they shall be sure to be kept by the power of God unto salvation (XVII.1).
So, having known these partial and temporary forsakings, the psalmist prays earnestly that he may never know what it is to be utterly forsaken of God, abandoned to remaining sin with its bondage and guilt and punishment. As M. Poole interprets:
I will keep thy statutes; it is my full purpose to do so, whatsoever it cost me. Forsake me not utterly; not totally and finally; for then I shall fall into the foulest sins and greatest mischief. Not that he was contented to be forsaken in the least degree, but this he more especially deprecates, as he had great reason to do (in loc.).
Thank God—such a humble, heartfelt petition as this is the evidence that the one praying it never shall be so forsaken!
So do you, will you, make this humble resolution? As a Christian believer, how can you resist? “I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.” Amen.
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