I Stand Amazed in Your Presence

I Stand Amazed in Your Presence

Psalm 119:161-168

Main Idea: God’s people can always respond with love and praise because they have the ultimate treasure—his Word.

In the hymn “I Stand Amazed in the Presence,” the first stanza begins,

I stand amazed in the presence

Of Jesus the Nazarene,

And wonder how he could love me,

A sinner, condemned, unclean.

The chorus beautifully parallels and complements those words:

How marvelous! How wonderful!

And my song shall ever be;

How marvelous! How wonderful!

Is my Savior’s love for me!

That the Lord loves condemned and undeserving sinners is an amazing, marvelous, and wonderful reality. There is only one proper response to this love: to love him in return as we stand in awe of his Word (v. 161) and to praise him throughout the day (v. 164).

Three times in stanza Sin/Shin (?) the psalmist expresses his love for the Lord and his Word (vv. 163,165,167). He would quickly affirm that his love for God and God’s instruction flows from the “hope for your salvation” (v. 166). We do not obey God to be accepted; we obey because we are accepted. We do not obey to be loved; we obey because we are loved. First John 4:19 is a fundamental truth that runs from Genesis to Revelation and throughout Psalm 119. John writes, “We love [God and others] because he [God] first loved us.” Such love prepares us for the realities of life we must be ready to face—realities that are sometimes painful and stressful.

Expect Unjust Persecution, but Trust the Lord

Psalm 119:161

Opposition and persecution of God’s children sometimes originate from high places. Further, the persecution we experience may be unjust and unfair. Verse 161 begins with the psalmist’s straightforward recognition of this truth: “Princes have persecuted me without cause.” Those in positions of power and leadership have mistreated him, taken advantage of him, and hurt him. There was no justification for what they did. What they did was wrong.

All over the world brothers and sisters in Christ face severe persecution from evil and oppressive governments. They suffer imprisonment, torture, and loss of jobs and homes. Some suffer martyrdom. Some, regrettably, may even suffer persecution in the form of abuse within the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Men in power exploit the vulnerable through sexual abuse, taking advantage of their positions of power. Rather than serve like shepherds, they ravage like wolves.

The psalmist knows that the hope and cure for such persecution and mistreatment ultimately reside in the heart and the ministry of the Word. He flees to God and his Word. He will not fear his persecutors. With boldness, he declares, “My heart fears only your word.” The ESV translates the verse, “My heart stands in awe of your word.” These verses mean he will not tremble at his attackers; he will only tremble in awe and respect of his Lord and his Lord’s Word. Spurgeon is right when he writes, “We are not likely to be disheartened by persecution, or driven by it into sin, if the word of God continually has supreme power over our minds” (Treasury, 423). Evil men will do evil things, but our good God will do good things in the midst of evil (Gen 50:20; Rom 8:28). Flee to him. Fear him. Love him. Trust him. Stand in awe of him. He will be all you need (Phil 4:19).

Praise the Lord Continually

Psalm 119:162-164

When our heart “fears” or “stands in awe of” (ESV) God’s Word, certain reactions or responses will be natural. First, we will “rejoice over [God’s] promise like one who finds vast treasure” (v. 162). The word “treasure” or “spoil,” Motyer says, “points to the fruits of victory” (Psalms, 362). The psalmist raises a penetrating question: “Are we meant to take this seriously—that in the constant wear and tear of princely opposition, victory and its rich consequences come to the lover of God’s Word?” (ibid.). This is exactly what the psalmist is saying. During persecution, when the Word is doing its work in the heart, we rejoice and celebrate its amazing power like one who has discovered a great treasure.

There is a second response to the work of the Word in our heart: we “hate and abhor falsehood” and “love [the Lord’s] instruction” (v. 163). Perhaps the persecution of those in power included lies about the psalmist. How common, unfortunately, this is. People in power lie to further their agenda and get their way. And they often succeed. We can be tempted to follow their actions if we are not careful. The remedy for such temptation is evident: we love the Lord’s Word, which is the word of truth (v. 160). As we love his Word, we must hate and abhor falsehood. Hate and abhor are strong words of rejection. Ross notes abhor carries the idea of “loathing and disgust” (Psalms, 587). We have already seen this reaction in Psalm 119 (vv. 113,128). We love the truth that flows from the nature and character of our God. In contrast, we hate and loathe every lie and falsehood (cf. John 8:44).

A third response appears in verse 164. “I praise you seven times a day for your righteous judgments.” This is a beautiful and poetic way of saying, “I praise you all day long for the righteous character of your words, instructions, judgments.” Praise is the songwriter’s weapon against his persecutors. Praise for the Lord’s Word, which he loves and which fills his heart, is his victory song when others wrong him. He is in awe of the Lord’s Word. He rejoices at his Word! He loves his Word. He praises him for his Word. Oh, how great is the Word of God!

Enjoy the Peace the Lord Gives to Those Who Love Him

Psalm 119:165-166

The praise of our lips (v. 164) will lead to peace in our hearts (v. 165) and hope in our souls (v. 166). Because I “love your instruction,” great or abundant peace is mine. This truth resembles Philippians 4:6-7:

Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Because the songwriter’s heart is at peace, “nothing makes [him] stumble.” The Lord’s Word clears our path so that we can walk safely and securely, even when people persecute us and spread lies about us. We do not retaliate against them because we trust the God whose Word we love. We make good decisions in the right way, at the right time, and for the right reasons because we love and are led by the Word of God.

Peace in our heart and confidence in our walk now gives way to hope for our salvation, hope for our deliverance and rescue. There is a confident expectation that God will come through in the most difficult and painful situations. Proof of this confidence appears at the end of verse 166: “I . . . carry out your commands.” Spurgeon says, “Those who place least reliance upon good works are very frequently those who have the most of them” (Treasury, 424). Knowing what salvation promises, we can delight in doing what the Word commands. Willem VanGemeren puts it like this: “In anticipation of that great day of ‘salvation’ . . . the psalmist gives himself to hopeful waiting (Gen 49:18) and to the practice of godliness” (Psalms, 888).

Keep the Lord’s Word with All Your Soul

Psalm 119:167-168

Verses 167-168 fittingly summarize stanza Sin/Shin. For the third time the psalmist affirms his love for the Word of God (vv. 163,165,167). There is also a twofold concluding pledge to “obey” or “keep” (ESV) God’s Word. Living in the abundance of God’s chesed, his “faithful love” (v. 159), the psalmist declares, “I obey your decrees” (v. 167) and, “I obey your precepts and decrees” (v. 168). Why does he make such a promise to the Lord? The answer is also twofold: he loves the Lord’s decrees “greatly” (v. 167, ESV “exceedingly”), and he knows all his ways are before the Lord (v. 168). The psalmist knows “that everything he does and everywhere he goes is fully known to God” (Ross, Psalms, 589). Every action, every word, every thought, and every emotion are before the watchful eye of an omnipresent and omniscient God (Job 34:21). And the psalmist is at peace before the Lord because he loves the Lord’s Word with all his heart (v. 161) and soul (nephesh in v. 167). He rejoices in the Word (v. 162) and obeys the Word (vv. 166,167,168). He hopes in the Lord’s salvation and is certain he will experience it to the fullest measure. He is not arrogant but humble as he walks before an awe-inspiring God. Thomas Manton’s insights on this verse are worthy of our careful mediation:

You are in the sight of God, whether you think so or no. . . . What a noble thing it is always to live in the sight of God. . . . The profit is exceedingly great; by conversing with God often, we become like him. (Psalm 119, vol. 3, 437)

Conclusion

I remember a song from the time I was a small boy. I loved it from the beginning of my life, and I pray it will be my song until the end. It captures well the heart of this text. It captures well the essence of the Christian life.

When we walk with the Lord

In the light of his Word

What a glory he sheds on our way!

Let us do his good will;

He abides with us still,

And with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey,

For there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus,

But to trust and obey.

Reflect and Discuss

1. What is the difference between obeying because you are accepted by God and obeying to gain acceptance? What are some ways you can assess which type of obedience you are striving for?
2. Should Christians ever oppose abusive leadership—whether those leaders are in the government or in the church? What should Christians do when those in leadership seem to be abusing their power? How can Christians protect the church from abusive leaders?
3. What does it mean to fear God’s Word? Why does the psalmist contrast fearing his persecutors and fearing God’s Word? How will fearing God’s Word help someone during persecution?
4. What promises does God give in Scripture for those who are being persecuted? How can these passages help someone rejoice in their persecution?
5. Do you view God’s Word as “vast treasure”? If not, what prevents you from viewing it this way? What makes God’s Word so valuable?
6. How should a Christian respond when persecuted? What are some poor responses and some proper responses?
7. This commentary says that “the praise of our lips will lead to peace in our hearts and hope in our souls.” How can praise lead to peace and hope?
8. Is hope for God’s salvation a hope for God to act in the present or in the future?
9. What is your natural response to unjust treatment? Are you tempted to disobey God’s commands in response? How can remembering that your ways are before God encourage you toward more obedience?
10. What does it mean to love God’s commands? How are love for God’s commands and obedience to his commands related?