Humility Toward God's Law - Psalm 139:137-144

Andy Robison

American culture’s cohesion has long been threatened by the deliberate diligence of those who seek to rid it of Biblical knowledge. This tragedy, though lauded as tolerance (wrongly defined), is apparent in the consideration of the unchangeable rightness of God’s word (Psalm 119:137-139.) American’s minds know movie trivia and the messages of the underlying, variant worldviews; their thumbs are adept at video games ranging in character from frivolity to violence. The word of God sits unknown as a dust-collecting, shelf-bound volume, or a rarely accessed—except for a quick word search for point-proving now and then—iPhone app. The travesty of knowledge’s lack is superseded only by the abomination of a deplorable attitude of pride toward God’s law. It just makes one want to cry (cf. Psalm 119:35-36).

Such pride brings shame and destruction (Proverbs 11:2; 16:18). Humility, by contrast, toward the living Word of God (Hebrews 4:12) would bring cleansing (Psalm 119:9), guidance (119:66), and maturity (119:1-3).

Inherent in these would be an inspirational confidence that God’s way is right and all other opposing belief systems are wrong (119:137-139). This would, of course, seem to be arrogance to the believers of falsehoods (“Who are you to judge?”). Godly modesty of mind, nevertheless, demands a confidence in the unchallengeable correctness of God’s word. As, arguably, a philosophical backing to an apparently noble goal of world peace, preachers of Postmodernism assert, from ivory towers to cordial conversation, that all belief systems are equal and none can be deemed absolutely true. Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Atheism are all moral equivalents, in their view, to Judeo-Christian revelation. Adherence to this doctrine affords one a happy-go-lucky, get-along-with-everybody, likable personality, but it robs the same of humility toward God’s law. Counter, then, to the worldly thinking, such humility inspires a great zeal of defense of God’s Word. Enemies forget (perhaps willfully, cf. 2 Peter 3:5) God’s words (Psalm 119:139). The humble zealously defend them.

Such zeal must not be allowed, however, to progress to a self-righteous smugness. The position of humans of accountable age (cf. Romans 3:23) is “small and despised” (Psalm 119:140-141) in comparison to the holiness of God’s word. The purity of God’s word is tested and proven (as through fire, cf. Jeremiah 6:29-30). The servants of God have in God’s Law their only hope of making it through the testing, themselves (cf. Psalm 66:10-12; 1 Peter 1:7-9).

Further, trials must not be permitted to develop into depressingly overwhelming concerns. Humble trust in God’s will forbids it: “Trouble and anguish have overtaken me, Yet your commandments are my delights” (Psalm 119:143). Understanding, “farther along,” as the song goes, is dependent upon trust in God’s testimonies (119:144). A dose of godly meditations (Philippians 4:6-8) will facilitate a rejoicing (4:10-13) from the prison of one’s tribulations (cf. Revelation 2:10).

Humility toward God’s law may not manifest itself in ways the world would expect, but, then, the world is not the final, authoritative standard for judgment; God’s Word is (John 12:48; 17:17; Romans 2:2). –PO Box 785, Moundsville, WV 26041.

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