Psalm 119 - Tav

In contrast to the previous stanza which may have seemed like an appropriate conclusion for this psalm about the psalmist's upward climb in God's ways, this stanza seems at first glance to be a rather odd conclusion. After seeing the growth, success, and victory that this man has experienced, and after observing the tremendous blessing he has enjoyed, the reader comes upon a stanza that nearly gives the impression of all being lost.

Instead of continuing to portray victory, the stanza is filled with expressions of need. There are seven requests beginning with the word let; these are things that the psalmist wants to be true in the future. They may have happened in the past, but the author now prays for God to bring them about again. The first six of these requests fall nicely into three pairs, with each set giving a different prayer focus.

First, the psalmist needs attention from God.

"Let my cry come before You" (v. 169).
"Let my supplication come before You" (v. 170).
He needs God to hear his prayer, which presupposes that he has needs which require prayer. The needs themselves are not surprising; they are the common lot of life. The possible surprise is that the psalmist feels like he needs to ask God to hear him, as if he feels alone and neglected. In spite of the maturity this man has obtained, he still needs God, the only one who can meet his needs, to give attention to his prayers.

Second, the psalmist needs a resolution of praise.

"Let my lips utter praise" (v. 171).
"Let my tongue sing of Your Word" (v. 172).
He has seen how faithful God is. He has seen the blessings of the Word. He has praised and lifted God up in the past. He needs God's help, though, to continue offering that praise. There is in each believer the tendency to forget and to gradually stop doing things that ought to be continued. Without God's prompting, the psalmist knows his potential to neglect the praise that God deserves and to take the blessings for granted.

Third, the psalmist needs deliverance from trouble.

"Let Your hand be ready to help me" (v. 173).
"Let my soul live" (v. 175).
Added to these requests is the prayer of verse 170: "Deliver me." With whatever strength and wisdom this man may have achieved, he is still unable to save himself. He needs God's help and deliverance in the challenging situations of life. His life has not become free of trouble; verse 175 indicates that his very life may be in danger. This man is still human and frail. He needs a divine and powerful God to rescue him.

Fourth, the psalmist needs understanding from the Word.

"Let Your ordinances help me" (v. 175).
He also prays, "Give me understanding" (v. 169). He has learned so much from the Word, yet he still keenly feels his lack of wisdom. He still perhaps wants to lean on his own understanding, and therefore asks God that it would be His ordinances that would provide the help. After all his devotion to the Word and the intimate knowledge it has produced, this man still realizes that he has not learned everything he needs to know. He must continue to look to the Word.

Fifth, the psalmist needs restoration from failure.

"I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant" (v. 176).
This final verse is perhaps the most shocking request of all. The psalmist has achieved such growth and maturity, such spiritual success and blessing, only for this statement to close out the psalm! He is not immune to temptation. He has fallen. His fall is significant enough that he asks God to seek him and bring him back. He cannot even return to sweet intimacy with God unless God does the work.

Each of the requests may seem unusual from the man whose testimony has been revealed in this passage. Does he not know by now that God hears his cry? Could he possibly forget to praise the God whom he has come to know and appreciate? Could he have forgotten God's faithful deliverance throughout his life? Has he not learned to automatically turn to the Word for answers? How could he have gone astray from the truth to which he has dedicated himself?

These seemingly strange requests indicate spiritual sensitivity. Each is actually a prayer of maturity. This man wisely realizes that he cannot rest on past achievements or success. He knows his journey is never done. He understands there is always room for more growth. He is aware of the constant potential for failure. Because of these realizations, the psalmist remains always dependent on God.

Very importantly, this man continues to remember the Word. "I do not forget Your commandments" (v. 176). He still recalls that they are righteous (v. 172) and still delights in them (v. 174). There is no room for a believer to relax, depending on his history of devotion to the Bible. A man who is content that he pretty much knows all there is to know about the Bible, who fails to refresh himself in its truths, quickly becomes anemic and weak. There can be no coasting through to the end; instead there must be a sustained pushing all the way to the finish line.

Letting the guard down and relaxing the intensity leads to precisely what the psalmist mentions in the final verse: failure. The dependency on God that permeates this stanza is crucial. These prayers for continuation of God's work through the Word form a very appropriate closing for this wonderful psalm.