May Your lovingkindnesses also come to me, O Lord,
Your salvation according to Your word;So I will have an answer for him who reproaches me,
For I trust in Your word.And do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
For I wait for Your ordinances.So I will keep Your law continually,
Forever and ever.And I will walk at liberty,
For I seek Your precepts.I will also speak of Your testimonies before kings
And shall not be ashamed.I shall delight in Your commandments,
Which I love.And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, which I love;
And I will meditate on Your statutes.(Psalm 119:41-48)
How can it be said that we have liberty when we are also bound to follow God’s law? Many people are confused by this concept. But let us consider David’s words about following God’s law and walking at liberty.
What It Means to Walk at Liberty
“And I will walk at liberty, for I seek Your precepts” (Psalm 119:45).
Our society, in general, places a great deal of emphasis on the idea of liberty – liberty from government tyranny, liberty from moral restraints, and even liberty from religious doctrines. Given this concept of liberty that many people have – particularly with regard to morals and religion – it is difficult for them to find the word of God appealing.
Yet David approached liberty from a different perspective. He had it closely connected to law – particularly God’s law. We “walk at liberty” when we “seek [God’s] precepts” (Psalm 119:45). Jesus made this point later: “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. […] So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:31-32, 36). True freedom only comes by submitting to the Lord.
Peter wrote, “Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God” (1 Peter 2:16). If we serve the Lord, we can be free in ways that will be similar to the ways in which many want to be free today. Of course, there are also notable differences in the freedom exercised by the godly and the freedom exercised by the ungodly.
- Servants of God are free from anti-God rulers whose laws contradict divine law. If there is ever such a conflict, Peter said, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
- Servants of God are free from having to adapt to the ever-changing morals of society. The wise man wrote, “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained [the people perish, KJV], but happy is he who keeps the law” (Proverbs 29:18). Though many express a desire to live without regard to morality, living without a divine standard (“vision”) leads to destruction rather than happiness.
- Servants of God are free from any obligation to conform to “decrees” that come from “self-made religion” (Colossians 2:20-23).
Following God is the path of liberty, but only if we recognize it as such (John 8:36). Paul wrote, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Corinthians 3:17). So what does it mean to walk at liberty? It means we must submit to the Lord and Him alone.
God’s Lovingkindness Allows Us to Answer Opponents
“May Your lovingkindnesses also come to me, O Lord, Your salvation according to Your word; so I will have an answer for him who reproaches me, for I trust in Your word” (Psalm 119:41-42).
David expressed a desire to receive God’s lovingkindness and salvation (Psalm 119:41). He also recognized that this would be done “according to [God’s] word.”
He then described a situation in which he was being put to shame by an opponent (Psalm 119:42). Yet because of God’s lovingkindness and David’s trust in God’s word, he was able to “have an answer” for his opponents.
At times, we will face mockery, ridicule, and other forms of persecution (1 Peter 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:12). In this type of setting, we must give an answer for our hope: “But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence” (1 Peter 3:14-15). When we trust in God and believe His word, we will be able to answer those who oppose us.
More than that, we can also be assured that the words of those who oppose us are ultimately meaningless. Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12). Our reward comes from God. Nothing our opponents can say will take that reward away. Paul wrote, “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies” (Romans 8:33).
Commit to Speak and Act According to God’s Law
“And do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for I wait for Your ordinances. So I will keep Your law continually, forever and ever” (Psalm 119:43-44).
The psalmist wanted God’s word to be in his mouth (Psalm 119:43). This was so that he would be ready to speak it. In order to be ready to speak the word, it must be in one’s heart (Luke 6:45). The wise man said, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23). God’s word must first be in our hearts before it can be on our lips.
He was also determined to keep God’s instructions: “I will keep Your law continually, forever and ever” (Psalm 119:44). To keep God’s law continually means it must be done on an ongoing basis. Just as the early Christians did, we must “continually devote [ourselves] to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). But David also said he was determined to keep God’s instructions forever and ever. His determination was for an unending period of time, not just for a while and then quit after he got tired of it. The Lord expects us to be “faithful until death” (Revelation 2:10), no matter when our death might come.
Do Not Be Ashamed of God’s Word When Before Kings
“I will also speak of Your testimonies before kings and shall not be ashamed” (Psalm 119:46).
We have already noticed how we are not to be intimidated by anti-God rulers (Acts 5:29). When we do face intimidation from them, we must not be afraid. The wise man said, “If the ruler’s temper rises against you, do not abandon your position, because composure allays great offenses” (Ecclesiastes 10:4). If rulers attempt to intimidate us for our faith, we must not back down or compromise. Jesus said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul” (Matthew 10:28).
However, there is another way of looking at this verse that is helpful to us. David said he was determined to speak of God’s testimonies before kings without fear. But what was David? He was a king (2 Samuel 5:3-4). The rulers before whom he was determined to speak without shame were not superiors, they were peers. The lesson for us is that we must not be ashamed to speak about God and His word among our peers. Jesus said, “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33).
One of the reasons why submitting to the law of God is referred to as walking at liberty (Psalm 119:45) is because by following His standard, we are free from worrying about what the world thinks of us. So many people allow themselves to be kept in bondage by the thoughts of others. Though some may claim they have “freedom” from God’s law, the reality is that they are kept enslaved by what others think about them (civil leaders, society as a whole, false religious leaders, friends, family, co-workers, etc.). Yet if we will just submit to God and to His law, we can enjoy liberty – freedom from the tyranny of others’ expectations of us.
Love for God’s Law – Not a Contradiction of Liberty
“I shall delight in Your commandments, which I love. And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, which I love; and I will meditate on Your statutes” (Psalm 119:47-48).
Expressions like the ones found in these verses – about how the psalmist loved the commandments of God – are to be expected. David devoted an entire 176 verse psalm to the word of God. Obviously, he loved the truth contained in God’s word. We must as well if we hope to be saved (2 Thessalonians 2:10).
But it is especially important to see these expressions of love for God’s word here as we consider the idea of liberty. There is no contradiction between loving God’s law and walking at liberty.
Too many people reject God’s law because they want freedom. We have already noticed how God’s word makes us free. Yet many view obedience to God’s word as being in bondage – restricted from doing what one wants to do. To them, rejecting God’s word provides them the freedom they desire.
But in reality, those who reject God’s law and the liberty that comes by following it are not free. All people will serve someone or something. Those who refuse to serve God will be the servants of sin. Jesus said, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:31-32). But when He said that, the Jews objected because, as they claimed, they had “never yet been enslaved to anyone” (John 8:33). Not only did they ignore history (Exodus 2:23; 2 Kings 24:10-16), but they also missed the point Jesus was making. He did not say that those who were truly His disciples would never be enslaved to Egypt, Babylon, Rome, or any tyrannical government in the future. Instead, He said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin” (John 8:34).
Paul also indicated that we have just two choices – we can serve the Lord or we can serve sin. “Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?” (Romans 6:16). As David said, we “walk at liberty” as we “seek [God’s] precepts” (Psalm 119:45). Paul said we become “freed from sin” as we become “slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:18). Those are our two choices. Serving sin results in death, while serving Christ by practicing righteousness leads to eternal life (Romans 6:23). Or as the psalmist said, we can obtain “salvation according to [God’s] word” (Psalm 119:41).
Conclusion
Liberty is an appealing idea to most people. But we need to remember that true liberty is found by following the law of the Lord.
This entire series is available in paperback. Click on the link for more information – The Psalm of the Word: A Study of Psalm 119.
