“Rulers persecute me without cause, but my heart trembles at Your Word.” -Psalm 119:161

The psalmist speaks of his persecutors as those with power. The heavy hand of his oppressors comes from princes, men who are able to inflict pain and do it with their reputation intact. Although the psalmist did nothing wrong he is persecuted as a criminal. In this way he is a type of Christ who was also brought before rulers on false charges and treated like a criminal. Jesus was

“oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away. And who can speak of His descendants? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people He was stricken. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death, though He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth” (Isaiah 53:7-9). 

The psalmist is not rattled even in the face of injustice because he is blameless, still clinging to God. He knows who to entrust himself to and who has sovereign power. Even if the earthly powers given to men are abused, it is God who permits the authority given to them for a time. It is helpful to remember that powerful men are just men- here today and gone tomorrow. It is God who is everlasting. This is why the psalmist chooses to stand in awe of His Word and not run after other gods just to appease mortal rulers.

God is always with His saints, so that we are never truly alone, even when we stand alone against our enemies. There are also a cloud of witnesses who have gone before us, who serve as examples for Christians to follow. They are our silent encouragers. These comforts provide endurance for the child of God assaulted by the dogs of Satan. Like the psalmist, we too tremble at the truth of God’s Word. It brings mercy and relief to the repentant sinner, but equally dispenses judgment of eternal death to the hardened oppressor.

Grace upon grace,

April

Grow deeper: Isaiah 40:23-24; Hebrews 11:1-12:2; 1 Peter 2:9-25; 4:12-19