What are the two things that people often desire the most? In times of oppression, many pray for hope, which keeps them clinging to life. The writer of Psalm 119 praises the Word of God for its ability to sustain us: “Remember the word to Your servant, upon which you have caused me to hope” (v. 49). In the world around us at any given time may be swirling bad economic conditions, dictatorial government, or intense persecution, but the Word of God always provides hope—if we will remember it. We recall that God still has all power and can use it to deliver us from any situation He pleas-es. To paraphrase Shadrach, Meschach, and Abed-Nego: even if the Lord does not rescue us, we will not bow down to these adverse circumstances—that is, let them intimidate us and cause us to give up. The Word offers assurance that, even if all is not well with us now, at least it will be in eternity for God’s faithful. In that same vein, Jesus said not to fear man but God (Matt. 10:28). Verse 50 echoes verse 49: “This is my comfort in affliction, for Your word has given me life” (v. 50).
The psalmist has enemies, as most godly men have had. In this instance they are called “the proud,” who hold him in great derision, but they cannot succeed in turning him aside from God’s law (v. 51) because he took comfort in God’s judgments of old (v. 52). As he thinks about the contrast between the proud and himself, a feeling of indignation comes over him as he realizes that the wicked forsake God’s law (v. 53). What has been distasteful to them has provided him songs (v. 54). Is it not ironic that the same Word affects some adversely while others experience elation as they keep it, remember it, and make it their own (vs. 55-56)?
In fact, as he thinks about God’s ways and turns his feet to walk in those testimonies, he makes haste to do so instead of delaying to keep His commandments (vs. 57-60). The more influence the Word has over us, the better attention we want to pay to it, and the more swift we are to obey it.
According to the Pulpit Commentary (8:2:106), the cords of the wicked have bound me means “the snares of wicked men entangled me” (v. 61). Notice that evil men seldom let the righteous alone. It is not enough for them to live ungodly lives; they do not want to think that anyone could be less corrupt than they are—thus this kind of treatment (1 Peter 4:4). But persecution will not sway the man of God. He not only has not forgotten God’s law, he rises at midnight to give thanks to God for His righteous judgments (vs. 61-62).
The writer has fellowship with all like-minded souls: “I am a companion of all those who fear” God and keep His precepts. He declares that the whole earth is full of God’s mercy (vs. 63-64). What a glorious thought! All men have need of mercy, and God grants it to them—unless they are too foolish to reject it. Evil men have neither the time to extend mercy nor to receive it; they are too busily engaged in trying to ensure that all men are as wicked as they are. What a sad waste of the mercy God offers—not to mention the price it cost Him to offer it (with respect to our sins).
God’s servant insists that He has treated him well (v. 65) and calls upon Him to teach him good judgment and knowledge (v. 66). Not only will good judgment keep him from sinning and, thus, he will be closer to the Lord, but it will prevent his enemies from finding vulnerable areas in which to attack him.
“Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep your word” (v. 67). Certain difficulties may be part of God’s chastisement (Pr. 3:11-12), but even if we experience suffering, God is nevertheless dealing well with us, His servants. If He did not love us, He would neither punish us nor correct us. His chastisement causes us to want to follow His Word even more closely. God is good, and what He does (on our behalf and in our best interests) is also good (v. 68). In all things (good or bad) we must trust Him.
Recurring Themes
In the remainder of this ninth section and the next two, also, some of the subjects already touched upon are brought up again. Already noted has been the attitude of certain ones against God’s servant: princes (v. 23); reproachers (v. 42); the proud (v. 51); and the wicked (v. 61). Now again we read: “The proud have forged a lie against me” (v. 69). The Pulpit Commentary says of this phrase that it means they “patched up a lie against me” (8:2:107, italics theirs). Perhaps they took portions of things he actually had said out of context and pieced them together, or several of them contributed ideas from which they concocted a tale.
In either case, the psalmist refused to be deterred from his devotion to God; he would continue to follow God’s precepts with a whole heart. By way of contrast, the heart of his enemy was “as fat as grease” (v. 70). The Pulpit Commentary says that this phrase refers to one who is “dull, gross, insensitive to spiritual things” (8:2:107). What else would those who are opposed to a godly servant be but “insensitive to spiritual things”? He adds in verse 78: “Let the proud be ashamed, for they treated me wrongfully with falsehood….” He later adds: “The proud have dug pits for me, which is not according to Your law” (v. 85). Naturally, one should not try to get a faithful brother to stumble; only the ungodly would dare to do such a thing. He adds that they persecute him wrongfully and asks for help (v. 86). One final time, the writer pleads: “Do not let the proud oppress me” (v. 122).
To the positive value of being afflicted when he went astray, (v. 67), the psalmist adds: “It is good for me that I have been afflicted,” because it causes him even more to desire to learn God’s statutes (v. 71). Affliction usually has one of two affects: 1) It either draws one closer to God, or 2) It drives one further away. The godly will be drawn closer to God and to His Word, which he regards as more valuable than “thousands of shekels of gold and silver” (v. 72, cf. v. 14). God’s judgments are always right; in His faithfulness to us that causes Him to bring affliction upon us (v. 75). He knows we will be driven back to Him and His Word.
Reverence
“Your hands have made me and fashioned me,” begins section 10 (v. 73). God is not only the Creator of the whole world, including mankind in the Garden of Eden; He is also the creator of the psalmist individually and personally (Deut. 32:6; Ps. 139:14). This fact implies that God cares about each and every human being (2 Peter 3:9). He has a personal stake in each one of us. We also must relate to Him in a personal way. This verse shows that Deism is false; God is not aloof and unconcerned. The very notion that mere human beings can call upon God, pour out our hearts to Him, and know that He cares (through inspiration) proves that He is greatly concerned about people—particularly what happens to those who belong to Him. God responds to the psalmist’s pleas.
The writer knows that he is not the only one who is faithful to the Lord; he also knows that others will be happy to see him (v. 74). The righteous never seem to be in the majority; therefore, they rejoice to know that others are fighting the same battles, enduring the same persecutions, and overcoming them with the strength of the Lord. God is the One Who comforts (v. 76), but the fellowship of the faithful is also a great encouragement. All of those who fear the Lord (v. 79) have a common bond. Regardless of the lies they may have heard, their confidence is restored as they observe the servant of God abiding in God’s testimonies. All depend on God’s mercies and desire to be blameless, that they may not be ashamed (vs. 76-80).
Depression
The eleventh section completes the first half of the psalm, and the writer is experiencing depression. Even though he has been helped time and again by the Lord, he now experiences persecution beyond what had occurred before. In fact: “They almost made an end of me on earth” (v. 87). He cries out: “My soul faints for Your salvation” (v. 81). He has not lost his hope in the Word, but his “eyes fail from seeking” it, and he asks: “When will you comfort me?” (v. 82). King Hezekiah and the nation of Judah certainly had an experience like this one when the nation was surrounded by the Assyrians. Food was practically non-existent, and capture seemed imminent. Hezekiah cried out to the Lord, and He saved them from these dire circumstances (2 Chron. 32:1-22).
The beleaguered servant continues: “For I have become like a wineskin in smoke” (v. 83). According to the Pulpit Commentary, smoke was used to harden the wineskin (8:2:108). We all need a little toughening in order to deal with the various pressures of life and assaults by persecutors. However, severe moments can be excruciating; nevertheless, we trust that God knows what He is doing. If He will not allow us to be tempted above what we are able to bear (1 Cor. 10:13), then He will not allow us to be utterly devastated, either.
The psalmist makes an argument at this point: “How many are the days of Your servant? When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me?” (84). He reminds God that his days on earth are few; how long can this intense persecution continue? He won’t have many days left! Almost every verse contains some praise for God’s Word—no matter what else is said. For example, verse 83, after the comment on smoke, states: “Yet I do not forget Your statutes.” Verse 86 begins: “All your commandments are faithful.” In verse 87 the writer claims: “But I did not forsake Your precepts.” Verse 88 mentions the importance of keeping the testimonies of God’s mouth. Verse 84 repeats none of those sentiments. The focus there is solely on the intensity of the one suffering. This section ends with a final plea for help: “Revive me according to Your lovingkindness” (v. 88). While other verses occasionally echo these thoughts (vs. 107,110, 153-54, 161), a shift in emphasis shows again the value of the Word.
THE ANTIDOTE TO DRUNKENNESS
Gary W. Summers
A few weeks ago, I became involved in an e-mail discussion on the subject of social drinking. This man wrote to give me several passages that he thought justified the practice. What he wrote was way too long to respond to in one sitting. I advised him that such was the case and suggested we keep the exchanges brief. I dealt with one of the verses he cited (which is a story in itself) and gave him one of my own in return.
What do you understand Solomon to be saying in Proverbs 23:31, when he says, “Do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it swirls around smoothly; at the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper”? Did he command you to stop after 10 drinks, 7 drinks, 4 drinks, 2 drinks, or say not to look at it at all?
For some reason he really did not want to answer this question. Below are all the responses he gave over several exchanges.
1. I will tell you what I most assuredly believe Solomon was ‘saying.’ Do NOT get Drunk! Solomon, who until he went carnal, was the wisest (in all areas) man around. So why would ‘wise’ Solomon, one who KNEW what God’s Word said about drinking alcohol (which it never condemns) decide that ‘simply’ ‘looking on wine’ was wrong? He was talking about people who LINGER around alcohol; who are ‘drawn’ to the sinful pleasure of alcohol; who are addicted to alcohol. (One of the qualifications for LEADERSHIP in the early (Paul’s day) church was to NOT be addicted to too MUCH wine. IF you look at the meanings of these words they mean to always be found with, or around alcohol. The ‘problem,’ as Paul said it, was any Christian who could not go any length of time without alcohol lacked SELF-CONTROL.
This response proved inadequate with respect to the verse and the question. The verse does not say, “Don’t get drunk,” nor does it talk about those who LINGER around alcohol; verse 30 does that. He did not answer the question concerning how many drinks did Solomon forbid (for obvious reasons). I pressed him for more information. And he wrote back:
2. “HEAVY DRINKER” = DRUNK!
I responded: “That is not a reply to Proverbs 23:31, which states, ‘Do not look on the wine….’ One is not to look upon it to be enticed—let alone drink it. He said:
3. Don’t you read English? I already tried to teach you that Proverbs 23:31 is talking about DRUNKENNESS.
Since he kept repeating that the passage was about drunkenness, it seemed that a fuller explanation on my part was necessary. I explained:
Proverbs 23:29-35 obviously talks about drunkenness. I did not ask you about the entire passage. I asked about verse 31. The solution to drunkenness is: “Do not look on the wine when it is red….” You have not dealt with that verse because it is the solution to drunkenness. DON’T DRINK! DO NOT EVEN LOOK ON IT!
Have you ever known of someone to get drunk without drinking? As is often quoted: “Abstinence works every time it’s tried.” How many people have said, “I’m only going to have one or two drinks”—and then ended up drunk? The reason is that the first thing that alcohol does is affect your brain’s ability to think, reason, and exercise good judgment—so that it may override the intention to quit….
Proverbs 23:29-35 does deal with drunkenness, and the solution to it is abstinence. Or have you not seen that look is an imperative?
Presumably, this explanation would precipitate a discussion of the text. Theoretically, one must either say that look is not an imperative (good luck on that) or contrive some alternative explanation that is plausible, if not correct. The reply was not what one might expect.
4. For if Proverbs 23 (or for that matter ANY verse in the Bible talks about wine) is telling God’s people NOT to drink, then God HAS TO BE a HYPOCRITE in your eyes.
He ignored the passage and any explanation of it. He ignored the point concerning abstinence as the solution to drunkenness. Instead, he did what most people do— whether it concerns salvation, this topic, or anything else with which they disagree. They try to get one Scripture to contradict another. To combat the force of Proverbs 23:31, he listed other Scriptures which he affirms makes it all right to drink. Thus, his conclusion would be that Proverbs 23:31 cannot possibly mean what it obviously does mean. I responded thus:
No, God would only be a hypocrite to you. I’m not the one who claims He is contradicting Himself. You would make God and Jesus corrupt to justify your sin. How pitiful!
Although he had another response, he did not comment further on the passage. All in all, we had 13 exchanges, and he could not deal with this one verse. He spent a great deal of time and effort trying to defend what we are not required to do in the first place. Abstinence will not harm anyone, but many have experienced misery from imbibing. Which is the safest approach?