God’s Word for You

Psalm 119:113-115 The double-minded

by Pastor Timothy Smith on Saturday, November 2, 2024

The next part of the Great Psalm is the samek portion. Leupold observes that the theme of this stanza is a prayer for strength, for the man of God to remain loyal to the word of God in the face of much opposition. My revolving outline places this stanza as the fourth time the Psalmist asks for help in the face of enemies, which also follows Leupold’s observation. In this stanza, those enemies are specifically “the wicked of the earth” (verse 119).

113 I hate double-minded men,
  but I love your law.

To anyone who reads the Bible, the phrase “double-minded” might recall something from the book of James. He says that a double-minded man is one who prays but who does not believe (James 1:8), and he also urges such men: “Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8). That’s three occurrences (counting our verse) in Scripture. But this expression is sprinkled like salt throughout the early Church Fathers—it occurs sixty-three times in six of the earliest Christian documents written after the time of the New Testament. Obviously there is no room here to visit all of those references, but some of them are surely worth our attention:

“Lot’s wife… changed her mind so that she became a pillar of salt to this day. She is a reminder to all those who are double-minded and have doubts about the power of God” (1 Clement 11:2).

“Let us not be displeased or be indignantly unwise people when anyone admonishes us to turn from unrighteousness to righteousness. For sometimes when we sin we don’t know it because of the double-mindedness and unbelief in our hearts” (2 Clement 19:2).

“You who do what is right must remain steadfast and not be double-minded, so that your place will be with the holy angels” (Shepherd of Hermas, Hv 2,2,4).

The Psalmist hates the double-minded on account of their unbelief, but this is not a flaw of being uncompassionate. We will see in the rest of the stanza that the double-minded unbelievers he is talking about are his mortal enemies, who seek his life, but more importantly they have made themselves the enemies of God.

If there are only three references to “double-minded” in the Scriptures, why would there be more than sixty in those letters and books written shortly after the Bible was completed? As Christianity spread, it did so in the beginning through the synagogues. A great many people came to faith in Christ, but a great many did not. Christian pastors warned about them in many ways—in part because their hearts went out to those people who were in some cases misled by false teachers and rabbis not to accept Christ for who he was. Their prayers were no longer heard by God. Their faith was futile. Their hearts were, as James and our Psalm verse say, double-minded. That means that they were looking for Christ, but looking past Jesus for some other Messiah—one who would never come. Ever.

114 You are my refuge and my shield;
  I have put my hope in your word.

The “refuge” here is a sether, a shelter (Isaiah 16:4) or any kind of covering (Job 22:14). The “shield” is the buckler, the small shield (some readers may remember a picture I recently shared from a Star Trek episode). To be covered with a shelter and to have a more personal defense like a shield is the way God’s word protects us.

But consider, too, the other protections he gives, which (again) he tells us about in his word. First, the general protection and peace brought on by government. It might seem exhilarating for some hikers, climbers and campers to live in the wild for a few days at a time, but they have the advantages of planning, preparation and supply ahead of time, and the knowledge that their adventure will end just when they expect it to. But imagine having none of those things; of suddenly being without support or help or shelter of any kind. But we do not live as explorers or settlers in the world; we forget the benefits of simply not being terrified by the danger of enemies or wild animals, snakes, bears, wildcats, and other things. Or being alone, or wet, or cold. The government gives more than protection and peace; it also exists to see to the best interests of its people. “But,” Luther warns, “when the government is overturned, the worst scoundrels, who are unworthy to wash dishes, will rule. The devil would gladly overturn the [government] in order to be able to bring his mischief to completion.”

God also sends his angels to watch over us. “He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways” (Psalm 91:11). God’s people on earth, even little ones, have “angels in heaven who always see the face of the Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:10). They fight unseen battles that go unnoticed by us (Daniel 10:13), but without them, what terrible darkness and attacks from the devil would descend upon us!

God also moves events to help us, working out all things for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28). Sometimes this seems tragic, as when a believer is removed from a believing family; but it is for the good of all. Sometimes this goes completely unnoticed, such as when a neighbor helps a family without being seen, simply because he is a neighbor (Exodus 23:4).

115 Away from me, you evildoers,
  so that I may guard the commandments of my God!

For the sinful Christian, it is hard enough to guard and to keep God’s commandments when we are only confronted by our own sinful nature. But when the whole world descends to attack our faith, we must sometimes shoo the world away like shooing away a fly trying to sample a sandwich. “Away from me! Turn aside; get going!” In our prayers we ask for God’s help and protection, that he would send his holy angels to stand guard around us while we struggle to live according to his will. It is no easy thing to do; it is impossible without God’s help. Even then, we live imperfectly, with hobbling steps, like a man with arthritic knees, but we do our best and we do everything to God’s glory.

In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith

 

Browse Devotion Archive