God’s Word for You
Psalm 119:60-61 the ropes of the wicked
by Pastor Timothy Smith on Friday, June 21, 2024
60 I will hurry, I will not delay.
I will keep your commandments.
61 Though the ropes of the wicked bind me,
I will not forget your law.
What does hurrying have to do with keeping God’s commandments? Let’s look more closely at the second half of the first line. That’s the term, “not delay,” or “I won’t hesitate.” The verb carries the idea of going back-and-forth about something. It’s pretty easy to understand why “delay” or “hesitate” would have a back-and-forth idea behind it. It’s the sinful mind, torn by what to do. “Should I? Shouldn’t I? What if I do this thing God wants of me but it costs me dearly—costs me friends, or time, or money, or (maybe worst of all) costs me embarrassment?” Paul said: “What I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing” (Romans 7:19). Luther warns that “hurry” in this case also means that for the beginner (a new Christian, or anyone in a new position within the church with greater responsibility) “the Lord may test him suddenly and visit him early, lest the grace that has been given be idle, as Herod soon rose up against the newborn Christ. Therefore one must be prepared, as Ecclesiasticus says: ‘Son, when you come to the service of God, stand in the fear of the Lord and prepare your soul for temptation’” (Sirach 2:1). And Job says: “You examine him every morning and test him every moment” (Job 7:18). Therefore the Christian does well, in every circumstance, to compare his life with God’s holy will, summarized by the Ten Commandments.
Recently there has been a movement to make it a law in the United States to require that printed copies of the Ten Commandments be displayed not only in courtrooms, but in every classroom of American public schools. Forcing anyone to be exposed to God’s law without the gospel will do nothing for the souls of school children, nor their teachers, school staff, administrators, support staff, or school janitors. Those who are already Christian might appreciate the text, although some might be confused by it, since there are three major systems of numbering the Ten Commandments which vary from denomination to denomination. Catholics and Lutherans count the Commandments differently from Reformed churches (Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, and others), and there is a Jewish system that is different from both. But it is never the right way to change hearts by forcing them to hear the law of God, or to preach the law to them when they are willing, but without the gospel.
But when the converted Christian who knows his Savior then soberly and thoughtfully compares his life and his ways with the will of God, then he can see, Commandment by Commandment, how he breaks the law of God every day and every hour of his life.
This stanza ends with the statement, “The ropes of the wicked bind me.” I take this to be a conditional statement, beginning with “If…” or “Even though….” The church has very real and very powerful enemies. Some enemies like the Antichrist come from inside the church, as Paul warns in 2 Thessalonians and also John in his first two letters, and Amos warns about that spirit as well (Amos 2:12). Other enemies are outside. Sometimes these will try to bind the church and muzzle it, calling its words dangerous and unpatriotic, or simply unreasonable (Job 11:3). And as always, the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh, like a private, personal antichrist, remain enemies to the end of life. The Christian is surrounded by these things, but David encourages us not to forget the word of God. He calls it the “torah” of God. As we saw in verse 1, the torah is broader than the commands and threats of God, but includes his whole message of sin and grace, law and gospel. Just as the priests of the Old Testament knew the whole law of God (Haggai 2:11), so also do New Testament believers, who are a kingdom of priests to serve our God (Revelation 5:10).
Take courage, children, cry to God, and he will deliver you from the power and hand of the Enemy. Do not forget the forgiveness Jesus offers through his blood, bled from his own veins for us on the cross. So whatever bindings and ravages that sin and time’s fickle glass inflict on this mortal body, a saved child of God remains. Hurry to remember his grace. Jesus’ great promise is summarized in the creed:
The forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting—this I believe.
In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith
Pastor Smith serves St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in New Ulm, Minnesota. To receive God’s Word for You via e-mail, please visit the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church website.