Psalm 119:79

In today’s meditation on Psalm 119:79 we meet a group of people who are the opposite of “the proud” that we met in the previous verse.

Psalms 119:79  Let those that fear thee turn unto me, and those that have known thy testimonies.

The reason those who fear the Lord are the opposite of “the proud” can be seen in the Biblical definition of the fear of the Lord.

Proverbs 8:13  The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

People who fear God hate pride and, therefore, strive against being proud.  And they are just the people whose company the psalmist desired.  In fact, he stated in a previous verse:   “I am a companion of all them that fear thee” (Psalm 119:63).  He further expressed a desire for the company of those that have known thy testimonies.  Those who fear the Lord also “hate evil…and the evil way.”  Therefore, they have an interest in knowing the Lord’s testimonies that teach good way.  They know the Lord’s testimonies both as possessing the information of them and also the experience of them.  They do what is commanded in the testimonies.

Deuteronomy 6:2  That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.

In short, the psalmist desired the company of humble people who believe in God, study God’s Bible, and serve God according to what His Bible teaches.  Such people should always be our preferred company as opposed to the people of the world.  Charles Bridges said it well:  “And does not the believer’s anxiety for the company and assistance of the Lord’s people rebuke Christian professors, who are far too closely linked to the society of the world?”  The Lord would have His people turn to each other for help, comfort, correction, and edification.

But note how the psalmist prays to God to let those that fear the Lord turn unto him.  He recognized that God is sovereign over all things, all people, and all events.  Those who feared the Lord would never have turned to the psalmist if the Lord had not let them.  There are all manner of things that threaten to keep the Lord’s people away from each other, not the least of which is their archenemy, Satan himself.  Satan is ever seeking to turn us to something other than the Lord and His people.  Paul acknowledged this when writing the church of the Thessalonians:

1 Thessalonians 2:17  But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.

18  Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.

Therefore, if our need for the companionship of other believers is met, God must show His power in removing the hindrances and letting those that fear Him turn to us.  Of course, it works both ways.  It will do us little good for those who fear the Lord turn to us if we do not turn to them.  So the Lord must order the affairs of us and them if we are to turn to each other and come together.  I hear the echo of this prayer is the following passages drawn from the New Testament:

Romans 1:9  For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;

10  Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.

11  For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;

12  That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

Romans 15:30  Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;

31  That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints;

32  That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.

Philemon 1:22  But withal prepare me also a lodging: for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you.

I would like to close with a word of personal experience as it pertains to this verse.  Last May we celebrated my 35^th anniversary as the pastor of the church of Detroit, Michigan.  In view of the possibility of this church calling for my services as pastor, I prayed this prayer of Psalm 119:79 and the Lord answered.  Now for over 35 years Sunday after Sunday these God-fearing people have turned to me to hear me expound the testimonies of the Lord.  It is both gratifying and humbling to know that much of what they know about the Lord’s testimonies, they have learned from me.  The Lord has indeed been good to me!