FRIDAY 25th
Psalm 119:78 ‘Let the insolent be put to shame, because they have wronged me with falsehood; as for me, I will meditate on your precepts.’
The word ‘insolent’ means ‘rude’ and ‘disrespectful’, the NIV uses the word ‘arrogant’, the KJV, ‘proud’ it is referring to all those who have acted in a wrongful way toward the psalmist, they have wronged him falsely, as the KJV puts it ‘without a cause’.
Today in the culture of the society we are living in, we who are Christians, genuine followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, and who want to live according to the Word of God, that is according to Godly standards will find that we too will be wronged, mistreated or misrepresented because the world follows standards that are alien to God’s standards. Therefore the ‘Biblical view’, the ‘godly view’ will be spurned, rejected and those who hold to it as far as the world is concerned need to be silenced.
But notice what the psalmist’s response was, although it may not seem obvious at first, it is a request or we can call it a prayer, he is saying to God, ‘Let the insolent be put to shame. . .’ He is responding to their insolence by not responding directly to them, but by asking God to deal with them! You deal with them LORD, and I will continue as I have been by meditating on your precepts. He realised it wasn’t his place to deal out whatever was required, that was God’s domain, he just needed to stay focused, keep faith and persevere.
It doesn’t mean that we must allow the unbelieving world to walk over us and to undermine everything that we stand firm upon according to the Word of God, but it does mean that we must act righteously, there are right ways to respond and to react, even though they may be forceful or hateful towards us we respond graciously and in a way that expresses the love of God. We need as we are reminded in Matthew 10:16 to be as wise as serpents and gentle as doves.
Paul writing to the Church at Rome who like most of the believers at that time were knowing what it was to be continually mistreated for their faith, said to them, ‘Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honourable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Romans 12:14–21)