SIN & SHIN – THE TRIAL OF TYRANNY – Psalm 119:161-168

The 2nd to last Hebrew letter in the alphabet opening each eight verses of our text in its original language signal the 21st and 2nd to last stanza in the great acrostic song of all literature. The Psalmist, according to the structure of a life journey motif, summarizes the priorities of the spiritually mature and well tempered heart. This is the true hero's epic poem. Who are our heroes of the faith? Our imaginations might jump to Moses commanding Pharaoh: “Let my people go!”, or David staring down the giant Goliath with nothing but his faith and the crude weapons of a shepherd boy. Perhaps we recall Joseph resolute in the face of prison consoled only by a clean conscience when tempted by his master's wife, or Daniel's three friends forcing the great king to choose between swallowing his pride or their fiery death by furnace, not to mention Paul standing confidently upon the Gospel as he calls imperial Roman officials to repentance one by one up the chain of appeal to Caesar himself. These accounts of faith remain fascinating and inspiring across the centuries, in part, because examples of godly strength of character are so rare. What sets apart those worthy of a biographer's research? What is the wellspring of this kind of integrity, boldness, and conviction? Ps 119 provides us answers in the form of a testimony of godly maturity gleaned from a life-long dedication to the Word of God as superior and sufficient.