121 I have done justice and righteousness;
Do not leave me to my oppressors.
122 Be surety for Your servant for good;
Do not let the arrogant oppress me.
123 My eyes fail with longing for Your salvation
And for Your righteous [bf]word.
124 Deal with Your servant according to Your lovingkindness
And teach me Your statutes.
125 I am Your servant; give me understanding,
That I may know Your testimonies.
126 It is time for the Lord to act,
For they have broken Your law.
127 Therefore I love Your commandments
Above gold, yes, above fine gold.
128 Therefore I esteem right all Your precepts concerning everything,
I hate every false way.
Earlier in this chapter, there was a passage that talked about how much we ought to love God’s commandments, to the extent that we delight in them. This passage has a similar ending, and the psalmist compares his love for God’s commandments to fine gold. Earlier, his eyes even “fail with longing” for God’s righteous word.
In our world today, though gold is valuable, I don’t know that many are chasing after gold above all else. But when the psalmist wrote this, I imagine that was kind of the pinnacle. The ultimate sign of wealth was gold. Not just any gold that might have been used as currency, but “fine gold”, the best of the best. Yet as desirable as it might have been, the psalmist elevates God’s word above that, above the best of the best that this world has to offer.
In the next verse, he makes a similar statement though it might be easily missed. That is, he esteems as right (correct, best, true, perfect) all God’s precepts concerning everything. Everything, not just some things, or most things, but in everything, God’s word is the best guide, the ultimate guide (for life, the universe, and everything).
So whatever you might think of gold, God’s instructions are worth more. Whatever you desire, God’s direction is more important. Does your life reflect that? Probably not as well as it ought to, I know mine doesn’t. Therefore, let us all ask God for understanding, to know Him and his way better today than we did yesterday. See Him first, before anything else, and find His way above the noise of this world.