153 Look upon my affliction and rescue me,
For I do not forget Your law.
154 Plead my cause and redeem me;
Revive me according to Your [bq]word.
155 Salvation is far from the wicked,
For they do not seek Your statutes.
156 [br]Great are Your mercies, O Lord;
Revive me according to Your ordinances.
157 Many are my persecutors and my adversaries,
Yet I do not turn aside from Your testimonies.
158 I behold the treacherous and loathe them,
Because they do not keep Your [bs]word.
159 Consider how I love Your precepts;
Revive me, O Lord, according to Your lovingkindness.
160 The sum of Your word is truth,
And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.
This passage gives us the opportunity for a case study in twisting the truth, and also the antidote. If we’re not digging into the Word ourselves, we can easily fall victim to any number of false teachers or half truths that are available in our world today. Some of these teachings attempt to add to what the Bible is saying, while others simply take things out of context.
As I’m writing each day, that’s something I try to keep in mind. I cannot simply consider a passage all by itself, but what is the context? This includes the surrounding verses, even surrounding chapters, and must include the entirety of the Bible. Often, as I’m writing, I’ll think of other verses that speak to the same message, and that’s good confirmation that we’re not “wandering into the weeds” so to speak.
So, how about an example? In v. 155 the psalmist tells us that, “Salvation is far from the wicked…” and in v. 158, he “beholds the treacherous and loathes them…” One could easily conflate the two, and because the “wicked” would be anyone who doesn’t follow God, and treacherous == wicked, we should loathe those who do not follow God. Now, you might think this a stretch, but that’s exactly what false teachers do every day.
And it certainly isn’t far off from what our media and many in our world practice every day. They incite loathing for our “enemies”, many of whom are normal decent folks just like us. They have different opinions, and they may be lost, but they aren’t actually our enemies. There are certainly enemies of God in the media and politics, but that’s a totally different animal. At any rate, if this is the “poison”, what is the antidote?
The psalmist tells us that “The sum of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.” We need to look at what else God tells us about the wicked and sinners, and consider that what He said in one place doesn’t get annulled by another. Jesus himself said, “I did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it.”
He also said, “love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you….” That doesn’t sound much like loathing, does it? In the end, we have two take-aways. First, the treacherous doesn’t just include obviously evil people, it includes those who knowingly twist God’s word and masquerade in “sheep’s clothing”. Do not associate with such people, but if you do anything, pray for them, and especially for those following them.
Second, guard your own heart from such half-truths. If what they are saying doesn’t line up with the rest of the Bible–ALL of it–then watch out! If you don’t know, then dig into God’s word for yourself, find God’s heart, find the truth in the sum of His words. Find His heart, and keep the focus on Him instead of your own agenda (or anyone else’s).