ZAIN – STANZA #7: PSALM 119:49-56
The Psalm of the Bible
Today we move into Stanza #7 entitled, “Zain”. Once again we will not find a theme in this stanza but we will
certainly see several verses that do connect in one way or another. If there is a theme, it will be found in the
fact that the psalmist used the Word of God as a defense. We will see the use of the word “remember” in
several verses within this stanza. It is through remembering the Word of God that we have our greatest
defense against anything that we face in life. We begin today with:
1. A plea for promises – Psalm 119:49 -. The phrase “Remember the word” is a request to God by the
psalmist. The psalmist is simply asking God to remember His promises. This request is not saying that
God could forget. It is more of prayer that God would fulfill all of His promises that are found in the
Word of God. There is nothing wrong with this approach to God. A request like this has to do more
with claiming the promises. If God has promised something in the Bible, it is prudent to simply ask God
to fulfill it. A common prayer has to do with the growth of a local church. When we pray about the
growth of this or any NT church, it is fine to let God know that we are aware of His promise found in
Matt. 16:18 where Jesus states, “I will build my Church”. When we state that in our prayers, we are
simply asking God to fulfill His promise and build His church. The psalmist closes out the verse by
stating that it is upon the promises of God, that he has built his hope.
2. Comfort in affliction – vs. 50 -. We find in this verse the key to dealing with any affliction in your life,
the Word of God. The promises of God’s Word, that are the foundation of the psalmist’s hope, and the
same Word that “quickened” or made him alive spiritually, is the same Word that brings him comfort
in his afflictions. Our afflictions will either make us bitter or better. If we wallow in our afflictions and
stray from God, then rest assured we will become bitter. On the contrary, if we flee to the Word of
God, we will always find comfort and be better as a result. The psalmist had afflictions just like us.
What made the psalmist special is that he knew where to go for comfort. Nothing comforts us like the
Word of God.
3. Dealing with derision – vs. 51 -. In this verse, we see another means of using the Word of God as a
defense. The psalmist states that the “proud” (his unsaved enemies) have had me in derision. The
psalmist was suffering mocking and scorning as a result of his faith and walk with God. Now, how did
he deal with it? Did he hate the derision so much that he determined his walk with God wasn’t worth
it? Did he want to fit in with everyone around him so that the mocking would go away? Did he strike
back with cruel words towards his antagonists? The answer to all of the above is no. The psalmist
states, “yet (in the face of derision) have I not declined from thy law”. The psalmist tells God that he
has remained loyal and faithful to God and His word despite the derision. Rather than fear the
consequences of giving in to derision, he feared more giving up on God. Far too many Christians have
given up on the Christian life because they fear the consequences of derision and mocking. If you face
derision for your faith, consider this, giving up on God may take away the mocking but it also takes
away the blessings. Ask yourself what is valuable.
4. Comfort in the old truths – vs. 52 -. In this verse, we see the psalmist acquiring more comfort from the
Word of God. He talks about remembering “thy judgments of old”. The idea here seems to be, that the
psalmist is looking back at how God has always dealt with His creation. God is always the same and
doesn’t change with the times. The psalmist took great comfort in the fact that God isn’t fickle but
rather can be counted on to do what he has always done and will always do – right. All people need to
understand this truth about God. While God is dealing with us in this age by means of His grace, He still
hates and will punish sin. God still only saves them that call on Him and bless those that live for Him.
God still brings His own into heaven and casts the wicked into hell fire. While society has changed, God
hasn’t. It should give us great comfort in knowing that God never changes.
5. Anger in the face of wickedness – vs. 53 -. This word “horror” means indignation or anger. The
psalmist is telling God that anger has taken hold of him because of the wicked that forsake His law. Our
response to sin ought to one of anger and not acceptance. Our world and many churches today have
adopted a philosophy of watering down sin and accepting it. We call the murder of unborn children the
“right to privacy”. We call the sin of sodomy, gay marriage. This term doesn’t fit sodomy in any way.
Gay means “happy” and marriage is only between a man and a woman. Shacking up and living in
fornication is now called “commitment and co-habitation”. Adultery is called an affair. Idol worship is
called veneration. Drunkenness and revelry is now called partying. The list could go on and on. The
principle is simple: sin never ceases to be sin because we give it a makeover. Since God hates sin, so
should God’s people.
6. Songs of our pilgrimage – vs. 54 -. In this verse, the psalmist is telling us that during his pilgrimage (the
earthly journey of the Christian) that his song is the statutes of the Lord. These songs are those things
in which the psalmist finds joy, contentment and happiness in. As the psalmist travels along the
difficult earthly road of a Christian, he keeps himself on track by singing a song that centers on the
Word of God. If we are not singing that song, then our earthly pilgrimage will be a failure. What song
are you singing? Are you singing the blues because of a lack of joy? Are you singing the songs of the
world as a result of sin and compromise? Are you singing the songs of excuses as you fail to live for the
Lord? The songs that you sing on your pilgrimage will determine what kind a journey you will have. We
all have to travel that road; we might as well sing the songs that remind us of who and what we are,
and where we are headed. What songs are you singing?
7. Keeping the law in the night – vs. 55-56 -. The “night” mentioned in verse 55 is referencing the dark
moments of life. We all have trials and tribulations, but there are moments in our life that are so dark
that we can rightly call it “the night”. There is no better time to remember the Lord and His Word than
in the night seasons of our lives. How a Christian responds in the dark moments has much to say about
one’s relationship with God. It is easy to stay with the Lord in the good times, but the real test comes in
the night seasons of our lives. No matter how dark the moment, always run to God and His Word for
comfort. The psalmist ends the stanza by stating that, his remembrance of the Lord and His Word in
the dark times was a matter of habit – “This (remembering God in the night) I had, because I kept thy
precepts”. We can turn our trust in the Lord on like a light switch. If we don’t trust in good and normal
times, we most likely will not trust Him in the dark times. Don’t wait until the night comes. Trust God in
all seasons of your life.