Redeem me from the oppression of man, That I may keep Your precepts.

Psalm 119:129-152 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Your testimonies are wonderful;
Therefore my soul observes them.
¹³⁰ The unfolding of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.
¹³¹ I opened my mouth wide and panted,
For I longed for Your commandments.
¹³² Turn to me and be gracious to me,
After Your manner with those who love Your name.
¹³³ Establish my footsteps in Your word,
And do not let any iniquity have dominion over me.
¹³⁴ Redeem me from the oppression of man,
That I may keep Your precepts.
¹³⁵ Make Your face shine upon Your servant,
And teach me Your statutes.
¹³⁶ My eyes shed streams of water,
Because they do not keep Your law.

¹³⁷ Righteous are You, O Lord,
And upright are Your judgments.
¹³⁸ You have commanded Your testimonies in righteousness
And exceeding faithfulness.
¹³⁹ My zeal has consumed me,
Because my adversaries have forgotten Your words.
¹⁴⁰ Your word is very pure,
Therefore Your servant loves it.
¹⁴¹ I am small and despised,
Yet I do not forget Your precepts.
¹⁴² Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
And Your law is truth.
¹⁴³ Trouble and anguish have come upon me,
Yet Your commandments are my delight.
¹⁴⁴ Your testimonies are righteous forever;
Give me understanding that I may live.

¹⁴⁵ I cried with all my heart; answer me, O Lord!
I will observe Your statutes.
¹⁴⁶ I cried to You; save me
And I shall keep Your testimonies.
¹⁴⁷ I rise before dawn and cry for help;
I wait for Your words.
¹⁴⁸ My eyes anticipate the night watches,
That I may meditate on Your word.
¹⁴⁹ Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness;
Revive me, O Lord, according to Your ordinances.
¹⁵⁰ Those who follow after wickedness draw near;
They are far from Your law.
¹⁵¹ You are near, O Lord,
And all Your commandments are truth.
¹⁵² Of old I have known from Your testimonies
That You have founded them forever.

The psalmist says:  The unfolding of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.  In John 3:19 Jesus says:  “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.”  It is not difficult to understand God’s word and His commandments. It is simple to recognize the difference between darkness and light. It is the simple choice each person must make; the choice between the light of God’s word or the darkness of the world. The psalmist says:  Your testimonies are wonderful; Therefore my soul observes them. Establish my footsteps in Your word, And do not let any iniquity have dominion over me. Redeem me from the oppression of man, That I may keep Your precepts. Make Your face shine upon Your servant, And teach me Your statutes.  Proverbs 29:25 says: The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted.  The fear of man is what leads to the oppression of man. That oppression comes in many forms. It is not necessarily an oppressive; authoritarian government. It can also be the oppression of a society and culture that seeks to have everyone conform to its way of thinking. In our current society we are told that if we believe differently, we are intolerant; haters and divisive. If we establish our footsteps and our thought processes in God’s word, we are not politically and socially correct. We need to be redeemed from the oppression of man. Psalm 56:11 says:  In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?  Psalm 118:6 says:  The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?  Romans 8:31 says:  What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

The psalmist says:  Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth.  Trouble and anguish have come upon me, Yet Your commandments are my delight.  Your testimonies are righteous forever; Give me understanding that I may live.  The things of this world, including the oppression of man, are temporary, but God is eternal. In John 16:33 Jesus says:  "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."  Even a lifetime of tribulation; a lifetime subject to the oppression of man, is but a twinkling in the scheme of eternity. We need to delight in God and His commandments so that we may live. Will we like the psalmist say:  I cried with all my heart; answer me, O Lord! I will observe Your statutes. I cried to You; save me And I shall keep Your testimonies. I rise before dawn and cry for help; I wait for Your words. My eyes anticipate the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word. Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness; Revive me, O Lord, according to Your ordinances. Those who follow after wickedness draw near; They are far from Your law. You are near, O Lord, And all Your commandments are truth. Of old I have known from Your testimonies That You have founded them forever.  Amen. Thank You heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and precious Holy Spirit. Amen.