Thinking About Compromise
Psalms 119:121-128
February 6, 2022
Last Sunday night we talked about having an unyielding conviction.
Psalms 119:113 “I hate those who are double-minded, But I love Your law.”
Tonight we’re going to CONTINUE in that thought a little bit,
But perhaps from a little bit of a DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
For tonight we see the very last line of our stanza which says:
“I hate every false way.”
We still get the notion of strong conviction,
Only this time instead of looking outwardly at others
Our Psalmist seems to be LOOKING INWARDLY.
Here he’s not lamenting other people’s lack of conviction
He is instead reiterating his own.
He is telling you where he stands and even why he stands there.
LAST WEEK we learned why men don’t have conviction.
IT IS BECAUSE THEY DON’T FEAR GOD.
• If you fear men more than you fear God then your conviction will fade as well.
BUT TONIGHT we learn
Where the Psalmist’s strength and conviction come from.
Now in order to understand our Psalmist
I first want you to recognize that our Psalmist is being oppressed.
• (121b) “Do not leave me to my oppressors.”
• (122b) “Do not let the arrogant oppress me.”
He is being oppressed.
Earlier in Psalms 119 it was all about “affliction” but now it is all about “oppression”
What’s the difference?
Very simply put,
Affliction speaks of the hardship and suffering you face in life,
Oppression focuses more on the one who causes it.
The words are different in the Hebrew.
“affliction” translates ONI
And it relates to physical pain or mental distress, or illness.
It can even be translated “misery”
Psalms 107:10 “There were those who dwelt in darkness and in the shadow of death, Prisoners in misery and chains”
Job 10:15 “If I am wicked, woe to me! And if I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head. I am sated with disgrace and conscious of my misery.”
And we understand affliction.
Both times there translated “misery”
“oppression” is different. It translates ASAQ (aw-shak)
And it relates more to being robbed or defrauded by another.
1 Samuel 12:3-4 “Here I am; bear witness against me before the LORD and His anointed. Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? I will restore it to you.” They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man’s hand.”
Malachi 3:5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien and do not fear Me,” says the LORD of hosts.”
The Psalmist is no longer talking about his affliction
Now he is talking about THOSE WHO ARE wronging him in some way.
And one important distinction to for us to understand as we study Is while affliction generally cannot be avoided, oppression can.
Affliction is general suffering, and we all know that it is coming in this life.
• Affliction is promised.
• Life is going to be hard.
BUT OPPRESSION IS DIFFERENT.
It occurs at the hands of men who don’t like the direction we are traveling,
And who seek to wrong us because of it.
Matthew 5:11-12 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Matthew 10:22 “You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.”
There you see not only affliction, but oppression.
• And the oppression is for one reason.
• It is all because of the name of Jesus.
They will persecute you “because of My name”
And so the solution to stopping oppression is easy: TURN AROUND.
If it offends men to go left, then start going right.
If it angers men that you go north, then start going south.
If it irritates men that you obey God, then stop obeying Him.
That’s really all you have to do.
THE WAY TO END OPPRESSION IS SIMPLY TO COMPROMISE.
You can’t really escape affliction in this life,
But you can escape oppression.
THEREFORE
The battle of affliction is not to lose your faith.
The battle of oppression is not to compromise your convictions.
THAT IS THE ISSUE OUR PSALMIST IS FACING.
• He isn’t facing a debilitating illness.
• He isn’t facing a general hardship.
• He isn’t facing a mental struggle.
Here he is facing oppressive pressures from others,
And he must choose to either give in to them or stand against them.
Well certainly you are already aware that the CALLING IS TO STAND.
I mentioned it last week, but take a glance at the 7 churches in Revelation Notice what they are commended or rebuked for.
Ephesus was commended:
Revelation 2:2 “I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false;”
Revelation 2:6 “Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”
Pergamum was commended:
Revelation 2:13 “I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.”
And also rebuked:
Revelation 2:14-15 “But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality. ‘So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.”
Thyatira was rebuked:
Revelation 2:20 “But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.”
Philadelphia was commended:
Revelation 3:9-10 “Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie — I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. ‘Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”
It is obvious that the Lord never intended for His church
To conform to the pressures of the world.
Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
So we know that men will oppress us and seek to turn us from the truth,
It has happened to Christ’s church since it began.
But we cannot succumb to it.
We cannot be conformed to this world.
We tonight we find or Psalmist in the midst of oppression,
Let’s see his, and how he handles it.
Four things:
#1 HIS DILEMMA
Psalms 119:121-122
It is quite easy to see that our Psalmist is dealing with oppressors.
He mentions them twice in these two verses.
• (121b) “Do not leave me to my oppressors.”
• (122b) “Do not let the arrogant oppress me.”
We even know who is oppressing him.
Here he calls them “the arrogant”
Is there anything more arrogant than to suppose that we know better than God, and that obedience isn’t important?
That is what these men are.
And they oppress those who do seek righteousness.
And so not only do we see that our Psalmist is oppressed,
But we also SEE WHY HE IS OPPRESSED.
“I have done justice and righteousness;”
He is NOT oppressed because of something wicked he has done.
He is oppressed because of something righteous he has done.
2 Timothy 3:12 “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
BUT BEYOND THAT he has also come to the realization
That there is nothing he can do about it.
His only option to stop the oppression is to stop living righteous,
TO ESCAPE HE WOULD HAVE TO COMPROMISE
But that really isn’t an option at all,
For then you quit offending man and start offending God.
That is why he is asking God to intervene.
• “Do not leave me to my oppressors.”
• “Be surety for Your servant for good.”
• “Do not let the arrogant oppress me.”
And so you can see our Psalmists dilemma.
He is oppressed and has done all he can, short of give in to them.
His Dilemma
#2 HIS DESPERATION
Psalms 119:123-125
We’ve seen that first statement before.
“My eyes fail with longing for Your salvation And for Your righteous word.”
Earlier, when he spoke of HIS AFFLICTION, he said:
Psalms 119:81-82 “My soul languishes for Your salvation; I wait for Your word. My eyes fail with longing for Your word, While I say, “When will You comfort me?”
Now he says the same thing in regard to HIS OPPRESSION.
God, I am waiting for you to come.
That’s a good decision:
James 5:7-11 “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.”
Well, that is precisely what the Psalmist is doing.
• He knows he has done right.
• He knows he has lived righteous.
• It is that righteousness that causes him to be oppressed.
So naturally he started waiting for the Lord to come and vindicate him.
The only problem is HE IS GROWING TIRED OF WAITING.
SEE, THE ATTACKS OF THE WICKED ARE UNCEASING.
• How long he has gone to his workplace and been the scorn of the wicked…
• How long he has endured their mocking…
• How long he has been maligned for his convictions…
He knows some day GOD WILL come and vindicate him,
He just WONDERS WHEN it will be.
And that is why his statement turns into A REQUEST.
(124) “Deal with Your servant according to Your lovingkindness and teach me Your statues.”
In short, be merciful to me.
Step in! Deliver! Help me!
Quit letting them walk all over me and oppress me.
(124) “I am Your servant; give me understanding, That I may know Your testimonies.”
That is the third time he referred to himself as God’s servant.
And here he does so to remind God that he is committed to Him.
That is to say:
“God, I’m on Your side, please be on mine”
I watching for Your appearing…
I’m listening for Your word…
I’m desperate for You.
His Dilemma, His Desperation
#3 HIS DEPENDANCE
Psalms 119:126
I love this prayer, because it is so real.
“It is time for the Lord to act, For, they have broken Your law.”
That is pretty adamant.
• He has had enough of waiting…
• He has had enough of enduring…
• He has had enough patience…
“Enough is enough, it is time for You to deal with those wicked pagans.”
The Psalmist has reached this point.
• These men are disobedient.
• These men “have broken Your law.”
• These men are “double-minded”
• These men are “wicked”
• These men “wander from Your statutes”
OUR PSALMIST HAS HAD ENOUGH.
NOW HERE IS THE POINT.
The Psalmist is crying out to God as if to say: I CAN’T BEAT THEM!
I’ve been righteous.
I’ve walked in justice.
But they still oppress me.
I’ve waited and waited, but they still oppress me.
I’ve been obedient, but they still oppress me.
I can’t beat them.
I can’t make them stop.
I can’t defend myself.
AND IT IS AT THIS POINT THAT THE WORLD WOULD CHIME IN:
“If you can’t beat ‘em; join ‘em”
And that is the dilemma we talked about at the beginning.
It is the temptation to compromise.
• Do I let up on my convictions?
• Do I soften my stance?
• Do I learn to act a little less righteous?
• Do I cover my light and hide it under a bushel?
• Do I try to conform a little so as not to stand out so much?
Many a Christian has done just that.
And it has caused the Lord to grieve.
It is called becoming politically correct.
• The world loves homosexuality, maybe we shouldn’t oppose it.
• The world loves feminism, maybe we should ignore God’s roles.
• The world loves pluralism, maybe we should embrace false religion.
• The world loves universalism, maybe we should forget about hell.
• The world loves mysticism, maybe we should just go on our feelings.
• The world loves sin, maybe we should ignore repentance.
• The world loves self, maybe we should cater to them.
And really the list could go on and on and on.
And more than one Christian
Has collapsed under such societal pressure
And become conformed to the standards of the world
Just to get a little relief from the oppression.
They let go of their convictions
Simply because that is the only way to get relief.
THEY COMPROMISE.
And if we are honest, we can all find times when we did as well.
But the encouragement we get from the text tonight
Is that we find THE SECRET TO NOT DOING IT next time.
Our Psalmist has clearly said that he can’t beat his oppressors.
He knows that he is at the mercy of God.
He has done all he can, but he can’t stop them.
But he refuses to join them.
#4 HIS DEVOTION
Psalms 119:127-128
FIRST THE “WHY” HE HATES.
I really like how the NIV translates this verse.
“BECAUSE I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold, and BECAUSE I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path.”
The NIV translators went with the word “because”
Instead of the word “therefore”
And when you read the text it really makes more sense.
To read it as “therefore” makes it sound like he loves God’s commands
Because the wicked have broken them.
But that is not the point.
His point is that he hates what they do
Because he loves God’s commands.
He is telling you why he will not compromise.
He is telling you why he will never join them.
He is telling you why he hates their false way.
AND THE REASON IS BECAUSE HE LOVES GOD’S WORD!
“Therefore [Because] I love Your commandments above gold, yes, above fine gold.”
I told you earlier, that the word “oppression”
Often carries a financial connotation with it.
The word for “oppress” is even translated “rob”
Micah 2:2 “They covet fields and then seize them, And houses, and take them away. They rob a man and his house, A man and his inheritance.”
And so it is quite possible that the oppression this man has received
Has even brought with it a financial hardship.
• Maybe they don’t shop in his store…
• Maybe they don’t give him good deals at the market…
• Maybe they have dragged him to court…
• Maybe they have given him fines…
But it is very possible that the oppression has caused a financial strain,
And that would cause many to cave.
But not our Psalmist.
Regardless of the oppression, regardless of the financial difficulty,
He is not going to compromise.
WHY?
“I love your commandments above gold, yes, above fine gold.”
We sing:
“I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold; I’d rather be His than have riches untold; I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands. I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand than to be the king of a vast domain or be held in sin’s dread sway. I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.
I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause; I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause; I’d rather have Jesus than world-wide fame. I’d rather be true to His holy name, than to be the king of a vast domain or be held in sin’s dread sway. I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.
He’s fairer than lilies of rarest bloom; He’s sweeter than honey from out the comb; He’s all that my hungering spirit needs. I’d rather have Jesus and let Him lead than to be the king of a vast domain or be held in sin’s dread sway. I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.”
So did the Psalmist.
So financial hardship couldn’t cause him to cave,
He loved God’s word more than money.
But that is not the only reason he wouldn’t cave.
The other is because “I esteem right all Your precepts concerning everything.”
The other reason he wouldn’t compromise is because
He has come to a place where He believes God is right.
Sometimes we compromise because of the pressure,
Other times we compromise because of a lack of conviction.
(We aren’t sure if we really believe what Scripture says.)
If we aren’t sure God is right when it is easy,
We most certainly won’t hold our convictions when it is difficult.
But the Psalmist was convinced.
He knew God is right.
He said, “God is right about everything, all the time.”
“I esteem right all Your precepts concerning everything.”
And because of this conviction he said,
“I HATE every false way.”
And let’s discuss that for a minute.
This statement and the one last week are the kind that tend to make us cringe a little.
We’ve been so conditioned against the word “hate”
That it is hard for us even when the Bible speaks of hating something.
Let me give you a quick rundown.
Psalms 26:5 “I hate the assembly of evildoers, And I will not sit with the wicked.”
Psalms 31:6 “I hate those who regard vain idols, But I trust in the LORD.”
Psalms 97:10 “Hate evil, you who love the LORD, Who preserves the souls of His godly ones; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.”
Psalms 101:3 “I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not fasten its grip on me.”
Psalms 119:104 “From Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.”
Psalms 119:163 “I hate and despise falsehood, But I love Your law.”
Psalms 139:21-22 “Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them with the utmost hatred; They have become my enemies.”
Proverbs 8:13 “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.”
Amos 5:15 “Hate evil, love good, And establish justice in the gate! Perhaps the LORD God of hosts May be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”
And then we get to the New Testament and we read:
Romans 12:9 “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.”
And we realize that there is a very real calling in our lives
To have a holy hatred for what is evil.
After all we read:
Proverbs 6:16-19 “There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.”
And we realize that we are to hate what God hates.
And we hate it BECAUSE we love God’s truth.
That’s the WHY
BUT THEN we read passages like the one this morning in 1 John.
1 John 2:9 “The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.”
Luke 6:27 “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
And we see sort of a contradiction there.
Which is it?
And you know the answer that has become the appropriate response.
Someone will say, “Well God hates the sin, but loves the sinner.”
And so we say that’s what we are supposed to do.
But even that statement is filled with problems for as R.C. Sproul would continually point out. “God doesn’t send the sin to hell, He sends the sinner there.”
We have a God who hates sin and who judges sinners.
Now CLEARLY YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT GOD
And judgment is beyond our responsibility.
We’ve seen the WHY
WHAT WE WANT TO KNOW IS THE HOW?
SO MY QUESTION IS THIS:
• How does our hatred of evil manifest itself in the world?
• What does it look like when we hate what God hates?
• What does it look like when we “hate every false way”?
• Clearly we don’t kill sinners – we pray for them.
• Clearly we don’t curse sinners –we bless those who persecute us.
• We are told to “turn the other cheek”
• We are told to “go the extra mile”
But how does that coincide with our Psalmist here?
• How does a Christian biblically “abhor what is evil”?
• How does a Christian biblically “hate every false way”?
And the answer is through our refusal to participate in evil.
And through our commitment to warning those who do.
The Psalmist said “I hate every false way”
But you can’t say that if you PARTICIPATE in it.
And you can’t say that if you REJOICE in it.
And you can’t say that if you CONDONE it.
I MEAN LET’S BE PRACTICAL.
LET’S SAY YOU HATE CAULIFLOWER (like a Christian should)
• Do you rejoice when someone cooks cauliflower for you?
• Do you eat cauliflower when you see it available?
• If someone says cauliflower is good, do you change your mind about it?
BECAUSE YOU HATE IT.
And you hate it because you have chosen to trust the authority of your taste buds
“Because you believe your tongue, you hate cauliflower.”
Our Psalmist showed us what it looks like when we Biblically hate every false way.
• We still do “justice and righteousness” in spite of our oppressors.
• We still long for God’s salvation
• We still serve God and seek to learn His statutes
• We still pray for the intervention of God
• And we do not compromise those conviction just because the world hates us for it.
WE SHOW OUR HATRED FOR WHAT IS FALSE
BY REFUSING TO COMPROMISE.
How about a great example here?
Matthew 4:1-11 “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’ ” Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU’; and ‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’ ” Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’ ” Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’” Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.”
There is not only affliction, but also oppression.
BUT THERE WAS NO COMPROMISE
Because He loved God’s word
Fast forward to the garden in the middle of His arrest.
Matthew 26:51-54 “And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew out his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. “Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? “How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”
There it is again.
There was no compromise or giving in to influence
Because He loved God’s word.
So you see it:
The secret to having conviction: LOVE GOD’S WORD
What does conviction look like: REFUSAL TO COMPROMISE (participate)
• “Because I love your commandments…”
• “Because I esteem right all Your precepts concerning everything.”
Because of that “I hate every false way.”
SO TONIGHT THE SELF-EXAMINATION IS EASY.
Do I participate in what is evil?
Do I compromise on what is evil?
If I do it is because I do not love God’s commandments.
It is because I do not esteem right all His precepts.
And the solution is repentance.
We must change our mind regarding whether or not
We believe God’s word to be true and right.
And with that we’ll close with one passage
That I think generates love for God’s word as good as any other.
Psalms 19:7-13 “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.”
• What else can restore your soul?
• What else can make you wise?
• What else can rejoice your heart?
• What else can enlighten your eyes?
• What else is righteous altogether?
• What else can reveal your hidden faults?
• What else can hold you back from presumptuous sins?
There is nothing like God’s word
And the secret to being a man or woman of conviction
Starts with believing that.
