Even though officials are sitting down and speaking to one another against me,
your slave muses on your statutes.
Also, your testimonies are my delight,
my men of advice.
Psalm 119:23-24 (author’s translation)
How would you respond to learning that the most powerful people in the world were allied against you? What would you do first? Would you pack up yourself and your family in a hurry? Would you seek to retreat somewhere safe? On your way perhaps into hiding, what cherished keepsakes would you take from your house at a moment’s notice? Where would you go so that you could think soundly about next steps? Whose guidance would you trust to remain sane?
In the course of human history, few have had to consider such a predicament as the one just described. However, in Psalm 119, we encounter one faithful saint in such a situation. He is suffering greatly at the hands of the most powerful men in the world who are seeking his life. Psalm 119:23-24 provides a significant window into his response, and his imitable response provides clarity for the current controversy concerning the sufficiency of Scripture for counseling. The writer of this psalm seeks to instill confidence in his readers regarding the doctrine of sufficiency by using descriptive prose rather than didactic instruction. In this poetic prayer, he tells the tale of two councils.
A POIGNANT DICHOTOMY
He mentions one council in the first line of verse 23, “Even though officials are sitting down and speaking to one another against me…” This first group of men includes powerful government officials who function as formal representatives of the king. They were “sitting down and speaking to one another” against him. He is describing a council of rulers taking counsel together to plot the psalmist’s downfall. However, there is also another council—a better council—in view.
Read the complete article here.