Pe

¹²⁹Your testimonies are^(A) wonderful;
therefore my soul^(B) keeps them.
¹³⁰The unfolding of your words gives light;
it imparts^(C) understanding to the simple.
¹³¹I^(D) open my mouth and^(E) pant,
because I^(F) long for your commandments.
^132(G) Turn to me and be gracious to me,
as is your way with those who love your name.
^133(H) Keep steady my steps according to your promise,
and let no iniquity^(I) get dominion over me.
^134(J) Redeem me from man’s oppression,
that I may keep your precepts.
^135(K) Make your face shine upon your servant,
and^(L) teach me your statutes.
¹³⁶My eyes^(M) shed streams of tears,
because people^(N) do not keep your law. (Psalm 119:129-136)

Often the psalmist prays that God will deliver him and keep him from sin. Here he asks him to “let no iniquity get dominion over me.” This takes us back to one of the first commands God gave after Adam sinned. Remember how upset Cain became after God rejected his food offering? Upon seeing this the LORD said to him,

⁶“Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? ^7(A) If you do well, will you not be accepted?^[a] And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door.^(B) Its desire is for^[b] you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:6-7)

History tells us that Cain failed to rule over sin and he thus became the world’s first murderer. This psalm and this stanza in particular teaches us how we may keep sin from ruling over us and falling into the depths of sin as did Cain. First, we must come into agreement with God and declare also that his “testimonies are wonderful!” The Hebrew word translated “wonderful” here is the word pele’ and literally means “a miracle.” The testimonies, the historical witness, of God are wonderful because they recount his miracles done among his people. Therefore, he says, his soul (his mind, will, and emotions) keeps or guards them. Do we keep and guard God’s testimonies or have we discarded them in the name of evolution and other worldly myths and philosophies? Do we regard God’s historical witness as something wonderful, or as something legalistic, evil, and mean like many others do?

Second, we must come to understand the “unfolding” of God’s word “gives light” and “imparts understanding to the simple.” The fact is that men would not know what sin is if the Law did not tell them. Paul says, “through the law comes knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:20). If one does not know the Law, then he usually cannot discern sin. (It is true that God reveals truth through other sources than the Law, but Paul makes it clear that he himself would not have known many particular sins had not the Law instructed him)

Third, the one who would rule over sin must earnestly desire to know God’s commands and like the psalmist open his mouth and “pant” or cry out for them.

Fourth, he must understand, just as Paul clearly taught in Romans, that he cannot perfectly keep God’s Law by his own power of the flesh. Thus he prays that God will turn to him and be “gracious” to him. He knows that it is only “by grace, through faith” that God accepts him. Nevertheless, he loves God’s laws and commandments. He does not reject them simply because he cannot keep them. He agrees with God that they are good. Like Paul he proclaims, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.” (Romans 3:31 KJ2000)

It is now when this writer prays, “Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me.” God wants us to live according to his word. He understands how high he raised the bar, i.e. perfection. He knows we cannot be perfect in this flesh, this carnal nature, and yet he still wants us to aspire to that goal. Accordingly he takes the responsibility of keeping our steps “steady,” of keeping us on his narrow path toward his celestial city. It is God who keeps sin from getting “dominion” over us. He wants us to “rule over sin,” just as he commanded Cain.

And we can do this only one way in our present disability, by practicing righteousness. This means, first, that we learn what righteousness is, which is what this psalmist constantly teaches. Second, we attempt to walk in those ways which God causes us to understand. Third, we repent when we fail to obey and ask God’s forgiveness. Finally, we get up from our failure and try to do better, knowing that God has forgiven us and wants us to succeed.