Psalms 119:78 - Meaning and Application

Here David shows, first, how little he valued the will of sinners. There were people who treated him unfairly, were sour and ill-tempered toward him, tried to find faults in him, and twisted everything he said or did. Even the most fair-minded person may face such treatment. Still, David did not let it trouble him, because he knew it was without cause and that they acted against him for his love.

A baseless insult, like a baseless curse, can be ignored easily. It does no real harm, so it should not unsettle us. David could also pray in faith that they would be put to shame. God’s kind treatment of him might lead them to be ashamed that they had treated him so badly. “Let them be ashamed” means, let them be brought either to repentance or to ruin.

He also could keep doing his duty and take comfort in that. However others dealt with him, he would still meditate on God’s precepts and find his pleasure in them.

Second, David shows how much he valued the good will of God’s people, the saints, and how much he wanted to be thought well of by them and keep close friendship with them: “Let those who fear you turn to me.” He does not mainly mean that they should join his side and fight for him, but that they should love him, pray for him, and keep company with him. Good people naturally want the friendship and fellowship of other good people.

Some think this also hints that after David sinned badly in the matter of Uriah, the man he had arranged to be killed, even though David was a king, those who feared God became distant from him and drew back, because they were ashamed of him. That would have hurt him, so he prays, “Lord, let them turn to me again.” He especially wants the company of those who are not only honest, but wise, those who have known God’s testimonies. They have good minds as well as good hearts, and their conversation will build others up. It is a fine thing to have close friendship with such people.