Psalm 119 (149 of 190 notes)

137. Righteous art thou, O Lord. The psalmist has not often used the name of Jehovah in this vast composition. The whole psalm shows him to have been a deeply religious man, thoroughly familiar with the things of God; and such people never use the holy name of God carelessly, nor do they even use it at all frequently in comparison with the thoughtless and ungodly. Familiarity begets reverence in this case. Here he uses the sacred name in worship. He praises God by ascribing to him perfect righteousness. God is always right, and he is always actively right, that is, righteous. And upright are thy judgments. Here he extols God’s Word, or recorded judgments, as being right, just as their Author is righteous. When we are most sorely afflicted, and cannot see the reason for the dispensation, we may fall back upon this most sure and certain fact, that God is righteous, and his dealings with us are righteous too. It should be our glory to sing this brave confession when all things around us appear to suggest the contrary.