The face of the LORDis against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
The Lord sets Himself in opposition to those who persist in wrongdoing, with His face and righteous judgment turned against them. To be opposed in this way means to be destroyed, with all memory of them erased and removed from the earth. This stands in direct contrast to His care for the righteous, over whom His eyes watch and whose prayers and cries His ears hear, so that He delivers them out of all their troubles. His promises of deliverance are conditioned on turning from evil and doing good, and belong together with His tender mercy toward the subdued, contrite, humble and submissive, whom He regards and revives. Even one who has been greatly wronged must therefore put away a harsh, condemnatory and defiant spirit, keep the tongue from evil and the lips from guile, cherish love even for the erring, and seek and pursue peace.
Meaning and Contrast
The Lord sets Himself against those who do evil, with His face and righteous judgment opposed to them. To stand against them means to cut off their remembrance from the earth, erasing and removing their memory. That cutting off is their destruction, for in the judgment those who link themselves in sympathy with the world will be destroyed with the workers of iniquity.
This warning stands in direct contrast to His care for the righteous. His eyes are over them and His ears are open to their prayers and cries. He hears them and delivers them from their troubles, with watchful care and tender compassion over His tried people. Those who trust Him can therefore live faithfully, knowing He watches, hears prayer, and proves and reveals them through permitted sorrows and trials while seeing the tempted soul.
Justice Tempered With Mercy
The surrounding promises hold only for those who turn away from evil and choose to do good. The stern warning stands together with tender regard for those whose hearts are subdued, contrite, humble and submissive. Mercy rests on those who reverence him from one generation to another, and he dwells with the humble in order to revive them.
He does not judge unrighteously. He scatters the proud in the imagination of their hearts, puts down the mighty from their seats, and exalts those of low degree. He fills the hungry with good things and sends the rich empty away.
He cannot prosper his people while wrong principles govern their actions. He has a controversy with those who resist appeal and persist in walking in their own chosen way. He judges human actions while at the same time hearing the cries of the needy. In the judgment those who link themselves in sympathy with the world will be destroyed together with the workers of iniquity.
Practical Application to Life
The face of the Lord set against evildoers to blot out their memory applies directly to those who sow discord by gossip and to those who act from jealousy, evil suspicion, or covetousness. For one who has been greatly wronged, the same opposition to evil forbids a harsh, condemnatory and defiant spirit. Instead the wronged one is to cherish love even for the erring, to walk humbly and trustingly, to keep the tongue from evil and the lips from guile, to turn from evil and do good, and to seek and pursue peace, because Jesus does not dwell where a harsh spirit abides.
The warning stands together with tender compassion and watchful care over tried people. Sorrows and trials are permitted to prove them and to reveal their spirit and defects of character. The tempted soul is seen, and to the broken and contrite heart grace and soothing consolation are imparted.
Godliness and righteousness are in harmony with the laws of health, so that consciousness of right-doing is the best medicine for diseased bodies and minds. This brings special blessing of health and strength, and a mind quiet and satisfied in God in the pathway to health. There is satisfaction in knowing that He watches and hears prayer, and the privilege of a never-failing Friend to whom all secrets of the soul can be confided. That friendship gives reason for habitual cheerfulness and for reflecting light rather than darkness and gloom.
The verse gives assurance that God cares for His people and hears their cries. Those who trust Him can therefore live faithfully and approach Him with holy confidence. The whole psalm contains important lessons to be read before the people who need them, especially before those who have not been walking in the light, with every verse holding this lesson.
The Lord sets Himself in opposition to those who persist in wrongdoing, with His face and righteous judgment turned against them. To be opposed in this way means to be destroyed, with all memory of them erased and removed from the earth. This stands in direct contrast to His care for the righteous, over whom His eyes watch and whose prayers and cries His ears hear, so that He delivers them out of all their troubles. His promises of deliverance are conditioned on turning from evil and doing good, and belong together with His tender mercy toward the subdued, contrite, humble and submissive, whom He regards and revives. Even one who has been greatly wronged must therefore put away a harsh, condemnatory and defiant spirit, keep the tongue from evil and the lips from guile, cherish love even for the erring, and seek and pursue peace.
Meaning and Contrast
The Lord sets Himself against those who do evil, with His face and righteous judgment opposed to them. To stand against them means to cut off their remembrance from the earth, erasing and removing their memory. That cutting off is their destruction, for in the judgment those who link themselves in sympathy with the world will be destroyed with the workers of iniquity.
This warning stands in direct contrast to His care for the righteous. His eyes are over them and His ears are open to their prayers and cries. He hears them and delivers them from their troubles, with watchful care and tender compassion over His tried people. Those who trust Him can therefore live faithfully, knowing He watches, hears prayer, and proves and reveals them through permitted sorrows and trials while seeing the tempted soul.
Justice Tempered With Mercy
The surrounding promises hold only for those who turn away from evil and choose to do good. The stern warning stands together with tender regard for those whose hearts are subdued, contrite, humble and submissive. Mercy rests on those who reverence him from one generation to another, and he dwells with the humble in order to revive them.
He does not judge unrighteously. He scatters the proud in the imagination of their hearts, puts down the mighty from their seats, and exalts those of low degree. He fills the hungry with good things and sends the rich empty away.
He cannot prosper his people while wrong principles govern their actions. He has a controversy with those who resist appeal and persist in walking in their own chosen way. He judges human actions while at the same time hearing the cries of the needy. In the judgment those who link themselves in sympathy with the world will be destroyed together with the workers of iniquity.
Practical Application to Life
The face of the Lord set against evildoers to blot out their memory applies directly to those who sow discord by gossip and to those who act from jealousy, evil suspicion, or covetousness. For one who has been greatly wronged, the same opposition to evil forbids a harsh, condemnatory and defiant spirit. Instead the wronged one is to cherish love even for the erring, to walk humbly and trustingly, to keep the tongue from evil and the lips from guile, to turn from evil and do good, and to seek and pursue peace, because Jesus does not dwell where a harsh spirit abides.
The warning stands together with tender compassion and watchful care over tried people. Sorrows and trials are permitted to prove them and to reveal their spirit and defects of character. The tempted soul is seen, and to the broken and contrite heart grace and soothing consolation are imparted.
Godliness and righteousness are in harmony with the laws of health, so that consciousness of right-doing is the best medicine for diseased bodies and minds. This brings special blessing of health and strength, and a mind quiet and satisfied in God in the pathway to health. There is satisfaction in knowing that He watches and hears prayer, and the privilege of a never-failing Friend to whom all secrets of the soul can be confided. That friendship gives reason for habitual cheerfulness and for reflecting light rather than darkness and gloom.
The verse gives assurance that God cares for His people and hears their cries. Those who trust Him can therefore live faithfully and approach Him with holy confidence. The whole psalm contains important lessons to be read before the people who need them, especially before those who have not been walking in the light, with every verse holding this lesson.