It is the deepest desire of the author that all that he says and every thought that arises in him is pleasing to God. We find the same desire in the longest Psalm, which is one continuous song of praise for the law: “Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O Lord” (Psalm 119:108a). It sounds very moving in Psalm 141:2, Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!
May this plea to God be an example to others, wherever and whenever they live.
In the final words of this Psalm sounds a beautiful confession of faith. The author praises the Lord as his Rock and his Deliverer. The Hebrew word “sur” refers to an immovable rock which majestically towers above the landscape. It says a lot that the Lord introduces himself with this image to his people. Especially in Deuteronomy 32, we find this image numerous times. Moses sings abundantly of this, as we can see from the words, The Rock…all his ways are justice
(Deuteronomy 32:4, see also Deuteronomy 32:15, Deuteronomy 32:18, and Deuteronomy 32:31). Psalm 18:2 is impressive in this context: “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
The last Hebrew word of Psalm 19:14 is “go’el.” We can best identify this with the word redeemer.
A redeemer is someone who ransoms another of a debt that (s)he cannot pay him/herself (Leviticus 25:25, Ruth 3:9, and Ruth 4:3–6). This is exactly what the Lord wants to do for his people. This is how he set them free from Egypt (Exodus 6:5–8; Psalm 78:35). God has shown this very clearly in the sending of his Son, who would have the name Jesus on earth. John the Baptist witnessed of him when he said, Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
In him, God has redeemed us from sin.
Jesus emphasized this when he instituted the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:26–29, Mark 14:22–25, Luke 22:14–20). In one of the Lord’s Supper forms (Book of Praise, page 603) we can read: In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me'. With that, he said, in other words: as often as you celebrate the Lord’s Supper, the bread and wine will remind you of my hearty love. You were destined for eternal death. That is why my blood has been shed for you, and I have given my body to death. With my shed blood and crucified body, I satisfy your spiritual hunger and thirst so that you may live for ever.
This is exactly what the last two words of Psalm 19:14 want to convey with my redeemer.
How rich is Christ’s church, wherever she is found on earth, with this redemption. Thus, we have plenty of reasons to always be thankful to our good God. Let us chime in with what David the author says, I love you, O Lord, my strength
(Psalm 18:1).
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.