Burning indignation has seized me because of the wicked,
Who forsake Your law.
On this Lord‘s Day the Psalmist focuses his attention on the wicked who hate the Word of God. Even though I read the NASB I prefer the KJV rendering of our verse which says, “Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law.” The Hebrew word for “horror” in the KJV is Zilaphah which properly signifies the seasonal hot wind of the region. It is here used in a figurative sense for the mental distress and destructive nature of sin, and particularly the witnessing of it by the child of God.
The Psalmist talks not of the distress of the ungodly, but of his own deep anguish for their sin and their eventual fate in the hands of a Holy God. C.H. Spurgeon is worth quoting here : “David was horrified at their action, at the pride which led them to it, and at the punishment which would be sure to befall them for it. When he meditated on the ancient judgments of God, he was filled with terror at the fate of the godless, as he well should be. Their laughter had not distressed him, but he was distressed by a foresight of their overthrow. Oh, that we were all more distressed as we think about the punishment of the ungodly in hell.”
Dear Reader, David is asking us today do we have burning indignation in our heart for the wicked? Does their mockery of our Father God and their eventual destination hurt us? Hell is a real place, and it is where the ungodly are heading…unless we can throw them a gospel lifeline to pull them away from the flames below!
- The Watchers!
- Triumph Over Apollyon!
- Running The Good Race
- To Know God’s Comfort
- Kindness & Forgiveness
Devotional Treasure 
I love this rendering of this beautiful hymn. Thank you, brother! 🙏
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Thank you brother 👍
I thought they did the hymn really well too.😁
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Thank you. I also appreciated the Celtic rendition of the well loved hymn.
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Thank you Faye, God bless you, David and all your family today sister 🙏
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I love this, Alan, but I’m always a bit unsettled when I read of Hell. I know and have read the verses warning of hell and of the place of gnashing of teeth and yet I know, too, God’s will that all shall come to repentance. I love the Unspoken Sermons by George MacDonald and the hope they say so much better than I could. God is a consuming fire but that fire will consume sin without and sin within us leaving His love and our ability to grow into that amazing love. A choice each of us will make for sure, but how can anyone resist God when He is looking into their eyes and heart? He knows what’s best and I trust Him to bring us to that place in His great love. Just my thoughts!
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Thank you for your thoughtful comments and encouragement Maureen. There are two things I focus on when speaking of Hell; 1. God’s great love that none should go there, and 2. We each need to do our own research, not relying on others words/ideas, that we can be certain that we are not going to Hell. What a loving Father God we serve sister!
May He continue to guide and bless you today 🙏
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So true, Alan! Thank you.
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Good Hebrew word study on the word horror
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Thank you brother. This short summary is from reading a few commentary sources on my E-Sword app.
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