What is the meaning of Psalm 119:21? You rebuke God is the One taking action: “You rebuke.” His correction is not passive; He steps in and confronts sin. • Proverbs 3:11-12, quoted in Hebrews 12:5-6, reminds us that “the LORD disciplines the one He loves,” showing rebuke is a facet of covenant love. • Revelation 3:19 echoes the same heart: “Those I love, I rebuke and discipline.” • The Psalmist therefore rests in a God who actively preserves holiness, refusing to let rebellion go unchecked. the arrogant Arrogance is self-exaltation that refuses submission to God’s ways. • Proverbs 16:5 states, “Everyone with a proud heart is detestable to the LORD.” • James 4:6 repeats, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” When Psalm 119:21 singles out “the arrogant,” it underscores that pride blinds people to correction and keeps them outside the shelter of God’s grace. the cursed To be “cursed” is to stand under divine judgment rather than blessing. • Deuteronomy 27:26 says, “Cursed is he who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out.” • Galatians 3:10 cites the same verdict against all who rely on law-keeping yet break it. The verse ties arrogance to this curse: prideful hearts reap the penalty prescribed for disobedience. who stray from Your commandments The root issue is departure from God’s revealed will. • Joshua 1:7-8 urges, “Do not turn from it to the right or to the left.” • Psalm 1:1-2 contrasts the blessed man who “delights in the law of the LORD” with those who wander. Straying is not accidental in this context; it is willful neglect born of arrogance, placing the sinner under God’s rebuke and curse. summary Psalm 119:21 paints a sober picture: the Lord personally rebukes proud hearts that wander from His commands, and such people live under a curse decreed by the very law they despise. The verse urges every reader to embrace humility, cherish God’s commandments, and welcome His loving correction that leads to life and blessing. |
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