“I have done justice and righteousness; do not leave me to my oppressors. Be surety for Your servant for good; do not let the proud oppress me” (Ps 119:121-122).
David is unabashed in laying out his concerns to the Lord. (Would I like my prayers published in the world’s all-time best seller?) David is under no delusion: making his constant aim to do right would not spare him from those who were seeking to do him wrong. So he has three requests. First, “Do not leave me” and last, “do not let [them].” The presence and power of the Lord are always available to His people. And, unlike the psalmist’s day, they are now based on the triumphant resurrection and exaltation of Christ (see Jn 14:18-20; Eph 1:19-21).
But notice the middle request: “Be surety for Your servant for good.” Over and over, David’s wise son warned: “He who is surety for a stranger will suffer” (Prov 11:15). Yet knowing this, David’s Greater Son, through suffering, became our “surety of a better covenant” (Heb 7:22).