Web Theologian

>41 Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord,
your salvation according to your promise;
42 then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me,
for I trust in your word.
43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
for my hope is in your rules.
44 I will keep your law continually,
forever and ever,
45 and I shall walk in a wide place,
for I have sought your precepts.
46 I will also speak of your testimonies before kings
and shall not be put to shame,
47 for I find my delight in your commandments,
which I love.
48 I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love,
and I will meditate on your statutes.

Again there is no confidence offer by the writer that his obedience to God word will save him. If that were the case why would he call upon God’s love and grace. Frankly there would be no need. What a wild idea that God would take his word from the lips of his follower? We need boundaries, everyone with any sense of how life works knows this. God’s way are the best. I am regularly surprised with how that plays off. Often it takes only a short time for people who are around the church to recognize that there are many benefits to the organization. Yet that is not enough, there must be a deep embrace of God in order to gain the full benefit.

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There is a ton of repetition in this Psalm. The heart of the Psalmist is to serve God through the law, even to the end. The line that strikes me in this passage is “Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things…” So much of my life is spent looking at the worthless. Only recently have I begun to evaluate things in priority of their worth. For me that means though I own a copy of Halo 3 I don’t have the gaming system to play it on. The time I would spending doing that is not worth the time, playing Sorry or Uno with my daughter, or in bed with my wife. That is not to say that Halo 3 is worthless for everyone, it is just where I am at right now. There are still many things in my life that get my time that shouldn’t, so this work is continuous.

>25 My soul clings to the dust;
give me life according to your word!
26 When I told of my ways, you answered me;
teach me your statutes!
27 Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous works.
28 My soul melts away for sorrow;
strengthen me according to your word!
29 Put false ways far from me
and graciously teach me your law!
30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
I set your rules before me.
31 I cling to your testimonies, O Lord;
let me not be put to shame!
32 I will run in the way of your commandments
when you enlarge my heart!

We do not have that much going on in this life. Looking at dust reminds us of how simple we are. Therefore the only thing we have to cling to in this life is God’s word. Our ways are not God’s ways, often they are opposed. We must look to God to direct us, cling to God’s word. My heart grows according to the amount that I seek his word.

>17 Deal bountifully with your servant,
that I may live and keep your word.
18 Open my eyes, that I may behold
wondrous things out of your law.
19 I am a sojourner on the earth;
hide not your commandments from me!
20 My soul is consumed with longing
for your rules at all times.
21 You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones,
who wander from your commandments.
22 Take away from me scorn and contempt,
for I have kept your testimonies.
23 Even though princes sit plotting against me,
your servant will meditate on your statutes.
24 Your testimonies are my delight;
they are my counselors.

This Psalm is the longest of them all. And the central theme as I am understanding it is the love of the law of God. Not all law is bad, when law is good it is delightful. They help us understand the journey of life better. When the law is good you can become consumed with it. You are imagining new ways of goodness and walking in faithfulness. It is there that we find the best counsel.

>9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
10 With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!
11 I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, O Lord;
teach me your statutes!
13 With my lips I declare
all the rules of your mouth.
14 In the way of your testimonies I delight
as much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on your precepts
and fix my eyes on your ways.
16 I will delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.

The heart of the matter is intention. That goes for marriage…you can blow it royally but if you intentions were good it is alright, that goes for Christianity. Here the Psalmist, probably David, is having trouble remaining pure. Now David had a thing for the ladies so most people assume this is talking about sexually pure. What does he do to wrestle with impurity? Rest, studies, memorizes, and learns God word; for him that was the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) for us it is the entire Bible.

I find it unusual to meet a Christian who has adequate knowledge of the Bible. Generally when I meet someone and they know the Bible really well it is because they have studied it while in jail. Rarely do I meet someone at church and think wow they really understand the scripture. Frankly it was not until I was in my third year of seminary and I studied under John Frame that I found out what it meant to think biblically. Suddenly my life was not my own and a desire burned within me to shape my entire being around God’s word, which is most clear when I look at Christ, and all of Scripture points to Christ, therefore my goal is not just to have head knowledge of it, but rather to incarnate it into my daily living.

>119:1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord!
2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
who seek him with their whole heart,
3 who also do no wrong,
but walk in his ways!
4 You have commanded your precepts
to be kept diligently.
5 Oh that my ways may be steadfast
in keeping your statutes!
6 Then I shall not be put to shame,
having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
7 I will praise you with an upright heart,
when I learn your righteous rules.
8 I will keep your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me!

There is a hyper-vigilance in many churches against legalism. Battling legalism on all levels is good, our faith is not a list of rules that we are to keep in order to gain favor from God. A life of faith though is marked by faithfulness, and for us because we have wounded hearts faithfulness means repentance and being forgiven. Our salvation is not dependent upon our right actions. This is why the Psalmist says, “I will keep your statutes, do not utterly forsake me!” He knows it is about more than simply doing the right thing.

With that in mind He loves to do the right thing! Blessed is he who walks in the way of the Lord, who follows his law. Who keep his testimonies. There is joy and blessing in lives that are defined by being a follower of Christ. That does not mean things will be simple and easy, yet it does mean we shall not be put to shame! It also means just as the Psalmist says here, “I will learn your righteous rules”. We should be desiring to be better and more in line with what God would have for us.