Psalm 119 is designed according to the Hebrew alphabet. There is a section for each letter of the alphabet, and within each section each verse begins with that letter. This is a reminder that God included literary skills in the composition of his Word.
A variety of words, such as testimonies, ways, precepts, statutes, commandments, and rules, are used to describe the law of God and occurs in each section of the psalm. This feature is another example of the literary skills of the author.
We do not know who wrote the psalm, even although there are numerous personal references throughout it. Verse 9 could indicate that a young man composed it. But the reality is that no one knows who wrote it.
In verses 1-3, we have the way of blessedness described. The route required for obtaining a blessed spiritual state is an ongoing walk in the law of the Lord (v. 1). Law here is not limited to the ten commandments, but it includes the entirety of what God has required.
What kind of people are those who are blessed? They are blameless, keepers of God’s testimonies, seekers whose whole inner life engages in the search, people who do not practice wrong. Blameless does not mean perfection, but it does mean that no one can point the finger at them and say that they have omitted what God had required. They are consistent and not selective in their conformity to God’s requirements. Such a response means they are careful in discovering what they should be doing.
Why did they do this? Because they want contact with their covenant Lord (v. 1) – they seek him with their whole heart (v. 2). His position as the God of the covenant is seen in the divine name used in verse 1. They can only live in this way because their God enables them to do so.
The psalmist’s longing for obedience is described in verses 4-6. In verse 4ff, the psalmist addresses God directly. He recognises that there are a variety of ways by which God’s commands could be kept to some degree, perhaps only outwardly or selectively. As far as the psalmist is concerned, God had revealed that his instructions should be kept diligently.
What does it mean to keep them diligently? Two words will explain how to do so – carefully and constantly. The psalmist does not think that is an unrealistic expectation to meet. He knows that he is a sinner, but he also knows that he should be steadfast. Therefore, he sighs about his attempts, but we can see that his sigh is actually a prayer: ‘Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!’ (v. 5).
God’s commandments are the map to take us along the path of holiness. As we go along, we need concentration, or as the psalmist says, our eyes are ‘fixed on all your commandments’ (v. 6). We may wonder about this emphasis on all of God’s commands, but each one comes with his authority. Wholehearted obedience is the path of peace.
The outcome of obedience is described in verses 7-8. What happens to a believer as he moves along the way of obedience? He discovers that he delights in praising God. The effect of practicing God’s instructions is ongoing praise. Sometimes we find praise to be sluggish and reluctant. The reason is often a failure to be obedient to the Lord’s revealed will.
Yet the person who obeys the Lord is not marked by self-confidence (v. 8). Even although his resolve is to keep God’s law, he does not want the Lord to leave him to himself. This awareness in his heart is the result of divine teaching, not merely human assessment.
No comments:
Post a Comment