Exalting the Word of God

PSALM 19:7-14—The first six verses of the Nineteenth Psalm remind us of the manner in which God has revealed himself through his vast and manifold works of creation, particularly the heavenly bodies. But there is another book of revelation, one which is even more important, and that is his written Word. It is this that is discussed by the Psalmist in the last eight verses of the Psalm. He speaks of this written revelation variously as being God’s Law; his Testimony; his Statutes; his Commandment; and his Judgments. Each of these terms emphasizes a particular viewpoint of God’s Word, and together they encompass the entire will of the Lord for his people.

“The law of the Lord is perfect,” writes David, “converting the soul.” The marginal translation reads, “The doctrine of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul.” Doctrine means teaching, and here the Psalmist is telling us that the teaching of the Lord results in the restoration of the sou1. This is understandable only in the light of the divine plan of the ages. The term soul as here used denotes life, and according to the doctrine of the Bible man lost life because of original sin so that now all, by heredity, are under condemnation to death.

The doctrine of the Bible further asserts, however, that God in his love sent his beloved Son into the world to redeem the fallen race from death, and that Jesus, in accordance with this plan, died the just for the unjust. (I Pet. 3:18) Also, according to the teachings of the Bible, Jesus was raised from the dead “for our justification.” (Rom. 4:25) The Apostle Paul speaks of a “justification of life” which results from a full acceptance of the provision of life through Christ and a consecration to do God’s will.—Rom. 5:18

Through the acceptance of and obedience to this “doctrine” therefore, our souls are restored, that is, by faith we are given a standing of life before God, and our service is made acceptable to him. During the Gospel age this is a faith restoration to life, and is provided in order that consecrated believers may, in turn, lay down their lives as co-sacrificers with Jesus. In the next age, however, those who believe with the heart will actually be restored to perfection of life, and will live forever.

“The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple,” continues David. No true wisdom can flow from teachings that are not “sure.” When there is any degree of uncertainty pertaining to information received, one cannot build upon it, hence it is valueless as a foundation for true wisdom. Satan would have us believe that truth must be tentatively accepted, and that we should he ready always to change our minds as so-called “new light” is presented to us. This is one of the greatest delusions of these “last days” in which we are now living.—II Tim. 3:1,13,14

David gives us a wonderfully true thought when he says that the testimony of the Lord makes wise the “simple.” The proud of heart and those who are wise in their own conceits, are not fit subjects to he blessed by the wisdom from above. They prize their own wisdom too highly. Jesus gave us a beautiful lesson on this point when, in speaking of little children, he said, “Except ye … become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”—Matt. 18:4; Mark 10:15

“The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.” This is a reference to the divine standards of righteousness, or the expressed will of the Lord for his people, and David declares that they are “right.” Only the fully consecrated heart is ready to acknowledge at all times that the will of God is right. If our hearts are to any extent not wholly submissive to the Lord we may find ourselves—inwardly at least—rebelling against his “statutes.” But if we are fully resigned to the divine will, then the statutes of the Lord will rejoice our hearts.

It was thus with Jesus, of whom it was written, “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” (Psa. 40:8; Heb. 10:7-9) On one occasion, at least, Jesus found the will of his Heavenly Father very difficult, and would have been glad to be released from its obligations—“if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.” But he did not waver, and, regardless of the cost, he was resolute in saying to his God, “Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”—Matt. 26:39

“The commandment of the Lord is pure,” says David. The term commandment and statutes as used in this text are somewhat synonymous, the two different words being used to avoid repetition. However, the Psalmist gives us an additional thought in his reference to the Lord’s commandment, saying that it is “pure,” and that it enlightens the eyes. God’s commandments, his statutes, are expressive of the wisdom which is from above, which James tells us is “first pure.”—James 3:17

Spiritual vision, referred to by David as an enlightening of the eyes, goes hand in hand with obedience to the will of God. Paul speaks of those who desired to forget God, that is, not to be bound by his righteous statutes, or commandments, and that God gave them over to their reprobate minds with the result that “their foolish heart was darkened.” (Romans 1:21) It is certain that our depth of spiritual vision is in proportion to our heart obedience to the commandments of the Lord.

The beginning of verse nine refers to the proper attitude all the Lord’s people should have toward him as a result of their knowledge of his doctrines and his commandments; that is, they should “fear,” or reverence him. This proper and sincere reverence for the Lord is “clean,” writes David—it couldn’t be otherwise. And because it is pure, it will endure forever, for that which is based upon purity and righteousness has a solid and enduring foundation.

“The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether”; or, as the marginal translation puts it, are “truth and righteous altogether.” The Lord expresses his judgments through his Word, and to the extent that we heed them, we are richly blessed. But this may also be a reference to his disciplinary judgments, his chastenings, which are administered by him in love in order that we may be trained to walk more circumspectly in the narrow way.

The value of the Lord’s judgments to us as individuals depends upon the manner in which we receive them. If we see and appreciate their meaning, and realize that they are for our eternal good, then they will be more desired, says David, “than gold, yea, than much fine gold”; and they will be “sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.” The reason for this, the Psalmist explains, is that by them we are “warned,” and also that in doing the divine will, there is “great reward.”

Then David raises a very pointed question—a question to which the answer is so obvious that he does not bother to state it—“Who can understand his error s?” The Apostle Paul agrees that no member of the fallen race can correctly appraise his own thoughts and words and deeds, by saying, “I judge not mine own self.” (I Cor. 4:3) We are not to take from David’s question, however, that we are not at all responsible. The point he is apparently making is that apart from the statutes and judgments and doctrines of the Lord to guide us, we would not be able to know when we are doing right or wrong. However, by using the Lord’s Word as a touchstone we should be able to keep ourselves measurably in line with the divine will.

But in addition to this we need to seek the Lord’s guidance, and, as David did, pray that we may be cleansed from “secret faults.” The thought here is that in addition to determining upon the basis of the Lord’s Word when our course in life is pleasing to him, and when it is not, there may be hidden ways, ways not apparent to us, in which we are out of line with the Lord. These “secret faults” could well be the beginning of serious sin against the will of God, hence the earlier they can be detected and put down, the healthier we will be as new creatures in Christ Jesus.

We also need the Lord’s help in order to be kept back from presumptuous sins; that is, sins which are committed knowingly and willfully, and without desire to restrain our actions. It is these presumptuous sins which lead to what David describes as the “great transgression.” This evidently is the “sin unto death,” and the Apostle John indicates that once an enlightened Christian gets so far away from the Lord as to commit such a sin, nothing will be accomplished by praying for him.—I John 5:16

It is important that we pray to be cleansed from secret faults, and to be kept back from presumptuous sins; and there is no question but that such prayers will be answered. But if we neglect thus to pray, and in other ways also neglect the provisions of divine grace, and as a result become guilty of the “great transgression,” it is then too late for prayer to help.

In the last verse of the Psalm, we are given a brief, but model prayer which expresses to God the great desire of every true servant of his to order his life in keeping with the divine will, that “good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” which is expressed so clearly in His Word. (Rom. 12:2) It reads, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.”

PSALM 119:1-8—Here we again find that meaningful word “blessed”—another “beatitude” expressive of the joy which belongs to those who keep themselves in the love of God through heart obedience to every “jot” and “tittle” of his Word so far as it is possible for them to do so. (Matt. 5:18) In the margin the word “perfect” or “sincere” is given for “undefiled.” By using the word sincere, the text tells us that those who are sincere in their “walk in the Law of the Lord” are the ones who are “blessed.”

And then the second verse adds, “Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.” “No man can serve two masters,” Jesus explained, and the Psalmist also has properly emphasized the necessity of seeking the Lord with our “whole heart.” (Matt. 6:24) Half-hearted Christians are not and cannot be pleasing to the Lord. James speaks of such as those who are “double minded,” and that they are “unstable” in all their ways.—James 1:8

It is important, as someone has expressed it, “to do the Lord’s will in the Lord’s way,” and one of the ways we are to do his will is diligently—“Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.” (Verse 4) Paul speaks of being “not slothful in business,” and undoubtedly the chief business of every Christian is serving the Lord. (Rom. 12:11) Therefore the doing of God’s will is not to be looked upon as a mere incidental of life, but should be considered our real vocation. Because of this, everything else in life should be made subordinate to it. Then, with the Lord’s will clearly outlined before us, we should pursue this course in life “diligently,” regardless of what the cost may be.

In verses five and six we are given the thought that if all our ways are directed of the Lord, then we will have no cause to be “ashamed.” The Hebrew word here translated “ashamed” carries the thought of “disappointed.” Those who diligently do the will of God, can depend upon it that he will fulfill all his gracious promises to them. He will give them needed strength and courage; he will guide them in all their ways; he will extend his mercy toward them, forgiving all their unintentional sins. As for the saints of this Gospel age, he finally rewards them with “glory and honor and immortality.”—Rom. 2:7

QUESTIONS

What two books of divine revelation are brought to our attention in the Nineteenth Psalm?

How does the Law of the Lord convert the soul?

Who are the “simple” who are made by the testimony of the Lord?

What are the statutes of the Lord, and how do they rejoice the heart?

Who alone are blessed by God with spiritual vision?

What are the judgments of the Lord, and how should they be viewed by Christians?

How are we able to understand our errors?

What are secret faults and presumptuous sins?

To whom does the joy of the Lord belong?

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