"I shall give thanks to Thee with uprightness of heart, When I learn Thy righteous judgments."
"I have rejoiced in the way of Thy testimonies, As much as in all riches."
"My soul is crushed with longing After Thine ordinances at all times."
"Even though princes sit and talk against me, Thy servant meditates on Thy statutes."
"Thy testimonies also are my delight; They are my counselors."
"Remove the false way from me, and graciously grant me Thy law."
"Behold, I long for Thy precepts; Revive me through Thy righteousness."
"And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Thy precepts."
Ps. 119:7, 14, 20, 23-24, 29, 40, 45
"I have rejoiced in the way of Thy testimonies, As much as in all riches."
"My soul is crushed with longing After Thine ordinances at all times."
"Even though princes sit and talk against me, Thy servant meditates on Thy statutes."
"Thy testimonies also are my delight; They are my counselors."
"Remove the false way from me, and graciously grant me Thy law."
"Behold, I long for Thy precepts; Revive me through Thy righteousness."
"And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Thy precepts."
Ps. 119:7, 14, 20, 23-24, 29, 40, 45
By the first fifty verses of the 119th Psalm King David has already expressed a love for the Law that far exceeds anything I've been capable of in my twenty-eight years of life. When I read this particular Psalm, my heart aches to have the passion of, reverence for, faith in, and the blessings of God's Law that David demonstrates. Alongside that desire however, comes a barrage of questions; a tsunami of embittered inquiry. In all my years of dedicated Church attendance, why haven't I been taught to have a similar love like this for the Law? Why do modern-day Christians seem so happy to be divorced from such an obviously powerful source of blessing and joy? How exactly do I even relate to the Law? What blessings come from the Law? How am I supposed to obey a law my desires seem so strongly opposed to? David's love for and understanding of the Law, as well as his evident blessedness through it, should have the Christian begging to be in David's position.
Compare David to the Pharisees. There is a use and understanding of God's law that brings vibrant, passion-filled, joyous life and an abusive, joy-killing, passionless use that made the Pharisees, with their proselytes, "sons of hell" (Matt.23). I'll give a hearty "Amen!!" to anyone who cries out against the Pharisaical use and understanding of the Law that, like the wolf in sheep's clothing, bites and devours all who ignorantly subject themselves to it. But we throw the baby out with the bathwater when we consider God's law a thing of the past, as though it is of no use to the modern-day Christian's vibrant, joy-filled life, because of its past abuse or perceived irrelevance.
The Christian today is in such an incredible position. We have God's law, we have an already perfected position in Christ, and the Spirit indwelling us to give the ability to live a life that practically mirrors our spiritual position. Knowing that we have an alien righteousness that guarantees our final destination and glorification, and the empowering Spirit to live the Law, should bring a love and desire for the blessedness of God's law similar to (or perhaps beyond) David's. Yet there seems to be a permeating distaste among modern day Christianity for the Law.
Living the Law is living love. The Law is little more than love practically defined. Consider Galatians 5:13-15,
Compare David to the Pharisees. There is a use and understanding of God's law that brings vibrant, passion-filled, joyous life and an abusive, joy-killing, passionless use that made the Pharisees, with their proselytes, "sons of hell" (Matt.23). I'll give a hearty "Amen!!" to anyone who cries out against the Pharisaical use and understanding of the Law that, like the wolf in sheep's clothing, bites and devours all who ignorantly subject themselves to it. But we throw the baby out with the bathwater when we consider God's law a thing of the past, as though it is of no use to the modern-day Christian's vibrant, joy-filled life, because of its past abuse or perceived irrelevance.
The Christian today is in such an incredible position. We have God's law, we have an already perfected position in Christ, and the Spirit indwelling us to give the ability to live a life that practically mirrors our spiritual position. Knowing that we have an alien righteousness that guarantees our final destination and glorification, and the empowering Spirit to live the Law, should bring a love and desire for the blessedness of God's law similar to (or perhaps beyond) David's. Yet there seems to be a permeating distaste among modern day Christianity for the Law.
Living the Law is living love. The Law is little more than love practically defined. Consider Galatians 5:13-15,
"For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' But if you bite and devour one another, take care lest you be consumed by one another."
If you live the Law, you live out the love that makes this life pleasurable. The Christian, unlike every other person on earth, is empowered by God himself to live according to this law after completely erasing the Law's condemnation against them. If the Law and its blessedness is understood this way, and the believer reads David's psalm within this context, he or she may comprehend David's exaltation of God's law. It's no longer weird to hear a man praise God for rules and regulations. We get to live the temporal and eternal blessedness of love applied, without the eternal consequences of love denied. How praise-worthy is Christ for that? Christian, we need to learn to love God's law like David did. We need to have a passion for understanding God's law, and our relationship to it. We need to commit ourselves to learning, loving, and living it without inhibition. Then, and only then, will we be able to sing the praises of David.
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