Psalm 119 Beth: Pure Delight

"Beth. How can a young man keep his way pure?

By keeping it according to Your word.

With all my heart I have sought You;

Do not let me wander from Your commandments.

Your word I have treasured in my heart,

That I may not sin against You.

Blessed are You, O LORD; Teach me Your statutes.

With my lips I have told of

All the ordinances of Your mouth.

I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,

As much as in all riches.

I will meditate on Your precepts

And regard Your ways.

I shall delight in Your statutes;

I shall not forget Your word."

(Psalm 119:9-16)

 

In this octet the Psalmist goes deeper into the blessedness of the word by seeking its sanctifying impact to the core of his being.  The blessedness described in vv.1-2 comes with wholehearted seeking (v.10) which is revealed in a consuming desire for holiness (vv. 9-11).  With such inner freedom from sin, he worships outwardly with his lips (vv. 12-13) and inwardly through rejoicing, meditation, and delight (vv. 14-16).  In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul describes the unspeakable, eternal benefits of becoming ‘obedient from the heart’ (Romans 6:17-22). 

 

 ‘These verses start at the beginning of life. Though written by an old man, they were written for all young men. Only he who begins with God in the greenness of youth will be able to write like this from experience in the ripeness of age. No sooner did David introduce his subject with one octave of verses, then he felt compelled to look after young men in the next set of eight stanzas. How much he thought of youthful piety! In the Hebrew, each verse in this section begins with B. If thoughts on the Blessed Way make up his A, then thoughts on Blessed Young Men will fill up the next letter. Oh, to be with God early in life! To give Him the dew of the day of life is to make the most of life.’[1]  See also Ecclesiastes 12:1.


 


[1] Spurgeon, Charles Haddon . The Golden Alphabet (Updated, Annotated): An Exposition of Psalm 119 (pp. 23-24). Aneko Press. Kindle Edition

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