Psalm 119 - Mem: Pure Gold

"Mem. O how I love Your law!

It is my meditation all the day.

[98] Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies,

For they are ever mine.

[99] I have more insight than all my teachers,

For Your testimonies are my meditation.

[100] I understand more than the aged,

Because I have observed Your precepts.

[101] I have restrained my feet from every evil way,

That I may keep Your word.

[102] I have not turned aside from Your ordinances,

For You Yourself have taught me.

[103] How sweet are Your words to my taste!

Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

[104] From Your precepts I get understanding;

Therefore I hate every false way." 

(Psalms 119:97-104)

 

As one committed to the continual counsel of Your word (see Psalm 119:24), the Psalmist loved it and experienced its immense benefits on earth: 1) Wisdom above his enemies because he held it close (v. 98), 2) Insight above his teachers because of his meditation (v. 99), and 3) understanding above the aged because of his obedience (v. 99).  Of course this was true, because by it You Yourself had taught him (v. 102)!  These benefits had gripped his heart to turn from evil (vv. 101-102, love Your word (v. 103), and to hate falsehood (v. 104).  This is not abstract, but personal, Psalm 97:10.

 

‘Those who know the power of the gospel perceive an infinite loveliness in the law as they see it fulfilled and embodied in Christ Jesus.’[1]

 

In Hebrews 10:5-9 Jesus reflected the reality of Psalm 40:8:

 

"I delight to do Your will, O my God;

Your Law is within my heart.""

(Psalms 40:8)


[1]  Spurgeon, Charles Haddon . The Golden Alphabet (Updated, Annotated): An Exposition of Psalm 119 (pp. 167-168). Aneko Press. Kindle Edition

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Psalm 119:75

(This is an entry from a devotional commentary I am working on from Psalm 119 entitled ‘God and His Word’.   The introduction can be found here , successive entries have covered the 22 sections of the Psalm, and following entries verse by verse.)   "I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are righteous, And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me."   In this section, Yodh, the Psalmist seeks comfort (v. 76) and compassion (v. 77) because of Your affliction (v.75) and the subversion of the arrogant (v. 78).   We had just seen in v. 67 and v.71 the good that comes from affliction, and now we see here that this affliction is from You and an expression of Your faithfulness.   Of course this is true, since all good comes from You.   This is part of the ‘exceeding faithfulness’ of Your word (v. 138).   Through affliction we truly seek You (Psalm 78:34, Hosea 5:15).   Through affliction comes praise and satisfac...
Read more

God and His Wisdom: An Introduction to Proverbs

“The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: To  know  wisdom and discipline, To  understand  the sayings of understanding, To  receive  discipline that leads to insight, Righteousness, justice, and equity, To  give  prudence to the simple, To the youth knowledge and discretion; Let the wise man  hear  and  increase  in learning, And a man of understanding will  acquire  guidance, To  understand  a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; Ignorant fools despise wisdom and discipline.” (Proverbs 1:1-7 LSB, with emphasis)   “My son, if you will  receive  my words And  treasure  my commandments within you, To  make your ear pay attention  to wisdom, Incline your heart  to discernment; For if you  call out  for understanding, Give your voice  for discernment; If you  ...
Read more

Psalm 119:76

(This is an entry from a devotional commentary I am working on from Psalm 119 entitled ‘God and His Word’.   The introduction can be found here , successive entries have covered the 22 sections of the Psalm, and following entries verse by verse.)   "O may Your lovingkindness comfort me, According to Your word to Your servant."   ‘O may Your lovingkindness comfort me’, yet how often I have refused to be comforted (Psalm 77:2).    Why is that?   ‘According to Your word’ is, in my pride, the last thing I want.   I want to be comforted on my terms, not on Yours Lord!   That is not true comfort, yet my flesh deceives me.   As I learned in my early counseling sessions, I had to come to grips with the reality that I just wanted relief, I didn’t want You.   I wanted temporary relief then to go on running my own life.   Your lovingkindness is such that You won’t allow that.   You know that onl...
Read more