Psalm 119:7

"I shall give thanks to You with uprightness of heart,

When I learn Your righteous judgments."

 

The blessedness continues from vv. 1-6, of a blameless way, observing Your testimonies, walking in Your ways, keeping Your precepts diligently.  See also Psalm 94:15.  If my ways are established to keep Your statutes, surely this is a cause of thankfulness and not shame when I learn more of them!  This is not because of my perfection, but of Yours, not because of my sinlessness, but of Your grace and forgiveness.  Uprightness is the Hebrew ישֶׁר, yōšer: A masculine noun meaning straightness or uprightness, equity. The Old Testament often talks of two paths in life and warns people to stay on the straight path and not to stray onto the crooked path (Pro 2:13).  Learn is the Hebrew לָמַד, lāmaḏ: A verb meaning to learn, to study, to teach, to be taught, to be learned. The verb describes learning war, training for war, the lack of training (Isa 2:4; Mic 4:3), or the acquisition of instruction (Isa 29:24).  This is a full engagement of the heart and life, reflective of the latter part of Proverbs 21:29, namely, more than a facade, a sure way. 

 

‘As long as we live we must be scholars in Christ's school, and sit at his feet; but we should aim to be head-scholars, and to get into the highest form. God's judgments are all righteous, and therefore it is desirable not only to learn them, but to be learned in them, mighty in the scriptures. [see Apollos in Acts 18:24]… he could not learn unless God taught him, and that divine instructions are special blessings, which we have reason to be thankful for… It is an easy thing to praise God in word and tongue; but those only are well learned in this mystery who have learned to praise him with uprightness of heart, that is, are inward with him in praising him, and sincerely aim at his glory in the course of their conversation as well as in the exercises of devotion. God accepts only the praises of the upright.’[1]

 

‘Be sure that he who prays for holiness will one day praise for happiness. Shame having vanished, silence is broken, and the formerly silent man declares, “I will praise thee… He would himself be praiseworthy, but he counts God alone worthy of praise… there is no music like that which comes from a pure soul which standeth in its integrity. Heart praise is required, uprightness in that heart, and teaching to make the heart upright… If we are ever to learn, the Lord must teach us, and especially upon such a subject as his judgments, for they are a great deep. While these are passing before our eyes, and we are learning from them, we ought to praise God, for the original is not, “when I have learned,” but, “in my learning.”’[2]


[1] Henry, Matthew, Commentary on the Whole Bible, on Psalm 119:7, e-Sword edition

[2] Spurgeon, Charles Haddon, Treasury of David, on Psalm 119:7, e-Sword edition

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