For those who are not familiar with Psalm 119, it is the longest of the psalms in the Bible. There are twenty-two stanzas of eight verses each making it 176 vs long. Each of the twenty-two stanza are named after a letter in the Hebrew alphabet. The author is believed to be Ezra and that is probably correct because of the style of prose used.
Although it was written for the restored people of Jerusalem and the Jewish returning from captivity, it applies itself to the Christian church of today. The theme of the text is to stay obedient to God’s Law and to the covenant of Faith that guides us in our walk. WE are to stay in the will and purpose of God even as the world is tearing at each others throats. Only in God’s law can we find true and complete happiness. Only God’s will is real happiness. The word blessing actually means happiness. We just cant comprehend the happiness that God imagines for us so we use blessings instead. to differentiate the worldly happiness and God’s Happiness.
Psalm 119:1-8 Aleph (KJV)
Blessed are the undefieled in the way, who walk inthe Law of the LORD.
Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and are that seek him with the whole heart.
They also do no iniquity; they walk in his ways.
Thou hast commanded us to keep thy presepts diligently.
Oh, that my ways were directed to keep unto all thy commandments.
I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned the righteous judgments.
I will keep they statutes; oh, forsake me not utterly.
I will be writing on the psalm over several weeks so be looking for it. Now I am just dealing with the first stanza. Because Matthew Henry was a major influence in my learning to walk in the LORD, I must confess that much of what I am writing about comes from him. If it seems that I am plagiarizing him, I may be just doing that so I want to give him credit right up front.
Those who are truly happy are those who delight in the way of the Lord. Those people who walk in his divine law find not restriction but a great freedom. The freedom from an empty and vain, valueless life. Those who make the will of God the course of life for themselves and their families, find a release from the trials of the world. It is not a cover for a sinful life but an endearing choice to be happy by right living. It is not being churched, of holifiied but of being in a joyful covenant; in body, mind and spirit, with Christ.
They are the ones who preserve and share in the happiness that we call a blessing of God. While living by the actions and thoughts of holy living, they present themselves as Christ presented himself to us. They are living examples of the covenant that God envisioned for Adam.
God does not suggest that we live acceptable or reasonable lives. He demands we live obedient lives. We are not to deem any sin acceptable, nothing in our lives should be excusable. We are held in the highest accountability, higher that the heathens or non-believers. I have heard it said by some Christians that because they are born again and are assured of heaven, they are not accountable for the sins they commit as Christians. They believe that they are going to heaven in spite of their continued sinful lives. What I have quoted in this scripture clearly denies that concept. We are called into accountability because we claim Christ. Our actions constantly reflect our attitude of God. How we behave, what we say and how we treat others define our attitude toward Grace. Does the way we treat our Christian friend and our non-christian friends show that we love God’s Law or does it instead show what little regard we have of God and his Law?
We can stand up in church and sign and shout praise words. We can pray out loud and tearfully say that we love the Lord Jesus, but until we agree to walk in his righteousness every day and in every way, we are lying to God and to ourselves. We must be serving Christ in LOVING OBEDIENCE We fail in the charge of God, we disgrace (DIS-GRACE) God by non action and pride when we fail to be in love with his Law. We reject God’s pleasure by our attitudes.
The New Living Translation read vs8 as: I will obey your principles, Please don’t forget me!” Oh how often have I prayed that! Don’t give up on me LORD, build in me a strong personality that reflects Your will and not mine. Each day I give thanks to God that I have survived another day in the world and I can still say, Lord your will be done. I thank God that there are his laws, his ways of life. With them I can live in his prosperity and not the worlds.
Today my mother-in-law came by to have my wife help her with her finances. When they where finished I said I was glad that I was “poor” because I didn’t have to worry about all that stuff. Well, I am not poor, but what I was thinking was that I don’t need the wealth of the world, I have the wealth of God’s blessings. In that is happiness, so I didn’t worry about the things of the world. I can pay my bills all right. If I can’t afford it, I don’t bother to get it. My kid’s are grown up and on their own. My house is paid for, and so are my cars. None of this would have been possible if I did not believe that God’s laws where important. Being Whole in Christ, is to Love God’s Law and to live in them.
