Because the psalmist is living his life according to the precepts of God’s Word, he is able to rejoice in the life God has given him. This Psalm is truly the “Song of the Joyful Sojourner” as we see the psalmist navigate his way through the unexpected turns and potential pitfalls of life. I pray that you will sense the joy of the psalmist as we continue our excursion by looking at the fifth grouping of 8 verses presented under the heading of the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
(He) – The fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet begins this 8-verse section
Even though the psalmist has already learned the way of righteousness by observing God’s Word, he continues to ask Him to “teach him” even more. Let’s look at how he begins this section of Psalm 119:
Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, And I shall observe it to the end (vs 33).
Here, the psalmist seems to be a little “hazy” on the correct manner in which to observe some of the LORD’s statutes. One option might be his concern over the proper way to observe the Sabbath in order to keep it “holy.” By the time Jesus came onto the scene a thousand years later, the Pharisees had accumulated hundreds of rules to help them observe the Sabbath without disobeying the Lord’s commandment. I’m pretty sure that the psalmist wanted to avoid any form of legalism, and so he asked God to show him how to observe His commands so that he could fulfill them properly. Like the Pharisees, I’m sure the psalmist didn’t want to strain out gnats from his evening meal only to be found guilty of swallowing a camel! (See Matthew 23:24). We should do the same.
Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law; And keep it with all my heart (vs 34).
And now, in addition to being taught the way of God’s commandments, the psalmist wants to “understand” them. In other words, he wants to know the “why’s” of keeping them. In the illustration above, he is asking “Why should I keep the Sabbath?” “What benefit does it have for me, and for You, Lord?” We should also be asking for understanding with regard to Jesus’ commands. We might ask: “Why should I guard my tongue?” “Why should I forgive others?” “Why should I encourage others?” Of course, the answer is to glorify God in our character and to become more like Jesus, which will not only bless our own lives, but also the lives of others.
Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it (vs 35).
Once he comes to know and understand God’s commands, now he wants the courage and strength to walk along the path of those commandments. From experience, he has seen the blessings of doing so, not only in his own life, but also in the lives of others. He is asking the Lord to give him the strength and guidance to do just that.
Incline my heart to Your testimonies, And not to dishonest gain (vs 36).
The psalmist seems to be under constant pressure to accumulate wealth and to do it dishonestly, but knowing that this would be wrong, he asks God to incline his heart to keep His commandments, and in this case, it would be “Thou shalt not covet.” Now, he is looking toward the “desire” of his heart and asking God to make knowing and following His commands the “inclination” of his heart. He wants to passionately follow the Lord in all things, and to keep away from sin.
Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, And revive me in Your ways (vs 37).
The psalmist was aware of the “lust of the eyes” and the dangers that lurk if we succumb to this sin. The word he uses for “vanity” implies things that are worthless or meaningless. It appears that the psalmist was being tempted to look at the things of the world that bring only temporary pleasure, but are in fact, fleeting, and so he is asking God to revive his spirit to regain its focus on God’s ways. I love the fact that the psalmist did not want to be a rote follower of the Lord and His commandments, but that his desire to keep His commands would flow from his heart. The Apostle John writes in his first letter that our love for God is demonstrated by keeping His commands, and his commands “…are not a burden” (1 John 5:3).
Establish Your word to Your servant, As that which produces reverence for You (vs 38).
Although the first part of this verse is difficult to translate, the psalmist appears to be asking God to fulfill His promises that He has revealed in His Word so that He may turn his joy of a promise fulfilled into reverence. Whenever God fulfills a promise or answers prayer, it should always lead us to worship and reverence toward the One who is the ultimate “Promise-Keeper.”
Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Your ordinances are good (vs 39).
The psalmist is letting the Lord know that he dreads (hates) reproach or disgrace from others for following the LORD’s commandments. Others may mock him for his faithfulness, but the psalmist affirms that the Lord’s ordinances are, in fact, good. They bless him abundantly even though the observance of His commands brings the scorn of others.
Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me through Your righteousness (vs 40).
Once again, we sense the longing of his heart to know, understand, and to keep the Lord’s precepts. And even during times when his heart may feel distant from God or from His Word, he wants his spirit to be revived because of God’s righteousness, that is, because God wants to do all that is good and righteous for his followers.
For some of us, maybe this is a time when our spirits are a bit down. We follow God’s commands, but they seem like nothing more than words on a page. We simply want God to revive our spirits so that we can passionately follow His commands from the heart, and not from the “letter.”
Look again at some of the requests of the psalmist toward God’s Word: Give me knowledge; Give me understanding; Make me walk in Your ways; Let me reverence You; Revive my spirit. This should be our prayer for each of us today. God bless you.
Hope to see you next week.
