Text: Psalm 19:7-14
Psalm 19 is a psalm about REVELATION – God revealing Himself and His will to us. The second part addresses SPECIAL revelation – what is known through His word (Scripture). God reveals things to us in His word that we cannot know from the natural world.
Also Known As… (v. 7-9)
- Law (towrah) – word is used for legal directives or codes of law; also used for the Law of Moses; not a series of random, inconsistent rules; a coherent, codified body of instructions
- Testimony (eduwth) – from a root word which means witness or evidence; this is our basis for belief/faith; God has given us reasons to believe and follow Him
- Precepts (piqquwd) – those things they were to pay attention to do; not generally things we are inclined to do; must be intentional about doing God’s will
- Commandments (mitsvah) – ordinance/precept; when used with precept, seems to indicate a prohibition; in other words, precepts are what you are to DO, commandments are what you must NOT DO
- (Basis for) Fear – reverence/respect for God; based upon what He has said in His word; warnings against disobedience; examples of God punishing those who were disobedient
- Judgments (mishpat) – God’s just rulings; He is fair in His treatment of us; His word applies equally to all
What God’s Word Is (v. 7-9)
- As LAW, it is PERFECT – it is complete/whole; nothing is missing that is needed; nothing forgotten; we do not have the entire mind of God (Deuteronomy 29:29), but we have His entire will for us; everything we need to know is found in His word (2 Peter 1:3); nothing lacking (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
- As TESTIMONY, it is SURE – it is established on a firm foundation; the word of God is a stable foundation we can build upon (Psalm 119:89; Matthew 7:24-25); His word is the source of faith (Romans 10:17); therefore, we can have a stable faith (Colossians 2:6-7)
- As PRECEPTS, they are RIGHT – this means they are straight/upright; nothing corrupt about them; God’s word shows us the way that is right (2 Timothy 3:16-17); by practicing it, we will be right (1 John 3:7); this is because God is the standard of righteousness (Matthew 5:48)
- As COMMANDMENTS, they are PURE – they are morally pure/innocent; nothing corrupt in them; this means that when God prohibits something, it is for our good (Proverbs 13:15; 1 John 1:5-7); when we follow the way that “seems right” to us, it only leads to trouble (Proverbs 14:12)
- As a BASIS FOR FEAR, it is CLEAN – it is pure/unmixed; not tainted; the fear we have of God is not the same fear we might have of a wicked tyrant (cf. Matthew 10:28); fear (terror) of the wicked leads to sin (Revelation 2:10); fear (reverence) of God leads to obedience (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
- As JUDGMENTS, they are TRUE – similar Hebrew word for sure (v. 7); reliability/stability; God is perfectly impartial (Acts 10:34-35); His judgments will be applied consistently; therefore, we do not need to worry about Him being unfair/unjust (Malachi 3:6)
What God’s Word Does (v. 7-9)
- His perfect law RESTORES THE SOUL – our relationship with God was broken by sin (Isaiah 59:2); His law shows how to restore that relationship
- His sure testimony MAKES WISE THE SIMPLE – God is the source of true wisdom (Proverbs 8:22-23); therefore, His word makes us wise
- His right precepts REJOICE THE HEART – doing what we know is right allows us to have a clear conscience (1 John 3:21); cause for joy
- His pure commandments ENLIGHTEN THE EYES – sin is a violation of God’s law (1 John 3:4); His commandments show us the line between right and wrong
- The clean basis for fear ENDURES FOREVER – God and His word endure forever (Psalm 90:2; Isaiah 40:8); helps us maintain the proper attitude toward Him
- His true judgments are RIGHTEOUS ALTOGETHER – He is the all-knowing, all-wise, all-merciful judge; no injustice in Him (Romans 9:14)
The Value of God’s Word (v. 10)
- More desirable than gold – that which is of great value in this life; God’s word is more valuable; wealth is temporary (1 Peter 1:18), but the word of God endures forever (1 Peter 1:24-25); wealth helps us in this life (Proverbs 10:15), but no further; God’s word helps us for eternity (John 6:68)
- Sweeter than honey – that which is sweet, appealing to our tastes; God’s word is sweeter; having something sweet to our taste is a luxury we want to enjoy (Exodus 3:8); however, we can have too much of a good thing (Proverbs 25:16); not so with God’s word (1 Timothy 4:6)
How We Should Respond to It (v. 11-14)
- Faith and fear (v. 11) – another way of saying, “fear God and keep His commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:13); God’s word warns us that He will punish those who disobey Him (1 Corinthians 10:5-6; cf. Hebrews 10:30-31); God’s word also contains promises that He will reward those who keep His word (Revelation 22:14)
- Remove sin and error from our lives (v. 12-13) – the goal is blamelessness (cf. 1 John 2:1; Matthew 5:48); special emphasis made on presumptuous sins; these are not sins of ignorance, but a willful rejection of God’s word (cf. James 4:17)
- Live wholeheartedly for God (v. 14) – we already noticed the need to keep God’s word and be blameless; we are also to keep our words and our thoughts right before God (Colossians 4:6; Philippians 4:8); every part of our being must be in line with God’s word
Conclusion
- God’s word is worthy of our consideration and our obedience
- He has revealed His word so we can know about Him and know what He wants us to do
- He will reward those who obey Him – let us be sure we are doing that
- He will punish those who disobey – given what we know, there is no reason for us to be in this group
