The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever
The judgements of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether
They are more desirable than gold, yes than much fine gold.
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of honeycomb
Moreover, by them your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is a great reward.
Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden falults.
Also keep back your servant from presumptiuous sins
Let them not rule over me
Then I will be blameless
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression
Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart
Be acceptable in your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.
From this mornings devotion. I wanted to spend a few moments expounding what is the joy of my heart of folllow the LORD, all the days of my life. To offer His word, to speak through it, to give a testimony for Jesus Christ, the Messiah. The awaited King.
Begin by realizing that Davids perception of man is that he's lost, he's stupid, he's wallowing in despair, he sees through dimly lit eyes and without God's intervetion, his end is a godless one. We know this because through sentence construction, David is relaying what he becomes and what is the affect of the work of God on a human being; what he becomes demonstrates that he's currently the antithesis of this new condition.
The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;
The law of the LORD is perfect, but it also restores the soul? How does the law, which was taken advantage of by sin, through the flesh become something that restores the soul? David is describing, by way of the law of God, which is perfect and blameless, an attribute of God. Since what flows from God is perfect, it's sensible to believe and understand that the Law, which God created, is also perfect. How then does it restore the soul? David answers this fully, using various angles. First, it reveals his inability, then in produces contrition, which leads to worship and fear of the LORD, which is the very beginning of all knowledge. The soul in its condition is in need of restoration. When we are born, we're born apart from God, in the dominion of Satan. We cannot, will not and do not come to God. So then, David is makign the statement that is God's law that restores us to Him. His law takes us from our dead state, such a dreadful condition, and quickens us to life, that we may once again share our relationship with God. This is God's work, that you believe in Him who He has sent.
the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
the testimony, the witness, the story, the revelation of the LORD is sure. It's a guarantee. Its possibility perfect and guaranteed. And what is it's affect on the children of God, who are born of blood and not the will of mean (john 1:13), is that it makes you wise. The profoundity of this is rooted more in our foolishness than in the wisdom we gain. The most base thing of God is wiser than the most wise thing of man. Man is stupid. His flesh is a self sustaining mass of sickness, sin and self-worship. So then, it follows that when the LORD's law illumines our mind, we become like God in our knowledge of Him. This casts a deep shadow over how utterly foolish we once were, so that at the point where we even trust the testimony of the LORD we instantly leave our simple and foolish nature; no longer constrained to the dark habitation of godlessness. Even this is the work of God.
The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart
The statutes, the precepts, the ordinances, the familial rules of God's kingdom that set us apart, that teach us holiness and that illumine the minds of the wicked truly produce rejoicing. Why? Because God is our Father and His ways are right! Though we didn't always know that. When you become a Christian, you can marvel daily at the ignorance of man and the proudness of his heart. How he scoffs at God with all his machines and sciences and how he bravely admonishes the world to follow after him. How he bravely opens his mouth against the Living God. How does such a dog even think to open his mouth? Ignorance. He's stupid by nature and he's ignorant by training. But, the word of the LORD is not slack. It will rip off the lid to any mind that is destined for God's illumination. So then, the precepts of the LORD are right and they cause rejoicing because we have a firm foundation to stand upon. We know that God's testimony is true, we know that our wisdom of Him comes from Him. Thus, from our sickly state of death and depravity we are restored in our relationship with him, which makes us wise and causes rejoicing. And why wouldn't it, when with ease you can look as see the putrid filth of sin and arrogance and proudness of heart that you were rescued from! If you do not understand this, you do not understand your sickly condition! You may yet be dead, spirtually to God and His law.
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
Here we see a specific example of God's mercy and work on us. Why do our eyes even need enlightening? Is there some kind of mechanism or necessary belief system required to believe in God? Can the eye not plainly percieve truth? How is it possible that two people can be told the same thing, "thou shalt not murder", one obeys and one does not? Have not both of them heard? Have not both of them understand? You say free will? You say depravity?
The enlightment of the eyes comes by the commandment of the LORD. In Romans 10 Paul teaches us that "Faith comes by hearing" {mechanism} and "hearing comes by the word/command/decree of God" {process}. So then, it could be said that if faith does not come by hearing, it's not because of the hearing, but rather because of the word of God. God has not commanded it, though ears hear. And yet, are we not talking about eyes, which John says are the means by which we percieve the Light of God? Your body is one giant puzzle, put together for the glory of God. Your eyes both see, and percieve. The are physically useful for revelation and they are metaphorically useful for revelation. This is no accident. You were put together in such a manner as to have the expressed purpose of being the revelation of God, by means of your flesh. For sin, took advantage of the law, to put the flesh to death....so that, sin might be shown to be utterly sinful. What is SIN? The want of conformance to, or the transgression of the Law of God. Westminster Catechism. So then, the commandment of the LORD is both decretive in the elightening of the eyes, and it also raises our gaze to see the higher things of God with our spiritual eyes. This helps us make sense of the true words of God say that the invisible attributes of God have been clearly seen.
The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever
Perseverance of the saints. The fear of the LORD is perfect. In every capacity, although we do not perfectly fear the LORD. No, at times we fear wrongly. We fear what is not right to fear. But the fear of the LORD, that is the beginning of all knowledge, is a correct, God given fear, that endures forever. It will never change. Thus, we are wise from whence we were simple, we are joyful of that from which we've been rescued and our eyes are enlightened as we're lead in to all truth by Christ's Spirit. We are the chosen race, a royal preisted a holy people that God has purchased for a price, in order that He might give us to His Son, Christ.
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