I suppose there’s a real reason behind why I held off on writing about Psalm 119, between back when I started it a couple of months ago, to today.
With everything that’s been going on now, my focus has shifted – or, maybe, my line of thinking has been changed or altered. Of course the focus on Christ and His finished work will and always will be the central and primary theme of all that I’m talking about, but here and now, there’s a difference I see, or another possibility to the response.
This response I’m talking about is our response to our continual beholding and being in awe of Christ, and our intentional meditation and consequent appreciation of His finished work.
Back then I was more on pushing towards how it all comes naturally; Or, we focus (and I admit, sometimes finagle) our way to saying that Christ has already fulfilled parts of Scripture that look like work (with the purpose avoiding any emphasis or hint of works-based righteousness).
In the light of recent events and realizations, I’m thinking now that we really shouldn’t discount the very real possibility of our actual wanting to work, or how sometimes we’re going to have to be a little more intentional more than depending on what we do being natural… but still FROM the finished work of Christ.
Besides, the way I see it, it wasn’t as if Christ was merely ‘natural’ in being willing to lay down His life – while I’d like to think that there was still some natural smoothness and flow to His wonderful, High-Priestly prayer for all of us in John 17, I also see the existence of resistance, and therefore the need to be intentional… in the mere fact that His wise words spanned an entire chapter.
But that’s just me. For now, at least, in this season.
With that in mind, let’s actually get into this portion of this huge Psalm.
BETH ב
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.
Let me specify here, that I am fully aware and appreciative of Christ’s finished work, which, based on what we read from Hebrews, rendered us perfected for all time by His single offering. There’s no question that through Christ and His finished work, our entire being has been perfected, and I venture to say, pure.
However, we ought to keep the entire verse in mind: For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14)
So, folks may ask, what is it? Are we already perfected, or are we being sanctified? In true Andrew Farley style, I will say, ‘yes’. We are perfected for all time (forever, and from the standpoint of the reality of eternity), AND we are being sanctified (moving from glory to glory, our paths brighter and brighter unto the new day – in this world).
This is what I’m saying. Once we were working FOR the love of God, but through Christ, we’re now working FROM the love of God.
Once, we were working FOR our salvation, but through Christ’s finished work, we’re now working FROM our salvation – or, as Paul says to the Philippians, we are working OUT our salvation.
Here, I believe it’s the same pattern: We’re no longer being sanctified FOR our perfection, but by Christ’s single offering we are being sanctified FROM our being perfected FOR ALL TIME.
If it isn’t clear yet, I’d like to specify at this point that I’m equating what was mentioned in Psalm 119:9 – keeping our way pure – to our being sanctified.
Through Christ, we ourselves ARE pure… but I submit that, as we are still in this impure, desecrated (antonym to sanctified) world, our way – that is, our existence, our path in this world – can still be corrupted.
We’re therefore encouraged by the Psalmist to ‘guard’ our way to keep it pure… but, on top of the written Word they had back then, we have the advantage, the privilege and opportunity of having Jesus Christ – that is, the living Word who once became flesh and dwelt among us physically, and now with each and every one of us who believe, as we are in Him.
It’s as if to say that once, our brethren who only had up until the words of Psalm 119 with them relied on the counsel of the word to guard their ways and to keep their ways pure… But now, after the cross and the empty tomb, we rejoice! For Christ, the Living Word, is our guard.
Is this to say that we no longer need the written Scripture? Far from it, and God forbid! For I still stand on what I believe, and what I think we all should consider – Christ is the Living Word that adds Life to the Word (the Scripture, the Bible) we read, and Christ is ALSO the Word of Life; that is, I believe He points us to specific parts of the Word in different moments of our life (our existence here in this world).
Through Christ, we have been perfected and made pure for all time, and our ways are being made pure and kept pure through His life and His Word… and vice versa.
With that said, I believe the next verse is both a natural and intentional response to all realized here!
10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!
This is exactly what we’ve been talking about, right? Because we have Christ, the Living Word and the Word of Life, it certainly doesn’t mean that we don’t need Scripture anymore – in fact, we’d want to read it all the more, with our whole hearts!
11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
…and when (and it’s never ‘if’) we find ourselves being tempted again in this fallen, wretched world, we praise God! Because just as Christ had the Word in His heart in responding to the temptations of the devil in the wilderness, we ourselves can run back to Scripture, and find Christ; OR we can run to Christ, and let’s not be surprised if He responds with Scripture!
Three verses in, and we’re already getting so much value. What a good God, what a great Father we have!
12 Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes!
13 With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth.
We’re in a season of learning – or should I say ‘Schooling’, coming from last year’s theme of ‘Seeking’. What’s nice about the latter is that, on top of the prospect of learning on our own, and significantly increasing our improvement through focus, we have no less that God – yes, Father, Son, AND Holy Spirit – being our good Lord to teach and tutor us as we seek!
Now that we’re also ‘schooling’ there are two things to keep in mind, considering verse 13: We’re doing the teaching and tutoring ourselves, and what’s nice about our teaching is that it’s not just who’s listening who’s learning – Jim Kwik was the one who said it, and I agree with him: “When you teach, you’re learning twice’.
One more thing – we’re not just teaching others and also learning naturally as a result, but in our encouraging others to do their own seeking, I believe we’re also challenging ourselves to do our own seeking. I suppose it’s because when we hold others accountable to doing something, we’re also holding ourselves accountable to do the same thing.
Either way, whether we’re being taught or we’re doing the teaching, everyone involved wins – everyone seeks, everyone is schooled accordingly.
And, in line with what was discussed earlier, the more we teach and the more we learn, the more the Word is integrated into our beings, and the more our ways and paths are guarded and kept pure.
14 In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.
16 I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.
Psalms 119:9-16
We are guided by Christ, the Living Word, and we find Life as we go through His word on our own, or when we share the Word with others.
We are guided and directed by Christ, the Word of Life, and we are directed to His Word, His Scripture, and I dare say, His Will – as we live our lives, enjoying everlasting Life, by ourselves and with others.
This Life we have with Christ; Rather, this Life that we have, who IS Christ, is not without His Word and His Will. It just follows that as we enjoy His Life, we certainly delight in His testimonies, ‘as much as in all riches‘.
We need no excessive convincing – I mean, we really don’t need any arguments to understand the importance of His precepts, and to meditate and appreciate His ways – rather, His Way is Christ, who is also OUR Way, just as He is OUR Life.
Finally, as we delight in His testimonies (His statements, His declarations, His assertions and claims), as we meditate on His precepts (His principles, His guidelines, His instructions and directions), and as we also delight in His statutes (His decrees, His resolutions, His orders and dictates), we will certainly not forget them.
Why? Because before we even had a grasp on all of these Words, it was Christ who was the One who never forgot about us. He’s the Life to this Word, and the Word to this life.
Now from here on out, I’m already anticipating that I’ll probably be pretty redundant with where I point things to – Christ being the Living Word and the Word of Life is one consideration, in particular – but I think we’ll be okay. If anything, it’ll all be a firm reminder to me, first and foremost.
I hope you enjoyed this exploration into Psalm 119. We have a lot more to go, and I pray we continue to be blessed and reminded as we keep at it.
Father, indeed, we thank You. We thank You for Your Word that points us to Christ, for Your Son, Jesus Christ, who points us to the Word. We thank You, because through Your Word we find cause to value Christ more, and through Christ, we find Life in the Word.
It is our prayer that, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, You would continue to keep that ‘line’ of revelations by Your Scripture extremely active, especially in these times where the world is especially relentless in distracting us with junk and poison.
We thank You, that through Christ, this said ‘line’ and this ‘connection’ cannot be broken. Indeed, we claim the promise according to Your Word, that nothing in this world can ever separate us, nothing can ever separate me from Your love.
Continue to satisfy us as we delight in Your testimonies, meditate on Your precepts, and delight in Your statutes, and as we find Christ in all of it. Cause us to remember all we can of how wonderful of a Life we have in this world, and may You be glorified as we continue to seek and school, and as we continue to school and seek.
Be praised and honored in all things, Father! In the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we pray… Amen.
Until the next post, may the Lord continue to bless and prosper us. Amen, and amen.
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