“Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, and I shall keep it to the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it. Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to covetousness. Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way.” Psalm 119:33-37
Being taught the law of God, and how to rightly live according to it is a wonderful thing. Consider David’s desire in these verses. He had many wise men, prophets, and priests around him. David himself was well taught in the law of God. However, David begged God to be his teacher, for he knew that no one teaches like Him (Job 36:22). By God’s grace, David loved God’s law. David loved His precepts, statutes, and commands. David had a God given desire and zeal to know them, to study them, to know them more, and to live by them to the glory of his Lord. So, David didn’t search and summon the best teacher of the law in the land, here, to instruct him. Rather, he begs for divine aide. For when God teaches, it is always the best.
Do you desire God to be your teacher in the knowledge and study of His law and Word? Do you see the value of God giving us His law? Do you approach God in prayer asking Him to teach you like David did?
Take note of David’s desire and commitment, in these verses, to be faithful in obedience. He said he would keep it to the end. David would keep it and observe it with his whole heart. Further, notice that David knew he was a law breaker. He didn’t and couldn’t keep God’s law perfectly. Therefore, he asks that God would grant him understanding. David beseeches God to make him walk in the path of His commandments. Here, David prays that God would bow his will that he might do his duty. For it is God that works in us both to will and to do for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). It’s wonderful to see how God, in His grace, not only works in His servants to be willing to obey, but He also gives us desire to obey. Obedience is done with delight when the heart is inclined to it. David prayed for such grace. He also prayed against sin (v. 36-37), praying that God would restrain sin in him and help David get the covetousness, the selfish gain, the looking at worthless things out of his life. For sin is against the testimonies and law of God.
Is your prayer that God be at work in you to keep and observe God’s law with your whole heart? Do you delight in walking that path?
Beloved, God’s law is a mirror that shows our sin and drives us to Jesus. It shows us our need for a Savior. It restrains evil. It also reveals what is pleasing to God, as well as what offends Him. Like David, we need to be good students, being committed to study, meditate on, understand, and walk according to God’s law. The church has been invaded by antinomianism, which distorts and rejects it. However, the moral law that God reveals in Scripture is always binding upon us. Jesus said if we love Him, we will keep His commandments (John 14:15).
Let us also see as we consider God’s law, and this passage, that we are pointed to Christ and the Gospel. We are pointed to Him, the sinless, perfect, Lamb of God, the righteous one. He is the Lawgiver and perfect law keeper. When He came down from heaven and became man, Jesus lived a perfect, righteous life for us. He then took our place and suffered and died on the cross, making atonement for us, that we would live. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Praise God for the person and work of Jesus! Praise God and be thankful that He has given us His law and calls to be obedient to it. By His grace, may we have much zeal to be good students and faithful servants of our great Lord and King.