Psalm 119:1
Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
who walk in the law of the LORD.
~ Psalm 119:1
Blessed are—This majestic Psalm opens by showing the way of the blessed. “Blessed” describes a condition or state of being. It signifies happiness or prosperity, but does not promise the absence of sorrow or loss. It does not indicate levity, joviality, nor mirth. It is a state of favor, particularly Divine favor.
The blessed condition ought to be desired by all Christians. Though there are many directions to it in Scripture, many are either ignorant of how to attain unto it or they are reckless of heeding the way to it. This particular Psalm gives ample instruction in being blessed. Are we wise enough to hear and heed it?
This verse begins, “Blessed are.” They are, and then their condition is described. In this Psalm, we find the blessed are in favor with God. This means they enjoy communication with Him and sensitive to impediments of the same.
The undefiled in the way—To be undefiled is to be upright and truthful. The underlying thought is truth and integrity. It is the absence of hypocrisy in their walk. This at least says that being blessed is not in external appearance. Often, the external appearance seems contradictory to being blessed.
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“Way” here is one of the related words used in this Psalm to speak of the Word of God. The root of this word in the Hebrew means to tread with the foot. So the root denotes the act of walking. “Way” here speaks of a path, road, a going, or journeying. This word occurs 13 times in the entire Psalm.
The way indicates a marked out way. For the blessed, it is God’s way. To walk any other way is to be out of favor with God, incurring His wrath in the case of the wicked and His chastisement in the case of His children. It might be said that the order of first importance to be blessed is to be in God’s way.
Who walk in the law of the LORD—”Law” is another synonym for God’s Word. Here it is torah, a precept or statute. The root means to project or to issue, hence to point out or to show. It includes teaching or instruction. God’s law contains His instructions and points out His will. This word occurs about 25 times in the entire Psalm.
To speak of law is to speak of power and authority. It is the law of the Lord and none other the blessed walk in. They have abandoned the path of tradition, opinion, and all other laws of men to walk singly in His law.
Emphasis is put on walk. This word often stands for conversation, or the way of life. It is comprehensive. The blessed have their entire conversation, way of life, regulated by God. While some may wish to have God’s Word for some things and not for others, the blessed want all of God’s Word for all of life.
“Walk” also conveys the idea of constancy, consistency, perseverance. The blessed are continuing in the things they have learned. They are of those who go on unto perfection. Starting out pointed in the right direction is good, but diverting from the path in the middle or stopping before we reach the destination is not. We must press on and walk.
Psalm 119:16
Posted by Jeff Short on June 11, 2013 · Leave a Comment
I will delight myself in thy statutes:
I will not forget thy word.
~ Psalm 119:16
I will delight myself in thy statutes
The seeds of meditation in verse 15 have yielded the fruit of delight in verse 16. Delight refers to satisfaction, contentment, and a deep, abiding joy. The statutes of God are His commandments, His law. The blessed man of God delights in God’s law and meditates in it continually (Psalm 1:2). The wicked do not delight in God’s law. They are described variously as forsaking it (Psalm 119:53), breaking it (Ezra 9:14), refusing to keep it (Exodus 16:8), not hearing it (Nehemiah 9:16. 29, 34), and despising it (Amos 2:4)[ref]Craft, Bert 2013. Learning to Delight in the Law of God. Oaxaca, Oaxaca Mexico: Ministerio Gracia Abundante.[/ref].
I will not forget thy word
Treasuring up the Word, meditating in the Word, and delighting in the Word lead us to remember God’s Word. Sooner could a mother forget her nursing child than could we forget God’s Word (Isaiah 49:15) when we have counted it greater riches than earthly wealth (Psalm 119:72) and made it our daily counselor. Forgetting the Word comes through neglecting it. We cannot drift into remembering it but we do drift into forgetting it. We must take heed to hold fast God’s Word that we not let it slip (1 Thessalonians 5:21; 2 Timothy 1:13).
The second stanza of this Psalm, verses 9-16, follow a progression: treasuring the Word in verse 11, declaring the Word in verse 13, rejoicing in the Word in verse 14, meditating in the Word in verse 15, and delighting in the Word in verse 16. The delight is produced through the previous efforts. They are testing, trying, and proving the Word of God in real life. The further the Psalmist walks with the Word, the more precious God’s Word becomes to him.
The stanza opened with a question and answer: “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word” (Psalm 119:9). Verses 10-16 expand and explain what it means to take heed according to the Word.
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Filed under 119, Psalms, Short Comments · Tagged with Commentary, Delight, Law, Meditation