Psalm 119:153-176 Devotional
by Pastor Lawrence

Out of the one hundred seventy-six verses in Psalm 119, I think verse 156 encapsulates both the psalmist’s sweet assurance of salvation in the Lord as well as his desire to grow up in that salvation. As pastors and theologians often point out in the Bible, the imperative always follows the indicative, or God’s rule is always subsequent to God’s redemption. Notice in this verse how the psalmist speaks first of God’s tender mercy or his great compassion and covenant love. This is a word in the Hebrew that speaks of God’s great grace in saving and delivering his people and providing for all their needs. The psalmist is very acquainted not only with God’s character and works in the abstract but is intimately familiar with God’s gracious ways being the grateful recipient of His tender mercy.

It is from this personal, firsthand experience with God’s great compassion and the assurance of God’s covenant faithfulness that leads to the psalmist’s yearning and swelling desire to immerse himself in God’s Word when he pleads, “give me life according to your rules.” Frankly, this is an expression that will never be found on the lips of an unbeliever or one who is a stranger to the promises of the gospel, for to him the law only brings death and judgment. It is still glorious at least in part to the unbeliever but only glorious in judgment, for the law still brings conviction of righteousness, sin and judgment but offers the unbeliever no hope of ever enjoying its precepts or fully comprehending its pure wisdom. He knows that there is something still very good in the Law even when his flesh rejects it, but he cannot love nor delight in the Law in the way this psalmist does.

On the other hand, for those who have understood and received the mercy of God that is found in the gospel of Christ, although the law still pronounces the judgment of death upon their old nature and still shows a thousand imperfections every time they see their sinful reflection in the pure mirror of God’s Word, through the hope of the gospel and the power of the Spirit, the law that reflects the very life and character of God inspires, provokes and excites the new man to a better life. This better life is a life of love and wisdom that can only be found in God’s Word when one beholds the glory of the Lord in the Scripture and is being transformed into that same image from one degree of glory to another. In this sense, the law itself is the very expression not only of God’s righteousness and judgment but also of his perfect love. Think about it, if all the law can be summarized by the two great commandments to love God with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself, then the law of the Lord is indeed life-giving because it is the very heart of worship and fellowship, the very things that one needs to really live.