1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord!
2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
who seek him with their whole heart,
3 who also do no wrong,
but walk in his ways!
4 You have commanded your precepts
to be kept diligently.
5 Oh that my ways may be steadfast
in keeping your statutes!
6 Then I shall not be put to shame,
having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
7 I will praise you with an upright heart,
when I learn your righteous rules.
8 I will keep your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me!
Message: The Blessedness of Keeping God's Law
Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.
What the Lord is Saying:
At first glance, this is a great statement and then a great prayer, beginning in verse 4.
Blessed are those whose way is blameless
The New Living Translation says, "Joyful are people of integrity." As has been studied earlier, these two phrases evidence Parallelism. And so these two phrases here are synonymous parallelism as they repeat the same idea in both lines. So, it means the same thing "whose way is blameless" and "who walk in the law of the Lord."
Now, this is interesting because having a way that is blameless or walking in the Law of the Lord is something I will never do. I will never achieve this. I am incapable. Is this a reminder that I need a Savior to completely perform this task and I also need a Savior to help me perform this task? I don't think this means I never try, but I can start each day afresh in this idea to have a blameless way and walk in the Law. I think therefore that what David or the writer is saying is that my life is to be oriented towards walking in the way that is blameless. It is to be my desire.
Blessed are those who keep his testimonies
Once again, if this is parallelism and synonymous parallelism, as the first verse is, then keeping his testimonies and seeking him with my whole heart, are the same. To keep his testimonies would be, I think, to keep his laws and thus, would be to always seek him with my whole heart. If I am truly seeking him, then I am doing what he says. And the next verse continues this repetition. I wonder if verse 1 and verse 2 and verse 3 are all the same thought? Verse 3 says, who do no wrong and walk in his ways.
He has commanded
God has spoken. The urgency to do what he says rests on the fact that He tells us to do it. David says that God is commanding us that His ways are to be kept diligently. They are not simply to be kept. They are to be kept diligently. Diligently is constantly in effort. Again, I can't do this. I must have divine help to even make an effort or try to attempt this. I will still fail, but I cannot think for a moment that I can have any success without God's involvement in my life.
The Prayer
Lord, may my ways be steadfast or unwavering in keeping your statutes. This is my goal and really, my dream. If I were to do this Lord, then I shall not be put to shame. I hate that feeling of distress when I do something that is wrong or foolish. And yet the only way to avoid this is having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. I cannot do this Lord on my own, I admit this. I need you. I want to praise you with an upright heart or an honorable heart. Teach me your rules. It is my desire and my intent to keep your statutes. I do not ever want to be far from you or lost from you.
Blessed are those whose way is blameless
The New Living Translation says, "Joyful are people of integrity." As has been studied earlier, these two phrases evidence Parallelism. And so these two phrases here are synonymous parallelism as they repeat the same idea in both lines. So, it means the same thing "whose way is blameless" and "who walk in the law of the Lord."
Now, this is interesting because having a way that is blameless or walking in the Law of the Lord is something I will never do. I will never achieve this. I am incapable. Is this a reminder that I need a Savior to completely perform this task and I also need a Savior to help me perform this task? I don't think this means I never try, but I can start each day afresh in this idea to have a blameless way and walk in the Law. I think therefore that what David or the writer is saying is that my life is to be oriented towards walking in the way that is blameless. It is to be my desire.
Blessed are those who keep his testimonies
Once again, if this is parallelism and synonymous parallelism, as the first verse is, then keeping his testimonies and seeking him with my whole heart, are the same. To keep his testimonies would be, I think, to keep his laws and thus, would be to always seek him with my whole heart. If I am truly seeking him, then I am doing what he says. And the next verse continues this repetition. I wonder if verse 1 and verse 2 and verse 3 are all the same thought? Verse 3 says, who do no wrong and walk in his ways.
He has commanded
God has spoken. The urgency to do what he says rests on the fact that He tells us to do it. David says that God is commanding us that His ways are to be kept diligently. They are not simply to be kept. They are to be kept diligently. Diligently is constantly in effort. Again, I can't do this. I must have divine help to even make an effort or try to attempt this. I will still fail, but I cannot think for a moment that I can have any success without God's involvement in my life.
The Prayer
Lord, may my ways be steadfast or unwavering in keeping your statutes. This is my goal and really, my dream. If I were to do this Lord, then I shall not be put to shame. I hate that feeling of distress when I do something that is wrong or foolish. And yet the only way to avoid this is having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. I cannot do this Lord on my own, I admit this. I need you. I want to praise you with an upright heart or an honorable heart. Teach me your rules. It is my desire and my intent to keep your statutes. I do not ever want to be far from you or lost from you.
Promise: My place of righteousness is always based upon the life of Christ in me.
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