Psalm 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple.
8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous
altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the
honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
12 Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults.
13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then
shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD,
my strength, and my redeemer.
Psalm 119:1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.
2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.
3 They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.
9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.
18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
20 My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times.
27 Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.
97 O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.
165 Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
MEMORY VERSE: Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. —Psalm 119:104, 105
CENTRAL THOUGHT: As mortals in this earthly realm soon to pass away, we need to give diligent heed, loving submission, fervent zeal, and faithful obedience to the holy Word of God and all of His commandments and laws.
WORD DEFINITIONS
Psalm 19:7, “law”: What is strictly required and vital. “converting the soul”: Changing and turning one’s heart
and life from sin to righteousness. “testimony”: Expressed witness or declaration. “sure”: Faithful, firm, and fully trustworthy. “making wise the simple”: Enlightening the foolish and silly.
Ver. 8, “statutes”: Official orders and strict requirements. “commandment”: What is appointed, ordered, and
fully charged. “enlightening the eyes”: Making one fully instructed and aware.
Ver. 9, “judgments”: Unfailing verdicts, sentences, or decrees. “altogether”: United and in solemn agreement.
Ver. 11, “warned”: Enlightened to be cautious of.
Ver. 12, “understand his errors”: Be truly aware of his mistake or failure. “secret”: Hidden and unaware of.
Ver. 13, “presumptuous sins”: Errors and faults committed in arrogant pride.
Ver. 14, “meditation of my heart”: My attitudes and inward purposes.
Psalm 119:1, “Blessed”: How happy!
Ver. 2, “testimonies”: Solemn and unfailing witness.
Ver. 9, “Wherewithal”: How completely?
Ver. 20, “My soul breaketh”: My heart is melted in submission.
Ver. 165, “nothing shall offend them”: Nothing will stir up their anger.
LESSON BACKGROUND
God’s laws, commandments, statutes, judgments, precepts, and testimonies are good, beneficial, precious, and of great value to us mortals. God Almighty is our kind and gracious Heavenly Father, and the life He requires of us and expects us to live is for our happiness and welfare. Yes, it crosses and conflicts in broad disagreement with our fleshly thoughts and desires. This is where the great trouble comes with humanity and is a reason for all the woeful and disgraceful conditions that throng the race of man. We know that the author and instigator of it all is Satan, the arch-enemy of God. We see its awful beginning in the case of Adam and Eve, and we can behold its awful impact upon mankind in history. We see God working through the ages with mankind to defeat Satan and destroy his terrible work.
Before God made witness of His law, He worked with establishing the principles of faith, confidence, and assurance. This was portrayed through Abel, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham, along with others recorded in Bible history. Four-hundred and thirty years later (Galatians 3:17), God gave His Law and Commandments through Moses. This was the wisdom of God in preparing our hearts to receive the grace and salvation that was to be brought through Jesus Christ. Not only does our Creator want us to have faith and confidence in Him and His love for us, but He wants us to be aware of the standard of His holiness and righteousness. Thus, He gave us His law.
First, He established faith, and then He gave His law. If the law would have been given first, it would have been a hopeless case. But God established and showed the way of faith and assurance of His loving mercy first, and then He gave His law. In our own strength we could not overcome the flesh and temptations of evil, but with faith and confidence of God’s love, we can love and follow and obey His holy laws successfully.
—Bro. Leslie Busbee
QUESTIONS:
1. What are some of the benefits and blessings contained in the law?
2. What effect does the law have upon the sinful nature of man?
3. How must we feel and respond to the Law of God?
4. How can we overcome the influence and temptations of sin?
5. What is it about God’s commandments that is so precious?
COMMENTS AND APPLICATION
Our lesson today from the Psalms portrays the value and benefit of the Law of God. It shows how precious and dear God’s law is and can be to the heart and soul of man. In other lessons to come, we will look more into the working and presence of sin and disobedience in the heart of man that will conflict and cause trouble. In our lesson today, however, we want to see how precious, beneficial, and important the laws, statutes, judgments, precepts, testimonies, and commandments are and can be to us.
In the first part of Psalm 19, it speaks of the message that daily and nightly is portrayed by the heavens; we had that as part of our April 26 lesson. Then, after speaking of the message of the beautiful heavens above us, the writer goes right into the blessings and joyful benefits of the law of God. Not forgetting the message portrayed so wonderfully in the heavens above us, let us take a good look and consider earnestly what is spoken about God’s law and what it contains. Let us notice the things that the Law of God can accomplish: converting the soul, making wise the simple, rejoicing the heart, enlightening the eyes, enduring for ever, and being true and righteous altogether. The writer goes on to declare that God’s laws are more to be desired than fine gold, and sweeter than honey. By them, it is stated, we are warned; and in keeping of them there is great reward. After elaborating about the benefits of the law, the writer speaks about our errors, secret faults, and also presumptuous sins. It is expressed in a prayer to God, to keep them back, and let them not have dominion over us. Then we shall be upright and innocent from the great transgression.
The Psalmist closed with a prayer for God to help him, so that the words of his mouth and the meditation of his heart would be acceptable unto Him. These, along with the various expressions in Psalm 119, portray the love and earnest desire we should have for the law of God, and to have it, as the New Testament declares, written in our hearts. So we see that the love and appreciation we should have for God’s law is conflicted and opposed by the influence and temptations of sin and by yielding to the appetites and desires of the flesh.
It is a firm, definite decision that we all, as free moral agents, must make individually. By making a strong and unwavering decision for obedience to God and His law, we can overcome the ways of sin and disobedience and live holy and righteous lives before Him, by His help and grace.
–Bro. Leslie Busbee
REFLECTIONS
As children, we are taught to follow our parents’ corrections and commands. We start out hearing simple commands like: “No, no.” “ Pick up your toys.” “Don’t hit.” As we grow older, the commands of obedience take on responsibility like: “Take out the trash.” “Clean your room.” “Share with others.” As younger children, we obey simply to avoid punishment, and as we get older, we obey to please our parents; not necessarily to please ourselves. How perfect it is, however, when we follow instructions simply because we love doing those things that are helpful and well-pleasing to our parents. Obedience proves to be a blessing to all
as it brings order, peace and safety to the home as well as the world around us.
David had a perfect attitude of heart in his regard to the commandments of the Lord. He found strength and guidance in the statutes of the Lord. The book of Psalms contains many verses of gratitude that David had for the laws, statutes and commandments of the Lord. He loved serving the Lord.
Consider, on the other hand, the attitude of the rich young ruler. “All these things have I kept from my youth up…” This a remarkable testimony for anyone. However, he served the Lord outwardly, and not because of an inward love for God’s commandments . Many people today do the same thing. They desire to dot the i’s and cross the t’s, but inwardly they are incomplete, as they do not love the commandments of the Lord and follow after them with a strong and fervent heart.
As we each one mature spiritually, let us be challenged to follow the laws of the Lord with a heart like David. “Blessed are thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes. With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word” (Psalm 119:12-16). It brings a bountiful harvest, a place of refuge as well as quietness and preservation.
–Sis. LaDawna Adams
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