Psalm 119:33-40
He
33 Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees;
then I will keep them to the end.
34 Give me understanding, and I will keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
35 Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.
38 Fulfill your promise to your servant,
so that you may be feared.
39 Take away the disgrace I dread,
for your laws are good.
40 How I long for your precepts!
Preserve my life in your righteousness.
Education is essential to keeping God's law.
It is interesting the phrases the psalmist uses in this psalm and how much they coincide with an education of one sort or another; phrases such as "teach me", "Give me understanding", "Direct me", etc. The temptation when it comes to the subject of God's law is to go to extremes. The one extreme being that we do absolutely nothing and the other to do absolutely everything. The presence of the aforementioned phrases seem to strike somewhere in the middle. To educate someone else means imparting knowledge with the purpose of assisting them in doing something for themselves. Consider this:
This education involves more than simply information. It involves changing habits. Along this line, the phrase "turn my eyes away from worthless things" stood out to me. The ancient Hebrew word shav translated into "worthless things" in the NIV is also translated into "vanity" in the KJV. It connotes emptiness and falsehood. There are many things in this life that falsely promise fulfillment, but end up giving us emptiness. We need to turn away from these things if we are to truly keep the law of God.
There is much more to be learned from this passage, and I encourage you to take the time to study it for the education you will receive is essential to continue on this journey of keeping God's law.
then I will keep them to the end.
34 Give me understanding, and I will keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
35 Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.
38 Fulfill your promise to your servant,
so that you may be feared.
39 Take away the disgrace I dread,
for your laws are good.
40 How I long for your precepts!
Preserve my life in your righteousness.
Education is essential to keeping God's law.
It is interesting the phrases the psalmist uses in this psalm and how much they coincide with an education of one sort or another; phrases such as "teach me", "Give me understanding", "Direct me", etc. The temptation when it comes to the subject of God's law is to go to extremes. The one extreme being that we do absolutely nothing and the other to do absolutely everything. The presence of the aforementioned phrases seem to strike somewhere in the middle. To educate someone else means imparting knowledge with the purpose of assisting them in doing something for themselves. Consider this:
When the Spirit of God controls mind and heart, the converted soul breaks forth into a new song; for he realizes that in his experience the promise of God has been fulfilled, that his transgression has been forgiven, his sin covered. He has exercised repentance toward God for the violation of the divine law, and faith toward Christ, who died for man's justification. "Being justified by faith," he has "peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1.
Conversion, using your desire to take that first step, is not the end of the effort. It is the beginning. There is some work that needs to be done by us and through us.But because this experience is his, the Christian is not therefore to fold his hands, content with that which has been accomplished for him. He who has determined to enter the spiritual kingdom will find that all the powers and passions of unregenerate nature, backed by the forces of the kingdom of darkness, are arrayed against him. Each day he must renew his consecration, each day do battle with evil. Old habits, hereditary tendencies to wrong, will strive for the mastery, and against these he is to be ever on guard, striving in Christ's strength for victory. --The Acts of the Apostles pp. 476, 477
This education involves more than simply information. It involves changing habits. Along this line, the phrase "turn my eyes away from worthless things" stood out to me. The ancient Hebrew word shav translated into "worthless things" in the NIV is also translated into "vanity" in the KJV. It connotes emptiness and falsehood. There are many things in this life that falsely promise fulfillment, but end up giving us emptiness. We need to turn away from these things if we are to truly keep the law of God.
There is much more to be learned from this passage, and I encourage you to take the time to study it for the education you will receive is essential to continue on this journey of keeping God's law.
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