GOD’S WILL AND THE BIBLE 
Bookstore shelves (where they still exist) are full of books claiming to guide us and show us what to do. Pick a subject, and someone is ready to give you direction on the matter. This is nothing new. Solomon said, “There is no end to the making of many books” (Eccl. 12:12). The ultimate guidance we need comes from God, and one of the ways He has revealed His Will is through the pages of Scripture. Remember in last week’s lesson notes I said that to knew God’s Will it could begin by being in God’s Word. In Psalm 19:7 it states, “the instruction of the Lord’s perfect”. Another new statement from this week’s lesson is “God gives us direction through His Word.”
Read Psalm 19:7-10
From the author of several Christians books -C.S. Lewis- he is quoted as saying-
“In memorizing the second half of Psalm 19 I wanted to get a good understanding of the terms used for God’s revelation of Himself through the many facets of his instruction to us. I don’t own a commentary on the Psalms in book form but the commentaries from Matthew Henry, John Gill, Adam Clarke, Charles Spurgeon, Keil & Delitzsch, John MacArthur (from a sermon) and Derek Kidner (from the library) more than suffice. Even after reading through all of them I still feel like I’m still just beginning to mine the depths of what this text offers (not to mention Psalm 119!). So I would like to write down a synopsis of just these verses based on commentaries and my own thoughts and observations to further embed these ideas in my brain and cause me to ponder further.”
The instruction of the Lord is perfect!
The HCSB uses the word instruction for tôrâh instead of the usual law here so as not to confuse it with only the law of Moses or the Decalogue (ten commandments) [tôrâh] does not in itself mean the law, but a pointing out, instruction, doctrine or teaching”. It’s a complete divine instruction of God’s will for man’s life and conduct. On a side note, the Bible isn’t just an instruction manual for us. It’s so much more than that. It’s God revealing Himself, His purposes, how He has dealt with people and His redemption story. How much more wonderful this is than a mere instruction manual.
Since God does not reside in our constraint of time, His law is timeless and includes the gospel message and all of His revealed word to us, not just the law as it was revealed up to the time of David when he wrote this Psalm. It’s somewhat prophetic in that way. Regarding the word perfect John MacArthur says, “I remember the first time I studied Psalm 19, many, many years ago, I wanted to really know what perfect meant. So I went back and I got all the Hebrew lexicons off my shelf and I remember spending several hours chasing this word ‘perfect’ all over the place, trying to wring out of it everything that I could so I would have a grasp of it. And after many hours of study, I came to the conclusion that what it means is perfect. A bit disappointing after all the effort, but that’s
exactly what it means…perfect.” He qualifies that as meaning–not as opposed to imperfect but as opposed to incomplete.
The law of the Lord is sufficient for “everything we need for life and godliness”. (2 Peter 1:3). Psalm 19:7b Reviving the soul; Restoring, reviving, refreshing, or converting; turning to God or back to God. In any case, transformation takes place. Psalm 19:7c
The testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, I think that some of the obvious examples of His testimony are what He has said audibly about Himself and His Son. But more comprehensively it is God disclosing His character, His will and His nature–who He is. (cf. 1 John 5:9). You can know that what He says about Himself is trustworthy. Believing He is who He says he is–this is vital for trusting Him and making it through hard times. (Psalm 119:92).
The precepts of the Lord are right (19:8a).
Precept In a general sense, any commandment or order intended as an authoritative rule of action; but applied particularly to commands respecting moral conduct. The ten commandments are so many precepts for the regulation of our moral conduct. Synonyms for precepts would be commandments, decrees or statutes, which many other translations use. All of His precepts are always right and always leading people in righteousness and in the right path. (Proverbs 8:8) They are always well meaning and for our well-being.
Making the heart glad (19:8b).
Having His precepts written on our hearts leads us to a right mind which gives us joy. They satisfy our desire for morality. Retire and read thy Bible to be glad (Charles Spurgeon).
The commandment of the Lord is radiant (19:8c).
HCSB and TNIV use the word radiant, some clear, most others pure. The commandment itself is pure, not adulterated by any person. It also purifies us. The word radiant is used because light is pure. It may also be looking forward to the next line.
Making the eyes light up (19:8d).
His commandment gives us discernment to see what’s earthly and what’s spiritual; what is of the world and what is of true value. It gives us understanding not only externally but internally–showing us our own sin. (Proverbs 6:23)
The fear of the Lord is pure (19:9a).
His instruction taken to heart causes us to fear, venerate, reverence and be in awe of the Lord. Its purpose is to purify (John 15:2-3), as purified silver or gold.
Enduring forever (19:9b)
The fear of the Lord is perpetual. The coming of Jesus does not and should not alter our fear of the Lord, even though Jesus calls us friends. (John 15:14) The fear of the Lord is in opposition to all false ways of reverencing (or not reverencing) Him.
The ordinances of the Lord are reliable (19:9c).
The ordinances or judgments of the Lord are unquestionable and need no excuse to justify them. All that He has decided is right and proper.
Altogether righteous (19:9d).
Any one of them or all of them together are righteous. They are all alike in their righteousness. Clarke would say that, “they are truth [reliable] and righteousness united.” Spurgeon, “no exception may be taken to a single clause separately, or to the book as a whole.”
They are more desirable than gold- than an abundance of pure gold; and sweeter
than honey- than honey dripping from the comb (19:10)
Here obviously each idea is intensified. Here the Psalm author *David) likely thinks of them as being not only more valuable than money, but more money than we would know what to do with. Obviously, honey is sweet. Honey dripping from the comb is very different than the honey we would get at the store. It is said that honey from the comb has, “a sweetness, richness and flavor, far beyond what it has after it becomes exposed to the air.” God’s instruction is more satisfying than any earthly pleasure we can imagine. This is the truth. Is this the estimation of God’s Word? We should pray that it will be, and more and more so.
Read Psalm 19:11-14
God’s word warns the wicked not to go on in his wicked way and warns the righteous not to turn from his good way. There is a reward, not only after keeping, but in keeping God’s commandments. Religion makes our comforts sweet, and our crosses easy, life truly valuable, and death itself truly desirable. David not only desired to be pardoned and cleansed from the sins he had discovered and confessed, but from those he had forgotten or overlooked. All discoveries of sin made to us by the law, should drive us to the throne of grace, there to pray. His dependence was the same with that of every Christian who says, Surely, in the Lord Jesus have I righteousness and strength. No prayer can be acceptable before God which is not offered in the strength of our Redeemer or Divine ..Kinsman, through Him who took our nature upon him, that he might redeem us unto God, and restore the long-lost inheritance. May our hearts be much affected with the excellence of the word of God; and much affected with the evil of sin, and the danger we are in of it, and the danger we are in by.
Who can understand his errors? – It is not possible, without much of the Divine light, to understand all our deviations from, not only the letter, but the spirituality, of the Divine law. Frequent self-examination, and walking in the light, are essentially necessary to the requisite degree of spiritual perfection. .Cleanse thou me from secret faults – David says from those which I have committed, and have forgotten; from those for which I have not repented; from those which have been committed in my heart, but have not been brought to act in my life; from those which I have committed without knowing that they were sins, sins of ignorance; and from those which I have committed in private, for which I should blush and be confounded were they to be made public.
From presumptuous sins – Sins committed not through frailty or surprise, but those which are the offspring of thought, purpose, and deliberation. Sins against judgment, light, and conscience. The words might be translated, Preserve thy servant also from the proud; from tyrannical governors, i.e., from evil spirits. Let them not have dominion over me – Let me never be brought into a habit of sinning. He who sins presumptuously will soon be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Then shall I be upright – Let me be preserved from all the evil that the craft and malice of the devil or man work against me, then shall I continue to walk uprightly, and shall be innocent from the great transgression – from habitual sinning, from apostasy, from my easily-besetting sin.
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart. David asks still more expressly to be fortified by the grace of God, and thus enabled to live an upright and holy life. The substance of the verse is this: I beseech thee, O God, not only to keep me from breaking forth into the external acts of transgression, but also to frame my tongue and my heart to the obedience of thy law. We know how difficult it is, even for the most perfect, so to bridle their words and thoughts, as that nothing may pass through their heart or mouth which is contrary to the will of God; and yet this inward purity is what the law chiefly requires of us. Now, the rarer this virtue — the rarer this strict control of the heart and of the tongue is, let us learn so much the more the necessity of our being governed by the Holy Spirit, in order to regulate our life uprightly and honestly. By the word acceptable, the Psalmist shows that the only rule of living well is for men to endeavor to please God, and to be approved of him. The concluding words, in which he calls God his strength and his redeemer, he employs to confirm himself in the assured confidence of obtaining his requests.
David uses three titles for God: My Lord, My Rock, and My Redeemer. David’s earnest desire was to be blameless and cleansed, and acceptable to the Lord. He knew that all those conditions would come as he was dependent upon God and obedient to God’s Will as was revealed in His Word. We must depend on God the same way.