The Wonders of God’s Word

The Wonders of God’s Word

Psalms 19: 7-11 NKJV

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 forever;
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 Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.

   While we can learn much about God from nature and from teaching and from prayer, we learn the most about Him from His Word.  God reveals himself through his Word.
   Here in Psalms 19, David uses different synonyms for God's Word; he mentions the law, the testimony, the statutes, the commandments, the fear of the lord and the judgments of the lord.  He tells us of the benefits of reading His Word and praises its value as being worth more than much gold, and sweeter than honey.
The Law of the Lord (7a)
When David writes, “the law of the Lord,” I believe he is referring to the revealed Word of God, which we call the Bible or the Scriptures.  I’ve read commentaries where they say David is only referring to the Law of Moses, but that denies the Divine inspiration of the remainder of the Old Testament as well as the entire New Testament.
   The Word of God is perfect because it is directed toward the well-being of mankind.  It gives us direction, instruction and correction as well as comfort and encouragement. The Law was given for our own good, because God loves children and what He has told us in His word is what is best for us.
Galatians 3:24 tells us that the Law was given to lead us to Christ.  Without the Law, we would not know we were lost in sin and separated from God.
The Testimony of the Lord (7b)
Learning what God has done, starting with creation, tells us about God’s character and about His purpose.  His testimony gives us a solid foundation to stand on and this gives us stability in our lives and helps us to stay on course and be easily led astray.
The Statutes of the Lord (8a) and the Commandment of the Lord (8b)
Some translations say “the precepts of the Lord,” are the rules of life we find when we study God’s Word.  After trying to understand why these are in the Bible, I’ve finally come to realize that the “dos” and “don’ts” are not put there to restrict my life.  They are not written to confine me.  By following them, I am free to live a better life and to enjoy a Father-son relationship with God.  By following His statutes and commandment I am spared a lot of pain and confusion and fear.  Following His statutes truly does make my heart rejoice.  They also revive and refresh my mind and encourage me.
The Fear of the Lord (9a)
If God is so loving, kind and compassionate, why does Scripture say we should "fear" Him?  This is not a fear as in being in terror of God.  There is a fear like that but it is what an unsaved person should have when facing a Holy God.  But the fear David writes about here is a reverential fear.  The Hebrew word used is one that means piety and reverence of God.  When we approach God in prayer, we should remember Who He is, and not come to Him in a flippant manner.  He is the Most Holy God, Creator of heaven and earth, and we should show Him the respect due to Him.
The Judgments of the Lord (9b)
God is fair. We often think that life is not fair, and there is so much injustice in the world.  But we need to take comfort knowing that God is fair and it is His judgments that will be the last word in our lives.

Stephen Cram                   April 29, 2012                  Colossians 2:8

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  Colossians 2:8