Meditation: Psalm 19

7           The law of the Lord is perfect,         reviving the soul;         the testimony of the Lord is sure,         making wise the simple; 8          the precepts 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 rules of the Lord are true,                 and righteous altogether. This section comes right after David exults in the glory of nature and its witness to the glory of God. In his mind, their are two testimonies to the glory of God: nature and the Word. They are not mutually exclusive but help humanity embrace God as their Creator and Savior. Not only does he fix all the boundaries of the earth and determine when a snowflake falls or a tidal wave will crash on the coast (Ps. 74:17), but he also has gifted us his Word to give us boundaries by which we can enjoy the fullness of life (Ps. 16:6). The world will always scoff at the Christian who loves the Bible. It is foolishness and a stumbling block. For in it contains the paradoxes the fleshly mind cannot perceive. But to us it is sweeter than even honey. Notice: What areas does the law of the Lord affect? Every one. Firstly, the soul is revived. If your soul has been downcast with worry and pain, go to the Word of God. There you will find solace and hope. Then the mind is taught - the simple are made wise. How else can you explain doltish fishermen confounding the learned. Then the heart is made glad. Only those who have been born again can be made happy by hearing the precepts of God. Next, the eyes are enlightened. Only those who have been born of the Spirit of God can see the Kingdom of God - the rest are blinded to its majesty. Finally, what brings this section together is the response on the part of the hearer. He fears God. The unbeliever walks through life cursing the rain (though it waters the plants that sustain him), cursing his neighbor (though community is what keeps him alive), cursing God (though he is the one who gives him the very breath to utter the curse). The proper response upon seeing the marvel of creation and hearing the law of the Lord is fear. It is clean. Outside of the person it endures forever. It does not depend on man keeping it in order to be alive. Unlike many who would deceive and say that culture determines right and wrong, fear is clean and in the last day all flesh will know what it means to fear rightly. Parallel to the fear of the Lord are the rules of the Lord; they are true and thoroughly righteous (regardless of whether man heeds them or not). Blasphemy does not have to be uttered by the lips. It can be proclaimed by a life not lived in fear of God. Embrace the perfection, the surety, the rightness, the purity, the truthfulness, and the righteousness of the Word of God.