August 21, 2019 -- Psalm 119:1 -- What laws should we keep?
/Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD!
Psalm 119:1 English Standard Version
The One Who created the heavens and the earth is communicating to us, those reading this Psalm. And the Lord of Glory speaks through this Psalm to all who believe in Jesus, His Words are crucial if we want live in the blessings of His creation. Walking in His laws is the pathway of the life.
Which laws? Well, in the Old Testament there are laws for the nation of Israel, there are laws for ceremonial observances and there are moral laws. In the Old Testament times a person reading this would be called to keep all the laws in all these categories. However, as New Testament Christians we read this knowing the accomplished work of Jesus Christ.
In Jesus Christ the ceremonial laws for sacrifice are done. Christians no longer keep the Passover and the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Weeks and the Unleavened Bread. In Christ Jesus we have the Lamb of God Who has taken away the sin of the world. All those Old Testament practices pointed to Him and His Work.
In Jesus Christ we have the true descendant of King David. He is our King. We do not keep the old laws of Israel because those were for a particular nation to preserve the people and the line of David until Jesus came as the final, everlasting King. This King Jesus has given us His rule for life as citizens of His Kingdom in the New Testament.
So for us, as New Testament followers of Jesus Christ we keep the Ten Commandments and Jesus summarized them in this way: we are to love God with all we have and all we are. We are to love our neighbour as we love ourselves.
To be blameless does not mean we will be without sin. What it means is when the mirror of the 10 commandments are held up before us we know the extent of our sins. We realize how much we need Jesus to cleanse us from our sins and we have in these laws the pathways of thankful living. This is what it is to lead a blameless life.
To fully appreciate Psalm 119 the reader has to understand God makes Himself known to us. The Infinite stoops down and reveals Himself to the finite creature—us. The Infinite shows us the wisest and the most joy-filled way of living in His world.
Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, God of Glory, our Father—help us to delight in Your law as the path of thankful living. Thank You that Jesus has fulfilled all the law’s demands and that in Him we have the credit of His righteousness. Let our lives so shine for Jesus that the people around us will see Jesus in us. By Your Spirit living in us, make us bold to be witnesses for Jesus, our Saviour and King! Amen.
