Studies
in Psalm 119:9-16 BETH-
Gleanings from Historical CommentariesCollected
by Jack Kettler
9
Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed thereto according to thy word.
In
every verse in this section, we see the
purifying power of God's Word.
How
shall a young man or anyone cleanse their way?
Someone may go many ways. “There is a way that
seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are
the ways of death” (Proverbs 16:25). The way
that seems right unto man is the way of the
natural man. This is humanism, man following
Satan's lie, rather than letting God be the
supreme authority arbiter of truth. Instead,
fallen man says, he will be like God and be the
arbiter of good and evil. This is surely, the
way death. “The fear of the LORD is clean,
enduring forever: the judgments of the LORD are
true and righteous altogether” (Psalm 19:9). How
can someone rightly fear the Lord and cleanse
their way? The answer is in the latter part of
verse 9, “By taking heed thereto according to
thy word.” We bow before God in humility and
submit to His Word.
It
would be profitable to read the commentary of
Baptist Puritan John Gill on this verse:
Wherewith
shall a young man cleanse his way?.... Some
think David means himself, and that he was a
young man when he wrote this psalm; and which
they think is confirmed by Psalm 119:100; but
neither of them seem conclusive; rather any
young man is meant, and who is particularly
mentioned, because young men are liable to sins
and snares, to carnal lusts and sensual
pleasures, which are of a defiling nature. Some
are of opinion that a young man, or babe in
Christ, is intended, that needs direction in his
way, and instruction about the manner of
cleansing it. But the former sense seems best,
and expresses the concern of the psalmist for
the education and right information of youth;
which is a matter of great moment and advantage
to families, neighborhoods, and commonwealths.
The question supposes the young man to be
impure, as every man is by birth, being
conceived in sin, and shapen in iniquity; is a
transgressor from the womb, and his heart, ways,
and actions, evil from his youth: and the
difficulty is, how he shall be cleansed; how one
so impure in his nature, heart, and ways, can be
just with God, or become undefiled in the way,
as in Psalm 119:1; to which some reference may
be had: or how he can have his heart made pure,
or a clean one be created in him; or how his
way, life, and conversation, may be corrected,
reformed, and amended. The answer is,
by
taking heed thereto according to thy word; that
is, to his way and course of life, and steering
it according to the direction of the word of
God. But I think the words may be better
rendered and supplied thus, "by observing what
is according to thy word" (p); which shows how a
sinner is to be cleansed from his sins by the
blood of Christ, and justified by his
righteousness, and be clean through his word;
and also how and by whom the work of
sanctification is wrought in the heart, even by
the Spirit of God, by means of the word; and
what is the rule of a man's walk and
conversation: he will find the word of God to be
profitable, to inform in the doctrines of
justification and pardon, to acquaint him with
the nature of regeneration and sanctification;
and for the correction and amendment of his life
and manners, and for his instruction in every
branch of righteousness, 2 Timothy 3:16. (1)
10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O
let me not wander from thy commandments.
The
Psalmist cries, “With my whole heart” leb (labe)
the heart; which can be used figuratively for
feelings, the will and even the intellect has he
sought God. He prays, “O let me not wander;” shagah
(shaw-gaw')
go astray, be deceived, sin willing or sin
through ignorance, or stray “from thy
commandments;” mitsvah
(mits-vaw')
which consist of specific divine ordinances and
precepts and can collectively refer to the whole
Law.
In
this same Psalm, we see the same pattern of the
godly, “that seek him with the whole heart”
(119:2) and “I cried with my whole heart”
(119:145).
Calvin's
comments on this verse are most edifying:
10.
With my whole heart Conscious of the integrity
of his heart, the prophet still implores the
help of God, that he might not stumble by reason
of his infirmity. He makes no boast of
self-preparation, as if he had spontaneously
begun to inquire after God, but in praising the
grace which he had experienced, he at the same
time aspires after steadfastness to persevere in
walking in his ways. It is folly on the part of
the Papists to seize upon this and similar
passages, as if the saints, of their own free
will, anticipated the grace of the Holy Spirit,
and afterwards were favored with his aid. The
prophet does not make a division between God and
himself, but rather prays God to continue his
work till it is completed, agreeably with what
we are generally taught, to keep God mindful of
his benefits until he accomplish them.
In
the meantime, there is good cause for presenting
our supplication to God, to stretch out his hand
towards us when he sees our minds so settled,
that we are solicitous of nothing so much as
acting uprightly. And as he elevates us with
confidence to ask the gift of perseverance, when
he inspires our hearts with proper affection
towards him, so also does he entreat us for the
future not to sink into a careless and languid
state like soldiers who have been discharged,
but seek to be constantly directed by the spirit
of wisdom, and to be sustained by the principles
of fortitude and virtue. David here, from his
own example, points out to us a rule, that by
how much a man finds himself succored by God, by
so much ought he to be induced the more
carefully and earnestly to implore the
continuance of his aid; for unless he restrain
us, we will instantly wander and go astray. This
sentiment is more explicitly stated in the
original word תשגני,
tashqeni, which is in the passive voice,
and signifies, to be led astray403 From the
import of the term, I do not mean to establish
the doctrine that God secretly incites us to
commit sin, but only to let my readers know,
that such is our liability to err, that we
immediately relapse into sin the instant he
leaves us to ourselves. This passage also
admonishes us that the man who swerves but a
little from God’s commandments is guilty of
going astray. (2)
11
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might
not sin against thee.
Two
passages of Scripture that continue this theme
of keeping God's Word in our heart are:
“My
son, if you receive my words and treasure up my
commandments with you” (Proverbs 2:1); and “Let
the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching
and admonishing one another in all wisdom,
singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
with thankfulness in your hearts to God”
(Colossians 3:16).
The
devil is like a roaring lion and ready to
attack. We need to have God's Word close to us.
Jesus used the Word as his defense when the
devil came to Him in the wilderness. Likewise,
if we keep the Word close to us or in our hearts
we will be empowered to resist sin.
Matthew
Poole's comment on verse 11 is right to the
point:
I
have not contented myself with bare hearing or
reading thy word, but have received it in the
love of it, have diligently pondered it, and
laid it up in my mind and memory like a choice
treasure, to be ready upon all occasions, to
counsel, or comfort, or quicken, or caution me,
as need requires; that by a diligent and
affectionate consideration of thy precepts, and
promises, and threatenings, I might be kept from
sinful courses, against which these are the best
antidote. (3)
Cross-References
for verse 11: Luke 2:19; Luke 2:51; Psalm 4:4;
Psalm 37:31; Psalm 40:8
12
Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.
The
Psalmist rightly gives glory to God using the
language of doxology, which is a short hymn of
praise when he begins by saying: “Blessed art
thou, O Lord.” When we approach God in prayer,
we should always begin by praising Him, before
bringing our requests. The Psalmists then asks
God to teach him, His statutes.
Matthew
Henry says:
Here,
1. David gives glory to God: “Blessed art thou,
O Lord! Thou art infinitely happy in the
enjoyment of thyself and hast no need of me or
my services; yet thou art pleased to reckon
thyself honoured by them; assist me therefore,
and then accept me.” In all our prayers we
should intermix praises. 2. He asks grace from
God: “Teach me thy statutes; give me to know and
do my duty in everything. Thou art the fountain
of all blessedness; O let me have this drop from
that fountain, this blessing from that
blessedness: Teach me thy statutes that I may
know how to bless thee, who art a blessed God,
and that I may be blessed in thee.” (4)
13
With my lips have I declared all the judgments
of thy mouth.
How
does this apply in the New Covenant? First, we
should understand that Jesus is the Word of God
manifest in the flesh (John 1:14). One clear way
we declare all of God's judgments is to follow
Christ's instructions: “Whosoever therefore
shall confess me before men, him will I confess
also before my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew
10:32). Christ may be denied in words by denying
His Lordship and Christ may be denied in works
by breaking the law of God. Let us seek to
faithfully confess Him before man, and strive to
honor Him by keeping God's commandments.
Spurgeon's comments on this passage will be
of value:
Ver. 13. With my lips have I declared all the
judgments of thy mouth. The taught one of Psalms
119:12 is here a teacher himself. What we learn
in secret we are to proclaim upon the housetops.
So had the Psalmist done. As much as he had
known he had spoken. God has revealed many of
his judgments by his mouth, that is to say, by a
plain and open revelation; these it is out duty
to repeat, becoming, as it were, so many exact
echoes of his one infallible voice. There are
judgments of God which are a great deep, which
he does not reveal, and with these it will be
wise for us not to intermeddle. What the Lord
has veiled it would be presumption for us to
uncover; but, on the other hand, what the Lord
has revealed it would be shameful for us to
conceal. It is a great comfort to a Christian in
time of trouble when in looking back upon his
past life he can claim to have done his duty by
the word of God. To have been, like Noah, a
preacher of righteousness, is a great joy when
the floods are rising, and the ungodly world is
about to be destroyed. Lips which have been used
in proclaiming God's statutes are sure to be
acceptable when pleading God's promises. If we
have had such regard to that which cometh out of
God's mouth that we have published it far and
wide, we may rest quite as assured that God will
have respect unto the prayers which come out of
our mouths.
It will be an effectual method of cleansing a
young man's way if he addicts himself
continually to preaching the gospel. He cannot
go far wrong in judgment whose whole soul is
occupied in setting forth the judgments of the
Lord. By teaching we learn; by training the
tongue to holy speech we master the whole body;
by familiarity with the divine procedure we are
made to delight in righteousness; and thus in a
threefold manner our way is cleansed by our
proclaiming the way of the Lord. (5)
14
I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies,
as much as in all riches.
The
Psalmist says, “I have rejoiced in the way of
thy testimonies,” In the New Covenant we
understand that the Scriptures or testimonies
declare most clearly that Christ himself is the
only way of life and salvation. All earthly
riches can be counted as but dung when compared
to the riches in Christ!
Again,
let us consult Surgeon from his Treasury of
David on this verse:
Ver.
14. I have rejoiced in the way of thy
testimonies. Delight in the word of God is a
sure proof that it has taken effect upon the
heart, and so is cleansing the life. The
Psalmist not only says that he does rejoice, but
that he has rejoiced. For years, it had been his
joy and bliss to give his soul to the teaching
of the word. His rejoicing had not only arisen
out of the word of God, but out of the practical
characteristics of it. The Way was as dear to
him as the Truth and the Life. There was no
picking and choosing with David, or if indeed he
did make a selection, he chose the most
practical first.
As
much as in all riches. He compared his intense
satisfaction with God's will with that of a man
who possesses large and varied estates, and the
heart to enjoy them. David knew the riches that
come of sovereignty and which grow out of
conquest; he valued the wealth, which proceeds
from labour, or is gotten by inheritance: he
knew "all riches." The gracious king had been
glad to see the gold and silver poured into his
treasury that he might devote vast masses of it
to the building of the Temple of Jehovah upon
Mount Zion. He rejoiced in all sorts of riches
consecrated and laid up for the noblest uses,
and yet the way of God's word had given him more
pleasure than even these. Observe that his joy
was personal, distinct, remembered, and
abundant. Wonder not that in the previous verse
he glories in having spoken much of that which
he had so much enjoyed: a man may well talk of
that which is his delight. (6)
15
I will meditate in thy precepts, and have
respect unto thy ways.
Christian
meditation is a manner of study and prayer in
which the believer intentionally considers a
particular or several bible passages and
reflects on the meaning in the context of
developing a deeper love of God.
Paul
tells Timothy to “meditate upon these things;
give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting
may appear to all” (1Timothy 4:15).
Calvin
is precise in his comments:
In
thy precepts That to which I formerly adverted
must not be forgotten -- the prophet's not
making a boast of his own acquirements, but
setting before others an example for their
imitation. We are aware that the majority of
mankind are so much involved in the cares of the
world, as to leave no time or leisure for
meditating upon the doctrine of God. To meet
this callous indifference, he very seasonably
commends diligence and attention. And even were
we not so ensnared by the world, we know how
readily we lose sight of the law of God, in the
daily temptations which suddenly overtake us. It
is not therefore without reason that the prophet
exhorts us to constant exercise, and enjoins us
to direct all our energies to the subject of
meditation on God's precepts. And as the life of
men is unstable, being continually distracted by
the carnality of their minds, he declares that
he will consider attentively the ways of God.
Subsequently, he repeats the exquisite pleasure
he took in this pursuit. For our proficiency in
the law of God will be small, until we
cheerfully and heartily set our minds upon it.
And, in fact, the commencement of a good life
consists in God's law attracting us to him by
its sweetness. By the same means the lusts of
the flesh, too, are subdued or mitigated. In our
natural state, what is more agreeable to us than
that which is sinful? This will be the constant
tendency of our minds, unless the delight which
we feel in the law carry us in the opposite
direction. (7)
16
I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will
not forget thy word.
The
believer in the New Covenant continues this
practice: “For I delight in God's law after the
inward man” (Romans 7:22).
A
warning for forgetfulness: “Then beware lest you
forget Yahweh, who brought you forth out of the
land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage”
(Deuteronomy 6:12).
We
will conclude this section with Matthew
Henry's thoughts:
119:9-16
To original corruption all have added actual
sin. The ruin of the young is either living by
no rule at all, or choosing false rules: let
them walk by Scripture rules. To doubt of our
own wisdom and strength, and to depend upon God,
proves the purpose of holiness is sincere. God's
word is treasure worth laying up, and there is
no laying it up safe but in our hearts, that we
may oppose God's precepts to the dominion of
sin, his promises to its allurements, and his
threatenings to its violence. Let this be our
plea with Him to teach us his statutes, that,
being partakers of his holiness, we may also
partake of his blessedness. And those whose
hearts are fed with the bread of life, should
with their lips feed many. In the way of God's
commandments there is the unsearchable riches of
Christ. But we do not meditate on God's precepts
to good purpose, unless our good thoughts
produce good works. I will not only think of thy
statutes, but do them with delight. And it will
be well to try the sincerity of our obedience by
tracing the spring of it; the reality of our
love by cheerfulness in appointed duties. (8)
1.John Gill, Exposition
of the Old and New Testaments 9 Volumes,
Psalms, (Grace Works, Multi-Media Labs),
2011, p. 1373, 1374.
2.John Calvin, Calvin's
Commentaries, Vol. VI: Psalms, (Grand
Rapids, Michigan, Baker Book House Reprinted
1979), p.408, 409.
3.Matthew Poole's Commentary
on the Holy Bible, Vol. 2 (Peabody,
Massachusetts, Hendrickson Publishers, 1985) p.
183.
4.Matthew Henry Commentary
on the Whole Bible, (Hendrickson
Publishers, Inc, Fourth printing 1985) p. 915.
5.C. H. Spurgeon, The
Treasury of David, Vol. II, (Nashville,
Tennessee, Thomas Nelson), p. 160.
6.C. H. Spurgeon, p.
160.
7.John Calvin, Calvin's
Commentaries, Vol. VI: Psalms, (Grand
Rapids, Michigan, Baker Book House Reprinted
1979), p.411.
8.Matthew Henry's Concise
Commentary, An abridgment of the 6 volume
Matthew
Henry's Commentary on the Bible,
(Nashville, Tennessee, Thomas Nelson, reprinted
2003), pp. 956, 957.
Mr. Kettler has previously
published articles in the Chalcedon Report
and Contra Mundum. He and his wife
Marea attend the Westminster, CO, RPCNA
Church. Mr. Kettler is the author of the book
defending the Reformed Faith against attacks,
titled: The Religion That Started in a
Hat. Available at:
www.TheReligionThatStartedInAHat.com