#850 Aleph

Aleph

 Blessed are those whose way is blameless,

who walk in the law of the Lord!

2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,

who seek him with their whole heart,

3 who also do no wrong,

but walk in his ways!

4 You have commanded your precepts

to be kept diligently.

5 Oh that my ways may be steadfast

in keeping your statutes!

6 Then I shall not be put to shame,

having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.

7 I will praise you with an upright heart,

when I learn your righteous rules.

8 I will keep your statutes;

do not utterly forsake me! Psalm 119: 1-8 ESV

A Psalm that bleeds of Sola Scriptura.

Aleph is the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet, see title link above. Remember that Hebrew reads from right to left. Taw is the 22nd or last letter in the alphabet, as Alpha and Omega, beginning and the end. Taw is the last section of Psalm 119. I thought I could give an overall brief description or theme to Psalm 119, but then looking at it I think I would cheat myself by not breaking it up into it's smaller and more naturally prescribed divisions. 

Blessed are those whose way is blameless - Those who walk in the law of the Lord, who live by His law are blessed. We can see this same blessing even in those who have not yet come to faith in Christ. The law has been good even for them, for it teaches the love and respect of neighbor as well as individual responsibility. 

Who seek Him with their whole heart - Thou shalt love the Lord thy God and Him only shalt thou serve. This increases the blessing, it is not only the presentable, outside portion of the cup, but the whole of this man loves the Lord most intently. He is the object of our affection, worthy of all our praise. This is the fire that keeps a man blameless, else would pride raise itself up, and say, "look at what I have done."

- We are bound to keep with all care the word of God, because it is his testimonies. He gave them to us, but they are still his own. We are to keep them as a watchman guards his master's house, as a steward husbands his lord's goods, as a shepherd keeps his employer's flock. We shall have to give an account, for we are put in trust with the gospel, and woe to us if we be found unfaithful. We cannot fight a good fight, nor finish our course, unless we keep the faith. To this end the Lord must keep us: only those who are kept by the power of God unto salvation will ever be able to keep his testimonies. C. H. Spurgeon

Who also do no wrong - What a bar to set, and how does a man keep his way pure? He must first know that it is not. From his heart he yearns for holiness, to be known and loved by God, this is his great incentive. If I am God's child and He is holy, then I desire to resemble His character, inside and out. I hate to say, "there is a formula", but in 1 John 1:8 it says, "if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves." In verse 9 it says, "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." Those that would walk in an outward appearance of holiness, only in the fear of the eyes of men, would need to be asked, "In whom did you believe, what did you believe?" Love covers a multitude of sins but love does not cover up. Many would prefer to be excused rather than forgiven, to say something is not sin that God says is, and still others would say they believe in God, but will make so light a thing of the cross, as to believe that their sin is a light thing, not to be compared with that of others. Verse 9 continues though, "and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness," Whom He justifies, them He also sanctifies, and Who He sanctifies, them He also glorifies. God is faithful to those repentant hearts that call upon His mercy to save them. 

…5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will continue to perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart. For in my chains and in my defense and confirmation of the gospel, you are all partners in grace with me.… Philippians 1: 5-7

1 John 1: 10 continues, "If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His Word is not in us." Who did you believe, and what word is in your heart?

- This verse describes believers as they exist among us: although they have their faults and infirmities, yet they hate evil, and will not permit themselves to do it; they love the ways of truth, right and true godliness, and habitually they walk therein. They do not claim to be absolutely perfect except in their desires, and there they are pure indeed, for they pant to be kept from all sin, and to be led into all holiness. C. H. Spurgeon 

You have commanded Your precepts to be kept diligently - You did not speak without intent, to just make words. It is all truth, it is all life. It was not a suggestion.

- So that when we have done all we are unprofitable servants, we have done only that which it was our duty to have done, seeing we have our Lord's command for it. God's precepts require careful obedience: there is no keeping them by accident. Some give to God a careless service, a sort of hit or miss obedience, but the Lord has not commanded such service, nor will he accept it. His law demands the love of all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; and a careless religion has none of these. C. H. Spurgeon

Oh that my ways may be steadfast - Lord, I have seen Your way, I have seen myself as born outside of Your way, walking after my own will. Create in me a willing heart, O God, so thoroughly convince my mind by Your grace and Your Word. It is the Psalmist will to be made willing. I need a heart of flesh to replace this heart of stone, a renewed mind with new desires. How blessed is the man in the verses above, yet he is also my grief, for if I am honest at all, he is not who I now am. This means war.

…23 But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I serve the law of God, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.… Romans 7: 23-25

Then I shall not be put to shame - It is in the turning away from God's word, the seeking after self, and the bowing to the culture, we find ourselves dulled to the reality of truth. Pride will maintain that we are not in the wrong, but that shame that does not come now comes worst.

- Our first parents never knew shame till they made the acquaintance of the old serpent, and it never left them till their gracious God had covered them with sacrificial skins. Disobedience made them naked and ashamed. We, ourselves, will always have cause for shame till every sin is vanquished, and every duty is observed. When we pay a continual and universal respect to the will of the Lord, then we shall be able to look ourselves in the face in the looking glass of the law, and we shall not blush at the sight of men or devils, however eager their malice may be to lay somewhat to our charge. C. H. Spurgeon

I will praise You with an upright heart - As the Psalmist learns the rules of God he praises Him, for what hope could we have if left to our own deceitful hearts. The realization that I am not but You are making me to be, even when I become, I must praise you for what I would not have known by earthly wisdom. When I have an upright heart it will not be to my praise but to the One Who has worked this in me. Thank you for Your Word, Oh God, it is light, it is truth, it is peace to all who love it.

I will keep Your statutes, do not utterly forsake me - He is resolved upon the reading to make a pledge, he is committed, but not boasting. It is not by his might or the psalmist own power, but by God's Spirit. I want what I must admittedly request help for, to walk as I have not been able to in times past. Help me, Oh God, lead me, do not let go of me.

- We meet with those who to all appearance humbly pray, but there is no force of character, no decision in them, and consequently the pleading of the closet is not embodied in the life: on the other band, we meet with abundance of resolve attended with an entire absence of dependence upon God, and this makes as poor a character as the former. The Lord grant us to have such a blending of excellences that we may be "perfect and entire, wanting nothing." C. H. Spurgeon