Psalm 19 — 20
(Song 2:3, 16; 6:3), the seed planted in the ground (John 12:23–24), and the bread on the table (John 6:35). The Word in the hand is fine; the Word in the head is better; but the Word in the heart is what transforms us and matures us in Christ (119:11; Col. 3:16–17). The Word is a light (119:105) and a mirror (James 1:22–25) to help us see ourselves, search our hearts (Heb. 4:12), and recognize and acknowledge our sins. "By the law is the knowledge of sin" (Rom. 3:20; 7:7–14). "Secret sins" are those we don't even see ourselves, "sins of ignorance" we don't realize we've committed. The Old Testament law made provision for their forgiveness (Lev. 4; Num. 15:22–29) because the sinners were guilty even though they were ignorant of what they had done (Lev. 5:17). However, the law provided no atonement for presumptuous sins (Num. 15:30–36; Deut. 17:12–13). When David committed adultery and arranged to have Uriah murdered (2 Sam. 11—12), he sinned insolently with his eyes wide open and therefore could bring no sacrifice (Ps. 51:16–17). When he confessed his sins, God in His grace forgave him (2 Sam. 12:13), but David paid dearly for his transgressions. Unconfessed sins, even if committed ignorantly, can grow within the heart and begin to rule over us, and this can lead to our committing willful disobedience ("great transgression"—there is no article in the Hebrew text).
highway, if we deliberately make a wrong turn, we go on a detour and fail to reach our destination.
Fear of the Lord (v. 9). This is an unusual name for the Scriptures, but it reminds us that we cannot learn the Word of God unless we show reverence and respect for the God of the Word. To teach the Bible is to teach the fear of the Lord (34:11; Deut. 4:9–10), and the mark of a true Bible student is a burning heart, not a big head (Luke 24:32; 1 Cor. 8:1). While some of the fears people have might be distressing and even defiling, the fear of God is clean and maturing. We do not decay or deteriorate as we walk in the fear of the Lord (2 Cor. 4:16–18).
Judgments of the Lord (v. 9). This can be translated "ordinances" or even "verdicts." It refers to the decisions of a judge. Throughout the Bible we see the Lord passing judgment on what people and nations do, and His rewards, rebukes, and punishments help us understand what pleases Him. In the nation of Israel, the ordinances instructed the officers and judges in settling problems between individuals and in meting out punishments to guilty offenders. Believers today are not under the Old Testament law, but how those laws were applied helps us understand the righteousness of God and our need for His grace.
The way we treat the Bible is the way we treat the Lord, so it isn't difficult to determine if we are rightly related to God. Do we desire His Word because it's precious to us (12), even more than wealth (v. 10; 119:14, 72, 127, 162) or tasty food (119:103; 1 Peter 2:2)? Do we find satisfaction in "feeding on" God's Word? (See Matt. 4:4; Job 23:12; Jer. 15:16.) Would we skip a meal to spend time meditating on the Scriptures? Do we attend church dinners but not church Bible studies? Furthermore, do we accept the warnings of the Word and act upon them? To know the warning and not heed it is sin (James 4:17). Do we enjoy the blessing of the Lord because we've obeyed His will? To have an appetite for God's Word is a mark of a healthy Christian whose priorities are straight. The Lord has sent the Holy Spirit to teach us His Word, and if we walk in the Spirit, we will learn and live the truth (John 14:26; 16:12–15; 1 Cor. 2:9–10; 1 John 2:20–29).
Creation is God's "wordless book," and the Scriptures are God's holy Word to us, but God wants to hear our words as "sacrifices" that please Him (141:1–2; Hos. 14:2; Heb. 13:15). The word translated "acceptable" refers to the priest's examination of the sacrifices to make sure they were without blemish. If the sacrifice wasn't acceptable to the Lord, the worshipper was not accepted by the Lord (Lev. 1:1–9; 22:17–25; Mal. 1:6–8). The words we speak begin with the thoughts in our heart (Matt. 12:33–37), so it's important that we meditate on God's Word and God's works, the first two themes of Psalm 19. If we delight in God's Word, we will naturally meditate on it and give expression of His truth with our lips, and this will help to keep us from sin (119:9–16, 23–24, 47–48, 77–78, 97–99). The usage here refers to the "kinsman redeemer" (goel = "one who has the right to redeem") who could rescue a relative from difficult situations (Lev. 25:25–28; Num. 35:11–34; the book of Ruth; Isa. 43:14). Jesus is our Redeemer (Gal. 3:13; 4:5; Titus 2:14; Heb. 9:12; 1 Peter 1:18), and He became our "kinsman" when He came in sinless human flesh to die for us on the cross. He is both Rock and Redeemer, for He not only paid the price to set us free, but He also keeps us safe.
The Witness Within Us—God the Redeemer (vv. 12–14) Unless we have a personal relationship with the Lord so that God is our Father and Jesus is our Redeemer, what we see in creation and what we read in the Bible will not do us much good. The magi in Matthew 2:1–12 started on their journey by following God's star, a special messenger in the sky to direct them. Then they consulted God's Word and found that the King was to be born in Bethlehem; so they went to Bethlehem and there found and worshipped the Savior.18 When you study God's creation with a Bible in your hand, you can't help but see Jesus! He is seen in the vine (John 15), the sun (John 8:12; Mal. 4:2), the stars (Num. 24:17), the lambs (John 1:29), the apple trees and lilies