Do Your commandments!

[Psalms 119:161-168]

                If we love God, we must obey God's commandments (Jn. 14:21).  When we obey His commandments, we must keep the least of His commandments and not break one of them (Mt. 5:19).  When we look at Psalms 119:166, this is what the psalmist said: “I hope for Your salvation, O LORD, And do Your commandments.”  Focusing on this verse, I would like to think about three things under the heading “Do Your commandments!”: (1) What must we do to do the commandments of God?  (2) How should we do God's commandments?  (3) What is the result of doing God's commandments?

            First, what must we do to do the commandments of God?

                Psalms 119:161-168 teaches us three things:

(1)   In order for us to do God's commandments, we must stand in awe of the words of God.

Look at Psalms 119:161 – “Princes persecute me without cause, But my heart stands in awe of Your words.”  The psalmist was not afraid of the princes who persecuted him in the midst of innocent persecution, but he feared only the words of the Lord.  When we have reverence for His words, we can do God's commandments like the psalmist.  If there is no reverence for God's commandments, we are afraid of those who persecute us.  Then we have no choice but to commit the sin of disobedience for not doing His commandments.

(2)   In order for us to do God's commandments, we must rejoice in the word of the Lord.

Look at Psalms 119:162 – “I rejoice at Your word, As one who finds great spoil.”  The psalmist not only stand in aw of the word of God, but also rejoiced in it.  He rejoiced in His word, but rejoiced as if he had found great spoil.  Like the psalmist, we must rejoice in the word of God in our sufferings.  We should rejoice in the word of God as if we have found great spoil.  Just as a person makes no effort and rejoices with the stolen water obtained when he is unqualified, so in the midst of suffering, we are simply not deserving to receive it, but we must greatly rejoice at the word of promise given.

(3)   In order for us to do God’s commandments, we must love the word of the Lord.

Look at Psalms 119:163 – “I hate and despise falsehood, But I love Your law.”  In order for us to do God's commandments, we must love God's word like the psalmist.  And in order to love His word, we must hate and despise falsehood.  We must not tolerate even small lies.  Accepting that lies are small is evidence that we don’t love the word of God that much.  Those who love the word of truth hate and despise even small lies.  And because they love the word of God, they do the commandments of God.

            Second, how should we do God's commandments? 

                Look at Psalms 119:166 – “I hope for Your salvation, O LORD, And do Your commandments.”  The psalmist did God's commandments, hoping for the Lord's salvation.  In other words, this means that there is liable to be misunderstood to hope for salvation without doing the commandments of God.  Of course, salvation belongs only to God.  But there is a problem in praying for salvation without obeying His word, which is human responsibility.  We must hope for God's salvation in obedience to His word, which is our responsibility.  We must do God's commandments, hoping for God's salvation.  Then God will deliver us from suffering.

            Third, what is the result of doing God's commandments?

                It is to praise the Lord.  Look at Psalms 119:164 – “Seven times a day I praise You, Because of Your righteous ordinances.”  The psalmist praised the Lord seven times a day because of His righteous ordinances.  Eventually, he came to praise God by doing God's commandments.  Those who stand awe, rejoice, and love the word of God praise the Lord.  Another result of doing God's commandments is great peace of mind.  Look at Psalms 119:165 – “Those who love Your law have great peace, And nothing causes them to stumble.”  Because we love the word of God, we will find great peace in our hearts for those who obey His word.

                We must do God's commandments.  In the midst of suffering, we must do His word.  We must stand in awe of the word of God, rejoice in it, and do it with love.  We must do God's commandments, hoping for God's salvation in our suffering.  Then God will give us great peace. And He will make us to praise the Lord.

Wishing to be a doer of God's commandments,

James Kim

(Standing in awe of His word, rejoicing in it and desire to love it more and more)