Psalm 119:129-133

129.Your testimonies are wonderful ; Therefore my soul observes them.
130.The unfolding of Your words gives light ; It gives understanding to the simple.
131.I opened my mouth wide and panted, For I longed for Your commandments.
132.Turn to me and be gracious to me, After Your manner with those who love Your name.
133.Establish my footsteps in Your word, And do not let any iniquity have dominion over me.

As I read Psalm 119, I was moved by the passion of the writer for the Word of God. He describes God’s Word as wonderful, righteous, joyous, and faithful, to name a few. He longs for the Word, he desires it, he rejoices because of it, he delights in it, he regards it as precious, he says the Word will revive him. God’s Word was the source of life for this writer.

One of the concepts I have been learning this semester is about the grace of God in giving the law to the Israelites. Christians today tend to look at the Law as something that was bad and kept people in bondage, not to mention that it has passed away and no longer matters today. But this psalmist wrote the masterpiece of Psalm 119 all about the law of Yahweh! He did not have the Gospels of Jesus Christ or the epistles of Paul. He had only the law, and he loved it passionately.

Verses 129-133 show how the psalmist saw God’s grace in His law. The writer says God’s testimonies are wonderful! The unfolding of God’s words gives light! What a beautiful metaphor- God’s people would otherwise be lost in darkness, but His words give light and point out the way of life. He gives understanding to the simple through His words. In verse 131, the psalmist says he is thirsty for God’s commandments. I think the following verses explain why. God shows His grace to those who love Him through His commandments. By His Word He establishes their footsteps and prevents sin from having dominion over them. This is God’s manner with those who love His name: “Grace, always grace!” (quote from Dr. Ron Allen)