How does Psalm 119:36 relate to the concept of free will? Text “Turn my heart to Your testimonies and not to covetous gain.” (Psalm 119:36) Immediate Literary Context Psalm 119 is an acrostic meditation on the Torah. Every verse names God’s word with terms such as “testimonies,” “precepts,” or “statutes.” Verse 36 sits in the He stanza (vv. 33-40) where every line begins with ה (heh) and traces a progression: ask for teaching (v 33), understanding (v 34), obedience (v 35), then divine inclination of the will (v 36). The flow moves from cognition to volition, underscoring that right knowledge must be followed by a transformed will. Biblical Theology of the Will • Created Freedom—Human beings are made “in the image of God” (Genesis 1:27), possessing real moral agency. • Fallen Bondage—Sin enslaves: “Everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). Left to itself, the will is “dead in trespasses” (Ephesians 2:1). • Sovereign Enablement—God promises to “circumcise your heart” (Deuteronomy 30:6) and to “remove the heart of stone” (Ezekiel 36:26). Psalm 119:36 echoes these covenants by pleading for that very surgery. • Cooperative Responsibility—Philippians 2:12-13 balances “work out your salvation” with “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to act.” The psalmist’s prayer models this synergy: he chooses to ask; God must empower the choice. Compatibilist Harmony The verse illustrates compatibilism: divine action and human freedom coexist without contradiction. The psalmist is morally responsible (he prays), yet he recognizes that the decisive mover of his will is God. Proverbs 21:1 offers a parallel: “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; He directs it wherever He pleases.” Counter-Covetousness and Moral Affections By contrasting “Your testimonies” with “covetous gain,” the writer acknowledges competing affections. Freedom, biblically defined, is not mere ability to choose otherwise but the capacity to delight in the good. Augustine captured this: “Love God and do what you will.” Psalm 119:36 seeks that very realignment of love. Old Testament Witnesses The same structure appears in: • 1 Kings 8:58—“May He incline our hearts to Himself.” • 2 Chron 30:12—“The hand of God was on Judah to give them one heart.” The Dead Sea Scroll 11Q5 (Psalm Scroll) preserves these lines substantially as the Masoretic Text, confirming textual reliability. New Covenant Fulfillment The prayer’s answer is ultimately found in Christ. The resurrection power that raised Jesus (Romans 8:11) is the power that “makes us alive” (Ephesians 2:5) and writes the law on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33). Free will is renewed, not discarded. Philosophical Clarifications Libertarian freedom posits an autonomous will; Scripture portrays freedom within God’s sustaining providence (Acts 17:28). Psalm 119:36 tests libertarianism: why petition God to incline a will that is supposedly self-determining? The prayer only makes sense if true freedom is dependent freedom. Ethical Implications A will bent toward God’s testimonies produces social justice, honest commerce, marital fidelity, and sacrificial generosity. By contrast, covetous gain spawns exploitation and societal decay—empirically observable in criminology statistics linking greed to fraud. Liturgical and Pastoral Usage Jewish liturgies use Psalm 119 in Shabbat afternoon prayers; Christian lectionaries assign portions during Lent. Pastors employ v 36 in counseling those enslaved to addiction, highlighting both responsibility and divine aid. Conclusion Psalm 119:36 reveals that authentic free will is neither autonomous nor illusionary but a faculty enlivened and directed by God’s grace. The prayer confesses dependence, invites divine renovation, and showcases the harmonious interplay between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility—a synergy ultimately vindicated by the resurrected Christ, who alone grants hearts the freedom to love God’s testimonies. |
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