What is the meaning of Psalm 31:23? Love the LORD • The verse opens with a direct call: “Love the LORD.” Love is not optional— it is the believer’s defining response to God’s covenant grace. • Deuteronomy 6:5 echoes the same command: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart…” Jesus restates it as the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:37. • Love for God grows out of His prior love for us (1 John 4:19) and expresses itself in obedience (John 14:15). all His saints • “Saints” refers to all who have been set apart by God through faith, not a special class. Paul greets entire churches as saints (Ephesians 1:1; Colossians 1:2). • This inclusive address means every believer is summoned to active, affectionate devotion. There’s no spectator section in God’s family (1 Peter 2:9). The LORD preserves the faithful • “Preserves” speaks of God’s continuous, hands–on protection. Psalm 97:10 says, “He preserves His saints; He delivers them…” • Faithful believers are kept, not merely spared trouble, but guarded through it (2 Thessalonians 3:3; 1 Samuel 2:9). • David, the psalmist, had experienced this preservation repeatedly (Psalm 31:20), so his assurance is personal and testimonial. but fully repays the arrogant • God’s justice is as certain as His mercy. Proverbs 16:18 warns that pride precedes destruction, and James 4:6 reminds us that God “opposes the proud.” • “Fully repays” stresses completeness; no proud act escapes the Lord’s notice (Romans 2:5-6; Psalm 94:2). • The contrast highlights a moral universe in which humility and faith are rewarded, while arrogance meets divine recompense. summary Psalm 31:23 calls every believer to love God wholeheartedly, reminds us that we’re all saints set apart for that purpose, assures us that the Lord actively secures those who remain faithful, and cautions that pride invites certain judgment. Choosing humble, persevering love aligns us with the preserving care of God and shields us from the ruin that pride inevitably brings. |
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