Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law does he meditate day and night. We should all like to be blessed, and here is the way — delight in the law of the Lord. I. WHAT IS THIS LAW? Not the Mosaic, not the ceremonial law, for which God often cared nothing; but the law according to which the Lord hath ordered all things. This is the law which God says He will put into our hearts and write on our minds. This is that true and eternal law of which Solomon speaks in his Proverbs as the Wisdom by which God made the heavens: and he tells us that that Wisdom is a tree of life to all who lay hold on her. This is that law which the inspired philosopher — for philosopher he was indeed — who wrote that 119th Psalm, continually prayed and strove to learn. Christ perfectly fulfilled it. He said, with His whole heart, "I delight to do Thy will, O My God." The will of God, for this law is nothing else. By keeping it we are blessed. What God has willed we should be and do. But if so, it is plain we must heed the warnings of the first verse. For no one will learn God's will if he takes counsel from the ungodly; or if he stand in the way of profligate and dishonest men. If he do this, all he will learn of God's law is the dreadful part of it told of in the 2nd Psalm. God will "rule him with a rod of iron, and break," etc. But there is more hope for him — if he repent — than if he sits in the seat of the scorners — the sneering, the frivolous, the unbelieving, who laugh down religion as enthusiasm and worse. When the greatest poet of our days tried to picture his idea of a fiend tempting man to ruin, he gave him just such a character as this: a very clever, agreeable, courteous man of the world, and yet a being who could not love anyone, and believed not in anyone; who mocked at both man and God, and who tempted and mined men in mere sport as a cruel child may torment a fly. Such was Mephistopheles. Beware, therefore, of the scornful as well as of the openly sinful. And remember — II. THIS LAW IS THE LAW OF THE LORD — our Lord Jesus Christ. Who can stand with Him? "Why do the heathen rage," etc. Men will not believe in this law. But sooner or later they have to, and often in terrible ways they find out their mistake. "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh." For Christ is on the throne of the universe. And His might and power are continually being made known. Even now He bruises His enemies as with a rod of iron. It is of no use to talk about the goodness of God and of the gentleness of Christ. We flatter ourselves that if gentle, He may be also indulgent and weak. But there is an awful side to His character. Think of these things. You are kings — at least over yourselves; and judges — at least of your own conduct. Therefore let each and all of us, high and low, take the warning and love law — for that is the true meaning — before the Son of God, as subjects before an absolute monarch, because His will is only and always a good will. (Charles Kingsley.) Parallel Verses KJV: But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.WEB: but his delight is in Yahweh's law. On his law he meditates day and night. |
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