Psalm 119:57-64
It is amazing how, when we are young, saying "thank you" has to be repeatedly reinforced into our life. You do not teach a child that simple phrase just once, you teach it to them time and time and time again. It is apparently something that, by nature, we are slow to learn and slow to accept. I would argue that even if you are reading this as an adult, perhaps ninety-seven years wise, "thankfulness" is an area of your life that could stand some improvement.
If you wish to embrace Christianity, you must sometimes embrace what appears to be crazy. If you don't like crazy, you've got the wrong religion. My intent is not to say that Christianity "is" crazy, I'm saying that to a toddler, being compelled to say, "thank you" is not natural, not instinctive, not even sane, it seems 'crazy,' but it is right, it is true and it is love...
... The hope is that the toddler learns it's value, first through doing it (though not grasping it) and one day grasping and valuing it, adopting it as part of their life. But at first, they don't appreciate having to do it, it appears crazy.
In our text, the psalmist expresses thanks to God for His righteous laws. Now, I'm sorry, but this is an area that dabbles in the crazy. Who in their right mind feels in their heart a gratefulness for something that constrains them. And that's exactly what law is, a constraint.
Remember back when you were a teenager? Picture yourself at home, sitting on the couch watching TV or playing a video game, munching on Cheetos and drinking your favorite soda pop. Your parent, or grandparent, or guardian enters the room and announces, "We have a new rule in this house."
So you quickly pause the programming, silence the crunching, safely position your beverage on the end table, smiling from ear to ear you pull out a pen and a notepad and with celebratory gleefulness you beg for the new rule to be disclosed in full detail so you can memorize it, hiding it deep in your heart so that you will never transgress it!
I'm over forty years old. I am almost a full grown man. I have walked with God for decades. He has multiplied and multiplied the love in my heart. But when my wife announces a new rule in our house I have difficulty rejoicing in it, even if it is a good one! As far as I can recall I have never uttered the following words to anyone: "Thank you for adding more constraints to my life!"
The psalmist must be at a level of thankfulness that goes beyond the sane and enters into the crazy.
For the psalmist it is not just this one verse, or this one stanza, it is the entirety of this psalm, which is the longest psalm in the book and the longest chapter in the whole Bible. It is a psalm of thanksgiving for laws, decrees, statues, commands and precepts, all of which place limits upon the one who is "delighting" in them. The psalmist pauses the programming, sets the munchies aside, pulls out a pen and a pad and delights in God's law.
(Bear with me just another minute). Who gets excited when you see the speed limit drop to thirty-five miles-per-hour? Constraining your rate of travel? Do you rejoice in that law?
Who delights in Congress reconvening to place mandates on your healthcare, regulate your car's exhaust system or limit the flushing capacity of your toilet? Who pours over the tax code in an attempt to donate more money to the government because you want less control over your own finances?
I do service work and I personally never get an attitude with a client that requires that no shoes be worn in the house. But once I'm notified I feel like saying, "Fine, put your piano in the garage and I'll work on it there, Mrs. Rule-Maker. We don't allow human hair in our house, so if you ever visit I hope you are not in love with your coiffure. Those clippers are on the front porch for a reason." (Please don't think I'm heartless and unreasonable, the previous quote is called sarcasm.)
My point is, we don't delight in laws or rules, we don't delight in constraint or limitations, we don't wish to be told what to do or not to do, we want liberty and freedom, and even if we do agree to conform to some rule or decree or statute or command or precept, certainly you wouldn't expect us to be thankful for it!
In contrast, you are apt to be grateful when someone else is constrained. When someone else is subject to rules, decrees, limitations or statutes. One example will suffice:
Psalm 119:57-64 is the passage I studied this week. I wrote three different outlines. Two on the whole passage and one on just verse 62. But I will limit myself to just one today. I will show constraint because I love you. And that's what love does. It places limits on self for the benefit of others. The Psalmist delighted in law, because it was a signpost that began the journey to a life guided by love.
On the surface, and with a very limited grasp on the big picture, it is easy to see how it sounds crazy to delight in law and to be thankful for it. And as verse 62 says, to rise up at midnight (a most inconvenient time to rise) in order to give thanks, appreciation, gratefulness, even delight, for God's righteous laws, which are essentially constraints placed upon mankind that mark only the beginning of walking in love.
It is almost (but not quite) natural to be thankful for blessings, for good things, for freedom and liberty but it is a little bit more of a stretch - of a challenge - to be thankful for constraints placed upon us, unless we begin to comprehend and appreciate the larger picture:
- We can be thankful for constraints placed upon us when: God Himself is the reward (vs 57). "You are my portion." My granddaughter has learned that if she is a good girl, she gets a treat. There is a reward for listening to and obeying the rules. The reward for obeying the Words of God, is God himself. "You are my portion." The world may receive some sort of benefit from doing things their way, but I receive a greater benefit from doing things God's way. There is a reward, so we can be thankful for the righteous law of God that points us toward something greater.
- We can be thankful for constraints placed upon us when: They are accompanied by a promise (vs 58). Tonight we will spend some time learning about, and praying for the persecuted church. How is it they endure severe hardship and suffering, losing life and limb, and they could instantly escape their entire trial if they would just denounce the Name of Jesus? The answer is: a promise. A promise, not from man, but from God. Seeking the face of God will not be rewarded by mankind, it will often be despised and hated. But God never overlooks those who seek His face and His face alone. The only way to approach a Holy God is on His terms. And His terms begin with law which are the signposts that begin the walk of love and holiness. Not an easy road, but one that is accompanied by a promise. The bigger picture includes something even greater than law.
- We can be thankful for constraints placed upon us when: Your steps are already headed in that direction. (Vs 59). Constraints do not offend us when they are in-line with the direction in which we are already headed. For instance, I think I could get away with declaring a new rule for our sanctuary: "No licking the hymnals." Most of you would not be offended by this new rule, a rule that we have never had before, but the rule is OK with you because it already conforms to your way of thinking. I could further explain, that "to lick a hymnal" is not loving your neighbor or being considerate of the next person that uses that particular hymnal, nor is it good for the preservation of the books for future usage. A couple of you might be upset over the new rule (I will not mention any names), but the vast majority already have a heart and a life, that either conforms to that line of thinking or is working toward that destination, and the law may just help you "kick the habit." The psalmist decided that His destination was God's approval, and any 'law' that helped guide him in that path he would gladly receive, embrace, and be thankful for. Who wouldn't appreciate a sign post helping and assuring them, they are headed for their desired destination?
- We can be thankful for constraints placed upon us when: Your first intent is to honor the lawgiver. (Vs 60). It was not "law" in general that the psalmist delighted in, it was a very specific law, a very specific set of constraints, namely: God's. The source of the law makes a difference. The psalmist is so in love with God, that he commits to "hasten" or "hurry," to not delay in obeying YOUR commands. I consider myself a patriot. I love this nation, I love our founding, our constitution, I realize our history isn't perfect, our present isn't perfect, and I don't mind improvements. But I'm not always convinced that the laws that come out of our governments: federal, state and local, are always in the best interest of our society. That's not the case with God's Righteous Laws. The source makes a difference. My intent is to honor the Righteous Law of God, because I know He loves me. That is part of the bigger picture.
- We can be thankful for constraints placed upon us when: The law is so much a part of your being, that even persecution and suffering can not purge it from your heart. (Vs 61). Most of the apostles of Christ were murdered. The stoning of Stephen was only the beginning. How is it that so many died gracefully, so many died with forgiveness in their eyes and a steadfast testimony on their lips? I'll tell you how, God's love was so ingrained in their heart not even ropes or chains or crosses or pyres or wild beasts could separate it from their life. Not trial, not imprisonment, not sword, spear or bullet. It is hard to be thankful for something you don't posses, but easy to be thankful for that which defines your being. The psalmist was grateful for the Righteous law of God because it was the pattern of His life, it was more important than survival, because the body passes away, and only God can preserve the soul.
- We can be thankful for constraints placed upon us when: It facilitates healthy relationships with others (vs 63). The Psalmist is not limiting his friendship only to those who honor the Lord, that is not a NT concept at all, "Love your enemy." But righteousness facilitates healthy relationships where sin destroys them. It is difficult to be a friend to a liar, a cheat, a crook, a drunkard, an abuser, a murderer. Such things break down society. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Is that not the definition of a healthy friendship? A healthy marriage? A healthy family? A healthy church? A healthy community? A healthy nation? When we see God's law, not as a constraint that brings harm, but a constraint that brings healthy relationships and a healthy society, it is much easier to be grateful for the commands. Because they are good. They bring good. And they limit evil, discord and preserve life. And strangely enough, they preserve liberty. If you place constraint upon yourself, there is no need for you to be forced into restraint. Our nation has seen some protests as of late, protests can be fine, but when protestors fail to constrain their demonstration, and they begin to act violently toward life and property, when they loot, steal, and destroy - even if their cause is just - they will be restrained by authority, or even if not, held accountable by the One whose commands leave no room, nor excuse, for defrauding their neighbor of what God has given them.
- That leads us to our last: We can be thankful for constraints placed upon us when: they are righteous, and their source and result is love (vs 64). The law of God is a signpost that helps us start heading in the right direction. It is not the destination, it is the fence that we ought not straddle, it ought to be just the beginning of our journey. God's love can not be contained, it is not just in Israel, it is not just for the Jew, nor just for the near east, nor just for the well-off, God's love fills the earth, and the Psalmist prays, "Teach me." "Teach me to love." "Teach me to treat You right and to treat my neighbor right."
Perhaps it is not so crazy to delight in the Righteous Law of God. Maybe it is not so crazy to desire to obey the words of God because they also contain a promise and He is the reward. Maybe it is not so crazy to be thankful for God's commands, because it is the way I have set my heart on traveling, and His precepts grant me a good starting direction.
May my first intent, my first desire be: Honoring Him by walking the path of Holiness. Should trouble arise, may it be so much a part of me, that even persecution doesn't strip me of my love of God or my love for my neighbor, or even my persecutor.
Delighting in lawlessness is crazy. It leads to restraint. May God teach each of us to be thankful for His righteousness and His influence in our walk. May He teach us to place constraints on our own life, that we may enjoy Christian liberty in it's vastness.
The Psalmist wasn't crazy, he understood the big picture. He understood the prize and the reward. He knew the source of the commands and the Source's intent. He understood the path to a healthy society and healthy relationships. Therefore, he was thankful for the righteous law of God. He based his life upon it, and today, he has no regrets, I guarantee!
