(Kiln blog is still not working for posting, so here’s the next installment of our study.)
Here is the Path of Enlightenment, and what a joyous path it is! The psalmist waxes rhapsodic in celebration of the power of revelation to enlighten.
He leads off with a genuine declaration of fondness for the Law. It’s not just some static record of requirements, but a living person throbbing in his heart. The closest we as humans can come to God’s Person without leaving this world is through knowing His heart as He chose to reveal it in the covenants. While the writer notes with some amusement that the enlightenment available in the Law has kept him always one step ahead of his enemies, there is some ambiguity in the final phrase of the couplet. It may well be intentional, for we note sagely that when standing for God’s truth we never lack for enemies. Then again, we never lack for victory when the laws are burned into our very hearts, as well, because they stand ever ready to make us understand what really matters.
In the next couplet he continues this theme. The power of revelation can grant more wisdom than any mere human can teach us, if we but invest the time and energy to meditate on it. The discernment he gains from consistently walking by the law justifies his position of authority over the elders.
So he has no trouble recognizing paths that lead to destruction; the siren song to his feet is but a whisper. Instead of testing new ways to appease his fallen appetites, he stays alert to the business of maintaining the moral defenses provided by God’s Word. He pays close attention to what God’s wrath on past sins teaches him. It’s like staying close to a fresh stream while wandering through the desert; shortcuts only get you in trouble.
Is there any human experience of pleasure that matches the sweetness of God’s truth? The wisdom of God is like honey; anything less will taste rather flat and unappetizing. It makes it easier to recognize lies and liars as threats to your soul.
