Psalms 119:33-40

Psalms 119:33. Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes;

The psalmist is constantly talking about «the way.» We have that expression in the 27 th verse, then in the 29 th, the 30 th, and the 32 nd; and now again we have it here: «Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes;»

Psalms 119:33. And I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

That is not true or right understanding which permits us to go into sin; those who are really wise in heart hate evil and love righteousness.

Psalms 119:35. Make me to go in the path

Or, say

Psalms 119:35. Of thy commandment; for therein do I delight.

«Make me to go.» Not only show me the way, but make me to go, like a nurse does with a child when she puts her hands under its arms, and strengthens its tottering footsteps. This is a very beautiful expression: «Make me to go.» Lord, we are very weak; we are like little children; make us to go in the path of thy commandments, for therein do we delight.

Psalms 119:36. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.

The heart must love something; it will either love that which is good, or that which is evil. «O Lord,» the psalmist seems to pray, «incline my heart in the right direction. Make it lean towards that which is good; cause me to count thy grace better than all the riches of the world.»

Psalms 119:37. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity;

«Do not let me even look at it, for one may look at an ugly thing until the sense of its deformity gradually disappears, and it becomes attractive. Lord, never let me so fix my eyes upon sin that, at last, I come to reckon it a desirable thing.»

Psalms 119:37. And quicken thou me in thy way.

A man who travels quickly has not time to stop and look at the things in the road. Lord, let me go so fast to heaven that, when the devil hangs his baubles in his shop-window, I may not have time even to stop and look at them: ‘Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.'

Psalms 119:38. Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear.

That is, «Make thy word to me real and true. Put away my natural skepticism, my proneness to question, my tendency to doubt.» «Stablish thy word.» «Make me to know how firm, how true, how real it is, for I would love it more and more. I do believe it, for I am devoted to thy fear, but I long to be still further established in the faith.»

Psalms 119:39. Turn away my reproach which I fear:

Are any of you fearing reproach? If so, you may well fear it, for you deserve it; yet, even then, you may ask the Lord to turn it away from you.

Psalms 119:39. For thy judgments are good. Behold, I have longed after thy precepts:

Some people, whom I know, long after the promises, and others long after the doctrines. I hope that they will all get an equal longing for the precepts, for true believers love the precepts as much as they love the promises or the doctrines: «Behold, I have longed after thy precepts.»

Psalms 119:40. Quicken me in thy righteousness.

This exposition consisted of readings from Genesis 32:1. and Psalms 119:33.