Read Psalm 119:73-80 73Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments. 74Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word. 75I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me. 76Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant. 77Let your mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight. 78Let the insolent be put to shame, because they have wronged me with falsehood; as for me, I will meditate on your precepts. 79Let those who fear you turn to me, that they may know your testimonies. 80May my heart be blameless in your statutes, that I may not be put to shame!
If you’re like me, you hate reading the instruction manual. Of course, the more complicated the machine the more likely I am to read the book. More parts, more time spent studying the diagram. I’ve had to start over with assembling things enough times to know by now that I should just start by reading the instructions.
David is sort of making the same case for us here in this stanza. Your hands have fashioned me, given me my substance, so let me learn your commandments, hope in your word, trust your promises, delight in your law, know your testimonies, be blameless in your statutes. In other words, since you created me, let me read the instruction manual.
If you are like me, you cringe at hearing the Bible reduced down to the language of instruction manual. (B.I.B.L.E. = Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth might be the worst summation of the Bible ever). Why? Because we never want to turn the Bible into just a book about us. Truly, the Bible is a book about God, about his salvation in Christ. But that means that it is a book about the incarnated Christ who had to obey the law for us, as one of us.
What does this mean? It means always start by putting the words of the psalms into the mouth of Jesus, and then, by your union with Christ, you can put them into your own mouth and make them your own personal prayer. In this way the Bible is not just a formula for our obedience, it is an invitation into faith in the Christ who obeyed for us.
To live is Christ allows us to pray what Jesus prayed in his humanity so that we too might be fully alive through obedience to God’s word.
You: How would you summarize the purpose of the Bible?
You in Christ: Why does union with Christ allow us to put the prayers of Jesus (the Psalms) into our own mouths?
Christ in you: How does Christ in you allow your heart to be “blameless in God’s statutes?”
Pray: Jesus, let my delight be in knowing you so that I can know myself. Amen.
To Live is Christ 