The Torah is Perfect – Praying Psalm 19

Today’s Bible teaching from Founded in Truth Fellowship, led by Matthew Vander Els, delves into the depths of Psalm 19, often referred to as the Torah Psalm, contrasting it with the themes explored in Psalm 119. The central topic revolves around the perfection of God’s law (the Torah), the human struggle to fully embrace and live by it due to the condition of our hearts, and the transformative role of Yeshua (Jesus) in enabling us to fulfill God’s will.

The teaching begins by acknowledging the common human desire for something greater than oneself, a community rooted in truth and love, and a place to worship God. The series on the Psalms, while starting unintentionally at the beginning of the pandemic, is presented as a source of edification. The speaker notes the historical tendency at Founded in Truth Fellowship (FIT) to thoroughly explore a topic, as seen in their extended series on the Psalms.

Last week’s discussion focused on the “dark side” of Psalm 119, a psalm often celebrated for its praise of God’s law. However, a closer reading reveals a petitioner frequently crying out to God for intervention in their suffering, leading many Christian scholars to consider it a psalm of lament. Despite its association with the Torah, Psalm 119 highlights a sense of lacking and a yearning for God’s salvation, which the teaching posits can only be fully found in Yeshua.

This week’s focus shifts to Psalm 19, described as a psalm packed with energy, containing elements of lament, a strong proclamation of God’s Torah being perfect, and possibly a polemic against pagan sun worship. The structure of Psalm 19 is highlighted, comprising three distinct sections: verses 1 through 6 concerning creation, verses 7 through 10 pertaining to the Torah, and verses 11 through 14 addressing the personal struggle of the petitioner.

The first section of Psalm 19 vividly describes creation, using powerful imagery and similes related to the sun to illustrate God’s glory. The detailed focus on the sun has led some scholars to suggest that the psalm might have originated as a pagan hymn to the sun, later adapted to attribute the sun’s power and service to Yahweh. Regardless of its origins, the author passionately celebrates God’s revelation through the created order, emphasizing that creation itself is a gift from God to humanity and testifies to His glory. The imagery of the sun as a bridegroom emerging from his tent is presented as a beautiful, metaphorical expression of God’s creative power, not a literal description.

The second part of Psalm 19 focuses on the Torah, presenting it as another blessing and gift from God. Verses 7 through 10 extol the virtues of God’s law: “The law of Yahweh is perfect, reviving the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The rules of the Lord are true.” The author emphasizes that the Torah of Yahweh is perfect, more desirable than fine gold, and sweeter than the most exquisite honey. It is presented as a source of wisdom and joy when mankind fully embraces God’s ways.

However, the teaching raises a crucial question: does our lived experience always reflect this ideal of joy, wisdom, and sweetness promised by the Torah? It honestly confronts the reality that many find themselves falling short, prompting the question of “Why not?” The speaker clarifies that this question is not meant to suggest a defect in the Torah itself, but rather to set the stage for the third section of the psalm.

The third section of Psalm 19 brings us to the “hard reality” of our human inability to fully embrace God’s gifts of creation and the Torah due to the failings of our own hearts. Despite the constant reminders of God’s goodness, the psalmist acknowledges being trapped by sin. The prayer in this section, “Who can even discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins. Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless and innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Yahweh, my Rock and my Redeemer,” resonates with the universal human struggle against sin.

The teaching highlights the common experience of knowing God’s power, the blessing of the Torah, and the life-giving nature of His commandments, yet still struggling with our own hearts. It critiques the tendency to simply state the perfection of the Torah without acknowledging our personal shortcomings. This struggle is presented as the ongoing story of humanity: God offering goodness, and mankind repeatedly failing to choose it fully.

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Application for Everyday Life

• Acknowledge God’s Glory in Creation: Take time to observe the natural world and recognize it as a testament to God’s power and glory. This can foster hope and reduce fear.
• Value the Torah as a Blessing: Recognize God’s commandments as a gift that provides wisdom and guidance, even if we struggle to fully live by them.
• Honest Self-Reflection: Be honest about our own shortcomings and the sin in our hearts. Acknowledge the gap between the perfection of God’s law and our ability to consistently follow it.
• Prayer for Transformation: Like the psalmist, pray for God’s help in discerning our hidden faults and for protection from presumptuous sins. Ask for our words and the meditations of our hearts to be acceptable to God.
• Embrace the New Covenant in Yeshua: Recognize that through faith in Yeshua, we receive the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to live out God’s will from a transformed heart.
• Focus on Inward Transformation: Understand that true fulfillment of God’s law comes not just from outward actions but from an inward change of heart made possible by Christ.
• Audit Your Life: Regularly examine what consumes your thoughts and actions, even your social media presence, to see if it reflects the hope and joy found in God.
• Seek Yeshua Continually: Make a conscious effort to constantly seek Yeshua and desire to grow as an ambassador of His love and truth in the world.
• Pray Through Psalm 19: Use Psalm 19 as a guide for prayer, expressing joy for creation and the Torah, acknowledging personal struggles, and seeking God’s grace through Yeshua.
• Trust in God’s Power: Even in times of uncertainty and fear, remember God’s constant nature and His ability to care for His creation. Place your hope in Him rather than being consumed by anxiety.

References

• Psalm 19
• Psalm 119
• Romans 8:3
• 2 Corinthians 3:3
• 2 Corinthians 5:17
• The Bible by Various Authors