The Perfection of God's Law

89 Your eternal word, O Lord,
stands firm in heaven.
90 Your faithfulness extends to every generation,
as enduring as the earth you created.
91 Your regulations remain true to this day,
for everything serves your plans.
92 If your instructions hadn’t sustained me with joy,
I would have died in my misery.
93 I will never forget your commandments,
for by them you give me life.
94 I am yours; rescue me!
For I have worked hard at obeying your commandments.
95 Though the wicked hide along the way to kill me,
I will quietly keep my mind on your laws.
96 Even perfection has its limits,
but your commands have no limit.

Almost everyone agrees that good laws promote good and restrain bad in human society. Because of the nature of our broken world, though, not all human laws are good. But God’s laws (or “words of instruction”) are good—and they are also good for us.

In this section of Psalm 119, the psalmist revels in the goodness of God’s laws. They are eternal. They are the deep roots of creation. God’s laws are just and consistent, valuable in every time and place and for all generations, in the past and present and into the future. God’s laws are good because God is good, and his laws reveal his goodness. In short, God’s laws are perfect.

The psalmist celebrates the perfection of God’s laws, but he also takes them to heart. God’s laws give comfort in times of anguish. They give hope in times of despair. They even preserved the psalmist’s life when he was surrounded by enemies. They provide a wisdom that leads to flourishing, which produces joy. No wonder the psalmist commits to meditating on and following God’s laws, his precepts, his instructions, his commands, his statutes.

With the psalmist, we too should celebrate the boundless perfection of God’s laws. And, like the psalmist, we should not stop there; we should let God’s Word speak to our hearts and guide our lives.

Your Word “stands firm in the heavens,” Lord, and “your faithfulness continues through all generations.” Amen.