Delight in God’s Law – Interpreting the Law of God (24)

Delight in God’s Law

Interpreting the Law of God (24)

We will delight in the Law of God when we meet the Lord there.

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:1, 2

Why should we expect that reading, studying, meditating on, and talking about the Law of God should begin to be a delight to our souls? First, because that seems to have been the case with righteous men of old, such as the composer of Psalm 119. In that psalm we’re never very far from statements like, “Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it” (v. 35), “I find my delight in your commandments” (v. 47), and “I delight in your law” (v. 70). The writer didn’t have to be cajoled into hiding the Law in his heart; he delighted in every moment spent there.

We are instructed to learn from such giants of faith, so that we might be comforted and have hope in our own walk with the Lord (Rom. 15:4).

But more important than wanting to be like our forebears, we should delight in learning to understand and interpret the Law because in the Law we expect to meet the Lord. The Law of God is not just a list of do’s and don’ts, a legalistic yoke designed to keep us in line and keep our noses clean. It is the revelation of God. In the Law the Lord speaks to us. He shows us His heart, invites us to enter into His thinking and to learn how to judge with righteous judgment (John 7:24). The more deeply immersed in the Law we become, the more we will encounter the face of Jesus there and know the transforming power of His glory (2 Cor. 4:6; 3:12-18).

The word “delight” carries the meaning of to handle or even to fondle and suggests a kind of joyous rapture in reading and meditating in God’s Law. When we delight in the Law like this, our hearts will be flush with love for God and neighbors, and we will be better equipped to fulfill the aim and end of all instruction and discipleship (1 Tim. 1:5).

Devoting ourselves to a better understanding of the Law of God should not be something we take up grudgingly, just because we know “it’s good for us.” If we seek God and Jesus Christ in the Law, and if we actually are able to meet the Lord there, then we will find that reading the Law—like reading all the Word—can be the high point of our day, a source of great joy, delight, and edification. Take up the Law daily, seeking the Lord in prayer as you do, so that, when you meet Him there, your soul will rejoice and you will truly delight to be learning the Law of God.

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In the Gates is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore, editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.