The Law of the Lord

Psalm 32

⁸I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
⁹Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you.

The recalcitrant man prefers prodding to righteousness. He is dissatisfied with the clear commands of the scriptures, and expects to be micro-managed in their administration. The active, living nature of the commands of God are nothing to him, because he expects there to be some tangible restraint upon him. He looks for the hand of God to immediately stop his progress towards evil. His heart is not effected by the Word itself. Rather, he views God's law as a criminal, who will only submit to the law when confronted by its truth and its consequences.

The law of the Lord is perfect, and therefore it needs no judicial interpretation. It is not open for review or for repeal. Rather, the law of the Lord stands unchallenged, because it was drafted and brought into being by the Creator of the Universe. A man who views God's law as something to be poked at with a stick to see if it is still alive is on the road to complete ruin.

God's law is clear and unambiguous. It can be understood in principle by the simplest of minds. The immature intellect of a child can embrace the truth of "Thou shalt not" and "Thou shalt". In the most logical fashion, God has dealt out to mankind the governing principles of His creation, and man is subject to them by default. He cannot opt out of them, or select those which he prefers. Instead, he is born in confrontation with their transcendency of his existence. Even in death, he is bound by their presence.

The gnostic would attempt to separate science and spirit in his interpretation of God's law. The physical laws of nature, he asserts, are distinct from the moral laws of scripture. In making such a distinction, he deceives himself for his own convenience. While he cannot break the law of gravity, he supposes, the law of righteousness can be meddled in without consequence. While he will not jump off a ten story building for fear of the results, he dabbles in immorality without any compunction. In adopting a cavalier attitude towards the spiritual law, he reaps a greater judgement than a mere collision with the ground; his will collides with the will of his Creator and King, and he is forced, rather than compelled, to submit.

The Psalmist indicates that the counsel of God is attentive to men. The instruction can be obtained. Our Counselor and Teacher is alert and active in His tutelage, and He does not lack in energy or joy of His work. He is diligent in His presentation and long-suffering with the most ignorant pupil to ensure their comprehension of His word. He is jealous of their attention, and watches over them for their advancement in knowledge and wisdom, and He provides every opportunity and resource necessary for a successful completion.

But the student who refuses to embrace the truth of His instruction cannot expect to keep what he has learned. The man who looks in a mirror, James says, but goes away and forgets what he looks like - this is the temperament of the recalcitrant man. The stiff necked man who expects the mirror to remain in front of him ((rather than keeping it in front of himself) - the man who refuses to remember - the man who does nothing to set his hand to work in what he has read and heard - this man cannot expect to receive anything from God, because he has abandoned the law of the Lord. He has imposed his own law - the statutes of his own will - upon the law of God, and has set himself above the law of his Creator. This man, scripture tells us, will not receive anything from God.

A man who trusts in the Lord will trust His law. He will rely upon it as he does gravity. He will learn to live within its confines with contentment and gratitude. He will not kick against the goads. He will embrace it and love it, because he understands that it is life to his bones.