Psalm 119:104

Today’s meditation brings us to the last verse of the octave of Psalm 119 entitled Mem.

Psalms 119:104  Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.

In verse 99 the psalmist stated that he had “more understanding than all” his teachers.  In verse 100 he said he understood “more than the ancients.”  In today’s verse he tells us where he got that understanding.  He got it through God’s precepts.

Now just what is understanding?

Understanding - Power or ability to understand (to comprehend; to apprehend the meaning or import of; to grasp the idea of). 

Simply stated, understanding is the ability to “get it.”  How often do we say when we understand something, “I got it.”  What a blessing it is to get it!  For example, equipped with the understanding imparted through God’s precepts believers can understand how the worlds were made. 

Hebrews 11:3  Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Now this verse says that we understand “through faith.”  That stands to reason since you will not gain understanding from your Bible if you do not believe it.  Think of how many educated people do not understand how the world came to be.  They just don’t get it.  But if you are a Bible believer, you get it!  Through the Scriptures you can understand not only how the world began, but you also understand how it will end.  Through the Scriptures you can understand such things as why there is pain, cruelty, and death in the world; what happens to people when they die; how sinners are saved, what hell is like; and what heaven is like. 

Believers are commanded to understand the will of God.

Ephesians 5:17  Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

Since they are commanded to understand God’s will, it stands to reason that they can do so.  But how do they come to understand God’s will?  Today’s verse from Psalm 119 answers that question.  They gain understanding of the will of the Lord from the Lord’s precepts as laid down in His written word.  By means of those precepts we can understand God’s will as it pertains to the things He wills to do Himself, things such as the eternal salvation of His people, the resurrection of the dead, the eternal judgment of the world, and the bringing in of a new heavens and a new earth.  Then we can also understand God’s will as it pertains to those things He wills that we should do, those things that are our duty to do.

Ecclesiastes 12:13  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Those things that God has specifically commanded us in His word to do or not to do are clearly His will for us.  Then there are those situations that we face where the Scriptures have not spelled out in so many words what we should do. But the Scriptures give us general principles to apply in such situations. The Lord has given us liberty in many things so that we may do what we want as long as we use that liberty according to Biblical principles (Romans14:14-15, 20-23; 1Corinthians 10:23). God does not have an exact blueprint for us to follow for making decisions in those areas where there is no law telling us what to do or not to do. But as long as our decisions are within the framework of Biblical principles, any decision we make is acceptable to God. We are safe so long as we keep ourselves within the commandments of God and do not step over the lines they draw.  So if you want to understand what the will of the Lord is, betake yourself to reading your Bible and attentively hearing it taught.

Now the understanding the psalmist gained through God’s precepts had this effect:  therefore I hate every false way.  That’s every way that is not the right way.  This lines up with the definition of the fear of the Lord given in this verse:

Proverbs 8:13  The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

All true religion can be summed up in that single expression “the fear of the Lord.”  It is interesting that true religion is defined by hate.  True religion consists of hating “the evil way,” yea, of hating every false way, as today’s verse puts it.  You can tell a lot about a person not only from what he loves, but also from what he hates. 

Note the definition of hate.

Hate - To hold in very strong dislike; to detest; to bear malice to.

Hate is a very strong emotion.  The believer that possesses the understanding imparted by God’s precepts and that possesses true religion, does not have a casual, nonchalant attitude toward evil.  He bears a “very strong dislike” to it.  He detests it.  He hates every false way.  He hates evil in whatever form it occurs be it mental, emotional, verbal, physical, social, professional, political, or religious.  He hates evil wherever it occurs whether in society, in media, in government, in religion, or even in himself.  And if someone does not hate every false way, that is a sure sign that he does not get it!  He has not yet attained unto the understanding that can only be had though thy precepts. 

This brings us to the conclusion of this octave.  I shall take a short break.  But, God willing, I will be back with more.  Yes, mem, I promise I’ll be back, if God permit.