“The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul…” Psalms 19:7
The instructions of the Lord are perfect.
The instructions (laws, directions, orders, and commands) of the Lord are perfect. Why are they perfect? Because they are the instructions of the Lord! They aren’t the commands of man, they are the commands of God and there is no flaw in Him. They issue from the very mouth of God. The same mouth that spoke all things into existence at creation is the same mouth that speaks commands in the word. The instructions are perfect because God is perfect! They flow from His very being. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. What He says, is what He is. His word is inseparable from His person. He is entirely perfect. His perfection is seen in the beauty of His holiness. He is set apart! He is high above us! His faithfulness reaches to the sky! Meaning it isn’t of earth. Nothing about His nature and character originated here. He is not like us. His ways are higher than our ways. His thoughts are greater than our thoughts. He is the infinite one! We are finite. He is the Unchangeable one! We change. He is perfect, we are imperfect. He is the Creator, we are created. The perfection of His holiness is seen in His goodness and severity. His goodness is His mercy, grace, and love. His severity is His justice, judgement, and wrath. He is entirely good and He is entirely severe. In His goodness He will not overlook evil or turn a blind eye to injustice. In his severity He will not forsake His mercy and grace. His instructions are perfect because they are good and they are severe. They impart mercy, grace, and love to those who obey it and judgment, justice, and wrath to those who forsake it. His instruction is perfect because it does not change as He does not change. It stands eternal as He is eternal. It stands holy as He is holy.
Reviving the soul.
Why do they revive the soul? Because of their perfection. We are imperfect people in an imperfect world. We are surrounded by imperfect commands from imperfect rulers. We see rulers that in the name of being “good” overlook evil and will not execute just judgment. In the name of being good they turn a blind eye to the vile works of immorality. These are the amoral of our world or Santa Claus and unicorns in our fantasies. Like Pilate they wash their hands of the crimes committed on the innocent. Their instructions reflect their imperfect goodness. We also see wrathful rulers that withhold all mercy and grace. They rule with imperfect wrath: the anger of man that does not produce the righteousness of God. They have fits of rage and violence due to their great selfishness and the wounding of their high pride. They are the Tyrants and abusers of our world. Like the Pharisees, they pile on great commands and demands with no ability to carry them out. But God’s instructions are perfect. Good and severe. Imparting affirmation, encouragement, and strength and giving correction, rebuke, and discipline. God not only demands but He donates. He Commands and He gives the ability to obey. The pure and perfectness of His instruction transforms. Our ego loves the amoral rulers affirmations and hates the cruel rulers attacks. Deep down we long for something more perfect and pure. Our souls long for mercy and judgment. For grace and justice. For wrath and love. If we were able to listen to our soul, we would find a cry for discipline and affirmation. If we were truly honest, we would all long for instruction that is equally good and severe. Because we all grow in contrast. The contrast of joy and sorrow. The contrast of peace and calamity. As imperfect people our lives are made up of contrasts. It’s the contrasts around us that work to change us and cause us to grow. God will never experience change, growth, and transformation. He is unchangeable. He is the same God that He was before creation. Nothing and no one adds to Him. He is entirely self-sustained. He is the great “I am that I am”! He is perfect. We, on the other hand, are imperfect. We experience change, growth, and transformation from outside forces. We are ever developing and growing. This is our collective human experience. When imperfect man comes into contact with a perfect God in His perfect Word, we are revived! We are restored and awakened to His life! Everything in us wakes up! We are jolted and shocked into change, growth, and transformation. His instruction is our greatest contrast. The eternal contrast! The infinite contrast disrupting our finite ways. Our soul finds refreshment and nourishment from the instruction of the Lord as when a thirsty man lost in the Saharan desert discovers fresh spring water.
By Micah Level