Teach Me!

“Blessed” is a different word than has been used in the psalm thus far.  Up to this point, the word has translated a Hebrew word meaning complete, mature or even happy and fulfilled.  Here it is a worship word meaning salute or to kneel in worship.  It has a range of meanings all related to this idea.  The idea “to bless” in the Old Testament carries the idea “to endure with power for success, prosperity, longevity”, etc.  It means to wish or endue with all that is good or desirable.  It is frequently contrasted with the idea “to curse” or to “esteem lightly”.

Interestingly, the word is a verb and is in the passive.  This points out for us the capacity of God to be blessed from outside of Himself.  The orthodox view of God is that God is entirely self-sufficient and needs nothing outside of Himself for His essential existence.  We affirm and completely agree.  However, that does not mean that God is independent and isolated from His creation.  While it is true that we cannot affect His being, we are able to give Him something that He does not “have” of Himself – our worship!

We can “bless” God.  We can bow our knee and ascribe to Him the worth and glory of His nature and works and can enjoy His presence and fellowship.  This is, indeed, the chief, or most important end of man!

Theologically, we need to recognize that his ability of men does not arise from his natural makeup.  Of his own nature, man is given to rebellion and rejection of God, to ascribing no worth (or false worth) to God, rather than worship.  It is only when God intervenes and regenerates us that we are either willing or able to yield this praise to Him.  Left on our own, we would all reject and curse Him.

That being said, we must note that it is our responsibility to yield His praise.  While God does give us the capacity and the willingness to praise Him, He does not do it for us!  We must see to it that our lives and our lips “bow the knee” to God and give to Him the praise and worship He deserves and desires.

“Teach” is one of 12 words for teaching in the Old Testament.  This particular one carries with it the idea of training as well as teaching.  In fact, a related word is “”oxgood” which “trains” the ox in its task.  The word is used for the first time in this psalm here in verse 12 but is repeated in essentially the same form 8 more times.  We ought to note that the verb here is in the imperative which, in this context expresses the strongest possible desire on the part of the writer to have the instruction and training requested.

Once again we see the idea that such teaching and training must come from outside of the individual.  It is not a matter of disciplining or training himself, but rather is a matter of being trained here by God Himself.  Coupled with this is the truth that we must seek and submit to this training.

Again we note that any positive interaction we have with regard to this training is the direct result of God’s prior activity n our lives, but the submission to it is ours to do, God does not do it for us.  The balance struck between God’s provision and our effort is a centrally important one for us to maintain.  We dare not trust in our own resources, but likewise, we dare not sit around and wait for God to do work that He has enabled and expects us to accomplish.  The key is the issue of provenience.  God does work in us that results in our capacity to do work for Him.  His work comes first by necessity and by definition.  However, our work must follow.

It is interesting that the writer chooses the word “statutes” once again in this verse.  He used it in verse 5 and verse 8 where it spoke of that which is engraved in store and referred to the sure and certain command of God that were set and settled forever.  It is these that the writer is anxious to know and submit to.