The Message of the King: the Law and the Kingdom (Matt. 5:13-26)

[Sung Psalm: 119:33-40]

“My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times.”

Is your soul consumed with longing for God’s rules? When God’s rules are observed – when his verdict is heard and obeyed – then peace and joy fill the earth. God’s rules – God’s decrees – should fill our souls with longing.

When you read and sing Psalm 119, you need to have an active understanding of God’s law.

God’s law – his rules, his statutes, his commandments – does not merely describe a written code. The written word is certainly part of what Psalm 119 means – “I will meditate on your precepts…I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.” But it’s not just the written rules: “I will meditate on your wondrous works… I will run in the way of your commandments”

God’s Law – the Torah – includes both the mighty deeds of salvation history and the statutes and rules that God gave us. The five books of the Law – the five books of the Torah – include both God’s mighty deeds for Noah, for Abraham, and for Moses, and the covenants, the promises, and the commands that he gave them.

When you think about the Law in this way, then you will share in the delight that Psalm 119 calls us to!