On Psalm 119.9-16 (Beth)

⁹ How can a young man keep his way pure?
By keeping your word.
¹⁰ I have sought you with all my heart;
don’t let me wander from your commands.
¹¹ I have treasured your word in my heart
so that I may not sin against you.
¹² Lord, may you be blessed;
teach me your statutes.
¹³ With my lips I proclaim
all the judgments from your mouth.
¹⁴ I rejoice in the way revealed by your decrees
as much as in all riches.
¹⁵ I will meditate on your precepts
and think about your ways.
¹⁶ I will delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word. (CSB)

The second stanza of Psalm 119, ב (beth), begins with a verse that has probably been drilled into the mind of every young man who has ever struggled with his thought life. But clearly these verses have application beyond that one application. In the wisdom literature, the word “young man” (verse 9) is metaphor for anyone who is naive, inexperienced, ignorant, or unlearned. And so, here in this stanza, the psalmist is reflecting on how the Word of God trains us in the way of purity. Of course, the basic assumption here is that a “young man” would want to keep his way “pure”, that this is understood as something that is both desirous and beneficial.

Now, purity here is simply another way of saying holy, and it is God’s clear expectation that His people will be holy, even as He is holy. (c.f. Leviticus 11.44-45, Matthew 5.48, 1 Peter 1.16). As it pertains to God, holiness refers to His divine otherness, that He is set apart, unique, and wholly different from His creation. However, it is much more than that; it also implies His moral rectitude, His absolute sinlessness, the unassailable perfections of His character. And we are told to be holy, even as He is holy. So, as it pertains to us, as believers in Jesus, it refers to the distinction of our behavior, values, and attitudes over and against the world. As James writes, “Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: … to keep oneself unstained from the world.” (James 1.27)

And, how can we keep ourselves unstained from the world? Answer, “By keeping your Word.” But, the “keeping” that our psalmist has in mind here is much more than a rote dutiful obedience. No, it is to be sought with all the heart (verse 10), treasured in the heart (verse 11), and proclaimed with the lips (verse 13). It is something to be rejoiced in (verse 14), meditated on (verse 15), and delighted in (verse 16). And this is both a timely and a timeless affirmation, that the standards for living a holy life which are commanded in God’s Word are good and glorious and to be joyously embraced rather than begrudgingly accepted.

It is no secret that the current cultural climate is becoming more and more hostile to these standards, that the commands of God are increasingly seen as outdated, bigoted, prejudicial, and simply unfair. But, our psalmist understands that the ways of God as He has prescribed them in His Word are good, and they are meant for our satisfaction and enjoyment. And the way that we learn to enjoy God’s ways is not simply by a begrudging reluctant external obedience. No, we must relish in them internally by pouring over them in meditation, treasuring them in our hearts, and rejoicing gladly in them. And so, may we pray with the Psalmist, “ Lord, may you be blessed; teach me your statutes.”

For further study:
Introduction/Overview
Psalm 119.1-8