Psalm 119:111

Psalm 119:111

This is our heritage

Remember that the statutes of the Lord are the “Edot”, the covenant stipulations. The writer, along with his godly contemporaries, had a very special view of God’s covenant and its rules. They were more than just a set of regulations that should be read and digested from time to time, they were his sacred inheritance from the Lord, they were his portion, some translators use the word “homestead.” The Covenant was itself viewed like a familiar building that embraced those who lived within it, this was their home, they were protected, loved and provided for within its walls. The Lord God had built this holy space in which true believers might find refuge, complete acceptance and comfort. In fact, God’s laws fill the whole earth, and there is no need for anyone to leave the security and peace that their protection provides. The psalm-writer understood this and revelled in this with joy at all times. He knew that the statutes would never change and that he was chosen to live within their protection, that this was the means of his access to the living God and so long as he kept the laws, he was safe!

This is a far cry from the general view and understanding of most believers today. Many ignore God’s covenant rules or consider them to be out-dated and irrelevant. Few would have any idea what those rules are and, to be fair, it is a vast subject. So, let’s just summarise what it means then let’s seek to live within the walls of this covenant relationship that God has prepared for us. 

The prophet Jeremiah predicted the New Covenant. “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. . . . This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,’ declares the Lord. ‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people’”(Jeremiah 31:31-33.) Jesus Christ came to fulfil the Law of Moses (Matthew 5:17) and to establish the New Covenant between God and His people. The Old Covenant was written in stone, but the New Covenant is written on hearts. Entering the New Covenant is made possible only by faith in Christ, who shed His blood to take away the sins of the world. Jesus, at the Last Supper, took the cup and said, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” Our responsibility is to exercise faith in Christ and to live under the direction of the Holy Spirit who is within us. 

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