Psalm 119:149

Psalm 119:149

The voice of love

Two measures are being used in this verse, and they are both quite profound. Firstly, the author asks God to hear his voice according to His love. Just think about it, there are millions of clamouring voices speaking out across the world, every minute of every day. Many are addressed to God, some in humble prayer, others with profane insults. Most of us hear countless voices speaking to us in the course of 24 hours, but the ones we want to hear the most, the ones that give us greatest pleasure and to which we give the greatest heed, are the voices of those whom we love. It is this attribute of God that the psalmist appeals to, “Listen to me Lord, not because I speak the loudest or because I have the most interesting things to say. Listen to me because I know You love me ….. and I love You.” 

In the same way, there is an appeal for preservation and protection. The psalmist hopes that God will look after Him at all times, but he is also aware that the Lord has a moral duty, a legal obligation to care for him. If he keeps the laws of God and seeks to live righteously, then the law contains promises that he will live to an old age and that all with go well with him. The Israelites were not fatalists in any way, they truly believed that living a sinless life brought the benefits of old age and good health. That is why they asked Jesus “who has sinned, this man or his parents” when a man who was born blind was brought before Him. By the way, Jesus put them right on that one! (John 9:1-5). 

The lessons are clear, if we live in a love relationship with the Lord, we are more likely to hear His voice, and He is more likely to hear ours! If we live according to His laws and His moral guidelines, things are more likely, but not guaranteed, to go well with us in our lives. 

 

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