This is one of the most challenging psalms. Its teaching is clear and straightforward. It is not difficult to understand, but it is challenging to carry out.If it is a psalm of David, it is one that he struggled to live by. We also may live up to it but poorly, but still, it is the ideal toward which we should strive.
We should praise God’s steadfast love and justice. Let us notice verse one in two translations.
I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will make music. (1, ESV). I will sing of your love and justice; to you, Lord, I will sing praise (1, NIV).
Although the “your” in the NIV of verse one may have weak grammatical justification, it is to God that we should first look in seeking to understand how to live. Praising him for his nature is the best first step toward correcting our nature.
Hesed is a word that defies definition. Many translations are offered: Steadfast love (ESV), Mercy (KJV), Love (NIV), Lovingkindness (ASV), Loyalty (RSV).As one moves through the psalm various other words are used that seem to be intended as synonyms for this one: blameless, integrity, faithfulness.Other terms are antonyms: slander, haughty, deceitful.
Hesed seems to mean giving what is needed rather than what is deserved. It means going beyond what can justly be demanded of us, giving up something due to us to bless another, and doing so repeatedly and faithfully.
The translations are more agreed on the second term, Mishpat.The KJV used the term “judgment” to translate this term. Translations since have used “justice.”Justice is “right and fair behaviour.”
It is the balancing of something that has been made unbalanced. It is the principle that when something wrong has been done it must be made right by restitution or correction of some type.Justice in measurement means giving correct measure and correcting errors if they occur.Justice in property means that the thief must give back what he took plus a penalty for the trouble he caused.Justice in regard to life demands, “if anyone sheds the blood of man, … (Gen 9:6).
Does God demonstrate steadfast love and justice?The cross is the great demonstration of both.
“For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. “For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom 3:22-26).
We should practice integrity and justice ourselves.
I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; 3 I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me. 4 A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil. I will ponder the way that is blameless (2-4).
Doing so starts internally but works itself out in our lives. We must ponder and walk (2).We cannot walk right while thinking wrong. Yet thinking alone is useless.
“What goes in goes out,” so we must not set evil before our eyes or cling to it in our hearts (3). Our goal should be to know nothing of it (4).
We should expect honesty and justice in those under our authority.
Whoever slanders his neighbour secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure. 6 I will look with favour on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me. 7 No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes. 8 Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked in the land, cutting off all the evildoers from the city of the Lord (5-8).
What is the point of living right if we allow those under our authority to do wrong? The author plans to reward those who are faithful and blameless (6). He will not give lodging (or other aid) to those who are deceitful (7; cf. 1 John 10-11).He will even punish those who practice evil (5, 8).If wrong is done under our authority, although we personally may not do it, we are still responsible for it (cf. Rom 1:32).
David fell rarely and repented quickly concerning his personal integrity; but in allowing Joab to serve him he undermined his own work and helped cause the greatest tragedies of his own life (2 Sam 3 and 18).
God will work with us, even if we make such mistakes. That is the good news.But it will be far better for us, for those with us, and for those who follow us, if we expect repentance in those under our authority and cut off those who refuse to repent (8).
We spend too much time looking at things from a worldly point of view. The steadfast love and justice of God should be our standard. We should seek to imitate it ourselves.We should expect steadfast love and especially justice of those under our authority.
Eswatini