Many of us can say, “Oh, I love ice cream!” or, “I love my children!” or, “I love my wife/my husband!” or, “I love my dog/my cat!”
But how many of us can say to Yahuwah Elohim [the Hebrew name for the LORD God], “O how I love thy law! it is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97).
The word translated as ‘law’ in this verse, is the Hebrew word ‘torah.’ The Psalmist is saying he loves God’s Torah.
The Hebrew word ‘torah’ means, ‘the instructions, teachings, and guidelines of the heavenly Father.’
So, in other words, we could say of this Psalm 119, verse 97 — “O how I love the instructions, teachings, and guidelines of the Father! It is my meditation all the day!”
‘The Torah’ often refers to the first five books of the Bible. Yet the meaning of the word torah encompases all of Yahuwah’s Word — God’s instructions and teachings and guidelines for His children found throughout the Scriptures.
Knowing and obeying God’s ‘Torah‘ is how we will learn the fear of Yahuwah [the LORD]. Learning the Torah is how we learn what is true and what is false, what is holy and clean, and how we will learn to have ‘good success’ (Deuteronomy 31:12; Joshua 1:8).
There are ten words used in Psalm 119 to express the many facets of Yahuwah’s Word:
1) Testimonies, 2) Ways, 3) Commandments, 4) Law, 5) Word, 6) Statutes, 7) Truth, 8) Judgments, 9) Righteousness, 10) Precepts
These words give us some insight into the vast depth and richness of the WORD of Yahuwah.
Upon close examination, we can see that over and over, the writer of Psalm 119 declares an overwhelming and passionate love for Yahuwah, and for His written WORD [the Bible]! King David, who is believed to be the writer of Psalm 119, obviously knew the riches and benefits of loving, and keeping, Yahuwah’s Word.
O How I Love!
Consider some of the expressions of love and delight for Yahuwah’s written WORD found in Psalm 119:
I will delight myself in Your statutes: I will not forget Your word. verse16
Your testimonies also are my delight and my counselors. verse 24
And I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I have loved. verse 47
I have longed for Your salvation, O Yahuwah [the LORD]; and Your Law [Torah] is my delight. verse 174
Make me to go in the path of Your commandments; for therein do I delight. verse 35
O how love I Your Law [Torah]! it is my meditation all the day. verse 97
I hate and abhor lying: but Your Law [Torah] do I love. verse 163
My soul has kept Your testimonies; and I love them exceedingly. verse 167
These eight verses would be worthy of daily proclamation!
Many of us could easily declare our delight in various activities — but to admit that we delight in the path of Yahuwah’s Commandments, or that we love Yahuwah’s Law, His Torah?! Now that indeed would be a very different declaration to hear! Yet this, and many other such proclamations, were common for King David.
Yahuwah’s Torah
In the King James Bible, over 200 times, the word translated as ‘law,’ is actually the Hebrew word ‘torah.’
Whenever we see the word ‘law,’ what it is really saying is ‘the instructions, teachings, and guidelines of the Father.’ It would be good for us to insert the meaning of ‘torah’ whenever we see the word ‘law.’
The instructions, teachings, and guidelines of the heavenly Father is what the Bible is all about! The Bible is Father’s ‘House Rules’ for His Family, His instructions. The Bible is Father’s righteous standards for good behaviour! And this is what King David loved with a passion! He loved the written Word of Yahuwah — the House Rules for God’s children!
Do we have such a passion for God’s written Word?
King David wanted to know and keep Yahuwah’s instructions, teachings, and guidelines!
King David cried out, “O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!” (Psalm 119:5) That verse is a plea that carries a deep yearning within it. This is the kind of yearning we need! This is what Father is looking for!
For the eyes of Yahuwah [the LORD] run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect [complete] toward Him. (2Chronicles 16:9a)
The above verse tells us that Yahuwah is looking for those who have a heart that is completely and fully committed to loving and obeying Him. Father is looking for children whose hearts deeply yearn to honour Him as their loving Father, and whose hearts tremble in fear of Him as their loving Master (see Malachi 1:6).
Tremble in Fear?
King David said “My flesh trembles for fear of You; and I am afraid of Your judgments (Psalm 119:120).
King David, a king with great authority and great love for Yahuwah — and yet, David trembled in fear of Yahuwah, the King of Kings.
Do we have that same kind of fear — to tremble in fear of Yahuwah? This is a good and healthy kind of fear!
Some people have this healthy kind of fear for those in authority. Such people know how important it is to speak very carefully and respectfully when in the presence of authorities. This is a proper kind of fear. It is showing reverence because authorities are to be respected, valued, and honoured greatly (Romans 13:1b-2).
We need to tremble in fear of Yahuwah, because He is our most supreme authority! We need to reverence Father and honour Him in every way, trembling at His written Word, praying for the kind of heart King David had!
Notice what Yahuwah tells us, through the prophet Isaiah:
Thus saith Yahuwah [the LORD], The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool: where is the house that you build unto Me? and where is the place of My rest? For all those things has Mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith Yahuwah [the LORD]: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor [humble] and of a contrite [sorrowful] spirit, and trembles at My Word. (Isaiah 66:2)
Father tells us, from the above verse, that He looks for [He searches for] those who are poor [humble], contrite [sorrowful], and those who tremble at His Word! That is to be our attitude: reverence, awe, fear, and humility toward the heavenly Father, and for His written Words!
And yes, there are some things in the Scriptures that are hard to understand (2Peter 3:14-16). But we must have the commitment to be a ‘DO-er’ of the things in God’s Word that we do understand. This is central to gaining more understanding.
Many of us need to adjust our attitude toward Yahuwah’s written Word!! His Word is in no way common or trivial, and especially, it is not debatable!
The Bible is the Word of Yahuwah, revealing what is true and righteous! God’s Word is “quick [alive], and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
A Unique Honour
King David wanted the Word of Yahuwah as his guide and direction in every level of his life, as Psalm 119 reveals. Though David made his mistakes, as we all do, his devotion to Yahuwah’s written Word remained steadfast!
King David had a heart that recognized Yahuwah’s Word as his most intimate comfort and companion, as well as his most supreme authority. He understood that the eternal and righteous standards of God’s Word are Truth, throughout all generations (see Psalms 100:5).
David’s passion for Yahuwah’s WORD gave David a very unique and distinct honour from Yahuwah:
… He [Yahuwah] raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also He gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, which shall fulfill all My will. (Act 13:22)
King David was a man after Yahuwah’s own heart! What does that mean?
King David had flaws and weaknesses, just like the rest of us! Yet, David had a passion and a love for Yahuwah and His Word that surpassed multitudes! David’s heart yearned with desire for keeping and obeying the written Word of Yahuwah. And because of his deep love for Yahuwah, David was enabled to repent with godly sorrow, whenever he strayed and failed in his obedience.
Psalm 119 is a fitting testimony to the love and passion King David had for the written Word of Yahuwah. Psalm 119 reveals the kind of heart Father loves! It reveals the heart that made David a man after Yahuwah’s own heart!
King David’s Secret
In Psalm 119, we find King David’s secret to receiving Yahuwah’s testimony: “a man after God’s own heart.”
What’s the secret?
To passionately love, honour, and obey the written Word of Yahuwah.
One day, the precious words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21a), will be heard by those who have chosen to love, follow, and obey Father’s written Word. They are the ones who chose to devote themselves to respect and honour Yahuwah as their loving Father, and as their loving Master.
Being “a man after God’s own heart” means Yahuwah’s Word is supreme and operating in our hearts and lives. It means we will be vigilant to know and learn Yahuwah’s written Words for ourselves — so that we can recognize and shun false teachings coming from worldly wisdom and traditions! We want to know Father’s Words from the beginning, so we can avoid any wrong thinking of faulty notions passed down from generations.
The twisted teachings and traditions of men cause the commandments of God to be of no effect in our lives (Matthew 15:6)! What a fearful thought — to think that God’s commandments could have no effect on us! “No effect” would mean no impression, no action, no significance, no meaning in our lives. Oh, may this not be!!
God’s Word is true from the beginning and His truth endures forever! (Psalms 119:160)
Thy Torah Is My Delight
May it be that our hearts would be as King David’s heart — seeking Father’s written Word, His House Rules [the Torah] for His family, learning it and following it.
It is in the Torah where we learn the difference between what is holy and what is profane — where we learn how to “Be holy as HE is holy!” (Leviticus 11:45), where we learn how to truly please our heavenly Father! (See also Leviticus 20:7, 26 and 1Peter 1:15-16)
The heart that is after God’s own heart says:
“Make me to go in the path of Your commandments; for therein do I delight!!” (Psalm 119:35)
Let’s ask Father for a heart that trembles at His written Word, receiving and obeying all of His precious Word — all of it, from start to finish, and never think that it is out-dated or void or ‘done away’!!
God’s Word is truth ‘from the beginning’!
May we all delight in God’s amazing, awesome, ever-lasting Word!
May we proclaim, as King David: “Thy Torah is my delight!”
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Related Articles:
- Obeying Torah is Not About Salvation
- Blessed Are They Which Do Hunger – thoughts on hungering for Yah’s righteousness
- Characteristics of the Wise Virgins-Part 4 – insights for learning the fear of Yahuwah [the LORD]
- Our Greatest Hindrance: The Doctrines and Commandments of Men– doctrines of Men and Dogma; Commandments of Men, that turn men away from the truth; modern-day examples; Yahushua and the Disciples as our examples of Truth
- The Torah Hidden In the New Testament – a look at the Torah Commandments hidden in plain view in the New Testament
- What Is The Purpose of The Torah?
- The VISUAL Psalm 119 – one man’s visual study of Psalm 119
- Let Me Not Wander From Your Commandments
- Coming Home – To The Truth of Torah
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Cold Waters to a Thirsty Soul
Cold Waters to a Thirsty Soul 
Excellent! Thanks for posting this link on my blog! Hope many will see, read and ponder the deep significance! Truly, if we desire to ‘walk as He (Messiah) walked,’ then we must love His Word as much as He does. David shows us a glimpse and teaches what it means to truly be ‘after God’s own heart!’
Shalom!
Thank you for your comment and encouragement.
Blessings to you :)
Deborah