Tim Maas Supporter Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

In my opinion, the wonderful things that the psalmist is asking to be shown with regard to God's Law are the deeper or amplified meanings or intent of it that were later to be expounded on by Jesus in Matthew 5:17-37, and that pertain not just to physical actions (similar to the outward righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees that Jesus said His followers must exceed), but that extend to the intent and attitudes of the heart.

August 29 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jack Gutknecht Supporter Arizona Bible College graduate and Dallas Seminary graduate

The law is extraordinary and wonderful because it tells of the wonderful love of God which we may experience a glimmer of love down here on earth in true friendships (2 Samuel 1:26; Jn 15:13-14). The law is our schoolmaster that leads us to Christ, but although it is insufficient to save, it does tell us of Christ who is the only One who can release us from bondage to sin (Jer 32:17, 27 – the same Hebrew word, “wonderful,” as in Psalm 119:18. “There is nothing too hard (lit. wonderful) for thee.” (This word is used in Jeremiah 32:17; Jeremiah 32:27 with reference to the promised restoration of Israel from captivity. “There is nothing too hard (lit. wonderful) for thee.”)

And the law is wonderful because it tells us of a wonderful Creation that God has done, including the creation of our wonderful bodies (Psa 139:14).

August 30 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Grant Abbott Supporter Child of Father, Follower of Son, Student of Spirit

The law is wonderful because it reveals God’s plan and purpose for human life. It shows us how to have an intimate personal relationship with God, how to live in a just and righteous society, and how to enjoy, faithful, loving, joyful and peaceful relationship with everyone in our lives.

The fact that we can’t keep the law, the fact that it makes us guilty and ashamed of our sin, doesn’t make the law a bad thing. It is God’s perfect standard to strive toward, not because it earns our salvation, but because it brings great glory to God when we show the world how to live a holy life.

Jesus said he came, not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. Jesus gave us his Holy Spirit to mould and shape our character in his image, so we too would fulfill the law to honour and glorify God.

August 31 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jeffrey Johnson Supporter

The Psalms are a wonderful tool that helps us to understand God, and this Psalm 119:18 is no different.

Psalm 119:18 says: Open my eyes so that I may see clearly the wonderful things from your law.

Psalm 119:18 describes the Law as wonderful because it contains divine wisdom and profound truths about God's character and plan, revealing mysteries and promises that bring life, guidance, and a path to holiness. The Psalmist prays for open eyes to see these "wondrous things," which include insights into spiritual matters and the person of Christ, offering a path to a deeper, more faithful relationship with God.

The Psalmist is not asking for mere information but for divine illumination to truly grasp the depth and beauty of God's Word. This humble posture of a learner acknowledges that the wonders within the law are not always apparent but require God's help to be seen and appreciated. 

The law is also wonderful because it contains deep, spiritual truths and guidance that can only be fully appreciated with divine insight. The psalmist's prayer, "Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law," acknowledges that this deep spiritual insight is a gift from God, not something that can be achieved through human effort alone. 

As we read God's Word, our love for His Word should come from our heart, the seat of emotion. We should take pleasure in lingering over certain passages that we have just read. We should muse over deep spiritual thoughts, become absorbed in them, and meditate on them. This requires quiet reflection and prayer. Like Ezra, we need to prepare our hearts for the reading and study of God’s Word. Of him it is written: “Ezra himself had prepared his heart to consult the law of Jehovah and to do it and to teach in Israel regulation and justice.” (Ezra 7:10)

The purposeful reflection on God's Word is the means by which one comes to take delight in the word of Yahweh… The meaning includes an emotive element.

The psalmist states that he showed concern for Jehovah’s laws, commandments, and reminders. He sings: 18 Open my eyes so that I may see clearly the wonderful things from your law.

And unless we also do the same, "How will we see the wonderful things of the law?” - But although we may not know his name, what can we learn about the writer of the 119th, like the writer of that Psalm, we certainly also can have deep appreciation for God’s Word.

7 days ago • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report