In many of the Psalms, there are prophetic references. I haven't been dwelling on them a lot, though evidently the references to God as Redeemer are fulfilled in Christ, because I have been trying to focus on themes coming from the Psalms themselves and how they can be read and delighted in even without our knowledge of future events. It should be acknowledged that they are more than just praise, however - especially in the section before us, there are a number of prophetic references that underline the Divine Authorship of the Psalms, and we can delight in a God Who knows and plans events before they transpire.
So the theme I have picked/noticed this time is delighting. A lot of the Psalms have this theme, but perhaps I was most influenced by Psalm 119 - I've always had a fondness for this Psalm, partly due to its length, partly due to its academic type references, and partly because it can teach you the Hebrew Alephbet if you pay attention to headings!
"I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word." (Psa 119:16)
"Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors." (Psa 119:24)
"Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight." (Psa 119:35)
"And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved." (Psa 119:47)
"Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law." (Psa 119:70)
"Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight." (Psa 119:77)
"I have longed for thy salvation, O LORD; and thy law is my delight." (Psa 119:174)
So what does it mean to delight? There are two words translated delight in these sections: one refers to pleasure and enjoyment, the other is to "incline or bend to - to be pleased with - to desire". What got me interested was in the first definition it includes in its meaning "to look upon (with complacency)...please or amuse (self)". At first it surprised me concerning the complacency - but yet in some ways that is a desirable thing. Other verses in the Bible that use this word refer to a child playing with an asp, someone being dandled upon a knee - it seems to speak of a familiar, comfortable enjoyment - not something to always be wowed at. Maybe that's why it only seems to refer to the law of the Lord as a delight - and not the Lord Himself - He is Someone to wonder at, and be amazed, to stand in fear (reverence) and tremble in awe! Whereas the law of the Lord is what He has written down for us, good for our benefit, and understandable. It is something we can find pleasure in, as we seek to live according to His guiding.
Now that is not the only meaning of desire - it is just one of the Hebrew words used in Psalm 119 - our modern definition of delight is "a high degree of pleasure or enjoyment; joy; rapture.extreme pleasure or satisfaction; joy something that gives great pleasure." And this is where many of the rest of the Psalms come in. Though translated by different words, reading through I see an enjoyment, a rapture, extreme pleasure taken in thinking and meditating upon the Lord and all He has done - His glory, and His regard for the lowly:
"All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth. Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD. Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off. " (Psa 138:4-6)
The idea of delighting comes out in the descriptive terms used - we can't just 'state the plain facts' or say 'one term is enough' - there are not enough words to properly express our delight, so we use any and all the most descriptive we can think of! "Stedfast love... abounding in steadfast love... wondrous works... our longing soul... [He] doesn't let them be diminished... exalted... exultation... continually... rule in the midst of Your enemies... holy garments... etc."
Hmm... doesn't quite express what I was after. Looking at a more narrow example in Psalm 111: we have repeated descriptions of things that continue: "righteousness endures forever" "wondrous works to be remembered" "remembers His covenant forever" "works... are faithful...performed with faithfulness" "praise endures forever". How uninspiring it would be to condense it into: "God's righteousness, works, covenant, and praise will always continue" Still true, still the same thought, but lacking that joyous expression of description that evidences a passion and delight behind the words!
We delight in Him, so we seek His presence... we look to Him in good times and bad... (Psalms 120-124).
We delight in the position He has brought us into, and delight in the unity of mind with fellow believers (reading 1 Peter 3 recently, considering unity of mind there as well as here in Psalm 133).
We delight in proclaiming His love... which is the basis of all He is (Psalm 136)... and delight in thanking Him (Psalm 138)
We even delight in Him knowing us better than we know ourselves, even if this leads to chastening... Psalm 139, 119)
We delight in all of nature praising Him, and every type of instrument praising Him, praising Him in every place, with every type of song. Psalms 145, 147-150.
I didn't know this hymn before today, but found it by a quick search, and thought it very appropriate:
On whom in affliction I call,
My comfort by day and my song in the night,
My hope, my salvation, my all!
To feed them in pastures of love;
Say, why in the valley of death should I weep,
Or alone in this wilderness rove?
Or cry in the desert for bread?
Thy foes will rejoice when my sorrows they see,
And smile at the tears I have shed.
The Star that on Israel shone?
Say, if in your tents my Beloved has been,
And where with His flocks He is gone.
I know the sweet sound of Thy voice;
Restore and defend me, for Thou art my all,
And in Thee I’ll ever rejoice.
Slightly different versions of the hymn (middle verses differ):
Delight in the Lord and in His law! Delight in His Son, our Saviour!
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