33. Teach me, Lord, the way of thy statutes. Alas for those who will never be taught. They dote upon their own wisdom; but their folly is apparent to all who rightly judge. The psalmist will have the Lord for his teacher, for he feels that his heart will not learn of any less effectual instructor. A sense of great slowness to learn drives us to seek a great teacher. The holy man would not only learn the statues but the way of them, the daily use of them. The very desire to learn this way is in itself an assurance that we shall be taught therein, for he who made us long to learn will be sure to gratify the desire.
And I shall keep it unto the end. Those who are taught of God never forget their lessons, but those who commence without the Lord’s teaching soon forget what they learn, and start aside from the way upon which they professed to have entered. No one may boast that he will hold on his way in his own strength, for that must depend on the continual teaching of the Lord. It is a great comfort to know that it is the way with God to keep the feet of his saints, yet we are to watch as if our keeping of the way depended wholly on ourselves; for, according to this verse, our perseverance rests not on any force or compulsion, but on the teaching of the Lord, and no one can teach someone who refuses to learn. The end of which David speaks is the end of life, or the fullness of obedience. He trusted in grace to make him faithful to the utmost. As Christ loves us to the end, so must we serve him to the end. The end of divine teaching is that we may persevere to the end.
The portions of eight show a relationship still. Verse 17 has a prayer for life, that he may keep the Word; verse 25 cries for more life, according to that Word; and now comes a prayer for teaching, that he may keep the way of God’s statutes. If a keen eye is turned upon these verses a closer affinity will be discerned.
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