THE WORD-PERFECT

In this psalm the writer, David, first points to the majestic revelation of God in nature. Looking around him, he could see clear evidence of divine wisdom and power. He sees His glory, He sees His handiwork. But did this cause a sense of distance? He is the Creator and Sustainer, and man is so dependent. What he sees touches his mind and causes him to marvel, but it does not touch his heart, neither does it deal with his great spiritual need, and so the distance remains.

His thought then turns to another revelation of God—the law of the Lord. He did not speak of God’s work in creation as “perfect”, maybe because he knew that sin had left its mark on what had been declared by God to be “very good”, Gen. 1. 31. But as he thinks of this other revelation of the divine purpose, he is led by the Spirit of God to call it “perfect”. To quote from Ecclesiastes 3. 14, “nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it”. Indeed, solemn judgment is pronounced in Revelation 22. 18, 19 upon any who dare to take away from, or add to God’s Word. It is complete and perfect.

Note what David says about the action of the perfect word: it “converts the soul”. Creation could not do that. In verses 12 and 13 of Psalm 19, he speaks of “secret faults”, and also of “presumptuous sins” and “great transgressions”. What can creation do about these? Nothing! But David has something in his hand, the law of the Lord, which can turn him round completely and make a new man of him. It does not ignore his sin, because as Psalm 119. 172 puts it, “all thy commandments are righteousness”; this is one aspect of its perfection— absolute righteousness. The righteousness of the Word reveals the sin and points the way to deliverance.

Peter takes up the thought in 1 Peter 1. 23, “being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever”. And following this “conversion”, the perfect Word becomes the guide and mentor through life: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee”, Psa. 119. 11. Have we done that?