The Psalms are the word of Christ

[aron]

Originally Posted by ABrotherinFaith

Who it's innocent? According to whom? All have sinned. All. Adam's sin constituted everyone sinners. All share that guilt.

I would like to present the shocking proposition that the Bible is primarily about Jesus Christ. Yes, it does mention sinners like you and me (and ALL the rest of us), but our temporary experience of the fall (as ABiF says, "all share that guilt")should prepare us to experience Grace. And we all believe that this grace is found in the person of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Now, how does that relate to WL's exposition of the Psalms? I'd like to look at the first section of Psalm 119, which strikingly models the intro in Psalm 1. Psalm 1 celebrated the righteous man who kept the law (and whom WL said didn't exist, and whom I say was actually Jesus Christ). Likewise, Psalm 119 starts off with "Blessed are those whose ways are blameless; who walk according to the law of the Lord" (NIV). See the similarity?

Similarly, WL's commentary here starts with his usual disquisition about "letter-keepers" such as Pharisees and Saul of Tarsus, versus "God-seekers" such as Paul the apostle. The man Jesus Christ is not mentioned, except for a brief note that "Christ is the reality of the law".

Now, Jesus said, "These things were written concerning me". He didn't say they were written concerning Pharisees and/or apostles. Jesus is the one whose ways were blameless. And He is now our way (or, He should be).

My purpose for this post (sorry for the length) is actually found at the end of the first section of Psalm 119: verse 8. "I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me." (NIV) Who is the obedient Son here? Jesus the Righteous. Whose soul was not left in Hades? Whose flesh didn't see corruption? The apostle Paul? No, his grave is also with us. Again, see Peter's speech in Acts chapter 2: for me it's crucial to our NT understanding of the OT text. In verses 29 and 35 Peter said that Psalm 16 and 110 were not about David, but really about one of his descendants, "this Jesus" (v.36). God recognized the obedience and faithfulness of Jesus the Nazarene, and provided proof to all by raising Him from the dead, and placing Him far above everything at His right hand. Jesus was, is, and will always remain, the fulfillment of the "God-seeking" aspirations of the psalmist.

As WL used to say, "I could give a whole conference on this point." Here, in Psalm 119:8, the idea of being "utterly forsaken" (which means all of us sinners) and being redeemed by faith in the obedient ONE is arguably worth a conference, and it doesn't even get a passing note. Somehow, our disobedience, fall, sin, and death, and Jesus' righteousness, with our faith, repentance, redemption, rebirth and obedience/transformation were not part of WL's "God's New Testament economy" yardstick here. And all of us who sat under these messages and teachings were very much poorer for it.