Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
This is the first verse in the second eight-verse section, where every verse begins with “beth,” the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It is one of this psalm’s few questions, and unlike any of the others in its form, very much like a catechism question and answer, in which an instructor poses questions and awaits the memorized answers:
Q. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?
A. By taking heed thereto according to thy word.
In this we obviously have two main things:
1)the problem of a young man’s sinful way, and
2) the remedy for a young man’s spiritual cleansing.
A young man must use Scripture to cleanse his way.
Deliberate, patient meditation on this text, particularly with the help of an exceptional exposition like Thomas Manton’s, reveals that the above statement is a bare summary. Let us glean just a few edifying thoughts from this choice verse.
YOUTHFUL SINFULNESS
The ancient Jewish society was patriarchal (lit., rule of fathers), and the NT endorses this basic perspective. Therefore the spirituality of young men was a special concern, as it should be with us. Most young men will marry and become fathers, and woe to the family headed by an ungodly man! His wife and children will suffer, often in body but certainly in soul, and that perhaps eternally, to be under his sinful government, and without the immense benefit of being shepherded by a Christ-like husband and father. That said, the same spiritual realities of this verse apply to women also.
Ponder the fact of a particular reference to youth—“a young man.” We are born sinners and from infancy our way is morally polluted. “The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies” (Psa 58.3). This is what we are by nature, apart from God’s grace, the soul-work of His Holy Spirit, and the guidance of His Word. The phrase, “cleanse his way,” is rendered very accurately from the Hebrew (alt. “purify his path”), and presumes the already-defiled lifestyle of every young man. Note, it is not merely, “How shall a young man guide his way?” but “cleanse” it. The ESV’s rendering is just wrong, “How can a young man keep his way pure?” suggesting maintenance rather than progressive sanctification.
This is not to deny the sinfulness of old men, but rather to emphasize that even young people’s lives are full of sin and need their concerted attention on spiritual purification. There may even be the suggestion that young men are typically not as hardened as old sinners, and that by God’s grace, young men may more likely receive this good counsel.
Even then, however, it is unusual to find young people who are serious about their sanctification, for it is commonly assumed that earnest religion is more fitting for their elders, having most likely less time for preparing to meet God. Some would openly say, “Let them have their fun while they’re young, before they get a job and get married and have kids and life becomes a drag. College is for partying!” To put it plainly, this is the way to death and hell. As soon as a young person becomes morally-conscious, long before adulthood, he has a duty, and it is the path of wisdom, to seek God with all his heart. Wise Solomon counseled his readers, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth” (Eccl 12.1). Paul spoke well of Timothy when writing, “from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation” (2 Tim 3.15). As young people are sinful, so young people desperately need to cleanse their way before God.
Another reason the young man may be specifically addressed is because of the peculiarly strong temptations associated with this time of life. The devil comes with all his might against our young adult children, because if he can induce their apostasy then, the chances of their recovery are small. If he leaves them alone until they are “elders in Israel,” having become so much more discerning in spiritual things, and disciplined in godliness over the course of many years as decision-making men, Satan’s prospects for success are greatly diminished. Manton observes that:
youth need [this] counsel most, being inclined to liberty and carnal pleasures, and most apt to be led aside from the right way by the motions of the flesh, and being headstrong in their passions, and self-willed, need to have their fervors [animated zeal] abated by the cool and chill doctrines of repentance and conversion to God. And, therefore, though others be not excluded, the young man is expressly mentioned; unbroken colts need stronger bits. The word is of use to all, but especially to youth, to bridle them, and reduce them to reason (in loc.).
A total lack of interest in this very question already evidences a peculiar perversity of spirit, and that sinful folly has already gotten such a grip on the soul as to mark the careless one already under the full sway of the devil, as his willing servant. Let this realization alarm you, if such is your case.
YOUTHFUL CLEANSING
Mercifully, the Lord who knows the true nature of youthful problems also prescribes the remedy. The gospel gloriously proclaims that there really is a process by which a young man’s way might be cleansed. As many and great as the bad choices in his life might have already been, through Christ there is the opportunity of radical recovery and genuine spiritual progress.
The whole counsel of God teaches us that there are many “means of grace” (ways through which God customarily impart His grace) but this text focuses on what must be considered the most important one: God’s Word.
Specifically, the question being, “wherewithal [with what, or how] shall a young man cleanse his way?,” the answer is given in the Authorized Version very precisely as, “by taking heed thereto according to thy word.” The italics indicates that no specific Hebrew word in the original corresponds, but the translators deemed it helpful for conveying the true sense in English. The antecedent of “thereto” is “his way,” and therefore a parallel is suggested. The young man must be constantly guarding (so the Heb.) his life according to God’s Word. Another translation says: “By guarding it according to your instructions!” (NET, mg.: Heb “by keeping according to your word”).
In other words, it is absolutely necessary for a young man, in cleansing his way, to consider his way in the light of Scripture. That is, to be at the same time a student of himself, and a student of Scripture, and then to be comparing the two, with his own heart and conduct always in a state of constant review and reformation, with the Bible as the constant and perfect standard of truth and righteousness. Wherever he discovers any deviation between his life and biblical wisdom, he must be confessing that deviation as sin, and forsaking it. Likewise, whenever he discovers by Bible study some virtues or duties which are absent from his life, he must, with God’s help, be praying and striving to possess those fruits of the Spirit and practice those good works commended and commanded in God’s Word.
Early and serious attempts in this direction are bound to be difficult and discouraging, because the young man discovers the chasm between what he actually is and does and the narrow way prescribed by God’s moral law and perfectly exemplified in Christ our Lord. Another potential pitfall is thinking that such spiritual efforts are useless because progress seems to come slowly and in such small steps, if at all.
But it is precisely at this point that the young man must exercise faith in the counsel of Psalm 119.9, realizing it is not only a prescription for purifying a young life, but also a promise of God’s blessing on the plan. That is, by taking heed to his life according to God’s Word, the young man will in fact be able, by the grace of God, to cleanse his way! It is not vain to try, though the enemy of your soul tells you this to ensnare you. Never, ever lose heart and turn away from this exacting spiritual discipline, because as long as you neglect it, you will only get worse and worse, spiritually speaking. You will begin to fall into that downward spiral from which there is often no recovery, until you become acutely miserable and incorrigibly wicked, a menace to yourself and others. A young man must use Scripture to cleanse his way.
Many practical applications flow readily from these truths. Read and study your Bible with the inflexible daily commitment it deserves, because your life depends on it. Read it systematically, because every page has counsel you need for escaping the pollutions of the world through lust, and the instruction and encouragement absolutely necessary to be a godly man like Jesus Christ. Read it with much meditation on its implications for your attitudes, speech, decisions, relationships, career, and general conduct. Read it prayerfully, begging God that its wisdom might sink deeply into your soul, purging you of your sins, and transforming you into a real Christian, even when no one is watching. Read it humbly, being quick to confess your sins to the Lord in the secret place, and to admit your more visible sins to those who have suffered on account of them, asking their forgiveness and prayers for you. Be present at every opportunity where the Word is competently taught and preached, especially at stated meetings of the church. After each day’s private time in the Word, seize snippets of time throughout the day to be working through a great book of counsel written by proven guides to biblical spirituality. Eventually, with God’s blessing, your progress will become evident to all. Amen.
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