I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches (Psa 119.14).

Everyone loves certain things and hates others, and our frame of mind varies based on our interactions with them. Even the mere remembrance of these things can elevate or depress our mood. Meditating on things we disdain or despise works against our happiness, while pondering our favorite things gives pleasure. Remember Maria singing “My Favorite Things” in “The Sound of Music”? And the same things that make one person angry may please another, and vice versa. It all depends on what each evaluates to be good and bad, beautiful and ugly, valuable and worthless, helpful and harmful. When the provoking objects are things in the spiritual and moral realm, our innermost spiritual and moral character is revealed by our responses to them.

Here the psalmist gives testimony of what made him most happy, and by inference, what should also excite us in the same way.

True believers rejoice in the biblical way.

A PARALLEL OF EARTHLY AND SPIRITUAL THINGS

First, notice the comparison between the psalmist’s objects of joy and that of others. “Thy testimonies” is a reference to God’s Word which is Holy Scripture, as the Hebrew term and context in this passage makes perfectly
clear. Yet here it is not merely the Word but “the way of” God’s Word that stimulates the positive response of the psalmist’s soul. The word “way” is used figuratively here and means a way of life, lifestyle, habitual conduct. The LXX uses a Greek word that means, in the NT, behavior in accordance with Christian principles and
practices, the Christian way of life. In the first century, Christians were identified, by friends and foes alike, as people who manifested a distinctive lifestyle regulated by the example and teachings of Jesus (Acts 9.2; cf. John 14.6), “the narrow way,” found by relatively few, that leads to eternal life (Matt 7.14). Therefore there is some justification for this rendering: “I rejoice in the lifestyle prescribed by your rules” (NET).

To give some conception of the reality and intense degree of his joy, even to unbelievers reading his testimony, the psalmist draws a comparison with an object causing joy to all kinds of people, not just the reverent: worldly
wealth or abundance. “All riches” means all kinds of riches, not absolutely all the riches that exist, so that others may have none. In our culture, the psalmist is describing the kind of exhilaration that most people would feel if they hit the megabucks super jackpot lottery of $50 million.

A PARALLEL BETWEEN EARTHLY AND SPIRITUAL DELIGHT

The AV rendering is very literal and accurate, and it italicizes “much as,” meaning that there are no equivalent and corresponding words in the Hebrew text, but these are supplied by the translators to help the English readers
more clearly appreciate the sense of the original text. The psalmist is saying that my joy in the way of God’s Word is every bit as real and great as any sinner’s exultation and delight in the acquisition of any of this world’s earthly goods. His was genuine happiness, the kind that made his heart soar and his face beam (Psa 119.77, 111, 162). “No prospector was ever more pleased with his nuggets of gold than the one who searches out the hidden wealth of the Scriptures” (Believer’s Bible Commentary).

Unbelievers find this hard to accept, that anyone could feel this way, but multitudes of God’s people confess to just the same delightful experience. “O taste and see that the Lord is good!”

However, the psalmist is not saying that he himself takes an equal amount of delight and pleasure in the godly way as in worldly wealth. “The psalmist has taken more delight in the doctrines of God’s Word than he has in the
dollars of this world” (KJV Bible Commentary). In other places he testifies of the surpassing happiness occasioned in his heart by spiritual things (Psa 119.72, 127; cf. Psa 19.10). The godly prophet Jeremiah spoke of God’s Word as “the joy and rejoicing of my heart” (Jer 15.16), repeating words for intense emphasis.

So what is so great about the way of God’s testimonies, that it would incite such overwhelming joy? John Gill explains very well, bringing out the New Testament fullness of these things:

The way which the Scriptures, that testify of God and Christ, direct unto; and the principal way is Christ himself, the only way of life and salvation; in which believers walk and go on rejoicing; rejoicing in his person, offices, grace, righteousness, and salvation: the lesser ways the Scriptures point unto are the ways of duty and paths of ordinances; in which truly gracious souls find a great deal of peace, pleasure, and delight; as much as in all riches; or, “as above all riches”: the joy that believers have in the ways of God is superior to that which any natural or worldly man has in his substance of every sort, or be it ever so great; yea, they find such riches in the ways of God, as are vastly preferable to the riches of this world; they find Christ, the pearl of great price, and his unsearchable riches, the riches of grace, and the riches of glory; and even the word of God itself, those testimonies of his, are more desirable than thousands of gold and silver, and give a greater pleasure than the increase of corn and wine.

The biblical way is the way of Christ, and He is the supreme object of our love and approval, our soul’s greatest delight. That is why it prompts such a joyful response in a Christian believer’s heart.

Why was the psalmist so public in this spiritual testimony? “The prophet does not boast of his virtues, but sets forth an example for others to follow God’s word, and leave worldly vanities” (1599 Geneva Bible notes). It is not a proud thing, but a magnanimous one, that he would testify this way, because he would not remain alone in enjoying the spiritual treasure.

We may apply this in at least two ways. First, do our hearts resonate with his? Can we relate to the way he feels, and for the same reason? We readily admit there are widely varying degrees of spirituality among true Christians, but where there is no biblical spirituality at all, there is no spiritual life: the professor is a mere hypocrite. Every Christian can sympathize with David’s testimony at least in part, and well may we pray and strive to attain a greater communion with his heavenly spirit.

Second, are we bearing the same kind of testimony to others, for the conviction of unbelievers and encouragement of our brethren? True evangelism is not a routine church program but the overflow of a godly life in both verbal and physical acts of praise to Christ (Psa 51.12-13). We truly evangelize when we tell others of His greatness and goodness, and then demonstrate that biblical way of Christian love in the righteously loving things we do. By the very same means we ought to strengthen and confirm our fellow believers in the church.

Are you rejoicing in the biblical way, and telling others about it? This is the characteristic lifestyle of true Christians, the most important thing in which we would excel, for the glory of God, the edification of the church, and the redemption of the world. Amen.

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