God’s Covenant Faithfulness According to The Law: The Psalmist’s Reflection in Psalm 119

The psalmist continues to look for encouragement in Psalm 119. He is surrounded by enemies. He feels dead. He wants to feel alive again and has dedicated himself to God’s ways rather than his own. God’s ways bring happiness, life, peace, and justice. They are good for him and all of society. As a repentant sinner, the psalmist awaits God’s revival and reminds himself about God’s sovereignty.

Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations; You established the earth, and it stands. They stand this day according to Your ordinances, For all things are Your servants (Psalm 119:89-91). 

The psalmist confesses that God’s word (דבר) is settled in heaven. דבר refers to a resolution declared. Throughout Psalm 119, the psalmist reflects on God’s Law and Gospel—His word through Moses. In the context of Psalm 119, to confess that God’s word is settled in heaven is to confess that God’s Law and Gospel are resolute and will never change. God has decided and wrote it in stone such that it cannot be erased. He has settled His word in heaven. It means only what it means. It is the only real authoritative word. Both the Law and Gospel are the only good path for us in this life. The Law in the Bible is God’s only way for us. The Gospel as described in the Law is God’s only means of salvation for His people. There are some who claim there are many ways to God. To say such is logically inconsistent, for each “way” claims to be the truth or it would not be a proposed way to God. If there are many ways, then the many ways are all wrong about their own exclusivity and are all false—eliminating themselves as a valid way. So, we can see that if there are many ways to God, there is no way to God. To think there are many ways to God is paradoxical. God’s word, His Law and Gospel, is settled in heaven.

Since His word is all about His faithfulness, not ours, His faithfulness, being settled, continues throughout all generations. What an encouraging truth in the midst of the Law. God is ever-faithful because He cannot break His own word. God decided to create the earth, and it still stands. Why would He ever abandon His people? How much more difficult is it to keep the earth spinning in orbit than to love our children? If God keeps the earth, it is not difficult for Him to love and be faithful to us. The psalmist uses natural law as an illustration. God declared natural law, and the heavenly bodies obey it without hesitation. It stands forever. So is the faithfulness God declared in His Law to His people. If God can control the cosmos, surely He has charge of His own heart.

The Bible has much to say about God’s sovereignty. It says much about how God knows the end from the beginning and causes people to be born at their times and places. The Bible speaks about God working all things together and even guiding the history of the universe to accomplish His own purposes. God created everything and holds all things together. He hand-spun stars and galaxies. He opened the mouths of black holes. His ruler measures in thousands of light years rather than inches. Our God is great. He is all powerful. He is all knowing. He is all good. He is ever present. Yet, we question something as simple as His faithfulness. We question His ability to save us from our sin. Sometimes we act as though our actions or thoughts have some level of mastery over the God who holds superclusters between His fingers. The psalmist finds great encouragement in the fact that God set the rules. He controls everything. So, He can also control His own faithfulness. He does not fail.

Sometimes well meaning people seem to speak of God’s sovereignty over all things as elitists who want people to feel small. They stick their noses in the air and talk about predestination, sovereign grace, and total depravity. While their doctrine may be good, they forget to display the very grace that defines their doctrine. Such knowledge has puffed them up. Notice how the psalmist uses the truth about God’s sovereignty here. It is meant to encourage, not belittle. If all things serve God according to His resolution, surely God has control of His own faithfulness. Despite all of our mistakes and missteps, He has chosen to be faithful to His people. Such a truth, like the natural law, is settled in heaven. It cannot be changed, not even by us when we fail. This is only possible if God decides who to love. We don’t decide for Him. He is good. God’s sovereignty is encouraging to us, and I hope we are all encouraged like the psalmist is in Psalm 119. To God be the glory for His unmatched covenant faithfulness to all generations.

In this post, you read about God’s faithfulness as an outpouring of His sovereignty. There is a lot of controversy surrounding ideas of God’s sovereignty and, unfortunately, bad behavior and division in the church. If you have any questions about sovereignty or how the truth of God’s sovereignty is applies gracefully in Scripture, please don’t hesitate to reach out.