Session 2 God’s Will and the Bible

Intro

In the first chapter of 2 Peter there are verses that have bearing on Psalm 19. Peter is an old man at this point (cf. v. 14), and he has been reflecting on the time he and two other disciples saw the Lord Jesus Christ transfigured before them on the mountain. It was a great experience. “We were eyewitnesses of his majesty,” he says. We heard “this voice that came from heaven” (vv. 16, 18). It was an experience comparable to that of Moses meeting with God on Mount Sinai. Nevertheless, in spite of having seen the Lord’s glory and having heard the very voice of God from heaven, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased,” Peter says that there exists an even greater witness to the truth. “We have the word of the prophets made more certain,” is his testimony (vv. 17, 19). The Authorized Version of the Bible calls this witness a “more sure word of prophecy,” that is, more sure even than the voice from heaven.

This has bearing on Psalm 19, as I say. For the verses in 2 Peter 1 are a New Testament equivalent of the transition from verses 1–6 in Psalm 19, which talk about the general revelation of God in nature, to verses 7–11, which talk about the special revelation of God in Scripture. The revelation of God in nature is glorious, just as the visible transfiguration of Jesus and the heavenly voice were glorious. But glorious as it is, it cannot compare to the written revelation. It is that “more certain” or “more sure” revelation that concerns David in the second half of this psalm.

19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect. In both Egyptian and Mesopotamian thought, law and justice were closely related to the sun-god, whose penetrating rays illumined every human activity. In the Babylonian Hymn to Shamash, the sun-god even discerns the covetous heart and weighs the fairness of each business transaction. With this divine character in view, King Hammurapi illustrated his famous law code with an engraving of himself standing before Shamash, the sun-god, who sanctions his kingship and law (see note on Ps 72). Egyptian kings, who embodied the sun-god, Ra (or Re), boasted the following epithet: “The Son of Re who lives by Maat (justice).” This background provides an important bridge between the first and second halves of Ps 19. For the psalmist, it is not a deified sun who presides over law and justice; rather, it is Yahweh, whose commands are perfect and who perceives “hidden faults” (v. 12) and every “meditation of [the] heart” (v. 14).

19:7 On law, see note on 1:2. perfect. See note on 19:13. reviving the soul. That is, giving refreshment (see Prov. 25:13, “refreshes the soul”; Ps. 23:3 uses a similar expression). Sure, or trustworthy. simple. See Introduction to Proverbs: Character Types in Proverbs.

19:7 The close relation between God’s instruction through creation (vv. 1–6) and through his law (vv. 7–14) anticipates the role of Christ as mediator in creation and redemption (Col. 1:15–20).

V. 7. The law—The doctrine delivered to his church, whether by Moses, or by other prophets. Having discoursed hitherto of the glory of God shining forth in, the visible heavens, he now proceeds to another demonstration of God’s glory, which he compares with and prefers before the former. Perfect—Completely discovering both the nature and will of God, and the whole duty of man, what he is to believe and practice, and whatsoever is necessary to his present and eternal happiness. Whereas the creation, although it did declare so much of God, as left all men without excuse, yet did not fully manifest the will of God, nor bring men to eternal salvation. Converting—From sin to God, from whom all men are naturally revolted. Testimony—His law, so called because it is a witness between God and man, what God requires of man, and what upon the performance of that condition, he will do for man. Sure—Heb. faithful or true, which is most necessary in a witness: it will not mis-lead any man, but will infallibly bring him to happiness. Simple—Even persons of the lowest capacities.

V. 8. Right—Both in themselves, and in their effect, as guiding men in the ready way to eternal happiness. Rejoicing—By the discoveries of God’s love to sinful men, in offers and promises of mercy. Commandment—All his commands. Pure—Without the least mixture of error. The eyes—Of the mind, with a compleat manifestation of God’s will and man’s duty: both which, the works of nature, and all the writings of men discover but darkly and imperfectly.

19:8 pure. Unmixed with evil (cf. 24:4). enlightening the eyes. For the eyes to have light or to be bright is for the person to be alert and active (cf. 1 Sam. 14:27; Ezra 9:8; Ps. 13:3; 38:10; Prov. 29:13).

19:9 The fear of the Lord often means revering God, but here it is the revealed way by which one properly reveres God, i.e., the precepts of the covenant (similarly 34:11). true. A reliable transcript of God’s will.

V. 9. The fear—The law and word of God, because it is both the object and the rule, and the cause of holy fear. Clean—Sincere, not adulterated with any mixture. Constant and unchangeable, the same for substance in all ages. Judgments—God’s laws are frequently called his judgments, because they are the declarations of his righteous will, and as it were his judicial sentence by which he expects that men should govern themselves, and by which he will judge them at the last day.

19:10 pure gold. This imagery is known from other ancient Near Eastern cultures. A number of inscriptions on doors at a Ptolemaic-period Egyptian temple at Edfu read: “Everyone who enters by this door, beware of entering in impurity, for God loves purity more than millions of possessions, more than hundreds of thousands of fine gold.” The Hebrew word translated “pure gold” is somewhat obscure (it is a single word, not a noun with an adjective describing pure or refined). It could refer to a particular grade or to a particular variety, e.g., rose gold or white gold. honey. Represents a natural resource, in most occurrences the syrup of the date rather than bees’ honey. Since sugar was not available, honey was the most commonly used sweetener. There is evidence of bee domestication at Tel Rehov in Israel, and the Hittites and Canaanites also used honey from domesticated bees in their sacrifices. In the Bible, honey occurs in lists with other agricultural products (e.g., 2Ch 31:5). It is possible that the first reference to honey in this verse is date honey, but the second reference is clearly referring to bee honey since the “honeycomb” is mentioned.

19:10 The fundamental attitude here is one of delight: God’s instructions are more desirable than the best riches (cf. 119:127; Prov. 8:19) and more pleasurable than the finest tastes (cf. Prov. 24:13–14).

19:11 reward. The proper outcome, in this case assurance and character growth (see notes on vv. 12 and 13).

19:7–11. Following the testimony of creation, God’s character, works, and will for humanity are further specified by His Word, which is perfect. The first and foundational part of God’s Word is the law (see the comment on 1:3–4), here described by the various other biblical synonyms including testimony, precepts, commandment, and judgments (“ordinances,” as in Ex 21:1). Through this verbal/written revelation man is instructed in the fear (i.e., worship) of the Lord (cf. 111:10; 2Kg 17:28). Two key biblical concepts of worship and obedience (i.e., “keeping/obeying”), presented at the outset of the Torah, are reiterated here (see the comment on Gn 2:15; cf. also Ec 12:13). God’s words are a guide and a warning for how to live, and in keeping them there is great reward (cf. Ps 1).

Psalm 19:11-14

19:12–14. Whether one’s errors are hidden or committed in open arrogance (presumptuous sins), God brings conviction because nothing is hidden from Him (Dt 29:28; Ec 12:14). David concludes with a request to be kept away from sin and that God not allow it to rule over me. Then he asks the Lord to Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight. On the meaning of meditation (19:14) see the comment on Ps 1:2; on rock as a divine title see the comment on Ps 18:46.

19:12 who can discern their own errors? The belief in the ancient world was that the gods had many more regulations, requirements and restrictions than were known to people. In a “Prayer to Every God,” an Assyrian worshiper goes through an elaborate listing of possible offenses (“the forbidden thing I have eaten, I do not know; the prohibited place on which I have set foot, I do not know”) asking that his unwitting sins be pardoned, claiming the offense was committed in ignorance. Additionally the penitential prayers from Mesopotamia known as shigu prayers contain frequent reference to being absolved of unknown sins. Egyptians were also concerned with unknown sins, as reflected in a late demotic wisdom piece (Papyrus Insinger), in which the author begs forgiveness for unwitting sin.

V. 12. Who—Thy law, O Lord, is holy and just and good. But I fall infinitely short of it. Cleanse—Both by justification, through the blood of thy son; and by sanctication thro’ thy holy spirit. Though the first may seem to be principally intended, because he speaks of his past sins. Secret—From the guilt of such sins as were secret either, from others; such as none knows but God and my own conscience: or, from myself; such as I never observed, or did not discern the evil of. Pardon my unknown sins, of which I never repented particularly, as I should have done.

19:12 The word hidden shows the flow of thought in the psalm: just as the sun’s heat searches every nook and cranny so that “there is nothing hidden from its heat” (v. 6), so too the law searches all the hiding places of the soul; the honest faithful can only ask God to declare them innocent. This prayer includes a request for forgiveness even from “hidden” sins which one does not remember, or which were committed in ignorance.

19:13 Presumptuous sins are sins committed in arrogant disregard of divine commands (Deut. 17:12). These, when repeated, come to have dominion, and thus to enslave. Instead the desire is to become blameless (which is what the law is; see ESV footnote on Ps. 19:7; see also note on 18:30). The term innocent points back to 19:12; there the singer asked to be declared innocent, while here he desires innocence in his own practice as well.

V. 13. Presumptuous—From known and evident sins, such as are committed against knowledge, against the checks of conscience, and the motions of God’s spirit. Dominion—If I be at any time tempted to such sins, Lord let them not prevail over me, and if I do fall into them, let me speedily rise again.

V. 14. Let—Having prayed that God would keep him from sinful actions, he now prays that God would govern, and sanctify his words and thoughts: and this was necessary to preserve him from presumptuous sins, which have their first rise in the thoughts. Redeemer—This expression seems to be added emphatically, and with special respect to Christ, to whom alone this word Goel can properly belong.

19:12–14 The Humble Response. Although some may use the law of God as a means of self-promotion, that is not what this psalm instills. Instead it leads the singers to reflect on their own moral failures, known and unknown; to rely on God’s forgiveness; and to seek protection from sin’s domination.

19:14 Be acceptable comes from the language of sacrifice (as in Lev. 22:20); thus the request is that this song be a suitable act of worship before God, like a sacrifice.

The Wills of God

God Wills What He Will

God continually “works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Eph. 1:11). God’s will is the ultimate reason for everything that happens. It is the way God approves and determines to bring about every action necessary for the existence of and activity of himself and all his creation. God’s will is how he chooses to do what he does and doesn’t do.

For example, all things were created by God’s will (Rev. 4:11), human governments have their power according to God’s will (Rom. 13:1), and sometimes it is God’s will that his children suffer (1 Peter 3:17). All the events of our life are subject to God’s will. That is why James encourages us not to say we will do this or that, but instead say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that” (James 4:15).

Even the death of Christ and all the events surrounding it took place according to God’s will. Luke tells us in Acts 4:27–28, those who were involved in Christ’s death did whatever God’s hand and plan “had predestined to take place.”

Sometimes God’s will is clearly revealed, such as when, from Scripture, we clearly know what we should do or what God has specifically commanded us to do. This is what is referred to when Jesus told us to pray “your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10).

At other times, Scripture does not give us clear direction as to what we are to do or how we are to act. It’s at times like these that our attitude should be one of humble reliance upon God and his sovereign control over the events in our life. We should plan our steps, as James encouraged us to, by saying “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that” (James 4:15).

Therefore, we must exhibit much caution, especially in the midst of difficult situations, in saying with any degree of certainty what the Lord’s will is if it isn’t clear from Scripture. For example, there is a danger in speaking of evil events as happening according to the will of God even though we may find places where the Bible speaks this way. When we explain evil as the result of God’s will, it can sound as if God is to be blamed for evil and sin or imply that God delights in such evil. But this is not the case. In the Bible, human beings and sinful angels (demons) are always blamed for evil, sinful actions, and God is never blamed. Even the death of Christ, which the Bible clearly states happened “according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God,” was carried out “by the hands of lawless men” (Acts 2:23).

God is not to be blamed for, or thought responsible for, sinful or evil things. The exact relationship between his will and evil is not something he has chosen to completely reveal to us. Therefore, we must take comfort in the fact that “the secret things belong to the Lord our God” (Deut. 29:29).

We note at the outset that the Bible speaks of the “will of God” in more than one way. This is the key problem that complicates our quest and serves as a warning against simplistic solutions. In the New Testament, there are two Greek words that can be and have been translated by the English word will. It would seem that all we need is to identify precisely the meanings of the two words and check out the Greek text every time we see the word will, and our problems will be solved. Alas, it doesn’t work that way. The plot thickens when we discover that each of the two Greek words has several nuances of meaning. Simply checking the Greek text for word usage is not enough to solve our difficulty.

However, finding the meanings of the Greek words is a helpful starting place. Let’s examine the two words briefly to see whether they shed any light on our quest. The words are boule and thelema.

The term boule has its roots in an ancient verb that means a “rational and conscious desire,” as opposed to thelema, meaning “an impulsive or unconscious desire.” The ancient subtle distinction was between rational desire and impulsive desire. As the Greek language developed, however, this distinction was softened, and eventually the words became used at times as synonyms, with authors switching from one to the other for purposes of stylistic change.

In the New Testament, boule usually refers to a plan based on careful deliberation; it is used most often with respect to the counsel of God. Boule frequently indicates God’s providential plan, which is predetermined and inflexible. Luke is fond of using it this way, as we read in the book of Acts: “This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan [boule] and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men” (Acts 2:23).

Here the resolute decree of God is in view, which no human action can set aside. God’s plan is impregnable; His “will” is unalterable.

The word thelema is rich in its diversity of meanings. It refers to what is agreeable, what is desired, what is intended, what is chosen, or what is commanded. Here we have the notions of consent, desire, purpose, resolution, and command. The force of the various meanings is determined by the context in which thelema appears.

The Decretive Will of God

Theologians describe as the “decretive will of God” that will by which God decrees things to come to pass according to His supreme sovereignty. This is also sometimes called “God’s sovereign efficacious will”; by it, God brings to pass whatsoever He wills. When God sovereignly decrees something in this sense, nothing can prevent it from coming to pass.

When God commanded the light to shine, the darkness had no power to resist the command. The “lights” came on. God did not persuade the light to shine. He did not negotiate with elemental powers to form a universe. He did not achieve a plan of redemption by trial and error; the cross was not a cosmic accident exploited by the Deity. These things were decreed absolutely. Their effects were efficacious (producing the desired result) because their causes were sovereignly decreed.

A serious danger faces those who restrict the meaning of the will of God to the sovereign will. We hear the Muslim cry, “It is the will of Allah.” We slip at times into a deterministic view of life that says, “Que será, sera,” or “What will be, will be.” In so doing, we embrace a sub-Christian form of fatalism, as if God willed everything that happened in such a way as to eliminate human choices.

Classical theologians insist on the reality of man’s will in acting, choosing, and responding. God works His plan through means, via the real choices of willing and acting creatures. There are secondary as well as primary causes. To deny this is to embrace a kind of determinism that eliminates human freedom and dignity.

Yet there is a God who is sovereign, whose will is greater than ours. His will restricts my will. My will cannot restrict His will. When He decrees something sovereignly, it will come to pass—whether I like it or not, whether I choose it or not. He is sovereign. I am subordinate.

The Preceptive Will of God

When the Bible speaks of the will of God, it does not always mean the decretive will of God. The decretive will of God cannot be broken or disobeyed. It will come to pass. On the other hand, there is a will that can be broken: “the preceptive will of God.” It can be disobeyed. Indeed, it is broken and disobeyed every day by each one of us.

The preceptive will of God is found in His law. The precepts, statutes, and commandments that He delivers to His people make up the preceptive will. They express and reveal to us what is right and proper for us to do. The preceptive will is God’s rule of righteousness for our lives. By this rule we are governed.

It is the will of God that we not sin. It is the will of God that we have no other gods before Him; that we love our neighbor as we love ourselves; that we refrain from stealing, coveting, and committing adultery. Yet the world is filled with idolatry, hatred, thievery, covetousness, and adultery. The will of God is violated whenever His law is broken.

One of the great tragedies of contemporary Christendom is the preoccupation of so many Christians with the secret decretive will of God to the exclusion and neglect of the preceptive will. We want to peek behind the veil, to catch a glimpse of our personal future. We seem more concerned with our horoscope than with our obedience, more concerned with what the stars in their courses are doing than with what we are doing.

With respect to God’s sovereign will, we assume we are passive. With respect to His preceptive will, we know that we are active and therefore responsible and accountable. It is easier to engage in ungodly prying into the secret counsel of God than to apply ourselves to the practice of godliness. We can flee to the safety of the sovereign will and try to pass off our sin to God, laying the burden and responsibility of it on His unchanging will. Such characterizes the spirit of antichrist, the spirit of lawlessness or antinomianism, that despises God’s law and ignores His precepts.

Protestants are particularly vulnerable to this distortion. We seek refuge in our precious doctrine of justification by faith alone, forgetting that the very doctrine is to be a catalyst for the pursuit of righteousness and obedience to the preceptive will of God.