Psalms 119:142 - Meaning and Application

Notice, first, that God’s word is righteousness, and it is an everlasting righteousness. It is the rule of God’s judgment, fully in line with his purposes from eternity, and it will guide his final sentence for eternity. God’s word will judge us in righteousness, and it will decide our eternal state. That should fill us with deep respect for Scripture, because it is righteousness itself, the standard of what is right, with lasting rewards and punishments.

Notice, too, that God’s word is a law, and that law is truth. This gives us a double reason to live by God’s word. We are reasoning creatures, so we must be guided by truth and admit its power over us. If the beliefs are true, then the actions must match them, or we are not acting wisely. We are also creatures, and so we are subjects under our Creator, bound to obey whatever he commands as law.

See how these two claims are joined together like strong cords. Truth is brought to the mind, where it should take first place and direct the whole person. But because the will can resist what the mind knows, God gives his word as law to bind the will and bring it under obedience. God’s truth is a law (John 18:37), and God’s law is the truth. We should never try to separate what God has joined together.