Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church, Manhattan KS, 1 Mar 2015
1 To the concertmaster , a
psalm belonging to David.
The heavens are accountings of the glory of God,
and that expanse is a relating of His hands’ action.
2 Day to day it causes speech to flow,
and night to night it inspires knowledge.
3 There is no speech, and there are no words;
never is their voice heard.
4 Their line goes out into all the earth,
and their messages into the end of the world.
In them He set a pavilion for the sun.
5 Now that is like a bridegroom coming out from his bedroom.
It revels like a champion to run a course.
6 Its out-going is from one end of the heavens, and its term is
beyond their ends,
and there isn’t anything hidden from its sunlight.
7 Yahweh’s written-instruction has soul-returning integrity.
Yahweh’s testimony is trustworthy, causing the naïve to be wise.
8 Yahweh’s accountabilities are heart-rejoicing-ly right.
Yahweh’s command is sight-illuminating-ly pure.
9 Yahweh’s respect stands forever clean.
Yahweh’s judgments are altogether justly true.
10 They are desirable
beyond gold – even beyond lots of fine gold,
and sweet beyond honey – even flowing from honeycomb.
11 Moreover your servant
is being warned by them.
When keeping them there is a lot of reward!
12 Who perceives errors?
Aquit me [even] from the hidden ones !
13 Moreover, restrain
your servant from the presumptuous ones;
don’t let them rule over me.
Then I will have integrity, and I will be acquitted from a lot of
transgression!
14 May [the] words of my
mouth and meditation of my heart
exist for the purpose of favor before Your face,
Yahweh, my Landmark-rock and my Redeemer.
· When I was 31 years old, I moved my family to Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Now for those of you not familiar with that part of Colorado, Highlands Ranch was Yuppie heaven. At the turn of the 21st century, that was the cool, new suburb of Denver where every young, upwardly-mobile professional wanted to live. My wife and I however, found ourselves frustrated by the differences between our values and the values of the Highlands Ranch culture that we had moved into. One of the ways we dealt with it was to make fun of the silly things those yuppies did, and one of the silliest things at that point in time was the Sports Utility Vehicles in vogue among the upper-middle class. You could tell a female resident of Highlands Ranch by the giant, sleek, 4-wheel-drive SUV she drove, equipped, of course, with a membership decal from Vail or Copper Mountain or, if they were really edgy, Mary Jane ski resort. Now, what was ironic about every one of these Highland Ranch SUV’s was that they never had a speck of mud on them. Here were these very expensive vehicles, designed to traverse dirt tracks across rugged mountain terrain, and yet they obviously had never been used to even drive down a dirt road. The weather and the terrain in Highlands Ranch were such that 4-wheel drive was totally unnecessary, and yet everyone (except us) seemed to have one. We thought it was a ridiculous waste of resources. But Highlands Ranch residents during the year 2000’s are not the only people we could ridicule.
· Every one of you is holding a treasure in your hands; a treasure more valuable than a box of gold, yet every one of us has underestimated it and failed to use it to its full power. I am referring, of course, to the Bible, the Word of God. Like those powerful SUV’s in Highlands Ranch being used for nothing but shopping and picking up kids from school in well-manicured suburban neighborhoods, could it be that our Bibles are not being used to their full potential?
· In the last two sermons we meditated on the first nine verses of Psalm 19, covering the glory of God in creation and the Glory of God in His written revelation.
· And at the end of my last sermon I made up a few quick applications, but the author of the psalm actually had his own set of applications that I just hadn’t got to yet. Now I want to go more properly through an exegesis of how Psalm 19 itself tells us to apply what we know of the glory of God in creation and the Glory of God in revelation so that we don’t end up like the ridiculous men in 2 Timothy 3 who “have a form of godliness but deny its power.” I see David’s application falling along three lines in verses 10-14:
1. Enjoy God’s revelation of Himself,
2. Let it convict you of sin, and then
3. Let it draw you close to the Redeemer (that is, Christ Jesus)!
· So let’s start at verse 10 with enjoying God’s words: “They are desirable beyond gold – even beyond lots of fine gold, and sweet beyond honey – even flowing from honeycomb.”
· You know, the first sin in the Bible had to do with a perversion of desire:
o God had told Adam and Eve not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, but Genesis 3:6 says that they found the fruit of that tree “desirable” – and the same word occurs here in Psalm 19:10 – more desirable. Adam and Eve sinned by desiring the fruit more than they desired to fulfill God’s word, but this psalm says we should find God’s word more desirable than 10-carat gold. How are the desires of your heart aligned?
o It was also the sin of Achan in Joshua 7, who “desired” the gold and silver and imported clothes from Babylon which he found in the Caananite city of Ai and prioritized them over the command of God devote it all to destruction.
o In Deuteronomy 7:25, God commanded, “You shall burn the carved images of their [Canaanite] gods with fire; you shall not covet the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it for yourselves, lest you be snared by it; for it is an abomination to the LORD your God.” (NKJV) A right relationship with God is to be desired more than any wealth found in the context of rebellion against God.
o In the 10th Commandment, the same Hebrew word shows up again, where it is translated “covet.” We are told not to prioritize a desire for a sexual relationship or a service or a good or anything which belongs to our neighbor over the word of God.
o And yet, this Psalm tells us that there is something we should “covet” or desire. What is that? God’s law, testimonies, precepts, commands, fear and judgments – the Bible. This is where our desires should be directed. This should be what we dream about. This should be what we yearn to experience more of.
· God’s word is also spoken of as “sweet” – as sweet as honey.
o Have you ever had a craving for something sweet to eat? Then when you ate that chocolate or that candy bar or that latte or whatever, it tasted so good. Have you ever bit into a piece of honeycomb and all that sticky sweetness just fills your taste buds while you savor it in your mouth?
o I remember touring with my high school church choir through Mississippi, and one night I was hosted by a farmer in Tupelo, Mississippi who kept bees. Now, they are famous for good honey there in Tupelo, and I remember that farmer sharing samples of his honey and candy that he had made out of honey, and boy was it delicious! God’s word is even better than that, says David.
o Reading the Bible is rewarding and pleasant in and of itself, existentially. Some of my happiest memories from college are from my morning devotions as I read my Bible and prayed watching the sun rise from the chapel on the edge of Lookout Mountain,
o but there is more. There are additional rewards which come from obeying God’s word:
· Verse 11 tells us, “Moreover your servant is being warned by them. When keeping them there is a lot of reward!” (NAW) It speaks of reward both positively and negatively:
· Negatively, there is the reward of avoiding trouble
o One of the times this word “warning” occurs in the Old Testament was during the reign of King Jehoram in the Northern kingdom of Israel. The king of Syria tried to position his army to invade Israel several times, but every time he did, Elisha the prophet would “warn” King Jehoram exactly where the Syrian troops were going to be so that he could cut them off. Ben-Hadad, King of Syria started suspecting there was a spy among his own counselors, but his counselors said, “No, King, it’s that Israelite Elisha. He is such a prophet that he can tell the king of Israel everything you say in your own bedroom!”
o This role of warning was held by the Biblical prophets (cf. Ezekiel 3 & 33), and the writings of the prophets in the Bible can inform us of the dangers and protect us from harm.
o That includes very practical warnings like Deut. 23:13 which says that when you go potty you should cover up your waste; flush it, bury it; don’t leave it exposed. Following that word of warning helps communities to avoid a lot of sicknesses like cholera and dysentery that plague those which fail to heed God’s practical warnings.
o But there are spiritual warnings too: The word of God warns us about what makes God angry so that we may avoid His wrath[1]. For instance, when we learn from Proverbs 28:13 that when we sin we should not cover that up; instead we should confess it and repent. Following this warning results in us not coming under God’s wrath but rather coming under His provision of mercy through Jesus!
· Positively, there is “great reward”
o Literally, the Hebrew word ‘ayqev simply refers to consequences/results which follow from a given set of conditions, but the context of verse 11 is that of positive consequences, so most English translations use the word “reward.”
o So what kinds of consequences are there to keeping God’s laws and commands? Proverbs 22:4 says, “The ‘ayqev/reward/consequence of humility and reverence toward the LORD is: wealth and honor and life.” Do you want to have enough money? Do you want people to respect you? Do you want to enjoy life? Then treasure God’s laws and commands and revere Him! The reward is wealth, honor, and life!
o Not only will you get real assets in this world, you’ll also get the intangible asset of a blessed relationship with God Himself: Deuteronomy 7:12-13 says “...‘ayqev/as a consequence of you listening to these judgments, and keeping and doing them, the LORD your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers. And He will love you and bless you and multiply you...” Do you want God to be merciful to you? Do you want God to love you? Do you want God to bless you? Heed His judgments, keep them, and do them! The rewards are mercy, love, and blessing!
o When I keep God’s word – that is, when I treasure it, when I refuse to compromise it, when I obey it, the consequences will satisfy me.
· Notice, by the way, that it does not say that the only way to get these rewards is to obey everything in the Bible perfectly. It just says that when[2] we keep them, the results are great.
o We’re talking about walking “in” a relationship with God, where, despite our ignorance of parts of His word, and despite our failure to obey all that we know of His word, we nevertheless have hearts that desire to “keep” His word, so we take it seriously, we highly value it, we protect it from compromise, and we try our best to follow what it says.
o I believe that this is the same idea presented in First John where it uses the phrase “walking in the light.” “When we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship... and the blood of Jesus... cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
· Also notice that this verse does not say that these rewards are earned.
o Many of us have pets – some have dogs, some have cats, some have guinea pigs... we have... rabbits. When I was a boy, I had a mean rabbit named Nibbles that would bite. I still fed the thing and gave it water, but my rabbit did nothing to earn that kindness from me. I would try to pet it, and it would try to bite me, so I did not enjoy time spent with that pet. Now, on the other hand, the bunnies my daughters have are the most friendly I’ve ever seen. I actually enjoy them, and I will go out of my way to pet them and feed them treats. They still don’t do anything to deserve my time and attention; rabbits just... sit there. They’re good for nothing but fur coats or rabbit stew, and since my daughters would never allow that, those rabbits are practically useless to me. But I still enjoy petting them, because they are willing to get along with me without biting me.
o Our relationship with God is somewhat analogous to this. There is nothing we can do to earn His blessings – He doesn’t need anything that we have to offer, and yet when we are not in rebellion against Him, but rather are “keepers” of His word, then there is a great deal more to enjoy.
o So that’s the first challenge: will you apply Psalm 19 by milking an enjoyment of God and His word for all it’s worth? That’s a fun application, really. The second application is a bit more challenging:
· Verse 12 starts with a rhetorical question, literally, “Who discerns errors?”
o Since the word “his” is inserted into most English translations, I had always taken this verse to mean, “Who can find a fault with God?” The answer to that question, of course, is, “No one.” But that’s not the question posed by David here; the word “his” is not even there in Hebrew.
o Most of the commentators I read on this passage understood the question to mean, “Who is the man that is capable of identifying all the sins in his own life?” The answer to that question is the same, “No one, for we all have hidden faults.” But the Hebrew text does not even have the word “able” or “capable” in it.
o So, I think David is actually asking the more general question, “Where does the buck stop when it comes to deciding what is a sin and what is not a sin?” Who discerns errors?
o Can you decide that it’s wrong for me to chew green chewing gum but it’s o.k. for me to chew pink gum? Of course not, but God does have the authority to make anything right or wrong that He wants to.
o Furthermore, who sees every unintentional sin and really perceives what exactly is going on in every case? No one can do that! Although we do all have to make judgment calls, the one who ultimately calls the shots is Jesus Himself. “Who is the one who understands error?” Only God can decide right from wrong. It is a function of deity no man other than Jesus can legitimately assume. I’m not going to stand before you or anybody else on Judgment Day – it will just be Him!
o I think that is the reason that David’s thoughts turn toward God as he asks to be forgiven: “Please, will You cleanse me from secret, hidden faults?”
· These kind of shagah errors, that we aren’t immediately aware of, but which are nevertheless “crazy wanderings” from the ordered patterns God lays out for us, had their own special sacrifice in the Old Testament that had to be offered to forgive them:
o Leviticus 4:13-15 “Now if the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally [this word which the NKJV translates “unintentionally” is the same root word translated “errors” in Psalm 19:12], and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done something against any of the commandments of the LORD in anything which should not be done, and are guilty; when the sin which they have committed becomes known, then the assembly shall offer a young bull for the sin... the elders... shall lay their hands on the head of the bull... Then the bull shall be killed before the LORD. (cf. Num. 15:22)
o What you don’t know CAN hurt you in God’s judgment. Even unintentional sins were taken so seriously by God that a blood sacrifice had to be made for them, pointing to the fact that these kind of sins cannot be swept under the carpet but must be atoned for by Jesus’ death on the cross in our place. That means we need to let God’s word convict us of sin and deal with it. Unintentional sins can’t be ignored.
· God is just; He does not allow any sin to slip under the radar. Just as the Psalm said earlier that nothing is “hidden” from the sun’s heat, so nothing is “hidden” from God. Jeremiah 16:17 says, “For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity concealed from My eyes” (NKJV)[3]. God sees it all.
· Furthermore, God does not give indulgences for sin. We see this in the third of the ten commandments, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not let him be acquitted who takes His name in vain” (Ex. 20:7).
· The LORD will not let sinners be acquitted, and yet here David asks God to acquit him. On what basis can he do that? On the basis of God’s covenant which provides a substitute to die in the place of the sinner in order to pay for the sin.
· When we ask God to forgive our sins – even the ones we’re not aware of, we no longer have to fear the unknown in terms of our own sin; we can have confidence with God on Judgment Day.
o Most of the times I have been pulled over by the police, I had no idea why they pulled me over. I didn’t know that my taillight was out; I didn’t know that I was over the speed limit; I didn’t know that it was against the law to do a u-turn anywhere within Memphis city limits, but I still got ticketed and fined because I had broken a law, even though I didn’t know I had.
o But for those of us who ask God to acquit us of even the sins we don’t know about, we can be confident that God is not going to beat us over the head with some obscure law in Leviticus somewhere that we had never heard of before. We don’t have to be afraid of God anymore. When we trust Jesus to save us from our sin, God will see us as clean; He won’t pin any sin on us whatsoever; He will acquit us of every fault.
o But what about the sins we knew we were doing: we knew better, but did wrong anyway? (Mama said you couldn’t have that candy, but you ate it anyway when she wasn’t looking.)
· v.13 says, “Moreover, restrain your servant from the presumptuous [errors]; don’t let them rule over me. Then I will have integrity, and I will be acquitted from a lot of transgression!” (NAW)
o The Hebrew word translated “presumptuous” is often translated “arrogant” “proud[4]” or “insolent.” When we sin willfully, there is often an element of pride, but God can even help us with that.
o Earlier in his life, David had almost led a band of outlaws to kill all the men at Nabal’s farm, but Nabal’s wife, Abigail, intercepted David and gave him a bunch of food she had prepared (that’s the way to a man’s heart, right?), and asked him to overlook her husband’s offense. In 1 Samuel 25:39, David acknowledged that by Abigail’s intervention – and God’s later intervention in giving Nabal a heart attack, God “kept [David] His servant back from doing evil.” God can keep you from willful sins too.
o The Hebrew word Khesoke (“keep back”) which David chose to use here is interesting to me because it not only has the connotation of “restraining” but also carries the connotetion of “reserving.” Job 21:30 uses the same verb to say that the “wicked are reserved for the day of judgment,” however, David doesn’t want to be reserved for that end, He wants to be reserved for eternal life in the house of the LORD, so he asks to be restrained from sin which would disqualify him from being reserved to that end.
o Of course, that does not mean David can live a life of rebellion against God and sin “high-handedly” and get away with it[5], but it does mean that there is a difference between repenting after occasionally falling into sin and living indulgently in sin with little to no regard for the honor of God.
o As the Apostle John put it in his first epistle: “All who have been born out of God do not keep committing sin, because His seed is remaining in him and he is not able to keep sinning because he has been born out of God” (1 John 3:9). But in the very same epistle John wrote, “...yet if someone sins, we have an advocate before the Father: righteous Jesus Christ” (1 John 2:1, NAW). So continuing in sin is not an option for a believer, but asking Jesus to forgive when we do fall is a possibility.
o There is a difference between sinning and being under the dominion of sin: Romans 6:11ff says, “...you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (NKJV).
· God’s word is a powerful tool by which we can enjoy God and with which we can discover and deal with sin. Now let us look at the last verse in Psalm 19 to see how God’s word can draw us closer to Him:
· “May [the] words of my mouth and meditation of my heart exist for the purpose of favor before Your face, Yahweh, my Landmark-rock and my Redeemer” (NAW).
· God knows what we say and what we think (Psalm 139:2-4), and what we say and think are what we, as New Testament believers, offer to God instead of bloody sacrifices (Heb. 13:15).
o Leviticus 22:20 says regarding the old animal sacrifices, “You must not offer anything that has a defect, for that will not be acceptable on your behalf” (NAW).
o The standard of perfection for what God found acceptable in an animal sacrifice also applies to our words and thoughts. So in our New Testament sacrifices of the praise of our lips and the honoring of God in our thoughts, any defect makes our words and our thoughts unacceptable to God.
o Which is, in effect, what David said later on in Psalm 66:18, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear” (NKJV).
· So what is acceptable to God? The Hebrew word ratson in verse 14 has a range of meaning which includes “acceptable/pleasing/favor/good-will/desire.” David is wanting his thoughts and his speech to be:
o the kind which God desires him to express,
o the kind which God will find acceptable and pleasant when God hears it,
o and which will result in favor and good will between him and God.
· I think it’s safe to say that God did indeed find David’s words pleasing since this psalm made it into the Bible! So what characterized this meditation and expression of speech?
1. Belief in God’s existence – “The heavens are telling the glory of God...,”
2. Praise for God’s work – “The law of the LORD is perfect...”
3. and dependence on God’s mercy to forgive – “Acquit me... from great transgression”
o Belief, Praise and Dependence on His salvation is what God likes us to express in our thoughts and words!
· David has confidence that he will experience this kind of favor – even as He asks for it – because He knows God already to be His “Redeemer.” Earlier in Psalm 5:12 he wrote, “You surround me with favor/acceptance as with a shield.”[6]
· In the context of Psalm 19, clearly the redemption is from “hidden errors,” and “presumptuous ... transgressions.” This is done by God paying the price for sin, acquitting David of the guilt and punishment of that sin, and restoring David to favor in His sight.
· The names of God which close this Psalm sum up the story of the Bible neatly in a nutshell: “my Rock and my Redeemer[7]” – God’s law and God’s grace!
o The tsur “rock” is highly-visible and strong, and it collects people to it much like the law of God which is proclaimed in the heavens and detailed in the Bible.
o Yet in both general and special revelation we see our inadequacy – and thus our need for a Redeemer. The God who created the world and defined right and wrong will hold us accountable and will judge every infraction of His law.
o The good news is that He also provides a way for us to be redeemed from our status as law-breakers who are subject to punishment. God has provided a way to transform us from transgressors into people who find favor in the presence of God. That way is forgiveness when we ask Him for it in Jesus’ name.
· So, over the course of this Psalm we move from the impersonal heavens to the law-code of the God named Yahweh, to the intimate relationship of “my Redeemer.”
· Let us use the tools He has given us in the Bible to the fullest so that we delight in Him, so that we deal with sin, and so that we draw close to Him more than ever before!
|
Psalm 19 |
NAW |
KJV |
NKJV |
ESV |
NASB |
NIV |
LXX (Psalm 18) |
Brenton |
|
יא הַנֶּחֱמָדִים מִזָּהָב וּמִפַּז רָב וּמְתוּקִים מִדְּבַשׁ וְנֹפֶת צוּפִים. |
10 They are desirable beyond gold – even beyond lots of fine gold - and sweet beyond honey – even flowing from honeycomb. |
10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. |
10 More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. |
10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. |
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. |
10 They are more |
10 (11)
ἐπιθυμητὰ
ὑπὲρ χρυσίον
καὶ |
10 To be desired more than gold, and much
precious |
|
יב גַּם עַבְדְּךָ נִזְהָר בָּהֶם בְּשָׁמְרָם. עֵקֶב רָב. |
11 Moreover your servant is being warned by them. When keeping them there is a lot of reward! |
11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. |
11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward. |
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. |
11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward. |
11 X By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. |
11 (12) καὶ γὰρ
ὁ δοῦλός σου |
11 For thy servant |
|
יג שְׁגִיאוֹת מִי יָבִין מִנִּסְתָּרוֹת נַקֵּנִי. |
12 Who perceives errors? Aquit me [even] from the hidden ones[8]! |
12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse[9] thou me from secret faults. |
12 Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. |
12 Who can discern [his] errors? Declare me innocent from hidden [faults]. |
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. |
12 Who can discern [his] errors? Forgive m |
12 (13)
παραπτώματα
τίς συνήσει;
ἐκ τῶν κρυφίων
|
12 Who will understand his transgressions?
purge thou me
from |
|
יד גַּם מִזֵּדִים חֲשֹׂךְ עַבְדֶּךָ אַל יִמְשְׁלוּ בִי אָז אֵיתָם וְנִקֵּיתִי מִפֶּשַׁע רָב. |
13 Moreover, restrain your servant from the presumptuous ones; don’t let them rule over me. Then I will have integrity and I will be acquitted from a lot of transgression! |
13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. |
13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression. |
13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous [sins]; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. |
13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression. |
13 Keep X your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. |
13 (14) καὶ
ἀπὸ |
13 And spare thy servant the |
|
טו יִהְיוּ לְרָצוֹן אִמְרֵי פִי וְהֶגְיוֹן לִבִּי לְפָנֶיךָ יְהוָה צוּרִי וְגֹאֲלִי. |
14 May [the] words of my mouth and meditation of my heart exist for the purpose of favor before Your face, Yahweh, my landmark-rock and my redeemer. |
14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. |
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer. |
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. |
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer. |
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. |
14 (15) καὶ
ἔσονται εἰς
εὐδοκίαν τὰ
λόγια τοῦ
στόματός μου
καὶ ἡ μελέτη
τῆς καρδίας
μου ἐνώπιόν
σου |
14 So shall the sayings of my mouth, and
the meditation of my heart, be pleasing |
[1] 2 Chron. 19:10 King Jehoshaphat appointed judges from among the Levites and priests and told them, “Whenever any dispute comes to you from your fellow-citizens who live in their cities... you must warn them so that they won’t be guilty before the LORD, and wrath come on you and your fellow-citizens. Do this and you will not be guilty.” (NAW)
[2] The beth prefix to the infinitive verb “keep” is a common construction in Hebrew for indicating a temporal relationship.
[3] cf. Isa. 40:27, 28:16-lying, Psalm 19:6-nothing “hidden” from the sun, Num 5:13 – not even a secret affair, Deut 29:29 – “secret things” belong to the Lord, but to us belongs His word.
[4] cf. Isa. 13:11 And I will bring accountability for evil upon the world, and for iniquity upon the wicked; I will finish off the arrogant proud and humiliate the pompous pride of the ruthless.” (NAW)
[5] Numbers 15:27-31 “And if a person sins unintentionally, then he shall bring a female goat in its first year as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for the person who sins unintentionally, when he sins unintentionally before the LORD, to make atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him... But the person who does anything presumptuously [lit. “high handedly”], whether he is native-born or a stranger, that one brings reproach on the LORD, and he shall be cut off from among his people. Because he has despised the word of the LORD, and has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt shall be upon him.’” (NKJV)
[6] cf. Psalm 8:5 “You surround him with glory and honor” and Psalm 103:4 “He crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion and redeems your life from the pit”
[7] This concept of “redeeming” first shows up when God “redeemed” the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt, but the Name “my Redeemer” only shows up once in the Bible before Psalm 19, and that is in Job 19:25ff, when Job says, “I know that my Redeemer lives and... I shall see His face.” In the bulk of instances of the word “redeem” in the law, it refers to someone who completes unfinished business on behalf of another – whether punishment for murder (in the context of the cities of refuge in Numbers), or management of an estate (in the case of Ruth), or offerings to God by the head of a household.
[8] The feminine plural participle for “hidden/obscured/secret” refers back to the feminine plural “errors,” and does not introduce a separate word like “faults.” It is a hapex legomenon, so it is not an allusion to anything else in the Bible.
[9] Of the 44 times this verb occurs in the O.T., twice it clearly means “stripped” and everywhere else it has to do with moral or legal innocence. It is curious that the KJV follows the Septuagint “clean” which seems to me to be a different root meaning, even thought it is not altogether foreign to the concept of acquittal.