you rebuke the insolent, accursed ones, who wander from your commandments. [psalm 119:21]

 

the psalmist recognized that no goodness comes from pride or disobedience, and we now know that the wages of sin is death. the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus. [romans 6:23]

 

the psalmist would have known the story of how God hardened pharaoh heart because pharaoh chose for it to be hard.

and i will harden pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.” and they did so. [exodus 14:4]

 

the psalmist would have known the story of cain and abel and how cain chose to bring first fruits of the land that wasn’t the kind of offering the Lord required.

…cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. and the Lord had regard for abel and his offering, but for cain and his offering he had no regard. genesis 4: 3-5

 

the psalmist desired to be in communion and covenant with God because he knew what it meant to be out of it.

does your life reflect the same?

 

~ natalie schmidt