02/11/2015 WALK
Deuteronomy 5:33 Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your GOD hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess. [King James translation]
Psalm 119:105 Your WORD is a lamp to my feed and a light for my path. [New International translation]
Summary
The Israelites were people who walked. Walking was the most common way to get from one place to another. As a walking people, the Israelites understood the meaning of a “path.” A path was an area that had already been cleared away and usually the safest and easiest way to reach a destination. A path was generally free from tripping hazards, like stones or wild vines, because the feet of frequent travelers had already made the path smooth. At night, it was important to stay on the path. Wandering off could cause a person to end up in a ditch or worse. Getting distracted or wandering off the “beaten path” could be dangerous. A person could literally walk off a cliff, if they did not stay on the path. So, understanding the importance of “staying on the path,” Moses uses the everyday task of walking to describe the people’s spiritual journey and relationship with GOD.
In Deuteronomy 5:32, Moses cautions the people to not turn to the right or to the left, but instead to “stay focused” and to stay on the spiritual path of obeying GOD’s laws and direction. Moses probably wanted to remind the people of their wilderness years when GOD “went before the people” by day “in a pillar of a cloud” and by night “in a pillar of fire,” as the people walked in the wilderness. (Exodus 13:22.) The people could not see the path, but GOD could. They had to rely, by faith, on GOD. In Deuteronomy 5:33, Moses tells the people that when they follow GOD’s WORD and ways, it is the best path, leading to long [everlasting] life and spiritual well-being.
Psalms 119, the longest psalm of all the psalms and the longest chapter in the Bible, reiterates Moses’ instructions. In Hebrew the opening words of this psalm are” Ashrei temimei derech” (“happy are those whose way is perfect”) or “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walks in the law of THE LORD.” (See, Palms 119: 1, King James translation.)