Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord.

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baron

Puritan Board Graduate
Was wondering, what does law here refer to? Does the law of Moses include the ceremonial, dietary, the decalogue?

Second part: and in his law doth he meditate day and night. So is he meditating on all? Or just the decalogue? I read somewhere there were 613 laws.
 
I would say it refers to the whole Word of God.

Here's a quote from Calvin.

In the second verse, the Psalmist does not simply pronounce those happy who fear God, as in other places, but designates godliness by the study of the law, teaching us that God is only rightly served when his law is obeyed. It is not left to every man to frame a system of religion according to his own judgment, but the standard of godliness is to be taken from the Word of God. When David here speaks of the law, it ought not to be understood as if the other parts of Scripture should be excluded, but rather, since the whole of Scripture is nothing else than an exposition of the law, under it as the head is comprehended the whole body. The prophet, therefore, in commending the law, includes all the rest of the inspired writings. He must, therefore, be understood as meaning to exhort the faithful to the reading of the Psalms also. From his characterizing the godly as delighting in the law of the Lord, we may learn that forced or servile obedience is not at all acceptable to God, and that those only are worthy students of the law who come to it with a cheerful mind, and are so delighted with its instructions, as to account nothing more desirable or delicious than to make progress therein. From this love of the law proceeds constant meditation upon it, which the prophet mentions on the last clause of the verse; for all who are truly actuated by love to the law must feel pleasure in the diligent study of it
. – John Calvin
 
I read somewhere there were 613 laws.

The Jews counted 613 laws in the Torah, but the problenatic thing was that they added their own laws in addition to the 613 (what is today called the Talmud).

Does the law of Moses include the ceremonial, dietary,

Delight, learning and wisdom can be obtained from these today, but you sometimes have to do quite a bit of "digging".

the decalogue?

The moral law - summarised in the 10C - is the most central part of the law and is the summary of all moral principles and commands throughout the Pentateuch and Scripture, but other parts should not be neglected because the whole law is shot through with moral principle. The ceremonial law teaches us about God's grace in Christ and the judicial law about God's wrath.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. (II Tim 3:16-17, ESV)
 
The quote from Calvin is great. I might add that Christ is the fulfillment of the law. For the New Testament believer the instruction to delight in the law of the Lord is an instruction to delight in Christ - his kingship, his sacrifice, his righteousness, etc. How do we delight in these things? Meditation upon, understanding and obeying the revealed word of God. This agrees with Calvin's statement.
 
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