Psalm 119: 159 “Consider how I love your precepts; revive me and give life to me, O Lord, according to your loving kindness.”

“The term “loving kindness” is chessed in Hebrew, and is the equivalent of the word grace in the “New Testament.” David knew he was saved by God’s grace — NOT by keeping all the commandments perfectly, but rather by what he says at the beginning of the verse; “Consider how I love your precepts …”

“An interesting question to ask is, “Why does God save us?” The typical reply might be, “So we won’t go to hell.” That may be true, but it’s an incomplete answer. In fact, God saves us so that we can perform the commandments (mitzvot) of His Torah in this lifetime. Our performing God’s mitzvot is part of His desire to return us back into a correct relationship, the purpose and intent of mankind, as first seen in the Garden of Eden (Gan Eden).”

Psalm 119:174-176 “I have longed for Thy salvation, O LORD; and Thy law is my delight. Let my soul live, and it shall praise Thee; and let Thine ordinances help me. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Thy servant; for I have not forgotten Thy commandments.”

A trick of the trade in the Book of Psalms is parallelisms and repetitions of concepts within the same verse. Thus when Psalm 119:174 says “I have longed for Thy salvation…” and thy Law is my delight, it is in reality equating “salvation” with “Law”, or at least connecting them intimately. If we them look at the following two verses, we see this idea emphasized, where “life” is equated with or logically followed by “praise”, and “seek Thy servant” with “for I have not forgotten…”

There is a logical red thread here “salvation”, “life” and “lost sheep being sought” are logically followed by “praise” “ordinances” and “commandments”. David fully expects to be sought out, saved to life by God and THEN he will praise and obey…quite the contrary to what is traditionally taught about how salvation in the Hebrew Scriptures was attained. This “order of procedure” is confirmed by Psalm 51:1-4; 6-9

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions; 2. wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3. For I know my transgressions, my sin is ever before me. 4. Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment. 6. You desire truth in the inward being, therefore, teach me wisdom in my secret heart. 7. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.”

Note: 10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and a new and right spirit within me.”

Spurgeon suggests: “Only God can bring the newness that the word “create” suggests. Here there is no idea of washing the old heart and trying to remove the contamination of sin. In verse 10, the psalmist abandons the priestly language of forgiveness and begins using the language of transformation. The psalmist is no longer simply praying for continued forgiveness, but for a radical change in who he is.”

As we can see, David clearly expect a transformation to take place as a result of his supplication for forgiveness and removal of his sins. This is the same procedure as was suggested by Jesus to Nicodemos when He tells Nicodemos that he needs to be “born again”.

Salvation in the Hebrew Scriptures is granted by Grace (chessed) and is followed by renewed Obedience. The result?

“In the way of righteousness is life, and in the pathway thereof there is no death.” (Pro 12:28) Eternal life. Period