In their experience, the psalmists were also infused with the riches of God. Psalm 52:8 says, “I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.” As a tree absorbs riches from the soil, the psalmists absorbed the riches of God. They were like olive trees planted in the house of God, and they were being infused with God’s riches so that they could grow spiritually. Like olive trees, they grew with the riches that had been infused into them.
Psalm 92:13 and 14 also reveal that the psalmists were infused with God’s riches: “Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and green” (Heb.). Here we see four aspects of being infused with God’s riches: planted in the house, flourishing, bringing forth fruit, and being full of sap and green. What we have here is not teaching or theology, but the experience of the living God as the life supply. The psalmists were not merely law-keepers; they were those who sought God and were infused with His riches. Therefore, they were planted, they flourished, they brought forth fruit, and they were full of sap and green. Through such an infusion from God, they spontaneously were strengthened to keep the law and to live out the law.
The experience of the psalmists was the same in principle as that revealed in the New Testament. According to the Gospel of John, when we abide in the Lord, He infuses us with His element, and we absorb the life juice of the vine into us. Then we shall bring forth fruit. This is not a matter of keeping the law; it is a matter of living out the law.
Psalm 92:10 says, “But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of a wild ox: I shall be mingled with fresh oil” (Heb.). In the Old Testament oil is a type of the Triune God as the Spirit. To be mingled with fresh oil is thus to be mingled with the fresh Spirit. This is not merely to learn the law or to strive to keep it. It is to seek God in order to be fully mingled with the fresh Spirit so that we spontaneously may live Him and have a daily walk that corresponds to what He is. To repeat, this is not to keep the law; it is to live out God and thereby to have a daily living that corresponds to God’s law. Instead of trying to keep the law, we should live the law by being infused with God’s riches.
The psalmists also enjoyed the riches of life. Psalm 36:8 and 9 say, “They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.” These verses sound very much like a portion from the New Testament. In principle, the psalmists enjoyed the Triune God the same as we do today. To be satisfied with the fatness of God’s house and to drink of the rivers of His pleasures are to enjoy the Triune God. To say that with Him is the fountain of life means that with Him is the source of life supply. Once again we see that the psalmists were not trying to keep the requirements of the law, but were seeking after God. In their pursuit of God, they were infused with Him. Spontaneously they lived not only according to the law given by God, but also according to God’s nature. Their living automatically corresponded to God’s law, which was an expression of God’s nature. Hence, they lived God’s nature. Their living was an expression of His nature. Instead of being those who endeavored to keep the law, they were those who lived the law. We thank the Lord for showing us this important matter.
Furthermore, the psalmists were supplied with God to keep His word, the law. Psalm 119:57 says, “Thou art my portion, O Lord: I have said that I would keep thy words.” When the two points in this verse are put together, we see that the psalmists were supplied with God as their portion and were thereby enabled to keep His words. The use of the word “portion” reminds us of Colossians 1:12, where Paul tells us that Christ is the portion of the saints. Because God was the portion of the psalmists, the psalmists could keep God’s word, by which they meant the law.
In order to keep God’s word, the word of the law, the psalmists took God as their portion. We should not think that in ourselves we are able to keep God’s law. To keep the commandments of the law is a great matter, and we are not sufficient for this. If we would keep the law, we need God to be our portion. Only when we enjoy Him and are supplied with Him shall we be able to keep the law. Again we see that in principle the experience of the psalmists in the Old Testament was the same as our experience today.