Second, the position of the law is that of a concubine, symbolized by Hagar (Gal. 4:24-25). Paul told us in Galatians 4 that Abraham had two wives. One was the orthodox wife, Sarah, and the other was the concubine, Hagar (vv. 22-31). We all know that a man's concubine does not have an orthodox position. Paul indicated that Sarah signifies the new covenant of grace, and he pointed out that Hagar symbolizes the old covenant of the law. Thus, the law's position is that of a concubine.
In God's creation, He did not ordain man to have a concubine. He ordained that man should have one wife (Matt. 19:3-9). Anyone that has more than one wife enters into corruption. We should not try to bring a concubine into God's economy. If we are appreciating and uplifting the law, we are bringing a concubine into God's economy. This is absolutely against God's ordination.
The law as a concubine entered in alongside the main line of God's economy. Whoever is of the law, is a child of the concubine, not a son of the free woman. The law does not have an orthodox position. The followers of the law are not the children of the orthodox wife. Ishmael, the son of the concubine, Hagar, was looked down on and was chased away. He was chased away from the main line of God's economy, the line of grace. We must remember this point in our interpretation of Psalm 1. The writer of Psalm 1 uplifted the law according to the human concept, which is contradicting to the main line of God's economy.
Now we need to see the nature of the law. In its nature, the law is holy, righteous, and good (Rom. 7:12).
The law is also spiritual (7:14a). This is because the law was God's speaking. Since the Ten Commandments are God's speaking, they are God's breathing. All Scripture is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16a). The entire Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible considered as the law, is God's breathing. God's breathing, of course, is altogether spiritual. Thus, in this sense, the law is spiritual.
Although the position of the law is not right, the nature of the law is good. This is the point where troubles can arise in our understanding. The positive school stands on the nature of the law. They point out that Paul said that the law is holy, righteous, good, and even spiritual. Then they ask, "How could you say the law is negative?" It is true that the nature of the law is good and spiritual, but its position is wrong. A lady may be good and spiritual in her nature, yet still be a concubine. This lady may be a "golden" lady, a spiritual lady, but she does not have an orthodox position.
The nature of the law is good because the law is spiritual, being the word of God (Psa. 119:103, 105, 130) and the breath of God (2 Tim. 3:16a). This is why we may have a problem in our understanding of the law when we come to Psalm 119. We need to realize that Psalm 119 refers to the word again and again. No other psalm refers to the law as God's word so much. In verses 147-148, the psalmist said that he anticipated the morning dawn that he might meditate in the Lord's word. The psalmist said here that he meditated, not in the law but in the word. Psalm 119:103 does not say that the law is so sweet. Instead, the psalmist declares here how sweet the Lord's word is to his taste. Because the law is the word of God, it is good and spiritual in its nature.