Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD.

Psalm 119:1 ESV

Verses 1-3 are the preamble to this magnificent and glorious psalm, while the remaining 173 verses are a long-form plea to God for this blessed description to become a reality within our hearts and lives. Blessed is the condition being presented. Blessedness is far beyond a state of happiness or satisfaction; it is being favored by God. The pleased beaming of the sovereign Creator’s face upon us, as father upon his beloved child, is the blessing. Though all the wealth in the world were exclusively ours, His delighting in us is better still, for gold and silver only exist by His command. Were all people to crown us the global king or queen and pledge to do our every bidding, even this honor is rubbish compared to the privilege of being the least servant to the One in whose presence the seraphim cover their faces in awe. Blessedness is hearing the same voice that formed light, say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:23). Blessedness is being our Father’s beloved children. Blessedness is knowing our names to be “written in heaven” (Luke 10:20).

Blessed are those whose way is blameless. The path of the blessed must be blameless. It must be a road that actively avoids sin, for sin is the cause of all wickedness and corruption. Sin opposes blessedness. The end of sin is eternal death, the poured-out wrath of the God who is life. We cannot lovingly embrace sin and still expect God’s face to shine upon us: “as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct” (1 Peter 1:15).

Who walk in the law of the LORD. By God’s law, our sin is made known to us (Romans 6:7). His law is “holy and righteous and good” (Romans 8:12), and it exposes all that is impure, wicked, and vile. It is a lamp for the feet and light for the path (Psalm 119:105). It is “perfect, reviving the soul” (Psalm 19:7). We delight and meditate upon it day and night (Psalm 1:2) not only because it exposes sin but because it also reveals our Savior. His way was truly blameless, and He alone walked perfectly according to every bit of God’s law. He is the true Blessed One, and the wonder of all wonders is that He became cursed that we would become blessed. In His fulfillment of the law, we walk, and in the way of His blamelessness, we follow (stumbling even still). Jesus Christ is our blessing, and in Him we walk in the way of our Father’s law.