I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you. (Psalm 32:8-9)
David, who has been expressing himself as one who desires God’s Presence and guidance, now writes as if God is speaking. The message is that the LORD will indeed lead and guide us in how we live but it is important that we respond appropriately to God’s direction and not behave as animals sometimes do. For instance, some animals can’t discern between those who wish to treat them well and those who wish to do them harm. We put bits in a horse’s mouth to make them work on our behalf and they comply, chewing the bit with enthusiasm. On the other hand, if one tries to comb and groom them, they might react angrily with kicking and biting, meaning they will have to muzzled and bridled.
The point is, as human beings, we must be able to discern the benefit of God’s instruction whether it be through hardship or rest. He has a purpose for all that He allows to touch our lives. and so, we can’t be as the horse and mule. That would not have to be said if it weren’t possible that we might act as a horse and mule. As it is written, “A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the fool’s back” (Proverbs 26:3). In other words, there exists within us all an inclination to buck against God’s leading; there is an inherent resistance to what is right and a beastly desire to do what seems natural to us. That inclination must be muzzled and bridled if we desire to walk in the way that pleases God.
The same God that created the beasts of the field is the same God that created mankind. And while there are some similarities between man beast (we are all flesh and blood), man was created with an important distinction — God breathed His Spirit into us that we might be a living soul. Unlike the horse and mule, we have ability to rise above our natural instinct and to emulate the attributes and character of our Creator. As followers of the Messiah, we have been given His Spirit which teaches and guides us through life, sometimes with a rod and sometimes with a gentle hand. Whatever the scenario, the objective is to bring us into the fulness of what He has called us to be, and that is, sons and daughters of the Most High who are conformed to the image of the Son of God.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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