Covenant obedience

Ps 78 5 He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children,

6 so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.

7 Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.

This describes how faith and works are established. When you come to the teaching in the Psalms of mans responsibly to the covenant you will be accurate in your interpretation if you put it in context with the surrounding verses. You must also have a holistic understanding of Gods creative hand that unifies all things by His covenant faithfulness. This is a description of Gods word passed down to the next generation in which the kingdom of God exist in the holistic teaching. The words or decrees of God are like a separate kingdom that we live in as the reality that creates our earthly governing. God has given us the laws , decrees, statutes , covenants , promises of His eternal kingdom that are designed to be on our lips in the form of curses, pronouncements, encouragements, and establishing eternal life so that we bring heaven and earth together as we experience God purposes. 

The teaching is more than instruction. It creates Gods kingdom in us so that as we speak in our created image of ruler-ship we act from His love and faithfulness. God has created us with freedom to choose what we desire. He has established freedom in His instruction that produces a holistic healing from one reveal word.  We can say that Jacob and Israel are synonymous with the enjoyment  with learning Gods word from one line to another, like God is revealing Himself in our enjoyment of a united nation. 

Gods success in unifying and protecting the nation is the cause of our believing. Look at how the Psalmist responds to his pronouncement of mans covenant with God.25 10 "All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.11 For the sake of your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great." This is the way the Psalmist reasons within the context of the use of Gods law. Gods law produces death. When the Psalmist speaks of his obedience as compared to Gods law , he has no argument or foundation of using Gods law as a legal declaration of war. He is quieted. This means that its wrong to conclude that second causes establish unity between us and God so that we can return to confession and re establish unity. 

But the truth is the Psalmist must forget himself in the non compliance of the law or breaching the covenant. In this sense we are always focused on the law as an instrument of destruction or legal guilt even tho other people are putting us back into that old relationship to the law. The Psalmist treats Gods law like a coin. On one side is the laws power to experience personal death but on the other side is the laws power to overcome opposition. These two attitudes are both the same. 25 19 "See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me!20 Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.21 May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you.22 Redeem Israel, O God, from all their troubles!"

Verse 19 "See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me!"is synonymous with  "forgive my iniquity, though it is great."You will see this same reasoning throughout the Psalms. The official instruction 22 " Redeem Israel, O God, from all their troubles! is evidence that the Psalmist writes the Psalm for the purpose of instructing those who are struggling to give them hope. Its not really a personal letter to show how the Psalmist is struggling. Same with 51 18 "In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem." In other words the Psalmist is motivated by the emotion of guilt or shame directing anger in a defensive posture in governing because the Psalmist only confidence is on the coin side of the laws activity in a legal sense and not a covenantal sense. In that legal sense the Psalmist confronts the opposition with the curse.