Psalm 119:17-19~Help for Pilgrims

     

Psalm 119:17-19 reminds us that the grace of God is essential for obedience to his Word and understanding of his Word. The Psalmist understands that he is weak and blind. He knows that God’s Word requires much of him. He knows that God’s Word is often shrouded in darkness. The meaning and the application of it can be hard to discern. He knows the human heart is like a rock unable to receive the seed of the Word. He knows that we are fallen, weak men who need God’s strength to help us obey.  Therefore he begins this third section of Psalm 119 with a plea for help.

He asks God to deal bountifully with him. This word is used in several other Psalms to express God’s great kindness (Psalm 13:6, 116:7, 142:7). The psalmist is asking the Lord to open up the treasures of his grace and pour out his goodness upon him. The psalmist is a servant of the Lord. But what does he ask God to do for him? He wants God to be kind to him by helping him walk according to God’s Word. What a great prayer!  Oh, Lord show me your grace so that I might obey your commandments. The Psalmist understands that grace, God's unmerited kindness, precedes obedience. If he is going to live and keep the Word, grace must come first. 

Next the psalmist cries out to God for understanding of his Word. The phrase translated “wondrous things” means something that is surpassing in its greatness, but at times hard to understand. God’s Word is wonderful and filled with treasure beyond all the wealth of this world. But it can be difficult to grasp. There are passages that we must think about a long time before we come to understand them. Sometimes we understand what a passage means, but are not sure how it impacts our lives.  The psalmist knows that he is blind. He needs God to remove the scales so that he can understand and obey. Verse 18 is a great little prayer to recite prior to reading God’s Word or hearing the Word preached.

Finally the psalmist asks God to unveil his Word because he is as stranger in this world.  He, like all Christians, is passing through looking for that final house whose builder is God.  It is the nature of man to find himself too at home in the world. He forgets eternity and his own immortality. He becomes too entangled in the affairs of this earth and the end becomes blurry. An older author described this as putting anchors down in the world. We become tied to this world by a thousand ropes. While Christians can and should enjoy the many gifts God gives in this life, our eyes should not lose sight of the final destination. Calvin says we are to “aspire after the place we are invited.” We are to long for our heavenly home. But why does this lead the psalmist to pray that God would not hide his commandments from him? What is the connection between being a stranger in this world and seeing God's commands rightly?

Any stranger in a foreign land needs maps and brochures to keep him from straying and to bring him safely back home. God’s Word furnishes us with a map for navigating this world. We are strangers, but the Word can give us direction. It tells what to believe and not to believe. It provides us with a picture of sin and death. It reminds us of God’s purposes for this world and how it can be used to his glory. But it also reminds us that our final home is not here, but there.  The Word provides comfort when we grieve in this fallen world by pointing us to the next world.  Finally, the Word draws our eyes forward to the new Heavens and Earth when we will swim in the glory of God, when all things will be made new, when all pain, death, and sorrow will be eliminated, when our old bodies will put on incorruption, and when we shall Christ as He is.  He prays Psalm 119:19 because God’s Word provides direction, comfort, and vision for wandering pilgrims, like us. 

The key point of these three verses is that we need the grace of God to obey his Word, to understand his Word, and to use his word to guide us in this world. 

Other Posts on Psalm 119
Psalm 119:2-4
Psalm 119:7
Psalm 119:9
Psalm 119:11
Psalm 119:13
Psalm 119:14
Psalm 119:15-16

Psalm 119:15-16~Study, Remember, Obey

Psalm 119:9-16 ends with four ways the psalmist will “take heed to God’s Word” (vs. 9). He will meditate on it, contemplate it (fix my eyes-ESV), delight in it, and will not forget it (Psalm 119:15-16).  These last two verses show that the psalmist takes seriously his own need to focus on and retain God’s Word. 

Those things which we find most delightful are those things that we roll over and over in our minds. When a young man is courting a lady she is never far from his thoughts, even if he is not speaking of her.  So it should be with God’s Word. When there is delight in God's Word (Psalm 119:14) we meditate upon that Word. When we recognize our need to “keep our way pure” (Psalm 119:11) we ponder and contemplate the Word of God day and night. Though a different word is used, this verse expresses the same idea as Psalm 1:2. Meditation and contemplation means there is serious study of God’s Word and a daily attempt to obey God’s Word. The Psalmist says he will contemplate God's ways, which means how the Lord would have him live. Psalm 119:15 weaves together the intellectual focus on God’s Word and the practical walking in God’s Word.

But meditation and contemplation are not all. The psalmist goes on to repeat that he delights in God’s Word. This has been said once already (vs. 14). But it is repeated for effect. Delighting in God’s Word is one of the proofs that we have meditated on it properly. If study does not lead to delight we have missed something. Even when our sin is exposed in the reading of God’s Word we should rejoice. God is showing us our faults and seeking to form us into the character of his Son.

Finally the psalmist says that he will not forget God’s Word. Like delight the psalmist repeats a previous idea. In verse 11 he says he hides God's Word. Here he says something similar. God’s Word should not be a seed thrown on stony ground that is snatched away by birds. It should take deep root in our hearts, minds, and lives. How many of us are content with a shallow understanding of God’s Word? How many of us are content with reading of God’s Word but not the planting of God’s Word? The psalmist isn’t. He wanted the law of God woven into his thoughts, emotions, and actions.

Here are several points to remember from Psalm 119:15-16.

We need time to meditate on the Word of God. Reading is good, but not good enough.  We need to taste the word over and over. We need to take passages and go deeper with them, asking more and more questions of them, thinking through how the Word applies to us. Our hearts, though renewed, are often reluctant to take time with God’s Word. We are busy people. But if God’s Word is to fill our minds and direct our ways then we must resolve to do more than just read. We cannot meditate every time we read God’s Word. But there should be times where we slow down and spend time savoring God’s Word. This is a great activity for Sunday afternoons. Take a passage, several chapters, or even a short book of the Bible and spend some time with it. Take some notes on it. Pray through it. Read it out loud instead of silently. 

Delighting in God’s Word is a sign of maturity in one's walk with God. All Christians should read the Word. But mature Christians delight in it. If God’s Word is dry, dull, or dead to us then something is wrong. Leaders, such as fathers and pastors, especially must have a deep delight in the words of God. They must set an example for their homes and churches of men who love God’s Word and find it sweeter than honey and more profitable than the riches of this world.  This does not mean that every time we read God’s Word we will feel lightening from Heaven, just like every time I kiss my wife it will not be like lightening from Heaven. But our joy and delight in God’s Word should go deeper and deeper.

Finally Psalm 119:9-16 is focused on hiding or not forgetting God’s Word. The Psalmist ends by saying, "I will not forget your word." Many of us are like buckets with holes in the bottom. God’s Word goes in and then goes out. We must learn to keep God’s Word in minds and in our hearts. We do this by systematic memorization of it, regular meditation on it, singing it, and diligent obedience to it.

To sum up Psalm 119:9-16 we could say, When we delight in God's Word and know that it is necessary for holiness we will take the time and energy necessary to study it, remember it, and seek new ways to obey it. 

Other Posts on Psalm 119
Psalm 119:2-4
Psalm 119:7
Psalm 119:9
Psalm 119:11
Psalm 119:13
Psalm 119:14

Psalm 119:14~The Treasure of Obedience

The heart of man is drawn to the riches of this world. Many of us spend large amounts of time and energy acquiring and keeping our wealth. Even those of us who are not wealthy will let our lives be dominated by the desire for wealth or jealousy over those who have it. I grew up in rural Mississippi among some of the poorest folks in this country. Money and how they could get more was the dominant theme of their lives. I have also seen those making six or seven figures worry without end about their money. Do they have it invested wisely? How can I get more? How can I keep more? We believe money will bring happiness, thus we pursue it with all our might.

But for the psalmist all the riches in the world cannot compare to the gold that is mined from the law of God (Psalm 119:14).  He rejoices in the law of God as if God had given him all the wealth in the whole world.  The word “way” is a synonym for the how one lives or his conduct. The psalmist is not just delighting in reading God's law. The pot of gold is not his daily quiet time. True riches are found when he learns to walk in God's ways. Obedience to God's word is what he really longs for. Obedience is his treasure. 

For many of us obedience to God’s Word is a duty. It is like punching the time clock at work or stopping at a red light. Do this or we will get in trouble. But we should aim higher than an obedience which comes from duty. Our goal should be an obedience which comes from delight.  Obedience should be a want to, not a have to. A love for God and his Word and a belief that only in obedience is there true joy should drive us to walk in the way of His commandments.

Why doesn't obedience to God's Word delight us more than riches?

We love our sin. This is the most obvious reason the joy of God’s Word is blunted. Many of us want our sin and the Bible at the same time. But it does not work that way. We cannot simultaneously love God’s Word and love our sin. Are you clinging to a sin that might be keeping you from loving obedience? 

We love the world. We treasure this world more than the next. We horde things that rust, die, and rot instead of treasure in heaven. We account for every dime and nickel. Does the world have your devotion, affection, and loyalty instead of God's Word? Watching your life would men know that you love obedience to God's Word more than your stuff? 

We are distracted and busy. We do not settle down to think on and consider God’s Word. We do not take time to examine our lives and see if we are obeying. We flit from thing to thing. Days will go by, maybe weeks, and we have seriously thought about our walk with God. Obedience requires a deliberate disciplined life where God's Word and how to apply it to our lives is meditated on (Psalm 1:2). Could it be that you do not rejoice in obedience to God's Word because your life is whirlwind? Could it be that you have traded a flurry of activity for the riches of God's Word? 

What gets our blood pumping more, a six figure income or obedience to the Word? Is God's Word our delight? Do we long for it more than riches? Does obedience to it bring us joy?  If not, we need to repent and work and pray for the day when we rejoice more over obedience than a raise or bonus. 

Other Posts on Psalm 119
Psalm 119:2-4
Psalm 119:7
Psalm 119:9
Psalm 119:11
Psalm 119:13

Psalm 119:13~Bible Shaped Speech

The psalmist has memorized God’s Word (Psalm 119:11) and he prays to God to teach him the word (Psalm 119:12). But he is not content with memorization and understanding. He must declare the law of God (Psalm 119:13).  One commentator thinks this refers to speaking to himself God's Word. Most commentators think this refers to telling others the judgments of God. Either way, the Word of God does not remain in his heart, but overflows into his speech.  Jesus says that our speech reveals our hearts (Matthew 15:18-19). God’s Word has filled up the psalmist’s heart. He has stockpiled God's Word.  So God’s Word is what comes out of his mouth.

The psalmist is not declaring his opinion or his idea, but the very words of God.  Our own thoughts are of little consequence. The question at the bottom of all questions is what does God think? That is why the declaration of God’s Word to those around us is essential.  Our words are to reflect God’s statutes. His interpretation of events, actions, emotions, and thoughts is to be our interpretation of them. Too often we see things through our eyes instead of through God’s Word. 

The world is often what shapes our words instead of God’s Word. The movies we watch and the songs we listen to mold our hearts so that we think and feel as the world does. If we find ourselves unable to converse easily about things like sin, salvation, redemption, Christ, the Church, grace, etc. then we should go back to verses 11-12 and begin internalizing God’s Word. If the language of the Bible is foreign to you then it has not taken root in your heart yet. 

But often we know God’s Word and still refuse to declare it.  We might refuse to declare God’s Word because we are cowards. We keep God’s Word in our hearts so no one will think the less of us or make fun of us. We want to be thought of as respectable and cool. Therefore we are quiet and God's Word is left at our desk and never brought into the workplace, the dining room, the living room, the park, or the family reunion. We might refuse to declare God’s Word because we do not want to look “holier than thou.” This is a legitimate problem. But God does not give us the option of being silent. We must learn to declare God’s Word without being pompous or proud. There are probably other reasons we do not talk about God’s Word as we ought to.

Our speech reflects our hearts. If God’s Word is not on our tongue then it might be because it is not in our hearts. Or it might be in there, but instead of glorying in it we are ashamed of it.

Other Posts on Psalm 119
Psalm 119:2-4
Psalm 119:7
Psalm 119:9
Psalm 119:11

Psalm 119:11~Stockpiling God's Word

Psalm 119:11 has long been a key verse for memorizing Scripture. The psalmist says he hides God's Word in his heart. By memorizing the Word he wages war against sin. The ESV translates hidden as "stored up." The psalmist stockpiles God's Word like a crazed end of the worlder stockpiles food. He has verses to fight fear. He has verses to fight anger. He has verses to remind him to be holy. He has verses to remind him of God's character. If the enemy confounds him, he runs to God's Word to find verses so he is not defeated again. By hiding up God's Word, he is like a well equipped soldier, prepared to enter battle.  

However, this verse does not simply mean that we should memorize Scripture. “Heart” in the Old Testament encompasses the entire life of a man, not just the mind. God’s Word is to be internalized by us. It is to become part of who we are. It is to flow through our veins.  We should memorize particular verses and passages. But we should also become familiar with all of God’s Word. We should read it over and over again until it becomes “deeply seated in our hearts” (John Calvin). We grow in obedience to God’s Word so that we are able to discern good and evil.  We talk about God’s Word with other Christians. We listen carefully to sermons and teaching by our pastors and elders. The goal is not memorization. Memorization is the means. The goal is a life governed by the Word of God.

This verse teaches us that Old Testament saints were supposed to have God’s Word in their hearts. Many Christians believe the OT was focused on the outward rituals, such as washings and sacrifices, while the New Testament is now focused on the internal. Our passage here, as well as many others, cuts down this idea. The OT saints were expected to love God from their heart. Psalm 37:31 says that the righteous man has the law of God in his heart. There are differences between the OT and the NT, but focus on the heart is not one of them.

If we drink deeply of God’s Word sin will find it difficult to take root in our hearts and lives. We should want the soil of hearts to be hard to sin and soft to the Word and righteousness. We cannot expect to avoid sin if we do not know God’s Word. God’s Word defines sin, tells us how ugly it is, and gives us strategies to put it to death in our lives. If we do not have God’s Word in our minds and in our bones then we will be easily deceived by Satan and drawn into all kinds of traps, snares, and pits.  If we do not have God’s Word on our tongues then our words will reflect the world and her priorities. If we do not have God’s Word in our hearts then our emotions and feelings will lead us astray. God’s Word is our primary weapon in our fight against sin.

The application of this verse is simple: Read, study, memorize, pray, sing, and obey the Scriptures with the aim that your entire life, heart, mind, emotions, and will, are shaped by God's Word.  Make sure you well stocked in your fight against sin. 

Other Posts on Psalm 119
Psalm 119:2-4
Psalm 119:7
Psalm 119:9

Psalm 119:9~Guarding Your Way With the Word

Is there any segment of society more notorious for their sins than young men? They are often headstrong and willful. Rarely can they see the downstream effects of their actions. They fail to listen carefully to advice thus making foolish and ignorant choices. The psalmist knows this. In fact, he was probably a young man himself. Psalm 119:9-16 begins with something that sounds like a word of despair:

How can a young man cleanse his way?

Or as the ESV says:

How can a young man keep his way pure? 

"Lord, I am a young man. The world is filled with pits and dangers. My heart is filled with sin. There are lusts that wage war on my soul. There are temptations to greed, anger, bitterness, lust, and disrespect all around and I give in to them too often. Lord, how can I stay clean in a world like this with a heart like mine?"

Is that not a cry for help?

The word for "cleanse/pure" points to morally purity. Asaph uses it in Psalm 73:13 where it looks like the wicked are winning. He thinks he has been morally clean for no good reason. David pleads with God to cleanse him from his sins in Psalm 51:7. Here we see that the word does not just point to action, but also to our hearts. David is asking the Lord to clean his heart. Micah 6:11 says that those who cheat others out of money cannot be counted as "pure." In Psalm 119:9 the emphasis is on how we live, how we walk.

How can I live a pure life in the midst of this wicked world?

The first thing we should note is humans do not change, no matter how much time has passed. Young men in 600 B.C. are the same as young men in A.D. 2015.  Their hair may be different. They carry cell-phones instead of spears. They shop at Wal-Mart instead of hunting for antelope or growing corn. But inside nothing has changed. The temptation to sexual immorality is the same. The desire to get rich while being lazy has not changed. The tightening in the throat when they are told what to do by parents or employers has not changed. Therefore the Bible remains relevant at all times, in all places, and for all men because it is given by the one God who does not change to address the fundamental needs of mankind who does not change. Despite being over 2,500 years old Psalm 119:9 still speaks.

The answer to the young man's cry is simple. "Take heed/guard [his way] according to God's Word."  A young man is to watch his path and his heart. When he sees himself wandering from God’s Word he is to come back. His thoughts, deeds, words, and desires are to be fenced in by the Word of God. God's Word keeps us from heading down the path of destruction. 

We don't like this answer. We want something new. We want something magical. And let's be honest, we want something easy. But the path of holiness is obedience to God's revealed Word. It always has been and always will be.  The only way a young man can stay clean in this world is to read, study, memorize, and obey the Bible.  The Scriptures are the primary tool for sanctification. If you do not use this tool then you cannot expect victory. There are no short cuts around God's Word for righteous living. 

The psalmist is telling young men to watch out for "big" sins, such as sexual immorality. But he is talking about much more than that. A young man whose way is guarded by God's Word will be a man of prayer and repentance. He will be a man whose faith in God grows day by day. He will learn to sacrifice for those around him. He will put off temporary ease for long term gain. He will love his neighbor. He will protect the weak and cast down the proud. He will love to sit underneath God's Word every Sunday. He will treat women with respect. He will work hard and give generously. His close friends will be those who love Jesus. Be careful about thinking of a pure/clean life only in terms of sexual sin. It includes that of course, but there is much more to "cleansing our way" than avoiding porn. 

The battles young men fight with lust, anger, pride, laziness, disrespect, and apathy are not new battles. They are as old as Genesis 3.  The way to win these battles has always been the same; believe and obey God’s Word. Young men if you are losing the battle against sin you can be sure your failure to believe and obey God's Word is the main problem. Do you know the Word? Are you reading it regularly? Are you memorizing verses or passages? Do you humbly listen to your pastor every Sunday? God has given all you need to grow in holiness. Are you using what He has given?

Other Posts on Psalm 119
Psalm 119:2-4
Psalm 119:7

Psalm 119:7~Study Should Lead to Praise

What is the end of studying God's Word? Where should it lead us? Naturally, we respond that studying God's word should lead us to Christ. But what then? What is the goal of coming to Christ? Is the end our holiness? But that is not right either. We should never walk around trumpeting our own holiness. The goal of our salvation is not our own glory. The termination point of all our lives is God. Studying his word is no different. The study of God's word should lead to God. More precisely it should lead to praise or God. Time spent over Scripture should end in praise given to the Author of that Scripture.  The Psalmist makes this connection several times in Psalm 119.  

Psalm 119:7  I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules. 

Psalm 119:62  At midnight I rise to praise you, because of your righteous rules. 

Psalm 119:164  Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous rules. 

Psalm 119:171  My lips will pour forth praise, for you teach me your statutes. 

Psalm 119:175  Let my soul live and praise you, and let your rules help me.

As the Psalmist ponders God's word he ends with praise. All those laws, all those commands, all those passages about sacrifice and entrails end with him lifting his voice in thanksgiving to the Lord. In the darkness of midnight he praises God for His rules. Seven times a day, the number of perfection or completeness, he praises the Lord for his mighty word.  The proper study of God’s word will lead to the praise of God. But we do not always get there. Many times our study of God's word becomes an exercise in drudgery, a box to check before we get to Facebook, work, or the kids. Instead of ending our study with praise we end it with a thank goodness that is over. Why?

First, we forget God's word is personal. We have to be careful here. God's word is not a love letter written by a smitten man to his lady. Nor is it a book where we can go and find answers for each individual problem in our lives. It is not a moralistic grab-bag for 21st century Christians. But it is book written by a personal God to his people to address their most pressing needs. It was and remains God's living, infallible, word to His people. It does not become alive. It is alive, full of the Spirit. When we read the Spirit breathed word we encounter God directly. 

But too often we study God's word like we study a map or the Constitution. There is no person who is making the Constitution come alive for us. A map may some exciting parts, but we would never describe it as breathing. Or we study the word so we can judge the world around us. We study it so we can win theological debates or evangelize better. If we teach or preach, we might study God’s Word so we can teach or preach well. While some of these aims of studying are good, none are primary. The Psalmist's great concern is his relationship to God.  His primary aim in learning God’s judgments, precepts, and statutes is personal. He is not asking questions in the third person: Am I obeying God’s Word rightly? Is my heart in line with God’s Word? He is asking those types of questions, but in the 2nd person. Have I transgressed Your word? Are my beliefs about this world, sin, and redemption shaped by Your word? For the psalmist the Word of God is a word from God to him.  When we read God's word this way it ends in praise. We praise him for his wisdom and power. We praise him for the forgiveness or our sins promised in that word. We praise him for freedom we find in his word. If God is in our reading of Scripture then he will be the one we praise when we are done. 

The second reason our study of God's Word does not end in praise is that we are lazy. We read God's word in a casual, sloppy manner. Over a recent break my father in law and I built a table. This took hard work. We planned. We took numerous trips to the hardware store. We spent money. We measured, cut, and sanded and sanded and sanded. We put on several coats of stain and polyurethane. It took us several days. But when we were done, what a delight it was to sit at that table with my family. When we dig into and work at God's word we get rewarded. The greatest joys in life usually come from the hardest work. But when it comes to God's word we expect great treasure to come easily. We want to clock in a few sleepy eyed minutes and get struck by Holy Spirit lightening. We don't chew on it. We don't memorize. We don’t seek to apply it in various ways. We don’t ask the Scriptures hard questions and then try to find the answers.  We don't take verses and roll them over time after time. We might read it, but the hard study of it is foreign to us.

When God’s Word is a treasure to be dug out, water to a thirsty man, then the final outcome of our study will be praise. As we learn God’s Word, believe God’s promises, marvel at his character and works, confess our transgressions of his law, seek to obey it with our whole heart, we will find that the praise of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit comes naturally. 

When you finish reading, studying, meditating on your passage for the day, pull out something to praise the Lord about. Don't stop at reading. Push on to thanking him. Only then has the word done it's deepest work. 

Psalm 119:2-4~Running Full Speed After Obedience

Christians know that God's Word is to be the center of their lives. We know that obedience is part of the call to follow Christ. We are not his disciples if we are not obeying his Word. But obedience is often stale for us. It is like a plate of vegetables we do not like. We know we are supposed to eat it, but we are not excited about it. What is striking about the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119, is not that all one-hundred and seventy-six verses are about Scripture. The most striking thing is how much David loves Scripture. David loves God's Word, delights in God's Word, rejoices in God's Word more than heaps of gold, and longs for God's Word. For David knowledge of and obedience to God's Word is the greatest pursuit. 

The first few verses, Psalm 119:1-4, are not a call to reluctant obedience or a casual part-time pursuit of the Word. But it is a call to have our entire lives, thoughts, emotions, interpretation of events, fears, and desires shaped by the judgments, statutes, precepts, commandments, and laws found in the Word. 

First, we are told to seek God with our whole heart (vs. 2).  There is parallelism between the two lines in verse 2.  Parallelism is where two lines of Hebrew poetry compare, expand, or contrast with each other. Here parallelism is used to compare two ideas and show that they are similar, if not exactly the same. 

Blessed are those who keep his testimonies

who seek him with their whole heart

"Those who keep his testimonies” and “who seek Him with the whole heart” are the same people. These two lines are saying the same basic message. We cannot seek God with our whole heart if we are not keeping His testimonies.  The one who keeps His testimonies is the one who is seeking him with their whole heart. Obedience to God and loving him with our whole heart are synonyms.  

Later in verse 4 the psalmist says that God has commanded us to “keep Your precepts diligently.” The word “diligently” means to keep with abundance or with much force. The word is used in Genesis 1:31 where God says all that he made was very good. It is used in Genesis 15:1 where God is Abram’s exceedingly great reward. In II Samuel 2:17 it is translated by the ESV as “fierce” in describing a battle.  One might paraphrase Psalm 119:4 as "You have commanded us to try with all our might and with full intensity to keep your commandments." 

These two verses tell us that knowing God's Word is not sufficient. Even trying at times, occasionally to obey is not enough. Ours should not be the obedience of a casual religious observer or Sunday only believer nor an obedience that reluctantly listens and after much persuasion obeys nor the obedience of a dog being drug on a leash or a child whipped into submission. We are to obey with our whole heart.  We are to search the horizon for ways to obey. Obedience is a treasure. Obedience is glory. We are to run after it full speed. 

We sell ourselves short in our sanctification. Maybe we do not want to look like legalists.  Maybe we don't think we can see victory over the sins which besiege us. Maybe we just love our sin too much.Whatever the reason, it is wrong. God has not called us to sluggishly obey his commands when we feel like. But rather he has called us to obey all his commands with a heart fully devoted to him. This was David's desire in Psalm 119 and should be the desire of all who follow after the One who is greater than David. 

God's Word Should Not Stay in Our Hearts~Psalm 119:13

            

The psalmist has memorized God’s Word (vs. 11) and he prays to God to teach him the word (vs. 12). But he is not content with memorization and understanding. He must declare the law of God to those around him (Psalm 119:13). The Word of God does not remain in his heart, but overflows into his speech.  Our words and speech are keys to understanding what is in our hearts. God’s Word has filled up the psalmist’s heart. So God’s Word is what comes out of the psalmist’s mouth.

            The psalmist does not declare his opinion or his ideas, but all the judgments of God's mouth.  Our own thoughts are of little consequence. The question at the bottom of all questions is what does God think? That is why the declaration of God’s Word to those around us is essential.  Our words are to reflect God’s statutes. His interpretation of events, actions, emotions, and thoughts is to be our interpretation of them. 

           Too often we see things through our eyes instead of through God’s Word. Or our speech is shaped more by the world than it is by God’s Word. The movies we watch and the songs we listen to mold our hearts so that we think and feel like the world does. If we find ourselves unable to converse easily about things like sin, salvation, redemption, Christ, the Church, grace, etc. then we should go back to verses 11-12 and begin internalizing God’s Word.

            But often we know God’s Word and still refuse to declare it. We might refuse to declare God’s Word because we are cowards. We keep God’s Word in our hearts so no one will think the less of us or make fun of us. We might refuse to declare God’s Word because we do not want to look “holier than thou.” This is a legitimate problem. But God does not give us the option of being silent. We must learn to declare God’s Word without being pompous or proud. There are probably other reasons we do not talk about God’s Word as we ought to.

            Our speech reflects our hearts. If God’s Word is not on our tongue then it might not be in our hearts. Or it might be in there, but instead of glorying in it we are ashamed of it.

Outline of Psalm 119:9-16

Here is a brief outline of Psalm 119:9-16, which contains two of the more memorized verses in Psalm 119, verse 9 and 11. 

         

Vs. 9 a general statement about God’s Word keeping a man clean.

Vs. 10 The psalmist declares that he has taken heed to the Word by seeking God with his whole heart.

Vs. 11-16 The psalmist mentions seven things he does that show he has sought God with his whole heart.

1.      He memorizes God’s Word.

2.      He declares God’s Word.

3.      He rejoices in God’s Word..

4.      He meditates on God’s Word.

5.      He contemplates (ESV fixes eyes upon) God’s Word.

6.      He delights in God’s Word.

7.      He does not forget God’s Word.

No Chasm Between Obeying the Word & Jesus

Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! (Psa 119:1-3)

“All men naturally aspire after happiness, but instead of searching for it in the right path, they prefer wandering up and down through endless by-paths, to their ruin and destruction.” John Calvin

            Like Psalm 1, Psalm 119 begins with how a man might be blessed. And like Psalm 1, this blessing comes from walking in God’s law, keeping his testimonies, and seeking him with our whole heart. Every man, woman, and child on this spinning planet wants to be blessed. Every one of us wants to be happy and enjoy this life and, if we believe in it, the life to come.  No one wakes up on Monday and says, “My aim this week is to be as miserable as possible.” No one comes to their wedding day and says, “I hope my marriage fails and my life is filled with grief and despair.” Yet many spend and end their life this way. Our culture is an empty, sad, ugly culture, filled with angry, bitter, unhappy people. There are exceptions of course. But still the point stands. And it stands because of Psalm 119:1-2. Blessing comes only through a love of and obedience to God’s Word. There is no other path of happiness. There is no other door to the promised land. There is no other medicine for what ails us. A society that has rejected God’s Word has rejected happiness. Obedience to God’s Word is the singular path to God’s blessing.  Those who seek blessing outside of obedience to God’s Word are blind men looking for water in the desert. Our lives will not be easy if we obey. But they will be blessed by God. And that should be more important to us than ease or comfort.

            But what about Jesus, some welling meaning gospel-centered Christian will say? Isn’t he the path to blessing? Isn’t the gospel all about how I don’t have to obey, indeed how I cannot obey? Jesus did it all, all to him I owe? How can obedience be the path to blessing? To which I reply: Jesus and the Word are so intertwined that you cannot separate them. To love the Word, to obey the Word, to trust in the Word is to love, obey, and trust in Jesus. So the psalmist here is not talking about some legalistic, self-righteous attempt to earn his way into God’s favor. He is saying, “God in your grace grant me the desire and ability to obey your commandments and in your grace forgive me where I don’t.” And the difference between us and him is that the psalmist expects God to answer his prayer. There is no wedge between obedience to God’s Word and trust in Christ.

            O Lord, keep us from digging a chasm between obedience to your Word and belief in your Son. Help to remember that blessing only comes through keeping your Word. Amen!

The Word with Prayer: Meditation I on Psalm 119

            Psalm 119 is a prayer. The greatest theological discourse on the source, character, and effect of God’s Word is a prayer. We would not have done it this way. We would have written some massive theological work that would explore with scholarly objectivity the nature of God's Word. But not the psalmist. For him God’s Word comes alive by the power of the living God. He knows that to study God's Word he must pray. He does not seek to understand it by sheer force of will or by his reasoning alone. The Spirit must guide him, rebuke him, exhort him, and teach him as he studies God’s Word.  God’s Word must never be divorced from prayer. To seek understanding of and obedience to God’s Word apart from communion with God is to function as an atheist.  It is to believe that God’s Word is like an animal I can dissect and figure out apart from grace. It is to assume that God is not personal or living or present.

            But if we drench our study of God’s Word in prayer then we are confessing that we need God to understand his word. We are trusting that God will give us that understanding and a heart that longs to obey.  Psalm 119 is telling us that the Christian life is not the Word and prayer, but the Word with prayer.

            Lord, keep us from thinking that we can believe, understand, or obey your word apart from prayer. Amen!