Thinking About Sincerity
Psalms 119:105-112
January 16, 2022
Tonight we want to take an opportunity
To have a little discussion about what sincerity looks like.
But more specifically I want us to think about
Our sincerity in our VERBAL COMMITMENTS TO GOD.
We’re going to do that because
The stanza tonight surrounds our Psalmist doing just that.
You read in verse 108 “O accept the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, and teach me Your ordinances.”
If you are not familiar, a “freewill” offering was an offering
That was not required by God but was given freely to God.
Now for some context,
There are still some requirements regarding such offerings.
For example:
Leviticus 22:18-19 “Speak to Aaron and to his sons and to all the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘Any man of the house of Israel or of the aliens in Israel who presents his offering, whether it is any of their votive or any of their freewill offerings, which they present to the LORD for a burnt offering— for you to be accepted—it must be a male without defect from the cattle, the sheep, or the goats.
So you could give an offering that was not required,
But it still had to be given as an acceptable offering.
In Leviticus the freewill offering was prescribed as a male without defect.
But we see other freewill type offerings in Scripture.
• When Moses was gathering supplies for the tent of meeting the people freely
brought supplies which were considered freewill offerings.
• David did the same while gathering supplies for the temple.
And here in this stanza of Psalms 119 the freewill offering
Of the Psalmist comes in the form of a promise.
He called it “the freewill offerings of my mouth”
Now what is he talking about?
He is talking about an oath he made to God.
(106) “I have sworn and I will confirm it, That I will keep Your righteous ordinances.”
THAT WAS THE OFFERING HE MADE.
That was the oath.
Certainly obedience is always required, but an oath is not.
But this Psalmist, by way of offering to God, HAD MADE AN OATH.
He had put Himself under extra obligation.
The reason for such an oath?
He wanted God’s direction.
He believes that God’s word is his guide (105) “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”
And so he swore to God,
“If you’ll just tell me what to do, I swear that I will do it.”
That is the essence of verse 108.
“O accept the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, And teach me Your ordinances.”
• Believe my oath…
• Trust my promise…
• And give me Your word…
“I promise I will do whatever you tell me to do
Because I believe you word is my guide.”
Perhaps you understand his motivation there.
We all understand the propensity to make promises to God
or commitments to God.
THE PROBLEM OCCURS WHENEVER WE FAIL TO FOLLOW THROUGH.
And in fact Scripture is loaded with examples
Of God being grieved at the lack of sincerity He receives
From those who make promises to Him.
And I want to spend a moment at the outset showing you some of that.
I want to really GIVE YOU A SOUR TASTE in your mouth in regard to how grievous it is when we are a people who make promises we don’t keep.
WE COULD START of course with the statement of the preacher in Ecclesiastes.
Ecclesiastes 5:4 “When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow!”
We understand the statement.
If we learned anything from Ananias and Sapphira it is that lying to God is a massive mistake.
And yet, we see the grievous reality throughout Scripture.
The Psalmist sort of gave a blanket description of the children of Israel and it is not a flattering one.
Psalms 78:34-37 “When He killed them, then they sought Him, And returned and searched diligently for God; And they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer. But they deceived Him with their mouth And lied to Him with their tongue. For their heart was not steadfast toward Him, Nor were they faithful in His covenant.”
None of us would seek to be known as the type of people
Who make promises under pressure
That we do not keep when life is easier.
And yet we’ve seen it.
The prophet Hosea chronicled such an issue as well:
• In Hosea 5 God promised judgment to Israel for their idolatry.
• In Hosea 6 Israel promised repentance and faithfulness.
Hosea 6:1-3 “Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us. “He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, That we may live before Him. “So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth.”
But it is as though God knew who they were.
For God responded:
Hosea 6:4 “What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? For your loyalty is like a morning cloud And like the dew which goes away early.”
God declared that His people were not people of integrity.
Isaiah saw the same:
Isaiah 29:13 “Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote,”
Through Isaiah God said these people are liars.
• They know how to say the right things and they know how to go through the motions, but they are not people of integrity.
Jesus of course quoted that passage
In reference to the Pharisees in His day.
In addition to that passage Jesus also spoke about the Pharisees in Matthew 23.
Matthew 23:3 “therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.”
And of Israel in general we found that Jesus did not trust them:
John 2:23-25 “Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.”
Even later when many claimed to believe He was skeptical to receive their statement of faith at face value saying:
John 8:31 “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;”
You can see that Israel rarely proved
To be a people who honored their word to God.
Ezekiel saw them as terrible phonies as well.
Ezekiel 33:30-31 “But as for you, son of man, your fellow citizens who talk about you by the walls and in the doorways of the houses, speak to one another, each to his brother, saying, ‘Come now and hear what the message is which comes forth from the LORD.’ “They come to you as people come, and sit before you as My people and hear your words, but they do not do them, for they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth, and their heart goes after their gain.”
God reminding Ezekiel there that you can’t believe a thing these people tell you.
• They rave about your sermons.
• They talk about how much they love God’s word.
• But God sees the heart and He knew better.
Israel had never kept her word.
Not from the day they entered into the covenant at Sinai
Promising to obey all the commands of God,
Even until the days of Jesus when they were still liars.
They were just an insincere people.
They were a people that God could not trust to do what they said.
And there’s ONE MORE STORY I want to show you here
That I think really solidifies this common behavior from Israel.
TURN TO: JEREMIAH 42
It will help you here to have a little backstory.
• Jerusalem was captured by Babylon back in chapter 39.
• The temple was destroyed and burned
• Most of the people were either killed or exiled to Babylon
However some of the poor were left in the land,
Primarily to work the fields and keep the land from being overgrown.
And Nebuchadnezzar had left a governor in charge of those who were left. His name was Gedaliah.
The problem was that a conspiracy arose in Israel
And GEDALIAH WAS ASSASSINATED.
And all of a sudden all the people who remained in Israel were terrified
As they wondered what Nebuchadnezzar would do to them once he learned that they had killed the man he had placed in charge of them.
And there arose a plan among the people that
The best course of action would be to FLEE TO EGYPT.
But before these afflicted people departed they first decided to seek the word of the LORD.
(READ 42:1-7)
I bring that up because there is quite a lot of similarity
To what they said to what we are reading here in Psalms 119.
• Here in our stanza we also have a Psalmist who is afflicted.
• He says in verse 107 that he is “exceedingly afflicted”
• And he, like those refugees, wants God’s word to light his path.
• And, like those refugees, he is also promising that no matter what God says, he
will do it.
So, God gives this group of refugees an answer.
(READ 42:8-22)
And God’s answer is clear.
DON’T GO TO EGYPT.
God is requiring faith.
• In their heart, they are convinced that Egypt is their only option.
• God is purposely asking them to do something that contradicts their own logic and wisdom.
• He is asking them to obey Him even if it feels wrong.
Now remember, this is what they agreed to.
They said earlier, “Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will listen to the voice of the LORD our God…”
Well it’s not that God’s directive was unpleasant,
But it was contrary to what they thought should be done.
Now look at how they answered…typical Israel.
(READ 43:1-7)
We once again see their lack of integrity.
They promised God they would obey Him no matter what, but it was a lie.
When God didn’t tell them to do what they wanted they rebelled.
And if you keep reading you find that
God promised that everyone who went to Egypt would die there by the sword.
Now that’s a long list of examples of insincere people.
WHY DO I BRING IT UP?
Because I want you to understand the basic human condition.
Paul summarized it well
Romans 3:13 “THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,” “THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”;
MEN ARE LIARS.
There is no reason why God should ever believe
Anything that any human ever says.
Where has there ever been one who hasn’t lied to God?
Where has there ever been one who fully kept his word?
• History is filled with broken covenants…
• History is filled with unkept promises…
• History is filled with faithless people…
AND YET here we have a Psalmist
Who is begging God to believe his promise.
“accept the freewill offerings of my mouth”
God, believe me when I tell you that “I will keep Your righteous ordinances.”
• He said, “I have sworn and I will confirm it”
• God, believe me.
Now first I have to ask you, if that was you, should God believe you?
If that was me, should God believe me?
• When you promise God that you will obey His word, is that a sincere promise?
Well the Psalmist is arguing that his is.
He is claiming to be 100% sincere.
SO LET’S LOOK AT WHAT SINCERITY LOOKS LIKE.
Let’s look at WHY he says that.
AND IT ALL STARTS WITH HIS PERSONAL CONVICTION.
(105) “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”
That is the Psalmist’s personal conviction.
That is what he genuinely believes.
Peter encouraged that last week:
2 Peter 1:19 “So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.”
Peter said you ought to treat God’s word like a flood light at midnight.
God’s word ought to be as valuable as your headlights during deer season.
And the Psalmist said that’s exactly how he viewed it.
• God’s word was his guide.
• God’s word exposed dangers.
• God’s word gave direction.
• God’s word told him where to walk and how to walk.
AND SO LET’S START WITH THAT.
If you don’t have that conviction
Then I can promise you won’t be sincere in your promise to obey.
No man is going to obey God’s word,
Especially when God’s word disagrees with him,
Unless he is totally convinced that God’s word is truth.
We saw that all throughout the history of Israel.
SO THAT’S YOUR FIRST QUESTION.
• Do you really believe God’s word is truth?
• Do you really believe that God alone can navigate your course through
dark places?
Now DON’T just answer FRIVOLOUSLY here.
When YOUR MARRIAGE is unpleasant and your spouse is frustrating and you go to God to ask Him what to do.
And you get answers like:
“wives submit to your husbands…even to those who are disobedient”
“husbands love your wives…live with her in an understanding way”
“do not divorce her…”
The rubber kind of meets the road there doesn’t it?
It’s easy to obey God when he agrees with your will, but when he asks you to go against your own logic your conviction is tested.
• What about when God asks you to forgive your enemy?
• What about when God asks you to turn the other cheek?
• What about when God asks you to face persecution?
God’s word continually challenges our personal thinking.
If you don’t start with the conviction
That God’s word is your only light to navigate the darkness
Then you won’t be sincere.
BUT THE PSALMIST HAS THIS CONVICTION.
He says that all he wants is God’s word.
And He has “sworn” that He will “keep” it no matter what God says.
Now certainly he is aware of Israel’s track record of broken promises
And that is why we get the requests of 107 & 108.
He promises God that he will do it.
He begs God to accept his vow.
But then comes more evidence where he seeks to prove that he is sincere.
LET’S LOOK NEXT AT HIS HISTORY
He is about to offer up to God the track record of his life.
If you are trying to convince a man that you are honest,
It is quite helpful if you can give evidence of honesty in your past.
That is what the Psalmist does.
(109-110) “My life is continually in my hand, Yet I do not forget Your law. The wicked have laid a snare for me, Yet I have not gone astray from Your precepts.”
The Psalmist points out that in his life there have been two common realities.
1) He is frequently in danger
“my life is continually in my hand”
2) He is constantly persecuted
“The wicked have laid a snare for me”
But despite those common dangers, what has his track record been?
• “I do not forget Your law”
• “I have not gone astray from Your precepts.”
God, look at my life.
• You know me.
• You’ve seen me.
• You know that if You give me Your word, I obey it, no matter what.
So not only does our Psalmist have a conviction regarding God’s word,
But he also has a history of obedience.
So, now we bring it back home to ourselves.
Do I have a history of obedience?
Do I have a history of obeying God even when it is hard?
Do I have a history of obeying God even when I am persecuted?
That’s a serious question to be asked by each of us.
Could it be that we at times live in a state of self-deception
• Where we are convinced that we are obedient people,
• And yet if the evidence was brought forth
• We might see that perhaps we haven’t been as obedient as we thought.
See, sincerity is not just saying you’ll obey, sincerity is obeying.
LAST STANZA we read a beautiful stanza from this Psalmist all about how he loves God’s Law.
Let me read it again:
Psalms 119:97-104 “O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, For they are ever mine. I have more insight than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, Because I have observed Your precepts. I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word. I have not turned aside from Your ordinances, For You Yourself have taught me. How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! From Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.”
That is a beautiful declaration of love for God’s word.
But let’s be honest.
ANYONE CAN SING THAT SONG.
Anyone can SAY those things.
BUT HOW MANY can join the second verse of that Psalm here in verse 110 “The wicked have laid a snare for me, Yet I have not gone astray from Your precepts.”
There is a difference between declaration and demonstration.
This is exactly the point James was harping on.
James 1:21-25 “Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.”
James is clear.
If you’re gonna talk the talk, you’d better walk the walk.
THE PSALMIST SAYS THAT HE HAS.
Hopefully we have.
If not, PERHAPS IT IS TIME TO CONFESS our lack of sincerity to God and ask for His forgiveness and cleansing.
But sincerity starts with a conviction about God’s word
And it is demonstrated first with a history of obedience.
If you don’t think that matters remember this explanation from Jesus.
He gave the parable of the soils.
Remember the following conversation?
Matthew 13:10-17 “And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. “For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. “Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. “In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’ “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. “For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”
There were people who were not given more of God’s word
Because of a failure to deal faithfully with what they already had.
THEY WERE INSINCERE IN THEIR REQUESTS FOR TRUTH
And thus truth was hidden from them.
It matters.
Sincerity isn’t just promised, it is proven.
And the final thing I want you to see is this.
SINCERITY IS NOT ACCIDENTAL OR AUTOMATIC
Men are not born sincere.
• Men are liars.
• Men are deceivers.
• Men are of their father the devil.
If they are going to be obedient it did not happen naturally.
(111-112) “I have inherited Your testimonies forever, For they are the joy of my heart. I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes Forever, even to the end.”
You see again there the value he places on God’s word.
• He says, “I have inherited Your testimonies forever”
He sees God’s word as a great treasure which he has gained.
He doesn’t dislike God’s word, he loves it.
We knew that.
But look at what he says in verse 112.
“I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes Forever, even to the end.”
“inclined” there is NATA
It means “to stretch or bend or turn aside”
HE FORCED IT.
MY DAD AND I USED TO BUILD CEDAR BEDS.
We’d put tongues on two cross beams and holes in the posts.
We’d then put upright spindles in between.
And typically when you tried to assemble all of that, you’d have that bottom rail in place and all of the upright spindles but that last tongue wouldn’t fit into that last hole.
Usually we were an inch or two high.
So we would get one of those big trucker straps and put it around that bed and we’d start cranking. And you’d see that top log bend and it would creek and crack.
And then when it finally got lined up we’d take this log we had, which we had put on the wood lathe and turned a baseball handle into one end.
We called it “The Persuader” and we’d beat that outside pole until that bed finally went together.
That is what the Psalmist is talking about here.
Last stanza we read:
Psalms 119:101 “I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word.”
• Last stanza he said he hobbled his feet from straying.
• Now we read that he forces his heart into obedience.
And certainly we are aware that now under the New Covenant
God’s Law has been written on our hearts and we, through Jesus, are given the ability to obey.
But I do not want you to assume that
This does not require any effort on our part.
1 Corinthians 9:26-27 “Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”
Do you hear Paul there?
• He wasn’t leaving obedience up to change.
• He understood that there was a need for him to force obedience in his life.
• He might have to hobble his feet.
• He might have to beat his heart.
Whatever it took to be obedient.
That is our Psalmist.
It is a mistake that people, even Christians, make
When they assume that obedience to God comes naturally to them.
You must determine to force your heart into obedience
“Forever, even to the end”
And when you put that together you see why this Psalmist was sincere.
• He had a conviction regarding God’s word, he really believed it.
• He had a track record of obedience even when it was hard.
• He was willing to force his heart to obey.
THOSE ARE MARKS OF SINCERITY.
And based upon that, he took his promise to God.
So tonight I just want us to think on that a little.
Ponder that.
Sincerity is not something that has been the norm throughout Scripture.
Mankind has routinely lied about their commitment to God.
DON’T BE LIKE THEM.
• You must believe that God’s word is right.
• Demonstrate that belief through obedience.
• Be willing to force your heart into obedience.
And then when you tell God that you will obey Him no matter what,
Perhaps your sincerity will resonate.
Be doers of the word, not just hearers.
