Demonstrating Love For God’s Word

Psalms 119:105-112

November 13, 2011

 

Last week we covered a very passionate and enthusiastic stanza

Of this 119th Psalm as we heard the Psalmist

Declare his undying love for the word of God.

 

“Oh how I love Your law!”

 

He is a person who has achieved victory over affliction.

(That doesn’t mean the affliction is gone, but his perspective certainly changed)

 

And he gives credit for that victory to the word of God.

(93) “I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have revived me.”

 

And so the Psalmist found victory over affliction and that led him

To that amazing doxology of praise we studied last week.

 

He declared his love for the law of God.

• It is God’s law that makes him wise.

• It is God’s law that gives him understanding.

• And he loves it exceedingly.

 

But we’ve all heard the statement.

“If you’re gonna talk the talk…”

 

Many a man has professed a love for God only to have it grow cold.

Many a man has professed a love for God’s word only to disregard it.

 

We’ve talked extensively recently on Sunday mornings about

The parable of the sower and the response of the “rocky-hearted” person.

 

Remember what Jesus said?

Matthew 13:20-21 “The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.”

 

And important distinction for us at this point is that

The parable doesn’t teach that the man received Jesus,

But that he received what? – “the word”.

 

That man also professed a love for God’s word.

But “when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.”

 

That parable teaches us that while the word may bring revival,

The word also promises to bring persecution.

 

Jesus said “affliction” and “persecution” arise “because of the word”.

Many at that moment fall away

And refuse to honor their previous commitment.

 

So, while we love to hear the doxology that our Psalmist gave,

If we are to be honest, we have heard that sort of thing before.

 

But it is not those who declare love for God’s Word that delight us,

It is those who demonstrate love for God’s Word that delight us.

 

3 John 4 “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.”

 

• Owning a Bible is good.

• Reading a Bible is good.

• Quoting a Bible is good.

• Claiming to love the Bible is good.

But none of those compare to actually doing what it says.

 

God’s Word is not here to simply make us smarter.

God’s Word is here to guide our lives.

And so a declaration of love is good, a demonstration of love is better.

 

And that is precisely what we have here in our text tonight.

Our Psalmist is going to demonstrate his love for God’s Word.

 

And so after learning what it sounds like to love God’s Word last week, tonight let’s see what it looks like to love God’s Word.

 

Four points tonight

#1 HIS OATH DECLARED

Psalms 119:105-106

 

We all rejoiced last week as we listened to the Psalmist talk about

How God’s Word makes him wise.

 

(98) “Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies…”

(99) “I have more insight than all my teachers…”

(100) “I understand more than the aged…”

 

There was absolutely no denying that the Psalmist knew

God’s word made him wise.

 

But again, God’s Word is not just meant to make you smarter,

It is meant to guide your life.

 

If all we ever get is understanding,

But fail to ever apply that understanding,

Then we are in actuality fools.

 

And that is what makes the statement of the Psalmist here great.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”

The Psalmist is no longer talking about

Understanding or Insight or even Wisdom.

Now the Psalmist is talking about GUIDANCE.

 

He knows that with his feet he is walking a path.

He is headed somewhere.

 

And he doesn’t just want to understand the truth,

He wants to apply it and walk in the right direction.

 

Those who study geography may know how to read the maps,

But those who hike the country understand the purpose for them.

 

The Psalmist isn’t interested in declaring his love for God’s word

And leaving it at that.

 

He has a path to walk.

He needs direction for the journey.

 

And he finds that direction in God’s Word.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”

• I know where to walk…

• I know how to walk…

• I know what places to avoid…

 

He is not simply interested in knowledge, he wants guidance.

And because of that he makes a commitment.

 

(106) “I have sworn and I will confirm it, That I will keep Your righteous ordinances.”

 

He doesn’t just want to declare a love for God’s Word,

He wants to demonstrate a love for God’s Word.

 

He chooses to make a vow to God.

He chooses to strike a covenant.

 

This is like a man who chooses to take the next step and marry the girl.

 

This by the way is the same step taken at salvation.

When we are saved we enter covenant with Christ.

When we are saved we are united with Him.

We become His bride.

 

The Psalmist is NOT SAYING that he is now making that commitment.

He did that in the past.

“I have sworn”

 

He is saying that no matter what, he will honor that commitment.

“I will confirm it”

This is not so different from our commitment.

 

When we confess Christ as Lord (a thing required for salvation)

We cannot separate obedience out of that commitment.

 

Obedience and salvation are linked.

 

John 14:15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

 

1 John 2:3-6 “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”

 

Matthew 7:21-27 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell — and great was its fall.”

 

When we confessed Jesus we made the same commitment.

We said, “You are Lord, I will follow.”

 

But as we have said many times, anyone can say that.

Anyone can say, “Lord, Lord”.

 

What we are looking for is not the one who will declare love,

But the one who will demonstrate it.

 

(It is the whole faith and works issue)

 

Here the Psalmist is promising to make good on his commitment.

“I have sworn and I will confirm it, That I will keep Your righteous ordinances.”

 

IT IS NOT ABOUT MAKING THE OATH, IT IS ABOUT KEEPING IT.

 

His Oath Declared

#2 HIS FOCUS DISPLAYED

Psalms 119:107-108

 

Here we catch a glimpse of the great focus of our Psalmist.

 

Notice first of all that our Psalmist is still afflicted.

“I am exceedingly afflicted;”

 

Just in case we fail to remember what he is walking through,

He adds the word “exceedingly”.

 

His life is hard.

Sometimes we assume that when people profess a great love for God,

That they only do so because their life is all roses.

(That is what Satan said about Job)

 

That isn’t true.

Sometimes it is the most afflicted that declare love the loudest.

 

This Psalmist has conquered his affliction, but it is still there.

And he still needs help with it.

“Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word.”

 

Now don’t misread this as a complaint or even as despair.

That is not the point.

 

The point here is simply to remind you

That the Psalmist’s condition is still a hard one.

His life is not easy.

 

He reminds us of that, not as a complaint,

But to say, “I will love You anyway!”

 

(108) “O accept the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord, And teach me Your ordinances.”

 

What are “the freewill offerings of [his] mouth”?

 

It was that oath he swore back in verse 106 to keep God’s ordinances.

 

And so what we see here is that even while he is afflicted,

His focus is still on keeping the oath he made to God.

 

Is it hard? Yes

Does he want relief? Yes

 

But more than that he wants to be faithful

And he wants God to accept his commitment.

 

That is tremendous focus!

• He is not a prosperity follower.

• He isn’t following under false pretenses.

• There are no rocks in his soil.

 

This man’s commitment is real.

It reminds of Job’s statement.

Job 2:9-10 “Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”

 

That is the mindset of our Psalmist.

He has declared a love to God’s Word.

He has promised a love to God’s Word.

He has promised to obey God’s Word.

 

And even though his affliction is real,

It is that commitment he focuses on most.

He wants to obey.

 

His Oath Declared; His Focus Displayed

#3 HIS COMMITMENT DEMONSTRATED

Psalms 119:109-110

 

Again, notice the struggles our Psalmist faces.

 

“My life is continually in my hand”

 

In other words, “My life is in danger and I am forced to make a decision that is a matter of life or death.”

 

Imagine if every day you lived you had to make a decision

That effected if you would live or if you would die.

 

He is constantly in that predicament.

Continually he has to take matters into his own hands

And determine if he will live or die.

 

And despite this serious predicament, “Yet, I do not forget Your Law.”

 

Regardless of the situation, I cling to Your Law.

I am not about to make a decision

That may save my life but break Your Law.

 

(110) “The wicked have laid a snare for me,”

 

And there we see why his life is always at risk.

There are traps everywhere.

 

“Yet, I have not gone astray from Your precepts.”

 

This is a tremendous demonstration of commitment to God’s Word.

 

He is NOT SAYING that by keeping Your word, I miss all the traps.

He is saying that keeping God’s Word causes him to walk into some traps, but he keeps God’s Word anyway.

 

Remember this man?

Daniel 6:4-7 “Then the commissioners and satraps began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; but they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him. Then these men said, “We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the law of his God.” Then these commissioners and satraps came by agreement to the king and spoke to him as follows: “King Darius, live forever! “All the commissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the high officials and the governors have consulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall be cast into the lions’ den.”

 

We call that a trap.

If Daniel obeys it will lead him into a trap.

 

And what did Daniel do?

Daniel 6:10 “Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.”

 

You can say you love God’s Word all day long.

But this is a demonstration of it.

 

And it is the same for our Psalmist.

He isn’t just claiming to love God’s word,

He is demonstrating a love for God’s Word.

 

He obeys, even when obedience will land him in trouble.

 

And we often have to make those same decisions.

1 Peter 4:12 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;”

 

James 1:12 “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

 

The point is, you can’t just claim to love God and His word

And never back it up.

 

“If you’re gonna talk the talk…”

 

The Psalmist is doing that here.

 

His Oath Declared; His Focus Displayed; His Commitment Demonstrated

#4 HIS HEART DELIGHTED

Psalms 119:111-112

And once again his love for God’s word comes out.

 

As I was studying this text and recognizing that

The Psalmist willingly made an oath to God.

 

I thought to myself.

WHY DID HE HAVE TO MAKE THE COVENANT?

WHY DID HE HAVE TO TAKE THE OATH?

 

I mean, why not just try to obey without actually entering

Some sort of covenantal agreement?

 

THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME

• Live together without the covenant of marriage

• Associate with the church without ever confessing Christ

 

WHY NOT JUST DO THAT?

(Instead of taking an oath and entering a formal agreement)

 

Here is why.

“I have inherited Your testimonies forever, For they are the joy of my heart.”

The reason you take the oath…

The reason you enter the covenant…

Is because that is the only way you get the inheritance.

 

God won’t give Himself to you apart from a commitment.

 

If you don’t commit yourself to Him,

You won’t get His Spirit,

You won’t get His Salvation,

You won’t get understanding of His Word.

 

The inheritance is only for those who commit to Him.

Ephesians 1:13-14 “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation — having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”

 

When Paul talks about believing there, the Greek word is PISTEUO

And it doesn’t mean to believe in an intellectual sense.

It means “to trust” or “to entrust”

 

As in commit your life to, or enter a covenant with.

 

And Paul said, only when you do that, do you get the Holy Spirit,

And He is the one who is guarantor of our inheritance.

 

 

And now we begin to understand why our Psalmist

Chose to commit to obey God’s Word.

Because only then would he receive the blessing of owning God’s word.

 

WHAT WAS HIS INHERITANCE?

“I have inherited Your testimonies forever,”

 

Because I committed to keep Your word, I received Your word.

And “they are the joy of my heart.”

 

He committed to obey and he keeps that commitment

Through hardship because he loves to have God’s word.

 

Remember those Jesus spoke the parables to?

Matthew 13:11-15 “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.’”

 

They wouldn’t enter a covenant, so they did not get those blessed truths.

 

And that is why the Psalmist is committed.

He commits not matter the hardship because it is so worth it!

 

(112) “I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes Forever, even to the end.”

 

Earlier he said, (101) “I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word.”

 

But here “I have inclined my heart”

We know the heart is deceitful,

We know the heart is shallow,

We know the heart is corrupt,

We know the heart is fickle.

 

And so we know that “following your heart”

Will only lead you to destruction.

 

The Psalmist doesn’t do that.

He forces his heart to follow God’s Word.

 

His commitment is not to his feelings, his commitment is to God’s Word.

And that commitment is “Forever, even to the end.”

 

In other words, “I would die to obey”.

 

That is putting your money where your mouth is.

 

We all rejoiced when he declared his love for God’s Word last week.

Those are truly inspirational passages.

 

But this week we are even more encouraged

When we see him demonstrate that love.

 

Affliction couldn’t deter him…

Near death experiences couldn’t deter him…

The snare of the wicked couldn’t deter him…

 

He made a covenant to obey, and he is keeping that promise.

 

(106) “I have sworn and I will confirm it, That I will keep Your righteous ordinances.”

 

And this is a good stanza to measure our life by.

 

We are probably all those who have “sworn” that we would obey.

But the real question is are we confirming it?

 

John 8:31-32 “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

 

“I’m glad you believe, but it is your obedience that matters.”

The Psalmist knew that, we must as well.

 

So let me encourage you.

• Declare your love for God’s Word.

It is perfect, and the world needs to know we love it.

 

• But don’t stop with a declaration.

Demonstrate your love for God’s Word with your continued obedience.

 

And don’t let affliction or danger or persecution

Throw you out of your commitment.

 

For it is only the committed who receive the glorious inheritance.

 

So stand with the Psalmist.

“I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes Forever, even to the end.”

 

Psalms 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”

 

Loving God’s Word

Psalms 119:97-104

November 6, 2011

 

I have to say that tonight we look at my favorite stanza of this 119th Psalm.

We certainly find value in every line, but this one just jumps to me.

 

For here we find our Psalmist simply giving an account

Of his great love for the word of God.

 

If indeed these stanzas build upon one another,

It seems that the victory he experienced last week

Has spilled over into doxology this week.

 

You may remember that our Psalmist

Has been dealing quite a while now with affliction.

 

And we have seen him with almost every conceivable emotion.

He has questioned it…

He has fought it…

He has embraced it…

He has appreciated it…

He has asked for it to leave…

He has even reached despair over it…

 

But last week we finally saw him conquer it.

(92-93) “If Your law had not been my delight, Then I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget Your precepts, For by them You have revived me.”

 

That certainly was a rejuvenated man.

That certainly was a victorious man.

 

Now, as we noted, his affliction wasn’t gone.

(95) “The wicked wait for me to destroy me; I shall diligently consider Your testimonies.”

 

His affliction wasn’t gone, but he had found victory in the middle of it.

 

And he gave sole credit for that victory to the word of God.

It was God’s law that kept him from perishing.

It was God’s precepts that revived him.

 

And it is apparent that he is not yet finished

Testifying to his high esteem of God’s word.

 

For tonight we have a stanza purely devoted to his love for God’s Word.

 

And certainly loving the word of God is essential in our lives.

 

You may remember when we talked about the Anti-Christ

While studying 2 Thessalonians.

Listen to what Paul said about people who don’t love the truth.

2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 “Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.”

 

There, love of God’s word is equated with salvation.

 

Jesus indicated the same:

John 8:31-32 “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

 

And you may remember that love for God’s word

Was one of the chief distinctions of the early church.

 

Acts 2:41-42 “So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

 

It is easy to say that a chief characteristic of the children of God

Is that they love the word of God.

 

And in reality, this is obvious.

How can you claim to love God if you don’t care to listen to Him speak?

 

And so love of God’s Word is basic.

And that is precisely what our Psalmist is.

He has a tremendous love for God’s word.

 

In fact he begins by saying, “O how I love Your law!”

 

And that phrase is very insightful.

 

He doesn’t just say, “I love Your law”, but “O how I love Your law!”

 

It is almost as if “love” isn’t a strong enough word for him.

He loves it immensely.

He loves it exceedingly.

His love for it is immeasurable.

 

He can’t seem to put a limit on it,

Nor can he seem to be able to express it fully.

I just love it soooo much!

 

And that is a refreshing statement to us.

We live in a day where God’s word may or may not be loved.

But we certainly live in a day where if you talk about God’s “law”,

It most certainly is not.

 

Even in the church, people have grown

To attach a negative connotation to the “law” of God.

 

It sounds condemning.

It sounds judgmental.

And today everyone wants to put the emphasis on grace and blessing.

 

So talk about precepts all you want.

Talk about Scriptures if you must.

But if you talk about “law” that is most certainly negative.

 

BUT THAT IS REGRETTABLE.

Romans 7:7 “What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “YOU SHALL NOT COVET.”

 

Romans 7:12 “So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.”

 

God’s law is God’s word. It is good.

It is perfect.

It should be loved.

 

And that is precisely what we hear from our Psalmist.

And so tonight, let’s see what it looks like to love God’s Word.

 

The Psalmist will show you what it means to love the word of God.

#1 THE EXPRESSION OF HIS LOVE

Psalms 119:97

 

We already saw that the Psalmist loves the word of God,

But here he even shows us what it means to love God’s word.

 

HOW DO YOU EXPRESS LOVE FOR GOD’S WORD?

“It is my meditation all the day.”

 

This is actually one of my favorite words in regard to the word of God.

 

You can’t just read God’s word

And you can’t just listen to God’s Word being read.

If you want the full effect, you have to meditate on it.

 

Proverbs 2:1-6 “My son, if you will receive my words And treasure my commandments within you, Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding; For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will discern the fear of the LORD And discover the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

I tend to believe that Proverbs 2:1-6 is the pinnacle passage

On how to study the Bible.

 

Notice all the words he uses in regard to the way we treat God’s word.

“RECEIVE my words”

“TREASURE my commandments”

“MAKE your ear attentive”

“INCLINE your heart”

“CRY for discernment”

“LIFT your voice for understanding”

“SEEK her as silver”

“SEARCH for her as for hidden treasures”

 

The writer of Proverbs is clear about

How the search for wisdom should be conducted.

 

He treats it as though it is a fine jewel.

I’ve always pictured it as a fine jewel buried beneath the earth.

 

If a miner is going to find it he will have devote himself to the process.

Not all nuggets just sit right out on the surface.

To find some, you have to dig for them.

 

It takes work, it takes diligence, but the reward is certainly worth it.

 

Well, reading the Bible requires the same kind of diligence.

In this book, not all the jewels just sit right out on the surface.

Some are buried deep within.

 

Romans 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!”

 

And to begin to learn the things He would reveal

Requires extreme diligence.

 

You are all aware of the fact that the Scriptures are appraised.

1 Corinthians 2:11 “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.”

 

And yet God gives us His Spirit that we can understand these things.

But we must work at it.

 

Paul told Timothy:

2 Timothy 2:15 “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”

 

And so we know Bible understanding requires work and diligence,

Just like a miner extracting a precious jewel.

 

BUT HOW DO WE MINE?

The answer is meditation.

We read, read, and re-read.

We contemplate.

We listen

 

It is Read, Contemplate, Think, Pray, Question and Apply…

You roll it all up into one and we call it meditation.

 

There is so much depth to the word of God

And meditation is the key to begin to unearth some of that depth.

 

Psalms 27:4 “One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple.”

 

Furthermore, meditation is an expression of love.

 

Remember when you met the love of your life?

• Some facts were on the surface (name, looks, etc.)

• Some facts required a little more digging.

• Some you are still trying to dig out.

 

BUT YOU DO IT BECAUSE YOU LOVE THEM

 

 

So it is with God’s word.

The Psalmist loves God’s word and he expresses that love by meditation.

He loves to fill his mind with what God has said.

 

The Expression of His Love

#2 THE EXPLANATION OF HIS LOVE

Psalms 119:98-100

 

We already know that the Psalmist has a great love for God’s Word,

A love so deep that he meditates upon it continually.

 

A GOOD QUESTION AT THIS POINT WOULD BE WHY?

 

You could say, “I love my wife”.

Someone could say, “Why?”

 

And you would have to give explanation as to why she is worth loving.

 

Well that Psalmist tells you here why he loves God’s Word.

 

And the simple answer is because it makes him wise.

And wisdom is of great value!

 

Proverbs 3:13-18 “How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding. For her profit is better than the profit of silver And her gain better than fine gold. She is more precious than jewels; And nothing you desire compares with her. Long life is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways And all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast.”

 

Wisdom is vitally important in this life.

We desperately need it, and we greatly desire it.

And the Psalmist loves God’s word because that is where he finds it.

 

In fact he gives examples of what he means.

1) God’s Word makes me Craftier than the Enemy (98)

 

When we talk about being crafty or cunning,

The Scripture paints this to be the chief characteristic of the enemy.

 

He is slick, he is smooth, he is cunning, he is stealthy

Genesis 3:1 “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”

 

Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”

 

The enemy is crafty.

And yet “Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies.”

 

It is of tremendous value to be a step ahead of the enemy.

It is extremely important to know ahead of time his plan of attack.

 

When I know God’s Word, I am a step ahead of the game.

I am wise, and I am ready for the enemy.

 

“For they are ever mine.”

In other words, I am wiser than the enemy because I own God’s word.

I have not only received it, but there is a level of ownership to it.

 

MAYBE YOU HAVE A VERSE LIKE THAT,

THAT YOU HAVE PROVEN AND NOW CALL IT “YOURS”.

 

That is what the Psalmist said.

He has believed God’s Word and it makes him craftier than the enemy.

 

2) God’s Word makes me more Knowledgeable than the Scholars (99)

 

The chief example of craftiness is the enemy.

The chief example of knowledge is the scholar.

 

• They have devoted their lives to studying and learning and lecturing.

• They have degrees and awards and accomplishments.

• They have solved problems and answered riddles.

• They are revered as knowledgeable.

And yet the Psalmist says, “I have more insight than all my teachers”

 

I may not have a great education, like they do,

But I am not ignorant nor am I slow to understand.

 

There is a wisdom in me that is not of man.

There is an education in me that is beyond worldly.

 

Remember Paul?

Galatians 1:11-12 “For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.”

 

Remember the Apostles?

Acts 4:13 “Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.”

 

Even Jesus

John 7:15-16 “The Jews then were astonished, saying, “How has this man become learned, having never been educated?” So Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.”

 

I am not knocking education,

But it does not equate with the wisdom found in God’s Word.

 

1 Corinthians 3:18-20 “Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS”; and again, “THE LORD KNOWS THE REASONINGS of the wise, THAT THEY ARE USELESS.”

 

And the Psalmist understood that.

 

I can’t go and debate physics with a professor at Texas Tech,

But that does not mean I am not wise.

 

Man’s education may explain how laws of the universe affect us,

But man’s education has never answered who wrote those laws.

 

The best answers man has are an explosion and a monkey.

 

The Psalmist says God’s word gives him knowledge.

 

“I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation.”

I get it because I meditate on it.

I don’t just sit on the surface.

 

And so meditation is not only an expression of love,

But is also a means of knowledge.

3) God’s Word makes me more Experienced than the Aged (100)

 

The Enemy is the pinnacle example of Craftiness.

The Scholars are the pinnacle example of Knowledge.

 

But if you want to see the pinnacle example of experience,

You go to the aged.

 

And there is tremendous value in talking with them.

Proverbs 20:29 “The glory of young men is their strength, And the honor of old men is their gray hair.”

 

Leviticus 19:32 ‘You shall rise up before the grayheaded and honor the aged, and you shall revere your God; I am the LORD.”

 

Job 12:12 “Wisdom is with aged men, With long life is understanding.”

 

Certainly there is a wealth of knowledge and experience there.

 

But notice what the Psalmist says: “I understand more than the aged,”

 

That is quite a statement.

• I am more crafty than the enemy.

• I am more knowledgeable than the scholar.

• I am more experienced than the aged.

 

HOW?

“Because I have observed Your precepts.”

 

A person used to say to me all the time, “Wisdom comes with age.”

I would respond, “It comes with fear of the Lord”.

 

Psalms 111:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.”

 

The Psalmist knew that “fear of the LORD” (obedience)

Is what produces wisdom.

 

Certainly there is a manner of wisdom that comes from age,

Namely that which we know as experience.

 

But there is a wisdom even greater than that

Which only comes from God, through obedience to His word.

 

TURN TO: JOB 28

 

God has a wisdom that even experience cannot give you.

It is the wisdom of obedience.

 

And so now we see why he loves God’s Word so much.

It makes him wise.

His Expression of Love, His Explanation of Love

#3 THE ENDURANCE OF HIS LOVE

Psalms 119:101-102

 

I love the way he states this first phrase.

“I have restrained my feet from every evil way,”

 

WHY?

“That I may keep Your word.”

 

Notice also that he used the word “restrained”

 

That is to say that if given free reign

His feet would have naturally gravitated down the ways of evil.

 

The natural inclination of the human heart

Is to rush into sin and gravitate toward evil.

 

That is why Paul said:

1 Corinthians 9:27 “but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”

 

That is why the writer of Hebrews said:

Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,”

 

And the Psalmist sees the need as well.

He has to restrain his feet, he has to overcome temptation

If he wants to be obedient.

 

And yet that is a struggle worth enduring because he loves to obey.

 

Furthermore we see an endurance in this struggle.

(102) “I have not turned aside from Your ordinances”

 

Regardless of the struggle…

Regardless of the temptation…

He has committed not to disregard God’s Word.

 

WHY?

“For You Yourself have taught me.”

 

AND THERE IS THE KEY TO IT ALL

He loves it because it is God’s Word

He endures because God said it

 

“You Yourself have taught me.”

 

John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”

 

This is what makes God’s word worth the effort.

IT IS GOD’S WORD

 

• We don’t follow this book because it is fun – we are not pleasure seekers

• We don’t follow this book because others do – we are not men pleasers

• We don’t follow this book because it is history – we are not historians

• We don’t follow this book because it works – we are not pragmatists

• We don’t follow this book because it is easy – it is not

 

WE FOLLOW THIS BOOK BECAUSE IT IS WHAT GOD SAID!

 

The God who created the world…

The God who will judge the world…

THAT God said these things, and that makes them more valuable to us

Than any other written word known to man.

 

And for that reason we not only love it, but we meditate on it,

We obey it, and we keep obeying it no matter what.

 

That was the attitude of our Psalmist.

His love of God’s word had endurance.

 

And it must, for “love bears all things”

 

We know he loved God’s word because he refused to leave it.

 

The Expression of His Love, The Explanation of His Love, The Endurance of His Love

#4 THE ENJOYMENT OF HIS LOVE

Psalms 119:102-104

 

Don’t you love the imagery?

“How sweet are Your words to my taste!”

 

See, he does love God’s word.

And his love is a commitment.

But it is not as though God’s word is hard to love.

 

It is not like those who commit to love God’s word have a difficult task.

God’s Word is easy to love.

It is sweet to the taste.

 

“Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”

 

Proverbs 24:13-14 “My son, eat honey, for it is good, Yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste; Know that wisdom is thus for your soul; If you find it, then there will be a future, And your hope will not be cut off.”

 

That is good advice.

Here the Psalmist would say, God’s word is good, so read it.

 

1 John 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.”

 

Jesus said, “My yoke is easy, and My burden is light”

 

Point being, it is not hard to love God’s word, just read it.

If you will meditate upon it, you will understand.

 

Someone could say, “I don’t know if I would like so & so”.

Well, get to know them and see. You do and find that they are great to get to know.

 

That is even more true with God’s word.

It is a blessing.

It is sweet to the taste.

 

The Psalmist loves loving God’s word.

 

(104) “From Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.”

 

The point there is he loves the right way (God’s Word) so much

That he actually hates everything that opposes it.

 

It is a hate that is born out of his love.

 

• If you love life, you hate murder.

• If you love marriage, you hate divorce.

• If you love people, you hate gossip.

• If you love God, you hate idols.

• If you love truth, you hate error.

 

And that is what the Psalmist said.

I love God’s Word so much, it is impossible for me to love what is false.

 

He is in love with the truth of God’s Word.

 

And the point is that loving God’s word is not a burden to him.

It is not a difficult choice.

He tried it and he loves it.

 

• He loves it because it makes him wise.

• He shows that love through meditation and endurance.

• And if he were given the option to get out of the commitment, he would not do it.

 

HE LOVES IT

 

Let me encourage you to love God’s Word in the same way.

 

If you don’t know, but you would like to, the path is easy.

 

Do what the Psalmist did.

(97) He meditated on it

(98) He made it his

(99) He meditated some more

(100) He obeyed it

 

And that is what allowed him to say it tastes sweet.

 

Listen if you are truly a believer,

You already have an in born hunger for God’s Word,

It just may be you need to try it.

 

(it is like being hungry and not knowing it)

 

Trust me, it will satisfy you and make you love it too.

(I used to not want to read the gospels – until I did)

 

The same with God’s word.

Get into this book and see why the Psalmist loved it so much.

 

Psalms 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”

 

Conquering Affliction

Psalms 119:89-96

October 30, 2011

 

Well, I suppose this is finally the sermon we have been waiting for.

We have seen our Psalmist suffering with affliction for weeks.

 

He has certainly maintained a spiritual mindset of maturity throughout the entire process, but his circumstances have definitely been difficult.

 

Last week was probably the hardest to see as we actually heard our Psalmist say, “I have become like a wineskin in the smoke,”

 

We saw our Psalmist at the end, at the bottom, and full of despair.

He still did not abandon the Lord…

He still did not deny…

He still did not defect…

But he had been given to despair.

 

And that is why the request of his mouth was:

(88) “Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, so that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.”

 

He needed to be picked up.

 

Well, how refreshing to find his statement in this next stanza.

(93) “I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have revived me;”

 

And so it is obvious that our Psalmist is doing better.

He is no longer in the pit…

He is no longer despairing…

He has been revived.

 

He has conquered his affliction.

 

Romans 8:35-37 “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written,

“FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.”

 

Paul understood affliction, and he understood what it meant to conquer it.

He knew what it was to despair, and he knew what it was to be revived.

 

And that is where we find our Psalmist.

He has been revived.

 

But please don’t misunderstand.

OUR PSALMIST HAS BEEN REVIVED,

BUT HIS AFFLICTION HAS NOT BEEN REMOVED.

This is not a stanza that celebrates the removal of hardship or affliction.

For that has not happened.

This is a stanza that celebrates revival in the midst of it.

 

His affliction is still present

(94) “I am Yours, save me;”

(95) “The wicked wait for me to destroy me;”

 

So it is obvious that our Psalmist is still in hot water.

He is still being afflicted.

He still needs God to rescue him.

He is still in the cross-hairs of the wicked.

 

We are not rejoicing that his affliction is gone.

We are rejoicing that in his affliction he has found revival.

 

For even though he is still afflicted, he is no longer despairing.

 

(92) “If Your law had not been my delight, Then I would have perished in my affliction.”

 

(93) “I will never forget Your precepts, For by them You have revived me.”

 

And so even though his affliction remains,

Our Psalmist has somehow found revival

And come to a place of rejoicing and hope even in the midst of it.

 

He obviously learned something.

He obviously began to understand something.

 

I suppose the question is, WHAT DID HE LEARN?

 

Certainly anyone who is in the midst of affliction

Would like to find what he found and learn what he learned.

 

3 Things in our text

#1 THE TRUTH HE SAW

Psalms 119:89-91

 

We wanted to know what the Psalmist saw, and here he shows us.

 

3 things he saw:

1) GOD’S WORD IS SETTLED (89)

 

This is indeed a wonderful statement.

It is statement that resonates with the permanence of God’s word.

 

“Forever”

Not for a time

“Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled”

 

God’s Word is not vacillating, God’s word is not temporary.

He didn’t see God putting His word out on a trial basis

As something He might change later.

 

He said that God’s word is forever “settled”

Nothing can change it.

Nothing can alter it.

Nothing can undo it.

Nothing can defeat it.

If God says it, it is so.

 

I suppose it is also important to recognize where it is settled.

“Your word is settled in heaven.”

 

There are times when God’s word is not settled in our hearts.

God’s word is certainly not settled amidst an unbelieving generation.

 

This world seems to think God’s word is not reliable, or is not trustworthy.

At times we suffer and begin to doubt that God will do what He says.

 

But not in heaven.

In heaven, God’s word is settled.

 

That is why Jesus taught us to pray in “The Model Prayer”

Matthew 6:9-10 “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.”

 

In heaven God’s word is never questioned

And His will is never disregarded.

 

God’s word is settled.

It isn’t going to change, it isn’t going to fail, it isn’t going to leave.

 

Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”

 

2) GOD’S WORD IS SURE (90)

 

Here again we see a testimony to God’s word as that which is enduring;

That which accomplishes what it desires.

 

He recognizes that God’s “faithfulness continues through all generations;”

 

In short, there has yet to be a time when God wasn’t faithful.

Furthermore there will never be a time when God isn’t faithful.

 

BUT WHAT DOES HE BASE THAT ON?

 

“You established the earth, and it stands.”

 

The Psalmist knows God is faithful and that His word is sure,

Because of something that continues to stand.

That something is creation.

 

“You established the earth, and it stands.”

 

Tell me, HOW DID GOD ESTABLISH THE EARTH?

Genesis 1:3 “Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.”

 

Genesis 1:6 “Then God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.”

 

Genesis 1:9 “Then God said, “Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so.”

 

Genesis 1:11 “Then God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them”; and it was so.”

 

Creation was established by the word of God.

And because God told it to stand, it will stand until God tells it otherwise.

 

They can talk global warming all they want…

They can talk nuclear war all they want…

They can talk holes in the ozone layer…

 

But this world isn’t going anywhere until God tells it to,

Because He is the One who told it stay put.

 

2 Peter 3:5-7 “For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.”

 

And the Psalmist saw that as a tremendous testimony

To the certainty of God’s Word.

 

If the sun fails to rise…

If the tide fails to ebb & flow…

If the seasons fail to come…

Then you can question the certainty of God’s Word,

But creation proves that when God says something, it is sure.

 

You may remember when God gave the new covenant to Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

 

Certainly that was a great promise in the midst of dark affliction.

Certainly the people would have been prone to question such a promise.

 

So God gave them proof that His word is certain.

Jeremiah 31:35-37 “Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for light by day And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: “If this fixed order departs From before Me,” declares the LORD, “Then the offspring of Israel also will cease From being a nation before Me forever.” Thus says the LORD, “If the heavens above can be measured And the foundations of the earth searched out below, Then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel For all that they have done,” declares the LORD.”

 

You may be prone to question My promise of a new covenant,

But before you question My word, just look at My track record.

 

If you see creation (which I command to function properly)

Stop functioning properly, then you can doubt My word about this too.

 

Point being, God’s word is sure.

Creation proves that.

 

God’s Word is Settled God’s Word is Sure

3) GOD’S WORD IS SOVEREIGN (91)

 

We not only see that God’s word doesn’t vacillate,

And we saw that God’s word accomplishes what it says.

 

Isaiah 55:11 “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”

 

Here we find that nothing argues with God’s word.

 

God is not a God who just intends for things to happen

And then hopes nothing interferes.

 

God’s word is so certain that nothing can interfere.

 

The Psalmist said, “They stand this day according to Your ordinances”

 

“They” = the things of earth

 

The earth doesn’t stand because man takes such good care of it.

The earth stands because God told it to.

 

And despite the desires of the enemy to undo,

What God has done, nothing can undo it.

 

“For all things are Your servants.”

 

That is to say, everything has to do what You say.

Nothing can resist Your will.

 

Isaiah 14:27 “For the LORD of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?”

 

Isaiah 43:13 “Even from eternity I am He, And there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?”

 

And the illustrations of this are endless.

Satan couldn’t touch Job apart from God’s permission.

Joseph’s brothers couldn’t sell Joseph apart from God allowing it.

 

In fact Joseph said:

Genesis 45:7-8 “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. “Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.”

 

Want to see a real shocker?

 

Look at the death of Jesus.

Acts 2:23 “this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.”

It was all up to God.

 

And the Psalmist recognizes that.

• God’s word isn’t temporary and subject to change.

• God’s word isn’t doubtful or ever prone to fail.

• God’s word isn’t so weak that anyone can change it.

 

His word is Settled, Sure, and Sovereign.

THIS IS WHAT CHANGED THE PSALMISTS MINDSET

 

Here he had been in despair

Namely because he wasn’t sure God would do what He said.

 

Yes, he hoped God would, but he wasn’t certain.

He knew what God’s word said and he hoped for it’s fulfillment,

But it is obvious he wasn’t certain that it would ever happen.

 

AND THEN HE LOOKED AT CREATION.

And he said, wait a minute.

 

Creation is proof that when God tells something to happen, it happens.

When God tells something to stay put, it does.

God’s word is settled,

God’s word is sure,

God’s word is sovereign.

 

And that doesn’t just include the commands of creation,

But the promises He has made in the midst of my affliction.

Promises of comfort…

Promises of deliverance…

Promises of good…

Promises of blessing…

 

The Psalmist knows that he can believe what God said,

Because if God said it, it is final.

 

And that knowledge pulled him out of his despair.

Now he doesn’t just hope, he has hope.

 

This was the same hope Paul had in his affliction.

2 Corinthians 4:7-10 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.”

 

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

 

That was the new perspective of our Psalmist.

He now knew that God’s promises would not fail.

 

The Truth He Saw

#2 THE TESTIMONY HE SHARES

Psalms 119:92-93

 

Now that he knows God’s word is faithful,

He is encouraged when he reads it.

 

He is encouraged when he remembers the promises.

 

And notice what he says.

1) GOD’S WORD SUSTAINS (92)

 

He said that God’s word has proven now to be enough for him.

 

All he had was God’s word and that proved to be enough

To sustain him and to keep him from perishing.

 

Psalms 27:13 “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.”

 

I love the song by Laura Story, “Great God who Saves”

“Oh the promises of God, The rock on which I stand. The Truth to which I cling. His love that knows no bounds; He showers us with grace. Withholding no good thing. When I stumble And my faith is small, I will call your name; Great God who saves.

I would have despaired If I had not believed That You would come to me Great God who saves In my darkest hour Your mercy and Your power Are reaching out to me Great God who saves.”

 

That is what the Psalmist said here.

I would have perished.

I would have died.

 

And yet, Your law was “my delight” and in it I found hope.

 

Charles Spurgeon said:

“With that word we are charmed; it is a mine of delight to us. We take a double and treble delight in it, and derive a multiplied delight from it, and this stands us in good stead when all other delights are taken from us. We should have felt ready to lie down and die of our griefs if the spiritual comforts of God’s word had not uplifted us; but by their sustaining influence we have been borne above all the depressions and despairs which naturally grow out of severe affliction. Some of us can set our seal to this statement. Our affliction, if it had not been for divine grace, would have crushed us out of existence, so that we should have perished. In our darkest seasons nothing has kept us from desperation but the promise of the Lord: yea, at times nothing has stood between us and self-destruction save faith in the eternal word of God. When worn with pain until the brain has become dazed and the reason well-nigh extinguished, a sweet text has whispered to us its heart-cheering assurance, and our poor struggling mind has reposed upon the bosom of God. That which was our delight in prosperity has been our light in adversity; that which in the day kept us from presuming has in the night kept us from perishing.”

(Expositions of the Psalms – pg 316)

 

That was the mindset of the Psalmist.

Furthermore that is his testimony as well.

 

I learned God’s word is sure, and so now I testify that God’s word sustains.

 

2) GOD’S WORD SUPPORTS (93)

 

Here he reminds that God’s word will always be a part of his daily meal,

For he always finds revival there.

 

It was “by them” that God revived him.

 

God’s revival did not come through a friend…

God’s revival did not come through a purchase…

God’s revival did not come through a power bar or nutrient shake…

 

God’s revival came by His “precepts”

 

And this is the testimony that the Psalmist shares with us.

Psalms 19:7a “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;”

 

And that is what the Psalmist wants you to know.

 

And so we see the Truth He Saw We see the Testimony He Shares

#3 THE TRUST HE SHOWS

Psalms 119:94-96

 

Obviously this is no time to neglect God’s word now, and he doesn’t.

 

We notice that his affliction is still present,

But also notice that he is clinging to the word of God now more than ever.

 

And again we see his trust exhibited in three areas.

1) GOD’S WORD SAVES (94)

 

Certainly he credits God as the Savior.

We know simply reading the Bible does not save.

 

Believing the promises of the God who made them is what saves,

And that is what the Psalmist says.

 

“I am Yours, save me; For I have sought Your precepts.”

 

You see he knows that God promises to save those who seek Him.

God’s word taught him that.

 

And since he now knows beyond a shadow of a doubt

That God’s word is faithful, he can confidently ask for salvation.

 

Joel 2:32 “And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD Will be delivered; For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem There will be those who escape, As the LORD has said, Even among the survivors whom the LORD calls.”

 

Jesus Himself said:

Matthew 7:7-11 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. “Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? “Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!”

 

The Psalmist knew that, he believed that.

He places his trust in that.

 

God’s Word Saves

2) GOD’S WORD STRENGTHENS (95)

 

Again we recognize that he is still caught in the midst of his afflictions.

“The wicked wait for me to destroy me;”

Well what do you do?

“I shall diligently consider Your testimonies”

 

He said, I am going to the word of God.

I’m going to read the testimonies of God’s faithfulness

Throughout all generations.

 

More than that, I will “consider” them.

More than that, I will “diligently consider” them

 

WHY?

Because he has come to find strength in the testimonies of God.

 

He is still hated.

He is still hunted.

But he finds strength in the word of God.

 

Don’t you have passages that give you strength?

I can’t tell you how I love to read God’s promise through Peter:

1 Peter 5:10 “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”

 

That is strengthening to me.

The Psalmist is running to that as well.

 

3) GOD’S WORD SATISFIES (96)

 

“I have seen a limit to all perfection”

 

Isn’t that the truth!

 

Tell me what is perfect about this earth.

The Economy

The Weather

The Culture

 

Or how about something you own, is any of it perfect?

How about your children?

How about your job?

How about your past?

 

Give up searching, there isn’t anything that is perfect.

 

Except God’s word

“Your commandment is exceedingly broad.”

 

The NIV says, “but your commands are boundless”

 

The Psalmist says I continue to go to your word for everything,

Because while everything else has proven to be less than perfect,

I have never found a flaw in Your word.

 

Psalms 19:7a “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;”

 

AND WHAT A CHANGE IN OUR PSALMIST!

 

Last week he was on the brink of despair,

Comparing himself to a wineskin in the smoke.

 

Here, although still afflicted, he has a much more positive outlook, even saying he has been revived.

 

It is because of THE TRUTH HE SAW

He looked at creation and said:

 

God’s Word is Settled

God’s Word is Sure

God’s Word is Sovereign

 

This pulled him out of despair, knowing that the promises of God are trustworthy because God’s word never fails.

 

That led him to share a TESTIMONY

 

God’s Word Sustains

God’s Word Supports

 

And even though he is still afflicted his TRUST endures, for:

 

God’s Word Saves

God’s Word Strengthens

God’s Word Satisfies

 

What a great deliverance!

THAT IS HOW YOU CONQUER ADVERISTY

 

This life promises hardship.

In fact Jesus said:

John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

 

Hardship comes, and even if you get delivered out of this one,

Rest assured another is on its way.

 

But when we reach the place the Psalmist reached

To have full assurance in the promises of God

Then we are more than conquerors.

 

Romans 8:31-39 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

 

And that is the testimony of our Psalmist.

All because of the word of God.

 

Psalms 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”

 

A Picture of Endurance

Psalms 119:81-88

October 23, 2011

 

As you know we are studying through the 119th Psalm.

And we are learning of this great treasure we call “The Word of God”.

 

And yet at the same time we are coming to realize that

While God’s Word is without a doubt the main topic of discussion,

The Psalmist also has a great deal to say about the topic of “affliction”

• We’ve seen him acknowledge affliction

• We’ve seen him appreciate affliction

• We’ve seen him ask for it to go away

 

And yet, through all those emotions, the one constant is

That in affliction he always seeks out the word of God.

 

His attitude reminds me quite a bit of Paul’s attitude.

2 Corinthians 4:7-11 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”

 

Like Paul, this man had the right perspective.

 

He never let his affliction drive him away from God,

But rather always allowed his affliction to drive him closer.

 

Nowhere was that seen better than in verses 71-72

Psalms 119:71-72 “It is good for me that I was afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes. The law of Your mouth is better to me Than thousands of gold and silver pieces.”

 

And so we have seen this man afflicted,

But we also seen him handle that affliction well.

 

Tonight we see him in the midst of his affliction one more time.

 

And it is obvious that this time, our Psalmist has hit bottom.

(81) “My soul languishes…”

(82) “My eyes fail…”

(83) “I have become like a wineskin in the smoke,”

(85) “The arrogant have dug pits for me…”

(86) “They have persecuted me with a lie…”

(87) “They almost destroyed me on earth,”

 

I mean I think it is obvious that this man has a better handle on affliction

Than do most people.

And it is also obvious that he has hit the bottom.

He is near death, he near the point of hopelessness, he is hated

And he estimates himself to already be ruined.

 

(That is what “like a wineskin in the smoke” means.)

 

This man has hit the bottom.

 

And so here, like no other place, we find a picture of endurance.

He hangs on simply because hanging on is the right thing to do.

 

And so tonight let’s learn a little about endurance.

 

Before we work through our text, let me reiterate to you quickly

THE IMPORTANCE OF ENDURANCE.

 

TURN TO: HEBREWS 10

 

You are aware that Hebrews was written to three groups of Jews.

1) The skeptic who did not believe Jesus was the Christ

2) The intellectual, who knew Jesus was the Christ, but wouldn’t confess Him.

3) The persecuted who had confessed Jesus, but wanted to quit

 

It is to that third group that the writer is dealing with here.

(VERSES 32-39)

 

And we noticed there in verse 36 why endurance is so important.

Because if you do good today, but then quit tomorrow,

Then you lose the reward of today.

 

You will notice from there that the writer goes into the faith chapter.

He is giving examples of people who endured with great faith.

 

We know the individual examples, but look at his point.

(VERSES 11:13-16)

 

We see there that the writer applauds Abraham and Sarah

For their endurance even though they never received what was promised.

 

Go on a little further as the list grows longer and longer.

(VERSES 11:39-40)

 

And there again these men did not get all they hoped for.

 

The true promise was Christ and His kingdom.

They did not receive that, though they waited for it.

And they all had to endure in their journey.

 

Then the writer comes back to the present.

 

First he tells us to endure like they did, and like Christ did.

(12:1-3)

 

And then he explains the necessity of our endurance.

(12:4-11)

 

And finally he comes back full circle asking us to endure.

(12:12-13)

 

And so you understand still the necessity of endurance.

Don’t quit.

 

• You are at your wits end…

• You are suffering for more than you anticipated…

• You have suffered far longer than you anticipated…

• You think you are already ruined like a wineskin in the smoke…

KEEP GOING

 

And it isn’t until those moments that endurance really defines itself.

It isn’t the first leg of the race that requires the most endurance,

It is the final leg.

 

And that is where we find our Psalmist.

 

Now, I must forewarn you.

This is not a happy Psalm. This is a real Psalm.

 

This stanza does not end happy.

He ends still in the midst of his affliction.

And that is what makes it such a great picture of endurance.

 

And since we have need of endurance, let us see what it looks like.

 

Four points tonight

#1 HIS PRESENT CONDITION

Psalms 119:81-83

 

I actually love reading these three verses.

Not because I find joy in this man’s misery,

But I find tremendous inspiration from this man’s faithful endurance.

 

Look at what he says:

(81) “My soul languishes for Your salvation”

 

“languishes” means “grows feeble” or “loses vitality”

 

It actually translates the Hebrew word “KALAH”

It means “complete, finished, or spent”

It is most often translated “finished”

And that is what this man says.

“May soul [is spent] for Your salvation”

 

I am done.

I am spent.

I am finished.

I have lost vitality.

He has nothing left.

 

Now that is not all we see.

 

(82) “My eyes fail with longing for Your word,”

 

So now, not only is his soul spent, but now his eyes fail.

He has watched to the point of blindness.

 

(83) “Though I have become like a wineskin in the smoke,”

 

And as we said earlier, this is an indication that he is ruined.

A wineskin in the smoke dries out and cracks

And is no longer useful for anything.

 

That is this man.

His affliction has lingered too long…

His persecution has inflicted irreparable damage to him…

He doesn’t see himself as useful any longer.

 

Now, I think we can all agree that

This is a harsh condition he has found himself in.

 

He is struggling to say the least.

 

But now let me show you his commitment.

(81) “My soul languishes for Your salvation; I wait for Your word.”

 

“My soul is spent, but I am waiting”

 

Psalms 27:14 “Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.”

 

Psalms 37:7-9 “Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing. For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.”

 

Psalms 62:5-8 “My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken. On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.”

 

And of course who could forget:

Isaiah 40:31 “Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”

 

That was where our Psalmist was.

His soul was spent.

His soul was finished.

BUT HE CONTINUED TO WAIT

 

We call that endurance.

When all you can do is wait on God, that is what he did.

 

(82) “My eyes fail with longing for Your word, While I say, “When will You comfort me?”

 

There he indicated that his eyes were tired and failing.

BUT I AM WATCHING

 

He paints the picture of a man watching road,

Waiting eagerly for deliverance to arrive.

 

He could have given up, or stopped hoping, but he didn’t.

He will watch until he can’t physically watch any more.

 

The story is told of a blind man who used to read the Bible by brail.

One day he contracted an illness that caused him to lose feeling in his fingers, whereby he could no longer read the Scripture.

 

In despair he leaned to kiss his bible good-bye,

Only to find that his lips were more sensitive than his fingers had ever been, and thus he began to read with his lips.

 

That is the type of man we see here.

Endurance

 

Look at the next example of his endurance

(83) “Though I have become like a wineskin in the smoke, I do not forget Your statutes.”

 

“My life is ruined, but I remember”

 

He can’t presently see the value in his life,

But that doesn’t stop him from continuing to honor God

With his life to the best of his ability.

 

• So His soul was weak, but he waited.

• His eyes were failing, but he watched.

• His life was ruined, but he remembered.

 

We call that endurance.

 

Charles Spurgeon, “It was by perseverance that the snail entered the ark.”

 

Certainly endurance matters.

Hebrews 10:36 “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.”

 

His Present Condition

#2 HIS PATIENT CONCERN

Psalms 119:84

 

To call it a patient concern is a bit of a sarcastic statement,

For he doesn’t appear all that patient.

(He is, for he hasn’t left the Lord)

 

But he is getting antsy and frustrated.

 

And here he we see his concern in the form of two questions.

“How many are the days of Your servant?”

 

We understand this statement.

How long will this last?

 

And this seems to be a common thread

That runs through most people’s affliction.

 

I don’t know if I have ever seen a person yet

Who was ready for their affliction to last as long as it did.

 

Psalms 6:2-3 “Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am pining away; Heal me, O LORD, for my bones are dismayed. And my soul is greatly dismayed; But You, O LORD — how long?”

 

Psalms 13:1-3 “How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,”

 

Psalms 89:46-47 “How long, O LORD? Will You hide Yourself forever? Will Your wrath burn like fire? Remember what my span of life is; For what vanity You have created all the sons of men!”

 

But this wasn’t just limited to the Psalmist and life’s adversity.

 

When Isaiah found

That his mission would not produce converts, but rather condemnation, his question was:

Isaiah 6:11 “Then I said, “Lord, how long?” And He answered, “Until cities are devastated and without inhabitant, Houses are without people And the land is utterly desolate,”

When Jeremiah faced the opposition in his ministry, he asked:

Jeremiah 12:1-4 “Righteous are You, O LORD, that I would plead my case with You; Indeed I would discuss matters of justice with You: Why has the way of the wicked prospered? Why are all those who deal in treachery at ease? You have planted them, they have also taken root; They grow, they have even produced fruit. You are near to their lips But far from their mind. But You know me, O LORD; You see me; And You examine my heart’s attitude toward You. Drag them off like sheep for the slaughter And set them apart for a day of carnage! How long is the land to mourn And the vegetation of the countryside to wither? For the wickedness of those who dwell in it, Animals and birds have been snatched away, Because men have said, “He will not see our latter ending.”

 

Listen to Habakkuk as he witnessed the evil of his day:

Habakkuk 1:2 “How long, O LORD, will I call for help, And You will not hear? I cry out to You, “Violence!” Yet You do not save.”

 

And even Jesus felt this frustration.

Matthew 17:17 “And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.”

 

And certainly we understand, this Psalmist wants to know

How much longer he can possible stand this.

 

His next question was:

“When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me?”

 

And he isn’t alone in this either.

Revelation 6:9-11 “When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, ” How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.”

 

The cry for vindication is not a seldom used prayer.

Many a persecuted man has wondered

How long God will let the enemy go free.

 

And so you can see the concerns of this man’s heart.

 

I point this out so that we will understand

That his situation is not an easy one.

 

His soul is spent

His eyes are tired

His life is ruined

And his hope is fading

And yet he endures.

 

His Present Condition His Patient Concern

#3 HIS PASSIONATE CRY

Psalms 119:85-86

 

Here again we see his affliction.

This time he outlines their evil towards him.

 

“The arrogant have dug pits for me, Men who are not in accord with Your law.”

 

You may remember earlier it was different:

Psalms 119:61 “The cords of the wicked have encircled me, But I have not forgotten Your law.”

 

But here they have not only encircled him,

But they are plotting to do away with him permanently.

 

It is easy to see Joseph here about to be done away with by his brothers.

 

We also see the second part of verse 86

“They have persecuted me with a lie;”

 

That is not the first time we have seen that.

He is not only attacked, but he is also falsely accused and slandered.

 

In fact, you can even look down to verse 87,

“They almost destroyed me on earth”

 

They just nearly killed him.

 

And so his affliction is not made up.

It is not a figment of his imagination.

His situation is real.

His enemy is real.

The danger is real.

 

Now, despite all that, he still endures.

(86) “All Your commandments are faithful;”

 

He is afflicted, but he has not lost his commitment to the word of God.

 

The one thing we do notice however,

Is that his frustration is about to boil over.

 

Verse 86 ends with a passionate cry, “Help me!”

 

This is not a request…

This is not a plea…

This is a man who has had enough.

He wants God to fix it and fix it now.

 

Now, certainly we are not promoting the concept of giving God orders,

Nor are we judging this man for wanting help.

 

We are merely pointing out again that this man is struggling.

 

I think we must agree that regardless of our affliction

It would be hard to see ourselves any worse off than this man.

 

His suffering is real, and he really wants it over.

 

That is what makes his endurance so encouraging to us.

 

His Present Condition His Patient Concern His Passionate Cry

#4 HIS PERSONAL COMMITMENT

Psalms 119:87-88

 

And there again we see that endurance shine forth.

 

“They almost destroyed me on earth, But as for me, I did not forsake Your precepts.”

 

We certainly all understand affliction.

I am not sure we all understand death threats.

 

I don’t know if any of us know what it feels like

For your life to hang in the balance if you choose to obey God.

This man did, and yet he endured.

 

The pressure on him was to forsake God’s Word and he refused.

Even upon pain of death he would not forsake.

 

And that is endurance.

 

Furthermore look at his present request.

(88) “Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, so that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.”

 

WHAT A STATEMENT!

 

I am weak, I am worn, I am broken, I am beaten.

 

Please strengthen me to keep obedience,

Because that is what the enemy wants to keep me from doing.

 

He just wants to endure.

He just wants to continue.

 

What a tremendous picture.

 

We know that endurance is important.

Hebrews 10:36-39 “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE, HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY. BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.”

 

And here we see what it looks like.

 

• It is waiting when you can’t wait any longer.

• It is watching when you can’t watch any longer.

• It is remembering when you don’t see any hope.

• It is obeying when obedience gets you in trouble.

• It is just refusing to forsake when the pressure mounts.

 

We call it endurance and this man gives a great example of it.

 

May we be encouraged to be faithful to God’s Word

In exactly the same way.

 

Psalms 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”

 

“First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men…therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.” (1 Timothy 2:1,8)

Join us Friday mornings at 6:00am in the Pastor’s office for a time of prayer among men.  We pray for our church, we pray for our community, we pray for our family, we pray for each other.  It is a tremendous time of fellowship.

And then, for those who so desire, we travel to the Turnaround Café for breakfast and fellowship.  We are usually done around 7:15.  Come join us!