The Steadfast Heart (Psalms 119:129-136)
The Steadfast Heart
Psalms 119:129-136
December 11, 2011
Last time we met here in Psalms 119,
We talked about resisting compromise.
There is an enormous amount of pressure placed upon
The Christian to compromise his convictions.
• We live in a world that loves sin and hates righteousness.
• We live in a world that loves darkness and hates light.
• We live in a world that loves error and hates truth.
It is just as Jesus said:
John 3:19-20 “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.”
This is also the reason for oppression upon God’s people.
The night before Jesus died He told His disciples:
John 15:18-25 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. “But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. “He who hates Me hates My Father also. “If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well. “But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, ‘THEY HATED ME WITHOUT A CAUSE.’”
We see that the hatred and oppression that the world has for Christians
Is really simply a manifestation of the hatred the world has for Christ.
• The evil world is of their father the devil.
• They hate God, just as he hates God.
• They seek to rebel against God, just as he rebelled against God.
And they hate the fact that the righteous God
Will one day judge them for their wicked deeds.
And that would be no problem for us, except
That when we became followers of Christ,
We then also became enemies of the world.
The world hates Christ and all who take His name
And preach His message.
And so oppression for the Christian is a reality.
2 Timothy 3:12 “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
If you follow Christ…
If you preach His truth…
If you proclaim His name…
Rest assured you will be hated for it.
We are all aware of the beatitudes,
And we remember that the last two beatitudes are sort of an indicator
As to whether or not you are living the first six.
Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
And we could go on and on, but the point is made,
Oppression and persecution are reality for any who seek to follow Christ.
And as we said last week, this oppression really is a choice for us.
Affliction or hardship or misery is a guarantee in this life
And is virtually unavoidable.
We live in a fallen, sinful world and because of that affliction
Happens to everyone, and often cannot be escaped.
But Christian oppression is not like that.
It is actually a choice that a Christian must make.
We often have the ability to put an end to our oppression,
And that is simply done by compromise.
Just let go of Jesus’ name…
Just quit proclaiming His truth…
Just turn around and go the other direction…
If you do, the world will love you, but you will have failed Christ.
And that is why as Christians we are told
Not only to ENDURE suffering, but to EMBRACE it.
1 Peter 4:1-2 “Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.”
2 Timothy 1:8 “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God,”
2 Timothy 2:3 “Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”
The writer of Hebrews said:
Hebrews 13:12-14 “Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.”
And this is really the very essence of what Jesus meant when He said:
Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”
It is obvious that as Christians
We are not called to continually take the easy way out.
We are not called to take the path of least resistance.
We are not called to be men pleasers.
As Christians we are called to embrace the suffering
That will inevitably come with being faithful to our Lord.
And so compromise really has no place in the Christian walk.
Listen to what God told a couple of His prophets of old:
Jeremiah 15:19 “Therefore, thus says the LORD, “If you return, then I will restore you — Before Me you will stand; And if you extract the precious from the worthless, You will become My spokesman. They for their part may turn to you, But as for you, you must not turn to them.”
Ezekiel 2:3-7 “Then He said to me, “Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to a rebellious people who have rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day. “I am sending you to them who are stubborn and obstinate children, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’ “As for them, whether they listen or not — for they are a rebellious house — they will know that a prophet has been among them. “And you, son of man, neither fear them nor fear their words, though thistles and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions; neither fear their words nor be dismayed at their presence, for they are a rebellious house. “But you shall speak My words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious.”
And this message is continued in the New Testament.
1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”
Ephesians 6:10-13 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”
I think we get the picture.
We call this being steadfast.
And this is a good word to describe our Psalmist.
Tonight, let me show a picture of a steadfast heart,
4 characteristics
#1 IT LOVE’S GOD’S WORD
Psalms 119:129-130
We actually talked about this concept last week.
In verses 121-128 we saw our Psalmist continually resist compromise.
They had oppressed him because of his righteousness
And he was more than ready for God to come and vindicate him.
But despite his oppression the Psalmist would not compromise,
And the reason was because he loved God’s Word.
Psalms 119:127-128 “Therefore I love Your commandments Above gold, yes, above fine gold. Therefore I esteem right all Your precepts concerning everything, I hate every false way.”
And this is reiterated here in the beginning of the next stanza.
“Your testimonies are wonderful;”
“wonderful” translates PE-LE
It means “astounding” or “unfathomable”
Samson’s parents
Judges 13:17-18 “Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, “What is your name, so that when your words come to pass, we may honor you?” But the angel of the LORD said to him, “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?”
Isaiah’s Christmas prophecy
Isaiah 9:6 “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”
And that is the same description the Psalmist uses for God’s word.
It is “wonderful”
And he is not just saying that they are good,
He is saying that they are transcendent.
They are lofty and exalted.
Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
Remember what David said about God’s omniscience in Psalms 139?
Psalms 139:1-6 “O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it.”
Paul said the same in the New Testament:
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!”
That is the message of the Psalmist about God’s Word
It is “wonderful”
“Therefore my soul observes them.”
And this is the demonstration of his love.
He loves it so he obeys it.
THIS IS WHY HE WILL NOT COMPROMISE.
Some would say: “Come on man, let it go, is it really worthy all the oppression?”
The Psalmist would say, “yes”, it is “wonderful”,
That’s why I can’t let it go.
Furthermore, that is why he keeps studying it and even preaching it.
(130) “The unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.”
It is obvious from this verse that our Psalmist is not only obedient,
But is also a committed student of God’s word as well as a teacher of it.
He loves to see God’s word unfolded.
And the Psalmist says that doing that “gives light”
Light always has three meanings.
1) Understanding
“Shine some light on the subject” or “His light came on”
2) Hope
“Light at the end of the tunnel” or “Light in the darkness”
3) Righteousness
“Deeds of darkness or deeds of light”
And all of those three are certainly benefits which are achieved
From carefully “unfolding” the word of God.
Specifically here the Psalmist mentions the “understanding” part.
“It gives understanding to the simple.”
And you simply have to love his steadfastness.
Many would tell our Psalmist to just give in,
It’s not worth the fight.
He would give two reasons why it is.
1) GOD’S WORD DESERVES IT
It is “wonderful”
2) THOSE WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING NEED IT
“It gives understanding to the simple”
And there is great reason why the steadfast won’t compromise.
• So if you are searching for a reason not to compromise…
• If you need a reason to study, or teach, or preach again…
Do it because God’s Word deserves to be preached
And because people need to hear it whether they want to or not.
The Steadfast heart loves God’s Word
#2 IT LONGS FOR GOD’S WORD
Psalms 119:131-132
And of course this is only logical and obvious.
If a person love’s God’s Word then they should long for God’s Word.
“I opened my mouth wide and panted, For I longed for Your commandments.”
It reminds of David’s statement:
Psalms 63:1 “O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water.”
It reminds of Jesus:
John 4:31-34 “Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.”
Or again:
Matthew 4:3-4 “And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'”
Certainly that is the imagery given to us by the Psalmist.
He is panting, he is begging for God’s Word.
In fact look at the next verse.
(132) “Turn to me and be gracious to me, After Your manner with those who love Your name.”
He actually tells God to “be gracious”
Gracious about what?
Gracious in regard to his request for God’s Word.
He doesn’t see having God’s Word as a right,
He sees it as a privilege.
This is often lost on us today.
We have Bibles stacked on bibles.
We have constant and instant access to the Word of God.
BUT THIS IS NOT SO FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD.
(The China formula: Your population x .0045)
(Spur would have 6 Bibles)
There are people in the world who count access to God’s Word
As the finest of privileges,
And yet in America Bible reading seems burdensome.
David Platt writes in his book “Radical” about a house church meeting in an Asian country were church meetings are illegal.
“On my first day with these believers, they simply asked me to lead a Bible study. “Please meet us tomorrow at two o’clock in the afternoon.”
So I put some thoughts together for a short Bible study and went to the designated location, where about twenty house-church leaders were waiting. I don’t remember when we started, but I do remember that eight hours later we were still going strong. We would study one passage, and then they would ask about another. This would lead to another topic, then to another, and by the end of the day, our conversations had ranged from dreams and visions to tongues and the Trinity.
It was late in the evening, and they wanted to continue studying, but they needed to get back to their homes. So they asked the two main church leaders and me, “Can we meet again tomorrow?” I said, “I would be glad to. Shall we meet at the same time?” They responded, “No, we want to start early in the morning.” I said, “Okay. How long would you like to study?” They replied, “All day.” Thus began a process in which, over the next ten days, for eight to twelve hours a day, we would gather to study God’s Word. They were hungry.”
Later he speaks of the conditions of the meeting place.
He called it a “small room”
And then wrote:
“Despite its size, sixty believers have crammed into it. They are all ages, from precious little girls to seventy-year-old men. They are sitting either on the floor or on small stools, lined shoulder to shoulder, huddled together with their Bibles in their laps. The roof is low, and one light bulb dangles from the middle of the ceiling as the sole source of illumination.
No sound system. No band. No guitar. No entertainment. No cushioned chairs. No heated or air-conditioned building. Nothing but the people of God and the Word of God. And strangely, that’s enough.”
(Platt, David “Radical” pg. 22-26)
These people saw God’s Word as a privilege,
And so did our Psalmist, he longs for it.
And this is a KEY to having a steadfast heart.
Let me show you why.
First, A steadfast heart loves God’s Word
Second, A steadfast heart longs for God’s Word
#3 IT LEANS ON GOD’S WORD
Psalms 119:133-135
And of course now it makes sense why our Psalmist longs for it so much.
He longs for it because he leans on it.
He needs the word of God.
God’s Word is in fact a privilege,
But don’t let that cause you to assume that is not a necessity.
In fact, notice here the Psalmist is leaning on God’s Word for three things.
(It is these three things that allow him to be steadfast)
1) STRENGTH (133)
“Establish my footsteps in Your word, And do not let any iniquity have dominion over me.”
The Psalmist wants to stand.
And he wants to stand in purity.
And the place he goes for strength is God’s Word.
How many times have we had the word of God guide us away from sin, or out of sin we are committing?
It strengthens us to live a pure life.
2) INCENTIVE (134)
“Redeem me from the oppression of man, That I may keep Your precepts.”
He wants God to deliver him from the oppressor.
He wants God to help him stand strong.
He wants God to pull him out of their snare.
Why does he want God to redeem him?
“That I may keep Your precepts.”
Remember, the double-minded can be a barrier to obedience.
He wants deliverance, so that he can freely obey.
So God’s Word not only provides strength against sin, but also incentive.
He wants to obey God’s Word.
That is what keeps him going.
When know temptations are real.
We know pressures from the wicked are real.
HOW DO I KEEP FROM GIVING IN?
(I know that if I give in, that when I pick up God’s Word it won’t be pleasant)
I don’t like the conviction feeling of having been disobedient,
And so God’s Word is great incentive not to stumble.
That was the Psalmist.
He leans on God’s Word for strength.
He leans on God’s Word for incentive.
3) BLESSING (135)
“Make Your face shine upon Your servant, And teach me Your statutes.”
Here the Psalmist equates learning God’s Word
To having God shine upon Him.
This is of course a reference to God’s glory.
And the Psalmist is saying, that in God’s Word he sees God.
We understand this.
2 Corinthians 3:12-18 “Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away. But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”
When the Jews read the Law a veil is there.
When we read the Law the veil is lifted through God’s Spirit.
And now we “with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory”
As we study God’s Word we receive the glory of God.
We behold Him, and we are blessed.
This is our encouragement!
How many times have we suffered and turned to the gospels to hear Jesus encourage us and tell us, “If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household?”
We see God, and see that the world treated Him the same,
And then even in the midst of our oppression, we are blessed.
The Psalmist leans on God’s Word for such blessings.
He needs it.
AND THIS IS WHY HE IS STEADFAST.
He leans on God’s Word, and since God’s Word never changes,
Neither does the Psalmist.
The Steadfast Heart Loves the Word of God
The Steadfast Heart Longs for the Word of God
The Steadfast Heart Leans on the Word of God.
#4 IT LAMENTS OVER THE WORD OF GOD
Psalms 119:136
Certainly we saw this attitude with JESUS weeping over Jerusalem.
We know JEREMIAH to have been the weeping prophet.
And it is true of the steadfast heart as well.
They are steadfast because they love God and His Word,
And so nothing grieves them more than disobedience to it.
Remember what John said?
3 John 4 “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.”
And so certainly the flip-side is true as well.
The Psalmist not only hates the double-minded, but he grieves over them.
WHY?
Because they treat him harshly?
No
“Because they do not keep Your law.”
He grieves because they grieve God.
He is heartbroken because they break God’s heart.
He saw people like the children of Israel:
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.”
And that is why our Psalmist wept.
He wept because they disregarded the God he loved.
That is a picture of a steadfast heart.
They love obedience in themselves, they love obedience in others.
They love God’s Word
They long for God’s Word
They lean on God’s Word
They lament when God’s Word is broken
BECAUSE THEIR HEART IS STEADFAST.
You and I need a steadfast heart, so that we may choose to stand
Even in the midst of hardship and oppression.
BUT WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE IT?
First, repent like David did.
Psalms 51:10-13 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You.”
Then, do as the Psalmist did.
LOVE God’s Word (make a sacrifice of self to read it)
LONG for God’s Word (a natural reaction to loving it)
LEAN on God’s Word (obey what you read and see it proven true)
LAMENT over God’s Word (another natural response to loving it)
And as God’s unchanging word begins to take root in your heart,
You will find your heart becoming more steadfast as well.
Psalms 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”
