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THY WORD IN PSALM 119 And Antitypes in the New Testament This Psalm is very enlightening about the Word of God, and we shall briefly look at some of it’s aspects. First it is imperative that we note, from the Word itself, some of it’s main points. From other scriptures we see that His Word has been likened to a sword; "And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." Rev 19:15. Now let us look at another view of this sword, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Heb.4:12. This should lead us to the logical conclusion that the Word of God is all powerful. Please let us keep this in mind .to prevent us from leaning to our own understanding.
The Lord Jesus Christ is described as the living Word, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John.1:1. The Greek word used for "word" is "logos" which basically means: "the expression of thought, - not the name of an object" W.E.Vine. New Testament Dictionary. Now notice two things have been mentioned: 1. The Living Word, and 2. The written Word.
THE LIVING WORD "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God." John.1:1-2. Very simply the Lord Jesus Christ was the true expression of God Himself. "Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?" John.14:9, and again we read, "And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me." John.12:45. "Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:" Col.1:15. Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:" Php.2:6. Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;" Heb.1:3.
In these verses we see that the Lord was the very expression of the Father, for again we read, "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." 1Tim.3:16. The Lord Jesus Christ was God in the form of a man.
THE WRITTEN WORD The bible is the very word of God, and it provides us with every all the information that we will ever need in any circumstances in this life. There is no substitute. This we will see from the following verses. If one thinks for just a moment, the scriptures make it quite clear that there is only one guide from God for the whole human race. That is the Word of God itself. Here the term "word" is logos again and the written Word reveals all that we need to know about God.. There are a number of reasons why this is so:
1. Every descendant of Adam is totally corrupt therefore nothing good can come from the human mind. "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." Rom.3:10-12 2. It is impossible for the unsaved man to find God. "Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)." Eph.2:5. "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1Cor.2:14. 3. Any thoughts of God the unsaved person has comes out of his own mind, and imagination which certainly is not substantial nor have any truth, and can have no basis of truth. "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Gen.6:5. As it was in Noah’s day, so in ours.
With the foregoing being true we are totally locked into coming to the Lord Jesus Christ, owning our sinfulness, believing in Him, and being saved. At this point our eyes are opened and we see that the only revelation of God comes through His written Word. Furthermore we are enlightened by the indwelling Holy Spirit to understand that, "And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." 1Sam.15:22. Obey what? His Word as it is written.
There are ten words, in Psalm 119, used in describing some characteristics of the Word of God which are "Law"’ "Way", "Testimonies", "Commandments", "precepts", "Word", "Saying", "Judgements", "Statutes", and "Truth". The ten words remind us of the ten commandments, however we will only look at the "Word". This in itself is very interesting. In these notes we will concentrate on the use of the word "Word". Two words are used for "word" "dabar" equals "logos" in Greek, but "imrah equals "sayings’. Dabar has a dash placed before the word. -word.
PSALM 119 THE PSALM’S WISDOM The verses below come from a section of the Psalm called "Beth" and probably has the connotation of dwelling , fellowship with both God and man. For David particularly it would concern the House of God.
VERSE 9 "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word." . Here the exhortation from God to man is very clear. To live a life acceptable to God one must obey His word. Once again the bible is definite that the natural man, and the carnal christian is not capable of obedience to Him. It is our obedience to the Word of God, inspired by our love for the One who loved us and gave Himself for us, that cleanses our way. This simply means that we walk in the light and this puts us in fellowship with our heavenly Father and His Son. Notice carefully that "taking heed" is much more than just reading God’s Word. We thank God that the very Word which reveals sin is the very Word which cleanses us by faith in the blood of Christ.
VERSE 11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."Here the psalmist expresses a marvelous sentiment where, like a treasure, the Psalmist had hidden the Word in his heart. It is precious to him and his relationship with the Father is such that he is determined not to offend Him by disobeying Him Remember Paul’s words, "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." 1Thes.2:13. Even the written word is living and powerful and if we allow it, it will work in our hearts powerfully. The power of the treasured Word in one’s heart is to keep one from sin; precious indeed.
VERSE 16 "I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word."This treasure in the heart becomes a pure delight. It magnifies the Lord, it reveals a gracious and merciful Father, and the more we treasure it the more delight we get. There is no substitute for the living fellowship with our God.
VERSE 17 "Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word."Deal bountifully almost has the same meaning of rewarding. In this case, as the believer treasures the Word and hides it in his heart with affection. He prays that his life will be enriched and that he will be enabled to keep His Word. "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." John.6.51. We see the more we feed on the Word of God the more we see the living Word. In fact it is difficult, in one sense, to see the difference, between the Living and the written Word in as much as both have the same effect in the heart of the spiritual believer. Both are the expression of God "Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food." Job.23:12. 2 VERSE 25 "My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word."There comes a time, usually early in christian life, when the believer feels that he is indeed down in the dust. It may well be this experience, so well described by the Psalmist: " For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh." Psa.38:7; and by Paul; "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing:’ Rom.7:18. In fact it is perfectly true to say that there can be no spiritual growth or spiritual understanding until such times as the believer comes "to the end of himself."
There will always be a tendency to return to the flesh, and the deeds of the flesh for help, until such times as we are thoroughly convicted, by the Holy Spirit, that human nature, and most particularly our own, is totally corrupt. It is at this point, and only a this point that we can say, "For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." Php.3:3.. It is indeed distressing for spiritual christians to see believers resorting to the old corrupt nature to please God. If one thinks for just a moment it is insulting to God when we use the old nature to try and please Him. He hates it with an infinite hatred. Having come to the end of oneself there is only one place for the christian to turn, or rather we should say, to "abide." It is in the Lord in obedience to His Word. It is in this position that we find His Word is living, and gives us life. Praise the Lord.
VERSE 28 My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.Once having been brought into this close relationship with the Lord, that position where we have come to the end of ourselves, He puts us to the test. "And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness." Mal.3:3. Our God wants us to shine for Him by reflecting our Lord in our life.
There is ever the natural tendency to revert to the flesh, and there is also the wiles of the devil to drag us back there also. Therefore our heavenly Father wants us to be progressively more like Him day by day. We are not left to our own devices, and He trains us as His children. "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." Heb.12:6. The world has lost all moral values, and the world’s children descend into anarchy. The perfect heavenly Father trains His children perfectly because He loves us. He is the true refiner and purifier of silver, and the purger of gold. We are reminded that the refiner beats the silver until the sparks stop flying. Our refining certainly shows up when we submit to His authority and obey. Less refining is then needed. He is also like the goldsmith who puts the gold through the fire until the dross floats to the top under the heat, and He scrapes it off. The process is continued until He sees His face in the gold. How like our heavenly Father. He wants us to reflect the image of His Son. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Mat.5:16.
VERSE 38 Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear.This is a prayer of the Psalmist asking God to confirm or strengthen his belief in God’s Word. To do this the Lord will have to put the believer through the testing that all sons go through until a satisfactory result is obtained. Having gone through testing we read the words of comfort; "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:" 1Peter.4.12. We may also learn; "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." 1Cor.10:13. It may seem strange to young believers that these things should happen to them when they have a loving heavenly Father, but it is His perfect way. He teaches us to rely on His unchanging Word, and our growing respect, love, and godly fear fortify us.
VERSE 41 Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, even thy salvation, according to thy word.Spiritual maturity recognises that the dealings of the heavenly Father are perfect, and that His Word is true. This belief is not a head knowledge, but it is something which he gains from deep practical experience at the hand of God. With this comes the deep reality of such wonderful facts as, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:" Eph.1:3. It is this perfect training by our heavenly Father which gives us confidence that, what He says He means. This being so we wait with absolute certainty for lour Lord and Saviour’s immanent return to take up His redeemed bodily to be "forever with the Lord." His Word is true.3 VERSE 42 So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word.As we go through the testing, for surely we will, it is for the purpose of transforming us to His image. Now we can fail the test, if we are very unwise, and choose our own pathway or we can go through the tests, and be more like Him. "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." Rom.5:3-5
Look what the Holy Spirit moves Paul to write, "we glory in tribulations." To glory means "to rejoice". this rejoicing is being extremely thankful for the benefits gained by the Lord’s perfect dealings with us. This deep gratitude is due to the fact that we gain patience, This patience is "abiding under" trial or chastisement without chaffing or resentment, but rather with thankfulness. We become steadfast, and endure trial in waiting for His coming. The result of this discipline is that we gain, not only patience, but also "experience." Experience, in this case, is a process of proving. Indeed a process of proving what kind of servants we really are, and also the truth of God’s Word. In this process of proving, our character as a christian increases in obedience and "hope". Hope being and absolute assurance of the truth of things unseen or future. That is that the so called promises in the bible will come to pass. In one sense there are no promises in the bible as we could label them as future absolute facts.
Armed with this spirit, and as we grow in confidence in God’s Word it does not matter who opposes us because we "know" God and His Word. We are able to refute any argument against Him, and we have an inward assurance of the truth we hold. We are drawn closer to our Lord and Saviour. " Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." John.17:17. Now whether it be our spoken or written word, going out in the power of the Holy Spirit, it will be backed by al the power of God. The reproachers may say, "For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible." 2Cor.10:10. Nevertheless the power of God is recognised.
VERSE 50 This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.This section of the Psalm is titled "weapon", and so we find the Word of God is just that. Let us look at verse 49 the opening stanza to this section: "ZAIN. Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope." v.49. We have noted that we are surrounded by enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil. In this portion the Psalmist is very conscious of his surroundings, " Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law." v.53. At times we feel very much in tune with the Psalmist and his feelings, and it is at these times we should follow his example.
It is God’s Word that is his comfort, and instead of being dejected note what he did. "I remembered thy judgements of old, O LORD; and have comforted myself. Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law. Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage. I have remembered thy name, O LORD, in the night, and have kept thy law. This I had, because I kept thy precepts." verses 52 to 56. The Psalmist "remembered thy judgements and comforted myself", "thy statutes have been my song". His terrible surroundings made him remember and keep God’s Word. Let this be our portion also.
Now it is the Word of God, or rather our obedience to it which fully protects us against all evil. Therefore we are to; "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." Eph.6:11. " Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." Eph.6:13. Having been thus equipped we discover that, "(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)" 2Cor.10:4. Furthermore having been thus equipped our testimony is obvious to all, and our strength is revived. "But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God ....by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left," 2Cor.6:4-7.
Psa.119.57 CHETH. Thou art my portion, O LORD: I have said that I would keep thy words." This can also be read to mean "O Jehovah, my portion is to keep thy Words." Both are correct. This really is the christian’s whole and sole purpose in this life. Verse 58 above has the meaning that the Psalmist has sought His presence and now prays that the Lord will, along with His presence, treat him with grace and mercy. 4 He can pray for this because he is convinced that God keeps His Word, and His Word says that the obedient servant will be blessed with the Lord’s loving kindness. In effect the Psalmist is seeking to walk in the light thus knowing the fellowship of the Father and His Son.
It is interesting to note that possibly there was correction in the Psalmist’s way when he says, "I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies." Psa.119.59. Here thought and corrective action go hand in hand for the Psalmist’s blessing, because, "I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments." Psa.119.60. He stayed inside the fence and suffered no harm. We should always be on our guard, not so much against others, but against our old nature. We would be prudent to note the warning, "He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him." Ecc 10:8.
VERSE:58 I intreated thy favour with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word.This short portion of the Psalm is entitled "cheth" meaning "fence". Now when we consider a fence we see that it is something which keeps in, and it is also something which keeps out. A fence is a protection surrounding the protected.
This reminds us of the Lord Jesus Christ who is our fence. Let us see some of His last words spoken on the believer’s behalf. "I pray not that the shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." John.17:15-17. Here the Lord prays that the fence be put around us which is His Word. Notice also that the fence separates His own from the world for inside the fence nothing can touch those who believe.
VERSE 65 TETH. Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O LORD, according unto thy word.The word "teth" means serpent which is interesting indeed. We have seen above that if we break out of the hedge (wall) that has been placed around us the serpent will bite. However there are two traits of the serpent which are described in the Word. "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." "2Cor.11:3. Craftiness means wisdom being used in a bad or evil way. Again in the next verse we see the word serpent used in another context. "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." Mat.10:16. Here the wisdom of the serpent is used to describe wisdom being used in a good way.
VERSE 67 Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy -word. In this verse we have the message that the Psalmist had gone outside the hedge, and the serpent had bitten him. In the infinite grace and mercy of God he could say; "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes." Psa.119:71. What infinite grace and mercy his God has shown him. He has been treated as a wayward child, and brought back to the fold, inside the fence, and safe from the bite of the serpent. We have to be trained, we have to be humbled, in order to learn from the Master Teacher. It does not matter what we think of our spiritual attainment we can never reach perfection in this life. We commence spiritual life as babes in Christ, and we are urged to go on to spiritual maturity. This takes time, spiritual exercise, and breaking down or exposing the old nature, as God sees it, to our sight. This is indeed humbling, but it puts us in the position to submit to the loving powerful hand of God.
Let us note the infallible Word of God to us, " Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Pr 22:6. Here, we as parents, are commanded to deal with our own children just as God does with us. We are to train them in a way which leaves a permanent effect. Similarly then we should not be surprised to see how God deals with His own child: "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?: Heb.12;6-7. If we rebel then we are chastised more severely with the express purpose that we might submit under His mighty hand for our eternal good. "For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby."Heb.10:10-11 5 It can not be stressed enough or emphasised sufficiently that it is only love that chastises for our good. Where there is no love there is no chastisement! Let us stress, emphasise, and point out that where a parent does not chastise, then that parent does not love his child. Just as equally we stress that by love we do not mean affection! Love "agape’ in Greek means "to determine to do good to or for someone in whom we may not see anything we like." In refusing to discipline the child the parent is allowing sentiment to rule with thoughts of, "Oh dear, how can I hurt the poor little thing." Of course affliction hurts, but does our heavenly Father refrain from hurting us? Absolutely not! He trains us for our eternal benefit.
Let us look at the hurt to the child in chastisement. Of course the rod hurts the child, "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him." Pr 22:15. Now parent, you have a choice. You train and slightly hurt the child now, or not train him and he spends eternity in the lake of fire. Which do you think hurts the child the most? One does not have to answer that question. The parent, that is determined to do all that he can to see his child in heaven with the Lord, will use the rod of correction. Does it hurt to see the child cry from the rod? Yes it does. Would it hurt us more to see him spend eternity in the lake of fire" One thinks so. Therefore do not let emotions stand in the way of our child’s eternal welfare. We can never love our child as much as the Lord loves us yet He chastises us.
VERSE 74 They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word. This portion of the Psalm comes under the heading of "jod" meaning "hand", and no doubt the hand of God was in his mind. In thinking of the hand of God we are reminded His hand is very meaningful. 1. His hand is powerful: "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:" 1Peter.5:6.2. The finger is a part of the hand: "Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written." Dan.5:24 3. We also see the power of the hand in the two following verses. "And the LORD delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which the LORD spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly." Deut.9:10. "But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you." Luke.11:20.
The same hand which saves is the hand which keeps us eternally: "My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." John.10:29. We can thank God with all our heart that His all powerful hand is ever under and around the believer for all eternity
In opening this portion the Psalmist acknowledges God as his creator, but most importantly he acknowledges that his God set him and established him which is the main thought in verse 73. What is interesting to consider is the fact that God created heaven and earth to display His infinite grace and mercy in the cross of Christ. The Psalmist then says that they which are in fellowship (fear) with God will see his testimony and rejoice in the Lord’s work in him.
Verse 76 Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.Here the Psalmist learns, or rather had learnt that His Word is true and the result is that he has great comfort in the tender mercies of God. "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. "2Cor.1:3-4. In another place he says, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." Psa.23:4.
VERSE 81 CAPH. My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.The word "caph" means wing. In this portion of the Psalm the wing seems most appropriate. The Psalmist is surrounded by trouble, and he longs to get out of it. May well his mind could have gone back to Moses and the children of Israel where we read of the mighty power of God, "Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself." Ex 19:4. There they were, the children of Israel, slaves in Egypt with cruel taskmasters, and He took them out, as it were, borne on eagle’s wings. Yes indeed lifted up, over and above all trouble" with the Lord. That is the place for the believer, and it is a place we can have by faith in His Word.6 Not only can our God lift us up, but his wings are that which protect. The Psalmist previously could sing, "He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler." Ps 91:4. Not only are we covered by the protective wings, but also we have His truth as our shield and buckler. It is the very nature of God to throw a protective cover over His own. He loves us with an everlasting love, and that love cried out to that city Jerusalem even in her failure "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" Mat.23:3.
The Psalmist’s soul was fainting: fainting for relief in verse 81, and then we notice the very important word "but" he trusted in God’s Word. How well this reminds us of the prophet Isaiah, "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isa.40:29-31. Never let us forget it is us, "Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.’ 1Peter.1:5
VERSE 82 Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me?It is very difficult for the young or carnal christian to understand the perfect dealings of our heavenly Father with His children. For the young christian sees the new things, as it were, through rose coloured glasses, because he has met his Saviour and realises that he has been loved unto death. It is his whole and sole focus of attention, and well it should be. However then there comes the maturing process where he goes through testing during which his heart may faint as in verse 81. However in this verse it may be that the Psalmist can not see things as God sees them, and all he sees is the trials and difficulties that surround him.
We should keep in mind the experience of Elisha’s servant. "And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." 2Kings.6:15-17. There can never be a time when the believer is forsaken by God because "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them." Deut.33:27. Furthermore, "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." John.10:28.
Notwithstanding our knowledge of God, trials and difficulties are felt. They may weigh us down, but comfort is there, and it is in His Word. Let us remember that it is through faith in His Word that we are brought into fellowship with the Father and His Son, and it is this position that we begin to see God’s dealings with us. Not so much the pain of the dealings, but we are brought into the condition of soul where we recognise that it is all for our personal eternal good. We know that a process is taking place; "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Rom.12:2.
This process should be continued by our obedience to His Word until "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints," Eph.1:18. We should also remember the purpose of it all; "And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;" Col.1:21-23. Verse 83 follows which uses the simile of a "bottle in the smoke" where he likens himself to a leather bottle being blackened in the tanner’s smoke, but by which process it is made perfectly fit to hold it’s precious contents. To the eye it may seem to be deforming the leather bottle, but in fact the eye can not see the perfecting process which is being carried out. Without the "deforming" process the bottle would look good, but it would never be fit for the intended purpose. 7 "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." 2Cor.4:18. Whilst ever we move in the natural or carnal sphere, considering only the things seen or felt, we will never experience the real or eternal. It is therefore vitally important to obey His Word and maintain our fellowship with Him which gives us "real" understanding.
Verse 89 LAMED. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.This section of the Psalm is entitled "lamed" meaning "goad". The goad was a shaft about eight feet long with an iron point on one end, and a shovel on the other. It’s function was to prod the working oxen, and at the same time to clean the plough of mud which may have clung to it. The goad then had a double function. First it gave the animal a sharp reminder to keep working, and secondly it kept things clean thus things functioned better.
When it comes to cleansing we have already noted, "BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word." Psa.119:9. "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word," Eph.5:26. "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." John.15:3. There is no other cleansing in the life of the Christian than the word of God applied in the power of the Holy Spirit.
With this in mind it reminds us of the Word of God. We have already seen in verse 9 that it cleanses and in verse 25 it quickens, but it is wise that we should note the use to which the Word is put when it is likened to the goad. The sharp end is like the Word; "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Heb.4:12. No goad is as sharp as the application of the Word of God in the power of the Holy Spirit. It will convict us and keep us on the path. We are further reminded of it’s sharpness; "The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd" Ecc.12:11.
It is vital, it is imperative to firmly fix in our mind that it is not our word, it is not our preaching of the Word, but it is the words given by our Lord, and which is applied to the listening heart in the power of the Holy spirit. Now what did we have to do with it? Nothing but to do as we are told. Let us also keep in mind the assessment of a servant. "So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do." Luke.17:10. Now note, "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith." Rom.3:27.
In passing we may note that the goad can be a weapon of warfare, "And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel." Jud.3:31. There is no enemy which can stand against it. Thy Word always was, is, and always will be established in heaven, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." Mat,24:35, It is this immutability of God and His Word which gives us complete confidence in Him. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." Jas.1:17.
Verse 101 I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.This section of the Psalm is headed "Mem" meaning "water". There are so many things which are brought to mind when we consider water. In the natural sphere water is vital to maintain life for without it we die. It is used in the scriptures in many ways and all are extremely interesting. In the New Testament where read, "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)." John.7:38-39
In the above verses we see the Holy spirit is likened to water, Living Water. We then note that the Lord is that living water which all are asked to receive. "Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." John.4:13-14.8 Let us also note that God is also likened to water, "O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters." Jer.17:13.
We should also notice these words, "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." John.3:5
The more we look at this Psalm we notice how closely things are linked together. In verse 97 we read that the spirit within the Psalmist moved him to write, "MEM. O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. verse 97. He was indeed in fellowship with his God, for it is in this position that we find delight in His Word. In every spare moment God’s Word was brought to his mind, and it gave him pleasure. From this position of spiritual strength he makes three remarkable statements.
1. Thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies. verse 98 It is impossible to stress the importance of these three points. It is in fact the very power of the christian life. How? one may ask. The answer is in the preceding verse! God’s law was the focus of his continual meditation. The first result was that it made him wiser than his enemies. Do we have enemies? Most emphatically we do! " Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: " 1Peter.5:8. Here is the first enemy. Not God’s only, but also ours. He is to be resisted. "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." Eph.6:11.
2. I have more understanding than all my teachers: verse 99 This verse may well have been the position of king David. The teachers may have turned aside from God’s Word which left David in a far more spiritually wise position than his advisors. We have to come back to the reason for David’s superiority which was his fellowship with God and his study and meditation on God’s Word. That is the source of all spiritual power.
3. I understand more than the ancients, because I kept Thy Word, verse 100. Let us be clear about one thing, the Psalmist is not on an ego trip. He is stating the plain fact. The furthest thing from his mind was his ability or intelligence. His position had nothing to do with that. He was very conscious and sensitive about that matter. He knew his strength came directly from the Lord, and further he knew he really had none of his own, and tradition was to be judged by the Word of God. That unfortunately is not understood by either the babe in Christ or the carnal christian as they have never learnt that, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not." Rom.7:18.
In verse 101 above we may think it is in a strange order. Usually we think that we should keep God’s Word to please God. That is perfectly true, but the Psalmist is looking out and ahead. He was watching for the traps, and the enticements of the enemy. Of course he called on God for wisdom and strength, but in doing so he was obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit. How easy it is to fall, not to be on guard, and thus be lured by the desires of the flesh. To restrain one’s feet from every evil way requires the wisdom of the word applied in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. "And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." 1Sam.15:22.
Verse 101 should ever remind us that we need to walk a measured walk. Judge every step of the way by the Word of God. We must never forget that whatever comes from the mind of man is evil and contrary to the will of God. When we are wrong the indwelling Holy Spirit convicts us that we are wrong. For a christian to do the wrong thing and not be aware of it is a terribly evil and carnal state of mind. We are then totally out of fellowship with our Lord, and in Satan’s hands. If, by any chance, we find that is the case then we must stop "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Isa.55:7. " If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1John.1:9.
VERSE 105 NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.This passage, from verse 101 to 112, is headed "nun" or "fish" in English. This seems unusual but there are things about fish which we should examine. God always has a reason, but we may not always be able to see or understand it. 9 In the case of "fish" let us notice first of all: "These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye eat:" Deut.14:9.
Fish was food provided by God for His people, but it had to be clean. First it had to have fins. We may consider the food of God, His Word is related to this in some way, and no doubt it is. First fins are to give balance and also to make progress. Second scales were a protection from harm. So also it is the function of the Word of God. It gives balance, and by it we make spiritual progress, and it protects us from all the wiles of the devil. Every born again christian believes that, but unfortunately not all follow it.
In the verse above the Psalmist states both what he believes, and also what he has experienced. He is fully aware that the only safe walk is to walk in the light of "Thy Word". In order to see more clearly what is meant let us also note "light". "But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light." Eph.5:13. Before we go on we should see that the lamp is for our feet, and the light is for the path ahead We know that the Lord is the light of the world, and we know Him from His Word. One of the characteristics of light from the lamp is that it is for the feet, and it reveals that which is contrary to the mind of God. Thus the light warns us, and we do not stumble. Therefore if we are walking in that light everything contrary to God becomes plain to us. The way is thereby made known to us, and we make safe progress. The fin aspect.
Now we need stability. "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1John.1:7. This gives us the stabilising force of christian fellowship which is another function of the fin.
We see also that the light should be our armour: "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light." Rom.13:12. Of course the light is an armour to protect us in as much as it reveals all that is not according to the mind of God
As we walk according to the light we progressively find that we have no problem with, not only avoiding that which is shown up by the same Word to be evil, but also we are equally aware of His glory that is revealed by that same Word. "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 2Cor.4:6. "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" 2Cor.6:14. Further, "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." 2Cor.6:16
In the above verses we are first of all shown the glory of God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Secondly we are just as clearly shown that which is totally opposed to our God and Saviour. We have a clear choice. We either walk in obedience to His Word which reveals each step, and the character of that step all along our path. Graciously the Lord further enlightens us on the completion of each obedient step of the way. The result; we bow before Him in adoration.
This is something the disobedient carnal christian will never know. they will never know Him as their daily Guide, as their gracious provider of their every need, and the eternal keeper of their soul. Indeed " Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." for "But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light." Eph.5:13. There is nothing more we need if only we walk in obedience to His Word.
Verse:107 I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O LORD, according unto thy word.This verse has been translated as "I have been humbled, O Lord, exceedingly." What we learn about the fish is that they will swim against the current as do the salmon, and the Japanese carp. So it should be with us. We are taught by our experience and faith that we have eternal salvation, and it gives us invigorating power when we consider our destiny with the Lord. "By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." Rom.5:3. That is not all however, because the Word of God tells us that we are put to the test to see if we will swim against the current, and shine for our Lord. Tribulation means intense pressure being put to bear on us by the very heavy hand of our Heavenly Father. We will feel as if the whole world is against us, but it comes from the hand of Heavenly Father. 10 "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;" Rom.5:3. The question is, will we "cling to the Lord with purpose of heart?" Will we humbly put our faith in Him? If we do He graciously teaches us. "And patience, experience; and experience, hope:" Indeed we find God in our dire need. We find it is a progressive pathway of learning. "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;" Php.3:10.
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." Rom.5:5. We are put through these intense pressures to prove our love, and service for the Lord. It may so well be that the believer asks himself these questions. Does the Lord know that I am in this terrible position? Why does He treat me so badly? What have I done wrong to deserve these problems? As it so often has been remarked the Lord is like the potter and the gold and silver smith. "But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness." Mal.3:2-3.
What an incredible God. He will fit us, provided we let Him, for eternal glory. But not only that, He wants to bring us into an ever closer relationship with Himself. He wants us to intelligently worship Him. He wants us to walk in the light as He is in the light. He wants us to exercise our Holy and Royal priesthood with maximum effect. The question is do we want the same thing as Him. Is it that we want to please ourselves rather than the One who loved us and gave Himself for us? Really the choice is ours. One will notice that, in this verse, we read "quicken me" which means give me life. What life? The life of our Lord within us as empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit through the Word. The Lord’s idea of spiritual life and ours may differ greatly. This is particularly so when our knowledge of Him is limited. It may so be that we are carnal, and want our old evil life to prosper when we should have left it buried with Him in baptism. We have much to learn, and unless we swim against the stream then, in this life, we will never "know Him and the power of His resurrection.
Verse:114 Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.This section of the Psalm is called "samech" meaning a prop or support. Immediately we should be able to see that this is so. However the word of God is also very clear about the fact that the babe in Christ, the carnal, and the disobedient christian have not understood that "The Word" is in fact just that. a prop or support. Let it be quite clear. We should all learn that God’s Word is our support, but unfortunately not all christians do. Can we say with the Psalmist that the Word of God enlightens us and give complete confidence in Him. This can only come through His Word. Again so very few christians ever reach that stage.
We should also notice that the first verse in this section is a statement made by a spiritual person, the Psalmist. "SAMECH. I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love." Psa.119.113. He hated empty or half hearted thoughts. The problem for many christians is that they do not know what empty or half hearted thoughts are. To find the answer we must go to the Word of God itself. "I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit." Ec.1:14. What does "under the sun mean"? It means all that pertains to the first creation. That is everything in it and everything that comes out of it.
Since Adam’s sin Satan has control of the whole world. "And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness." 1John.5:19. "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now." Rom.8:22. Nothing good can come out of it. The unsaved and the carnal christian just simply can not, and will not accept the judgement of God on this point. Nothing, absolutely nothing can come from the human brain, emotion, tradition, or anything else which is acceptable to God. The human being must be recreated; "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2Cor.5:17. Now this definitely does not mean that at salvation by faith in Christ we get a new way of thinking etc, it means that we are a completely new creation, and we can make progress. The old is considered, by God, to be dead, and buried with Christ.
This new creation is perfect in every respect, and it is fit to be the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" 1Cor.3:16.11 Our problem is that until we die or the Lord comes for us in the air both the old and the new creation exist together in the one person. It is up to us to learn to distinguish between the two. This we can do only by walking in obedience to God’s Word.
Now this brings us back to verse 113. Vain thoughts also means double mindedness. James in his epistle clarifies this position. "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." Jas 1:8. "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded." Jas 4:8. He gives us both the result of double mindedness, and how to cease being so. Perhaps we may still be unsure what double mindedness is. If so it simply means that the christian fluctuates between the natural mind and the spiritual mind. The spiritual mind is one totally controlled by the Word of God being applied to the heart by the Spirit of God who dwells within the believer.
The natural mind says, "I think", "I feel", "my experience tells me", "our tradition is" and these kinds of things. You will notice that there is never a mention of the Word of God, and if there is it will always will be "wrested" and taken out of its context. "As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction." 2Peter.3:16. The thinking, the feeling and any other thing which is not according to the Word of God is based on Satan’s way, and is directly contrary to God.
This double minded person has completely forgotten his prop, the Word of God. There is only one shield, and hiding place which the Lord in His earthly walk never forgot. We notice this in His testing by Satan. "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Math.4:4. In every case when tested by Satan the Word was His defense, His prop and support. He never moved outside the will of His Father. Notice too that Satan appealed to the human side of His being, and in every case He never departs from the written Word. In verse 4 He says, "it is written", in verse 7 again "it is written", and finally in verse 10 He said "it is written". Do we follow His example? Unfortunately not as often as we should. It is a definite fact that the only defense we have against all the problems we face whether it be from the flesh within, or from Satan and his angels without, God’s Word is our only defense.
VERSE 116 Uphold me according unto thy -word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.Here the Psalmist is praying that he be supported or sustained by the Word of God. In the old testament the believer did not have the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and a prayer was, "Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me." Psa.51:11. This was asking for the fellowship of God. In this case, however, he is asking for support that he may live. We believe that in this case it is not live, the opposite of dying, but to have spiritual life.
Now the opposite of spiritual life is "spiritual death". We may have living existence in this world, but be completely cut off from that life which is in and from God. It is hard for the carnal and disobedient christian to understand the difference which is made quite clear in the Word. We read "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;" Eph:2:1. We surely had existence in our unsaved state, but as for having life that never ends, or rather does not end up in the eternal lake of fire, we knew nothing. God did not exist as far as we were concerned, but whether we liked it or not we instinctively knew "The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him." Ezek.18:20. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom.6:23.
Life came to us when we met the Lord, and accepted Him as our personal Lord and Saviour. It was at that time we realised that, " Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." 1Pet.2:24. We came to experience the fact that He said "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." John.10:28. It was at this time we realised the fact that "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." Rom.8:1112 This is what the Psalmist looked forward to and considered. He did not have the indwelling Holy Spirit, but he had the Word of God and he knew that if he obeyed it he would have that spiritual life which he valued greatly. It was his real support and strength, and he greatly valued it. He knew where his support came from. Do we? Does it worry us if our communion is broken with the Lord? Are we so disobedient that we can not sense the Lord’s dealings with us? We should be sensitive to chastisement, tribulation, and persecution as it can only come to us from the Lord Himself. Nothing can touch us, absolutely nothing, unless the Lord allow it. If, however, we turn aside He draws us back to a living relationship with himself. " I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman." John.15:1.
Let us not be headstrong and disobedient to His Word ignoring it and the warnings from Him because, "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." John.15:2. That is a fact! However does it mean that we lose our eternal life? Absolutely NOT!! The context is clear and plain that it has to do with "fruit bearing" and not life. Two entirely different things. We are to be "royal priests". Why? "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:" ? 1Peter.2:9.
What we learn is that the Lord wants us to shine for Him. He wants us to maintain our fellowship with the Father and His Son. Furthermore He is prepared to discipline us so that we have every opportunity to do so. The choice is ours, and we may be so foolish as to be relieved of our function as a witness for Him, and be called home in disgrace. "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it." 1John.5:16. Let us be wise, "Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life." 1Tim..6:19.
Let us be like the Psalmist who desired to be in constant communion with his God by using His Word as his prop and support.
VERSE 123 Mine eyes fail for thy salvation, and for the -word of thy righteousness.We have diverted for this one verse for the reason that it has very important messages for us about "thy word" First of all they are the same first words as are in verse 82 which is of interest. It shows a special relationship between our God and ourselves. A relationship about which the unsaved have no knowledge, but it is also one about which we should be thoroughly familiar. The word fail simply means that he has a longing expectation to see "thy salvation". In this case to be saved from the circumstances in which he finds himself first of all The section in which it is found is "wing" where we see the covering protection of God. It is interesting to compare both sections.
The verse above is in the particular section of the Psalm headed the "ain" or eye in English. Quite obviously the eye is for seeing so we should know something about it. First of all God is infinite and omnipotent, and He is conscious of everything that takes place. He sees all the evil and all the good: "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." Heb.4:13. There is no place to hide even though our brain might deceive us to believe that there is. "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement." Mat 12:36. "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." Rom.14:12.
We will give account. There is no escape "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Rev.20:12-15. How do we know all this is true? Many believe all this is just a myth or a fairytale made up by old women. This is absolutely not so. The cemetery gives us the absolute truth of the matter. Death is a certainty, and we will not escape it. Yes the cemetery is testimony to exactly that. What we should ask is why do we die? On this point the bible is quite clear. 13 "For the wages of sin is death;" Rom.6:23. "Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die." Ezek.18:4. But some will say I have never done anything wrong. Well, for any who would say that, our reply would be that something is radically wrong with that particular person. They neither recognise the truth or they are so self deceived that nothing is a reality to them. Once again, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; "Rom.3:23. "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" Rom.5:12.
Yes indeed the eyes of the Lord see everything. "For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil." 1Peter.3:12. "The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry." Psa.34:15. "Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;" Ps 33:18. "And mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: I will recompense thee according to thy ways and thine abominations that are in the midst of thee; and ye shall know that I am the LORD that smiteth." Ezek.7:9.
In verse 82 his eyes failed. That is he longed for the comfort of the Word of God. In verse 123 he had a longing for the relief of salvation from his enemies. By this time he may have had complete confidence in the Word, but he greatly longed for relief. Let us be certain about one thing. God is perfect in all His ways, and it may so well be that the Psalmist needed to learn more. "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." Rom.5:3-5
VERSE 130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. This section of the Psalm, from verse 129 to verse 136, is headed "pe" or mouth. When one thinks of mouth two major functions of the mouth come to mind. The first is that unless we eat we most certainly die. The second is that we communicate naturally by the mouth. We have noted these two things, and we can see that the word mouth is a very appropriate type.
We need food to live, and just as surely we need to take in the Word of God to live spiritually. This is brought home to us most powerfully, as we have noticed previously, "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Mat.4:4. In this we see that the food is communicated to us from the mouth of God, and it is that which is required to maintain spiritual life just as it clearly states that we need natural food to sustain natural life.
In type it is God’ mouth that communicates His Word to us, but most importantly we need the indwelling Holy Spirit to interpret that Word to us. It is spiritual food for spiritual life. In a sense then God is continually communicating to us, but do we continually listen? No we do not. In verse 129 we see the Psalmist taken up with the Word of God when he sees their beauty. That is in the spiritual sense. Because he sees their beauty, and many of their other attractive characteristics he has a desire to keep God’s testimonies.
In partaking of God’s Word he finds they give both "light" and "understanding". It shows up the path. Therefore there should be no wandering in the dark with accidents occurring on the way as would happen if we continued our journey in the dark. Light makes the way clear and plain. It brings all the obstructions and pitfalls clearly into view, and the journey can be continued in safety. It is also obvious that it is not only natural obstructions along the way which reminds us of the pull of the flesh, but it is also capable of showing up man made obstructions, and indeed also those set by the enemy.
Most importantly it gives discernment to the "open minded" which is the meaning of the of the English word "understanding. As we saw above light shows up the way which is vitally important., as it also gives the traveler wisdom, understanding, and intelligence. Now let us be quite firmly convinced that it is only the Word of God that can sustain the christian in his spiritual walk. How sad it is to see christians resorting to the "husks" of the flesh to try and conduct a walk pleasing to God. That is impossible. "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Rom.8:8-9. In this verse above the distinction is made very clear. The man in the flesh can never please God.14 In verse 130 above this is powerfully reinforced. The entrance (or opening) of thy Word giveth light. It has to be taken in. The question could be asked, "when is the Word of God" not the Word of God? The answer is, when it is not applied to the heart of the reader by, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Let there be no illusion, there is absolutely no understanding of the Word by the unsaved whatsoever. This fact is powerfully stated as follows, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1Cor.2:14. That should be clear enough for anyone
The taking in of God’s Word is a partnership. It is a partnership which takes place when the unsaved person sees Christ dying for their sins on the cross, and then accepting His free gift of salvation. This means that the person concerned is grateful for the work He has done on their behalf, and gives his thanks for it. Above all it giveth understanding to the simple. This is the only communication between God and man. Everything heard or read by the christian should be measured up against the written Word.
VERSE 133 Order my steps in thy -word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over meIn verses 132 to 133 the Psalmist is asking God for His help. He wants God to look upon him, and to strengthen his walk. That should be our desire also, and that desire will strengthen more and more as we are walking in obedience to the "revealed" Word of God. In the heading of this portion we find the Psalmist prays that God "order" his steps. This means that he wanted the Lord to strengthen and maintain his walk before Him. We will also notice that his total reliance was in the Word of God: Is ours?
When the Psalmist speaks of iniquity having dominion over him it has a meaning which should be noted. He was conscious that iniquity separated him from his God. He was even more conscious of the fact that the entrance of God’s Word, would enlighten him in his path, and it was the necessary factor in preventing iniquity taking control of his life. It did not matter what the iniquity was it would be shown up by the Word, and he was praying for the power to effectively deal with this iniquity whenever it occurred. Yes we do need the Word of God applied in the power of God.
The fear the Psalmist had was that iniquity could rule his life, and then he was conscious of the fact that he would lose his fellowship with his God. He certainly did not want this to happen. The connection here seems to be that the Psalmist needed to be effectively guided in his life’s pathway, and he was aware that his God could do it. This is certainly a correct assumption on his part. God can and will order our steps. However it requires obedience to a message similar to the one that Barnabas gave to the christians at Antioch. "Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord." Acts.11:23.
We have a free will and we can do what we like. However if we ignore God’s warnings from His Word the only course of action left open to our heavenly Father is the rod of correction for His wayward child; "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him." Prov.22:15. That no doubt applies to the believer as the child of God. This is reinforced again, "And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." Heb.12:5-6
It may so well be that the Psalmist, having felt the correcting rod of God, has decided that he needed help to walk well pleasing to God. We are reminded of this in "Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord." Col.3:20. It is the commandment to the natural child, and it applies equally to the spiritual child. Having noted this we should be aware that the perfect Father is God. If we wish to be successful in bringing up our own child we model our actions on those of our own heavenly Father.
This obedience to our Father gives us security, but we may be conscious of being surrounded by oppressing evil. We may be steadfastly sure that our Father can preserve us through all adversity, but we may feel comforted by holding our Father’s hand. It is very much like the little child who feels overwhelmed by some real threat, but who clings to the parent knowing that safety is assured. So the Psalmist sees the real oppressors, but clings to his God. In so clinging he looks for comforting assurance from Him
In verse 136 we see a very spiritual thing. "Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law." Psa.119:136. He considered his enemies and their latter end and was moved to contrition. 15 This most definitely showed his likeness to the Lord; "And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes." Luke.21:41-42
VERSE 140 Thy -word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it.Verse 137 commences this portion of the psalm which is headed "tsaddi" which means, "surrender". This word has been described by one of last century’s writers in this way; "it just means to relinquish possession of oneself or one’s rights or privileges, especially on the demand of another". This definition immediately brings to mind the Father and the Son. It also brings to our mind our position before the Lord.
In looking at this aspect of real christianity we will find that "surrender" is at the heart of it all. First, from the point of view of time only, we note the surrender of the Son to the Father. "Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God." Heb.10:5-6. In the context of these verses we see the concept of redemption unfolded to the world. The people of God. before the cross, looked forward to the time when the true and only sacrifice would be made manifest, but until that time the offering of bulls and goats served as a picture.
The passage takes us to the verse, "Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me." Isa.6:8. Before the beginning of time the plan of God was that the Son surrender to the will of His Father and determine to go to this evil world as the perfect sacrifice. He, and He alone could be a perfect man and pay for fallen men’s sins. He would pay the ultimate price and reconcile us to His Father. He loved the Father.
He could say with absolute love and truth, "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." John.10:17-118. He is talking about the ultimate surrender of His will. We christians can never fully understand the infinite love between the Father and His Son. Now it does not stop there. We have noted the love of the Son for the Father, and the scriptures tell us about the love of the Father for the Son which was also infinite as shown in this passage, "For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." 2Peter.1:17. We should indeed note that, and take it to heart.
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