PSALMS 119—PART I
PSALM 119:1-16
BY PASTOR NOBLES
CREEKWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH
AUGUST 17, 2008
AN AGNOSTIC COLLEGE PROFESSOR VISITED THE FIJI ISLANDS AND CRITICALLY REMAKRED TO AN EDERLY CHIEF, ‘YOU ARE A GREAT LEADER, BUT IT IS A PITY YOU’VE BEEN TAKEN IN BY THOSE MISSIONARIES. THEY ONLY WANT TO GET RICH THROUGH YOU. NO ONE BELIEVES THE BIBLE ANYMORE. THEY KNOW BETTER NOW. I AM SORRY THAT YOU HAVE BEEN SO FOOLISH TO BELIEVE THEM’.
THE OLD CHIEF’S EYES RESPONDED, ‘DO YOU SEE THAT GREAT ROCK OVER THERE? ON IT WE SMASHED THE HEADS OF OUR VICTIMS AND WE ROASTED THEIR BODIES IN THAT FURNACE NEXT TO THE ROCK. IF IT HADN’T BEEN FOR THE MISSIONS AND THE LOVE OF JESUS THAT CHANGED US YOU’D NEVER LEAVE THIS PLACE ALIVE! YOU HAD BETTER THANK THE LORD FOR THE GOSPEL; OTHERWISE WE’D ALREADY BE FEASTING ON YOU.’
WE HAVE ONE GOAL TODAY, WELL ACTUALLY 2 GOALS, WE WANT TO TAKE A WALK THROUGH PSALM 119, AND AS WE TAKE OUR WALK WE WANT TO SEE JUST HOW IMPORTANT THE WORD OF GOD IS IN A PERSON’S LIFE. VERSE 105 IS A KEY PASSAGE IN THIS CHAPTER.
HOW MANY OF YOU PLAN ON GOING DRIVING TONIGHT WITH YOUR LIGHTS OUR? HOW WOULD DRIVING WITH THE LIGHTS OFF EFFECT YOUR TRIP HOME? YOU WOULD DRIVE SLOWER, YOU WOULD INCREASE YOUR CHANCE OF AN ACCIDENT, YOU WOULD BE A DANGER TO OTHERS, IT WOULD REALLY BE A FOOLISH CHOICE, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT MANY MAKE THIS DECISION EACH DAY OF THEIR LIVES BY NOT PLACING A HIGH PRIORITY ON GOD’S WORD.
NOTICE THAT THERE ARE 22 VERSES AND EACH ONE CORRESPONDS TO A LETTER IN THE HEBREW ALPHABET. THIS IS AN ACROSTIC POEM. ALSO, NOTE THAT EACH VERSE OR STANZA HAS EIGHT VERSES THIS IS INTERESTING BECAUSE EIGHT IS THE NUMBER FOR A NEW BEGINNING—ALSO NOTE THAT ALL THE WORDS INDICATING GOD’S WORD IN THIS PASSAGE COUNT THEM UP AND IT TOTALS 176—THE EXACT NUMBER OF VERSES. THIS IS THE LONGEST CHAPTER IN THE BIBLE.
VERSE 1—THE LAW—THE HEBREW TORAH—IS THE PRIMARY NAME FOR THE OT SCRIPTURES AS A WHOLE, ESP THE PENTATEUCH. THIS PSALM BEGINS WITH A PROMISE OF BLESSING TO THOSE WHO STUDY, BELIEVE AND OBEY THE WORD OF GOD! --THE WORD BLESSED MEANS HAPPINESS, AND HAS THE IDEA OF WALKING STRAIGHT. THE IMPLICATIONS ARE WE CAUSE A LOT OF GRIEF FOR OURSLEVES, A LOT OF PROBLEMS WE BRING ON OUR SELF, BUT IF WE WOULD HEARKEN TO THE WORD OF GOD WE WOULD BE WAY BETTER OFF. NOTICE THE WORD UNDEFILED—MEANS INTEGRITY—THIS IS TRULY A WOW!!! (TO ME!!!) WHY? BECAUSE SO MANY SO CALLED CHRISTIANS HAVE NO INTEGRITY—YOU MIGHT BE ONE OF THEM, YOU SAY ONE THING AND DO ANOTHER, YOU SEE SO MANY PEOPLE THINK IT IS OK TO SKIRT THE LAW, BUT GOD’S WORD MAKES IT CLEAR, YOU DO NOT SKIRT THE LAW, YOU ARE BREAKING THE LAW, SIN IS SIN. MEN WILL SAY I CAN LOOK AT WOMEN IT DOES NOT HURT, GOD MADE THEM TO BE LOOKED AT AND BY LOOKED MEN MEAN TO LUST AFTER, GOD’S WORD MAKES IT PERFECTLY CLEAR THAT TO LOOK ON A WOMAN AND LUST AFTER HER IS ADULTERY. SOME THINK I DO NOT HAVE TO GIVE TO GOD’S WORK, LISTEN FOLKS GOD MAKES IT CLEAR IN HIS WORD THAT YOU ARE ROBBING GOD, WORSE THAN THAT IF YOU KNOW WHAT GOD WANTS AND DO NOT DO IT THAT IS SIN!!!! INTEGRITY—IT IS SO NEEDED—DO YOU TIE WHITE LIES, CHRISTIANS ARE SOME OF THE WORST—IT IS JUST A LITTLE WHITE LIE, IF YOU OFFEND IN ONE POINT YOU ARE GUILTY OF ALL—A LIE IS A LIE. FOR EXAMPLE ANYTIME YOU TELL ANOTHER BROTHER OR SISTER YOU ARE GOING TO BE A CHURCH AND YOU DO NOT SHOW UP, BECAUSE YOU SLEPT IN OR JUST DID NOT FEEL LIKE IT YOU ARE LYING TO THEM, TO GOD, AND YOU ARE DECEIVING YOURSELF. INTEGRITY—COMES FROM GOD’S WORD. NO WONDER OUR KIDS LIKE INTERGRITY THEY ARE NOT IN GOD’S WORD, NO WONDER THE WORLD, AND SATAN’S SYSTEM DOES NOT WANT GOD’S WORD IN SCHOOL IT WILL ACTUALLY PRODUCE INTEGRITY. INTEGRITY IS TRULY LACKING IN OUR SOCIETY-- WHAT ABOUT YOU ARE YOU IN GOD’S WORD, OR ARE YOU DECEIVING YOURSELF. WE NEED PEOPLE OF INTREGIY—IF YOU LACK INTEGRITY, YOU WILL BE A VERY POOR WITNESS FOR CHRIST!
THIS FIRST VERSE REMINDS ME OF PSALMS 1:1-3—PLEASE LOOK AT IT WITH ME… IF YOU LACK INTEGRITY YOU WILL FIND IT IN GOD’S WORD—LOOK INTO THE PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY.
NOTICE THAT YOU CANNOT JUST HEAR OR READ, YOU MUST WALK IN THE LAW OF THE LORD, NOT JUST A HEARER BUT A DOER. REMEMBER NOAH HE DID NOT JUST HEAR THE LORD, HE OBEYED ALL THE LORD TOLD HIM.
1. INTEGRITY IS MISSING
2. THE NEXT THING IS OBEDIENCE IS MISSING
NOTICE VERSE 2—KEEP AND SEEK HIM…
KEEP HIS TESTIMONIES—THIS MEANS TO GUARD IN A GOOD SENSE—TO PROTECT, OR MAINTAIN, OBEY—
SEEK—WHAT ARE YOU SEEKING WITH YOUR WHOLE HEART? GOD’S BLESSING? NO! A THOUSAND TIMES NO!!!!!! YOU ARE SEEKING HIM—HOW WE FORGET THIS, HOW MANY TIMES WE SEEK GOD’S BLESSING, BUT NOT THE BLESSING GIVER, IF WE WANT TO BE BLESSED WE MUST SEEK HIM, NOT HIS BLESSINGS!! NOTICE YOU ARE SEEKING HIM, THIS MEANS TO FOLLOW, TO PURSUE OR SEARCH—TO ASK—WOW MATTHEW 7:7—REMEMBER WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR THE BLESSING BUT WE ARE SEEKING THE WORD, WISDOM—NO LESS THAN JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF!!!!
VERSE 4—DILIGENTLY—WHOLLY, SPEEDILY—WITH PASSION.
VERSE 8--WHAT A RESPONSIBILITY—THE PSALMISTS REALIZES HE CANNOT DO IT HIMSELF, HE NEEDS GODS MERCY
VERSE 9—WHO CAN A YOUNG PERSON CLEANSE THEIR WAY, HOW CAN ANYONE—BY HEEDING GOD’S WORD—THE PSALMIST WANTS A CLEANSING—HE HAS BEEN IN THE WORD AND HAS FOUND THAT HE NEEDS GOD’S CLEANSING—HE CANNOT CLEANSE HIMSELF—JOHN 17:17—EPH 5:26
NOTICE THE FIRST STANZA DEALS WITH CONVICTION, THE SECOND WITH REGENERATION.
VERSE 10—THE PSALMIST NOW REALIZES HIS DEEP DEPENDANCE ON THE LORD—HE CRIES OUT FOR STRENGTH NOT TO WANDER FROM GOD’S REVEALED WRITTEN WILL.
VERSE11—WE KNOW THIS VERSE, WE PLEDGE TO THE BIBLE WITH THIS VERSE, BUT DO WE GRASP THE IMPORTANCE OF IT.
FIRST IT IS NOT MAN’S WORDS, OR DR. PHIL’S WORDS, IT IS NOT THE WORD’S OF WOMAN’S WORLD OR TEEN BEAT, OR COSMO, IT IS NOT THE WORD’S OR OPRAH, OR ALL THOSE GREAT ARTICLES IN PLAYBOY OR PENTHOUSE, WE HIDE NONE OF THE ABOVE, WE HIDE THE VERY PRECIOUS WORD OF GOD IN OUR HEART, THIS IS THE CENTER OF OUR BEING, THE CONTROL CENTER,--WHY DO WE HIDE IT IN OUR HEART, BECAUSE IT IS THE ONLY MEDICINE THAT WILL HELP US NOT SIN AGAINST GOD. NOITCE THE WORD HID—MEANS TO HOARD, OR RESERVE—LAY UP—JUST AS IF YOU HAVE A BILL AND YOU LAY UP THE MONEY TO PAY IT WE MUST DO THAT WITH GOD’S WORD, BECAUSE SIN IS GOING TO COME WANTING TO COLLECT FROM US, AND WHEN IT COMES A KNOCKING WE CAN PAY UP WITH GOD’S WORD AND DRIVE THE TEMPTATION AWAY JUST AS OUR SAVIOR DID TO SATAN! PRAISE GOD!!! WE NEED TO HOARD GOD’S WORD IN OUR LIVES, YOU HOARD PRECIOUS THINGS, AND YOU PUT THEM IN THE SAFE, IN THIS CASE THAT IS OUR HEART!
VERSE 12—THE PSALMIST WENT FROM BEING BLESSED TO BLESSING THE LORD—HE IS LEARNING—THE PSALMIST DOES NOT WANT TO LEARN FROM THE WORLD, NO, DR PHIL, TRYA, OR MONTEL WILL NOT DO—HE WANTS THE LORD TO TEACH HIM HIS STATUTES. I MEAN THEY ARE THE LORDS, WHO KNOWS THEM BETTER AND WHO CAN TEACH BETTER THAN THE LORD! INTERESTING WORD TEACH—HAS THE IMPLICATIONS OF GOADING (WITH A ROD) —LATER ON THE PSALMIST WILL SAY IT IS GOOD THAT I HAVE BEEN AFFLICTED THAT I MIGHT LEARN THY STATUTES—WOW GOD ANSWERED THE PSALMIST’S PRAYER. ALSO HAS THE IDEA OF BEING TAUGHT BY A MASTER TEACHER—SOMEONE THAT KNOWS THE TERRITORY—YOU KNOW CHRIST KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT WE GO THROUGH, HE IS A MASTER, TEACHER AND WE NEED TO LISTEN AND HEARKEN AS HE TEACHES US. QUIT ASKING WHY, WHY, WHY, AND START ASKING WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO TEACH ME LORD. YES TEACH ME LORD, I KNOW THAT THIS IS THE ONLY WAY, BUT THANK YOU FOR COUNTING ME WORTHY AND RESPONSIBLE ENOUGH TO LEARN. THANK YOU FATHER!!
VERSES 12-16—THE PSALMIST HAS BEEN REGENERATED AND IS GROWING IN THE LORD—6 WORDS IN CLOSING
1. VS. 13—DECLARED-CELEBRATE--
2. VS. 14—REJOICED—TO BE BRIGHT—GLAD--
3. VS. 15—MEDITATE—TO PONDER—IMPLIES CONVERSING (TALKING TO GOD)
4. VS. 15—RESPECT—TO REGARD WITH PLEASURE, FAVOR, OR CARE—WOW!!!
5. VS. 16—DELIGHT—AMUSE—ENJOYMENT(ACTUALLY THIS WORD HAS A VERY RACY CONTEXT IN THE HEBREW LOOK UP IF WANT MORE INFO ON IT)
6. VS. 16—FORGET—TO MISLAY—TO BE OBLIVIOUS OF. PSALMIST IS SAYING HE WILL NOT MISLAY OR PURPOSEFULLY FORGET GODS WORD! IT IS IMPORTANT TO HIM—WHAT ABOUT US?
WE ARE ONLY 2 STANZAS IN AND IT IS PACKED! WOW!
GOD’S WORD IS JUST NOT RELEVENT IT IS PROFITABLE
II TIMOTHY 3:16
RECAP:
o GOD’S WORD PRODUCES INTEGIRTY IN THE LIFE OF GOD’S CHILDREN
o GOD’S WORD IS CRITICAL FOR OBEDIENCE—HARD TO OBEY WHAT YOU DO NOT KNOW.
o OBEDIENCE STARTS WITH ACCEPTING CHRIST AS YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR—ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN…WE BROKE THE LAW CHRIST PAID OUR FINE…
o CHRISTIAN GROWTH IS TIED TO GOD’S WORD…
