Psalm 119:65-128 Hard Lessons Learned 119:65 Do we believe that God has treated us well? Do we believe that God has kept His promises in Scripture to us? Do we believe that God’s instructions have worked for our lives? What this verse includes is that God’s instruction for raising children, dealing with our enemies, at the workplace or in our marriages, have worked! 119:66 He wants to be able to distinguish between good and evil (Hebrews 5:14). Do we believe in God’s commandments, that is, do we believe that there is eternal wisdom behind the commands which we might find hard or difficult to keep? Do we believe in the commands which accuse us of apathy, greed or selfishness? Do we believe in the commands that require us to place yourselves second? 119:67 This writer went through a period of unfaithfulness, apathy, or spiritual compromise. The writer also infers that when life was easy and carefree, he tended to wander from God. How many Christians think that it would be easier to be spiritual if they just had more money? Actually, the opposite is often true. Instead of allowing affliction to make him bitter and resentful, the writer has allowed affliction to bring him closer to God (Romans 5:3-5; James 1:2-4). Point To Note: “Most people have heard the tired atheistic rebuttal to Christianity based on the presence of suffering in the world…One common form of the rebuttal goes like this: If God were good He would wish to make His creatures happy, and if God were almighty He would be able to do what He wished; but His creatures are not always happy, therefore God lacks either goodness or power or both” (Boice p. 1004). What a shallow view of reality! First, people who serve God are happy! Isn’t it ironic that people who claim they are doing things their own way are typically not happy (Titus 3:3). The atheistic by this argument (i.e., most people are unhappy), proves the need for people to follow the Bible, for the same people aren’t serving God (Matthew 7:13-14). The writer of this psalm is honest. Here he admits that many of the things which he has suffered in life were due to his own unfaithfulness. Instead of resenting suffering and setbacks in life, let us rejoice in them, for they can bring us closer to God. 119:68 God has allowed him to suffer and yet he is still praising God for being good and doing good to him. Do we thank God when He allows us to suffer? Do we thank God when He disciplines us for our own good? (Hebrews 12:5-6).
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119:69 The arrogant have often persecuted the faithful and still do. What are modern “lies” against faithful Christians? Often faithful Christians are accused by the world of being narrow-minded, hateful, and judgmental. This is nothing new! (Genesis 19:9). It could be that the writer’s old friends in the world were angry at his newfound faithfulness (1 Peter 4:1-5). 119:70 Fat hearts are dulled to God’s truth (Isaiah 6:10). Are we thankful that our conscience bothers us when we do wrong? Are we thankful that we are sensitive to the Word of God? The verse is inferring that arrogant people are often very callused people. 119:71 Here is what the writer concludes as he looks back upon is pain. “Good is the experience of humiliation and affliction” (Gaebelein p. 748). Are we grateful when God allows us to experience bitter medicine? When we encounter trials, are we driven into despair and depression or do we allow ourselves to be driven to the Word? Be grateful for hardship, we will understand the depth of various verses much better after we have suffered. 119:72 Which do we value more, money, possessions, things, or the Scriptures? “Today we pay little to possess multiple copies of God’s Word. But do we value it? In many cases, I am afraid not” (Boice p. 1007). “Now he has his values straight. His treasure is in heaven” (Williams p. 372).
“They Glorified God In Me” 119:73 Here is the confession that God is the Creator—of me too! If God really made us, then Who better to teach us how to live? Now, can’t just about anyone understand this basic truth? If I can believe in God, then certainly I can believe that He knows what is best for me. 119:74 Being instructed by God, he knows that he will be a blessing to others (Hebrews 10:24). One of the reasons we study the Scriptures is so that we can be a good example to others who are trying to serve God. Does our example encourage or discourage other Christians? Am I a help or a hindrance? 119:75 Wow! This man has accepted the fact that God’s judgments are just and fair. If God must punish me—then I more than deserve it. In fact, often God allows me to suffer for the express purpose of trying to save me. Are we appreciate of God’s corrective discipline and His threats? Are we thankful that God has been so blunt and graphic about hell? 119:76-77 He is comforted by God’s mercy, because he has returned to God. God’s mercy should comfort us in the fact that since God earnestly desires all men to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4), that I can be saved too! God will forgive me if I
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repent, and since God is waiting for me to repent (2 Peter 3:9), it means that I can repent, even of the most addictive of sins. 119:78 We too should pray that the arrogant in our time would be ashamed of themselves, their dishonestly, their selfishness, and their rejection of the truth. Note, his man faces continual opposition and ridicule, but he continues to study, apply, and preach the Word. He is mocked for his faith in the Bible, but he refuses to hide his convictions. Have we become embarrassed of our faith? Are we afraid to speak out? 119:79-80 He wants other believers to be encouraged by his example, in addition, he prays that he may know the Scriptures accurately and live them consistently, for he abhors becoming a hypocrite.
The Brink Of Ruin 119:81-83 Here we find the writer in anguish. He is suffering and longs for God’s deliverance. “The hour is urgent. The crisis is near. The need is great” (Williams p. 375). Yet, he isn’t in despair, for he waits for fulfillment of the promises in God’s Word. “When God seems absent and the darkness stalks us, we still have the light of His promises to us” (Williams p. 376). He feels like a wineskin in smoke, that is, that he is shriveled up like a wineskin in a smoky room or in the fire. He is cracked and dry. Nevertheless, he holds to his convictions which are rooted in Scripture. 119:84-88 He feels that his days are numbered and time is running out. The writer’s pain comes from relentless attacks. When believers are persecuted or encounter opposition, a common temptation is to second guess what you are teaching. Believers in every age have found comfort, strength, and courage in the Scriptures when being persecuted. For the Scriptures remind us, “Yes, we are teaching the truth”. The writer realized that every command given by God is dependable and trustworthy (119:86). Sometimes people argue that certain commands aren’t as important as others. But when persecution hits, the conviction that every command is important and essential. For who wants to risk their life for an optional or unnecessary doctrine!
The Great Certainties 119:89 Regardless of what man says, “Times have changed, etc…”, the truth revealed in Scripture stands as reality. People seem to forget that God had eternity to contemplate what His laws would be for mankind. People who argue that God may change His mind, are accusing God of being both ignorant and a liar.
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119:90-91 God’s faithfulness is seen in both keeping His promises to the faithful, and keeping His threats to the wicked. This applies to every generation. “While the earth is in constant flux, nevertheless, there is a stability to it. The rising of the sun day by day speaks of the faithfulness of God” (Williams p. 378). Compare with Genesis 8:22. In addition, the physical creation reminds us that God continues to enforce His laws regardless of the century in which we live. If the ordinances which govern the physical creation still stand, then how much more the spiritual ordinances which govern mankind? (Matthew 24:35; 1 Peter 1:23-25). Even the elements that compose the creation obey God and are a witness to His consistency. 119:92-93 Here is a refreshing honestly. Without the Scriptures, I would have perished in my time of trial! Do we give God the credit? Do we really appreciate the Scriptures, and do we realize that our own link with God is the Bible and without it we would be lost? “In other words, what got him through his afflictions was his lifelong habit of reading, marking, learning, meditating upon, spiritually digesting, and above all, obeying God’s Law” (Boice p. 1013). Point To Note: Human encouragement is great (Heb. 10:24). But let’s be honest. Most of us are tempted when nobody is around or at least when we are absent from the company of other Christians. In the long run, what will enable us to get through trials and temptations, is a strong conviction in what God has said. 119:94-96 “I have seen a limit to all perfection”: “This verse could well be a summary of Ecclesiastes, where every earthly enterprise has its day and comes to nothing, and where only in God and His commandments do we get beyond these frustrating limits” (Kidner pp. 426-427). Obviously, the writer is saying that every earthly perfection has a limit or an end, for even the physical universe that God created will end one day (2 Peter 3:10). 119:96 “Thy commandment is exceedingly broad”: The Bible covers every area of our lives and gives us everything we need (2 Peter 1:3; 2 Timothy 3:1617). In the Scriptures we are given all truth (John 16:13). In contrast, to everything on this earth, the values and truths found in Scripture will never lose their worth or meaning. When we are studying the Bible we are learning lessons which will apply for eternity. In addition, how many people view the Bible as really restrictive? In contrast, the writer viewed God’s commandments as giving him plenty of room. Do we feel constrained or liberated by doctrine?
Heavenly Wisdom
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119:97 The benefits of Bible study are conditioned upon the right attitude. If we truly allow ourselves to fall in love with God and His Word, then everything else will fall in life. We truly need to feel sorry for people who rebel against Scripture, criticize it, stand in judgment over it, resent it, and feel superior to it. Note, loving God’s law, means loving those laws which keep us from evil, that is, loving His threats and warnings too. A person really hasn’t fallen in love with God until they have also fallen in love with His “negative” laws. Point To Note: We have been hearing many voices in apostate groups arguing that the Bible is a love letter and not a book of laws. This writer knew that God’s laws were a manifestation of His love for us. People who resent the Bible as “law”, are people who resent a God who challenges them when they do or believe what is wrong. 119:98 You will only get wiser than your enemies by mediating upon Scripture every day. Listening to one sermon a week isn’t going to cut it. 119:99-100 The writer isn’t arrogant or boastful, rather he is simply stating the facts of the case. A young man or woman who studies the bible and applies it will naturally know more about real life and how things work then someone who is older and worldly. The person who studies the Bible is learning God’s wisdom! By giving us the Bible God has spared us from trial and error living. We can raise our children right the first time. Our first marriage can be very successful! God’s wisdom is more direct and superior to the wisdom of this world (Jeremiah 9:23-24). In addition, human wisdom is often caught up in fads, like many modern theories about child-rearing. 119:101 When God says no, He is keeping us from evil. We need to carefully label the things which God condemns. “Fun” is the wrong label, “evil, wicked, selfish” are the right labels. When we realize that what God condemns is “evil”, we will stop viewing the Bible as a book of unreasonable restrictions. 119:102 To reject the Bible is to reject God’s wisdom. 119:103 “Is the will of God burdensome to the psalmist? Hardly “ (Williams p. 380). To spiritual people, the Word of God is a pleasure, it is dessert. There is a delight in knowing that we have a sure guide to life. There is a relief in knowing that we are not left to wander alone. 119:104 “This understanding engendered by God’s word leads him not to tolerate falsehood (as in our relativistic world today where all is gray). He hates those false ways that lead to death. This is not arrogance. This is honesty, born from a man who has learned from the owner’s manual how to live” (Williams p. 381). “Attraction to the true and revulsion against the false are, for us, acquired
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tastes. Verse 104 describes the process; 101 reveals the earnest co-operation it requires of us” (Kidner p. 427). Point To Note: Hence when you see the bumpersticker which says, “Hate is not a family value”, remember that hating evil is a godly virtue. Someone has said, “This book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book”. “Are you indifferent to the Bible? Do you find it boring, unattractive? If so, you will not be kept from sin or from what is ugly and offensive in this world” (Boice p. 1023).
Not Losing The Way 119:105 Obviously, for the word to be a lamp to our feet, it must be understandable to all men, even the naïve (Psalm19:7). Jesus believed that ordinary, uneducated, regular people could listen to His words and know the truth (John 8:31-32). This world is a very confusing place to live in, we are confronted with all sorts of choices and belief systems. What is the right way to live? God’s word guides us like a bright lamp or flashlight through all these choices. 119:106 To appreciate the Bible means promising God that you will follow exactly what it says. The ethics of this man are absolute and not relative, there is no situational ethic for this writer. 119:107 Even though obeying God brings him affliction and persecution, he will still obey. Instead of finding his “life, meaning, and purpose” in the world, he is determined to find his refreshment in the Word. On what are we depending for significance and feeling good? Human praise? For Divine praise? In addition, the Bible helps us endure suffering, for it tells us why we are suffering, and the benefits of remaining faithful (Romans 8:18). 119:108 Bible study and worship go hand in hand. The key to appreciative and reverent worship starts with appreciation for what God has said. “Instead of Bible teaching, people are being fed a diet of superficial pop-psychology, selfhelp therapy, feel-good stimulants, and entertainment, and the ignorance of the Bible in the churches is appalling” (Boice p. 1027). 119:109-110 The writer realizes that God is in control, even of his life. The person who eagerly studies the Bible cannot feel independent of God. His life is not in the hands of his enemies, rather, his life is in the hands of his God. Yet he is determined to be loyal to the Lord, even when the wicked attempt to hunt him down and catch him.
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119:111-112 “His joy and determination to please the Lord are much greater than the affliction with which he lives constantly” (Gaebelein p. 754). Note, inclining our heart towards the truth is something over which we have control. Do we look at the Scriptures as a priceless inheritance? When we became a Christian, we inherited the task of faithfully preaching the Word of God to our generation and passing on that truth to the next generation (2 Timothy 2:2).
No Renegade 119:113 At this point the writer reflects upon those who reject God’s word. The writer realized that we are never going to obey God’s Law unless from the very beginning we determine to do it. Double-minded people are people who know about God, but are not fully determined to worship and serve Him only. They are those who want both God and the world. They want the benefits of true religion, but they want their sin too. This writer hates such people, because God does (James 1:7-8). Such people undermine the faithfulness of God’s people, cause children and new converts to stumble, and give unbelievers ammunition against the church. “In opposition to his vacillation, the psalmist loves God’s law, which is straightforward, trustworthy, and absolute” (Williams p. 384). Point To Note: This writer would have been disgusted by the idea that God’s people can tolerate false doctrine, and that we should fellowship those who twist the Scriptures. 119:114 He doesn’t have his head in the sand, rather, he finds refuge in God. He can stand for the truth, take the abuse, be ridiculed, because God is his protection. 119:115-116 He has no time for those rebelling against the word of God. Note, he is willing to teach others, but he has no patience for those who are dishonest and who refuse to repent. 119:117-120 “Now having been with God, he sees afresh the deceitful vanity of the world and the greatness of God before whom he now trembles in reverential awe. It is only as we tremble before the exalted and holy God that we will ever see the world and its distorted values to be the empty things that they are. If we do not tremble before God, the world’s system will seem wonderful to us and consume us pleasantly” (Boice p. 1035). Point To Note:
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Do we stand in awe of God? Verse 120 should be carefully and prayerfully read. “Instead of being in awe before God, many in our day seem to regard Him more as a buddy” (Boice p. 1035). The word of God should cause us to stand in awe of God and realize that if we don’t humble ourselves and fully repent, we will be condemned along with the world. How much weight does God have in your life?
Pressure From The Godless 119:121 He has been faithful. 119:122 In asking God to be “surety” for him, he means that he wants God to stand up for him and to stand in on his behalf 119:123-128 Do we esteem as right all of God’s commandments? “Notice that the psalmist does not view God as distant or unable to act” (Williams p. 387). Points To Note: 1. He prays that God would act, not necessarily because he is being persecuted, but because God’s law is being broken and spurned. Are we insulted when people despise, ignore, or blatantly break the commands of God? 2. “We live in days when it is hard for people, even alleged Christians, to accept such a statement (“I hate every false way”). Our age is being described as postmodernity, a time in history when trust is regarded in the Hegelian sense, that is, that something may be true for you or me or for now, but does not have any binding validity for others or for all times. Since there are no absolutes there is nothing we can call false….All ways of life must be equally valid and the only thing that is absolutely wrong is to say that the path taken by someone else is wrong….The time is probably coming when Christians holding to absolute standards will be considered criminals…Are you willing to hate what God hates? If not, you will never learn to love God truly, and you will certainly never walk in the way that brings true blessing” (Boice p. 1037).
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