Sweeter than Honey 1
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Text: Psalm 119.1-8
Text: Psalm 119.1-8
The Behavior of the Blessed
I start this series this morning with a little dilemma. Psalm 119 is one of the great works of Scripture.
C.S. Lewis described Psalm 119 in his characteristic style. “In other words, this poem is not, and does not pretend to be, a sudden outpouring of the heart, like, say, Psalm 18. It is a pattern, a thing done like embroidering, stitch by stitch, through long, quiet hours, for love of the subject, and for delight in leisurely, disciplined craftsmanship.”
Things to know about Psalm 119.
1) It is the longest Psalm in the book of Psalms.
2) It is also the longest chapter in the Bible.
3) The Psalm is divided into 22 parts.
4) Each part begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
5) In Hebrew, each line of these parts begin with that letter.
6) Is this significant? There’s not a letter that doesn’t honor God’s word.
7) The content of this chapter is respect, praise, and honor for God’s word.
8) God’s word is described with several different words in this Psalm.
David Guzik points out that the words used to describe Scripture are instructive.
• Law (torah, used 25 times in Psalm 119): ‘teach’ or ‘direct’; both ‘law’ and ‘revelation.’ It can be used of a single command or of a whole body of law.” (Kidner)
• Word (dabar, used 24 times): The idea is of the spoken word, God’s revealed word to man.
• Judgments (mispatim, used 23 times): “to judge, determine, regulate, order, and discern, because they judge concerning our words and works; show the rules by which they should be regulated” (Clarke)
• Testimonies (edut/edot, used 23 times): This word is related to the word for witness. To obey His testimonies “signifies loyalty to the terms of the covenant made between the Lord and Israel.” (VanGemeren)
• Commandments (miswah/miswot, used 22 times): “This word emphasizes the straight authority of what is said … the right to give orders.” (Kidner)
• Statutes (huqqim, used 21 times): The noun is derived from the root verb “engrave” or “inscribe”; the idea is of the written word of God and the authority of His written word.
• Precepts (piqqudim, used 21 times): “This is a word drawn from the sphere of an officer or overseer, and man who is responsible to look closely into a situation and take action.… So the word points to the particular instructions of the Lord, as of one who cares about detail.” (Kidner)
• Word (imrah, used 19 times): “The ‘word’ may denote anything God has spoken, commanded, or promised.” (VanGemeren)
David Guzik, Psalms, David Guzik’s Commentaries on the Bible (Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik, 2013), Ps 119.
The heartbeat of the author is to raise our view of Scripture higher than it was before.
Dependence
Whatever state you depend on the Word this morning Psalm 119 wants you to depend more.
Obedience
Whatever state you obey the Word this morning Psalm 119 wants you to obey more.
Reverence
Whatever state you Reverence the Word this morning Psalm 119 wants you to reverence more.
Where is the dilemma. Well I can’t help but think of Pauls instruction about the Law.
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
I am mindful that the Law does not produce the closeness and forgiveness to the father.
We must approach the Law of God with a Biblical context.
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
So how does one approach this incredible LAW?
- with the same spirit of our Savior when he said...
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
In Christ and by the power of his Spirit, we must obey the law, for it gives shape to our grateful love for God and our fellow humans.
So we can approach this Psalm with the heart of the author clearing off a spot and praising this wonderful Word.
I. Scripture Brings a Blessing on the Way.
God cares about how you live your daily life.
(mockingly)No, no he is fine as you live your christian liberty it is okay with him. That notion is not from the Bible. - “Undefiled in the Way”
See the high standard...
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
In another way, this standard is achievable.
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
HOW does this happen? God transforms sinners as we…
1. “Walk in the Law of the Lord”
Don’t let the image of walk scare you. We know that this is speaking of your daily choices and behaviors. It could be called a conduct. A walk is something that occurs one step after another.
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
2. “Keep His testimonies.”
Keep means doing, not only hearing. “Neither is it enough that we understand or ponder God’s precepts, but we must practise them, if we would be happy.” (Trapp)
3. “Seek Him with the whole heart.”
God always demands everything we got be given to Him.
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
II. Scripture Reveals what God Commands of His people.
We are commanded to keep God’s precepts diligently.
The Creator has absolutely right to command us and expect us to obey those commands.
If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Now How God gives us these commands are what we need to take note of...
The world around us imagines a God in heaven that is waiting for humanity to step out of line and then BAM!!!
This is not the God revealed in Scripture.
Instead we see a clearly communicating God that holds a standard and then follows through on the standard.
HE is repeatedly gracious to the imperfect yet humble.
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
So what is the purpose of the commandment that you and I live out. The commandments of Scripture are not about impressing God but rather a declaration to the world to WHOM you BELONG.
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
The believer convinced of God’s goodness delights and enjoys knowing and doing God’s word.
As you read Psalm 119 you can’t help but see the correlation to the first Psalm.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord;
And in his law doth he meditate day and night.
So desirable are they that we find our Key verse...
More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold:
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
If ye love me, keep my commandments.
The Psalmist closes off this first stanza in his poem with a promise and a plea.
I will keep thy statutes:
O forsake me not utterly.
I don’t do that yet, not perfectly, but I hereby make a promise, a vow, a resolution.
“I will keep thy statutes…”
And until I do, O Lord, don’t forsake me. I hear this as a plea for help and forgiveness. By your Spirit, help me to do what I fully intend to do. And through the work of Christ, forgive me when I fail, however often that may be. Don’t forsake me utterly. If we pray that sincerely and faithfully, we can be sure that God won’t forsake us.
He will not forsake you because HE already did that when your Sins were handled at the Cross and our Savior cried.
“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
Read this way, Psalm 119 is not the prayer of a perfect person. It is the prayer of a serious disciple who needs both law and Spirit, both moral effort and helpless faith, both obedience and trust in Christ.