The Indivisibility of God and His Words Study 6

Psalm 138:2 ESV

2 I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

What do the expressions, “You have my word” or “He is as good as his word” mean?

Do they mean much in our current culture?

“People are ultimately unknowable apart from their words, whether spoken or written (or in the case of verbally-challenged people, some other understandable form of self-expression.)” —Layton Talbert

Do you agree? Why?

We can deduce certain things from people’s actions, but we cannot know the reasons for those actions / the character of the individual / whether their actions are in or out of character, unless the person communicates with us.

God, too, is unknowable apart from His words!

Is this a true statement?

People are inseparable from their words.

Can we misrepresent ourselves and our intentions with our words?

Illustration: Nazi’s putting Jews into concentration camps said things like “You have nothing to worry about. We want only the best for you. You’ll leave here shortly and be sent to very fine places indeed … You will have wonderful lives.”

Can we deduce something about a person when they use deceptive language? Were the words of these Nazi’s inseparable from their personhood?

If you cannot trust a person’s words, can you trust the person themselves? On the flip side if you trust a person will you believe what that person says? People are inseparable from their words.

“It is the essence of personal trustworthiness that people are who they claim to be; that, if you life, there is an intimate connection between their words and who they are, betwen what they say about themselves and the actions they can and do perform.” — Helm and Trueman

In the same way, God is inseparable from His words. It is meaningless to have a warm and fuzzy feeling and claim that your trust God when you do not really believe His words.

“Faith in God without faith in God’s words (whether about His character, His expectations, or His actions) is nothing more or less than faith in your own imagination of what you think God is or should be.”—Layton Talbert

Illustration: If you are counseling someone going through a trial and you tell them, “just put your faith in God.” Is that helpful? How do I put my faith in God? What specifically am I trusting about God? How do you practically put your faith in God in the trials of life? You put your faith in God’s words.

To trust God is to trust His words, and to trust God’s words is to trust God Himself.

“The interface between the words of God and the very being and character of God is a central theme of the Bible itself. That God is, in a sense, the words he speaks or, perhaps better, that God is towards his people the same as the words he speaks to them, is a recurring theme.” —Helm and Trueman

How and where does the Bible teach that God and his words are indivisible?

God’s Exaltation of His Words

Psalm 138:2 (NKJV)

2 I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.

Difficult expression in the Hebrew to translate into English.

Psalm 138:2 (NASB95)

2 I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.

Psalm 138:2 (CJB)

2 I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your grace and truth; for you have made your word [even] greater than the whole of your reputation.

Psalm 138:2 (HCSB)

2 I will bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your constant love and truth. You have exalted Your name and Your promise (word) above everything else.

Psalm 138:2 (NET)

2 I will bow down toward your holy temple, and give thanks to your name, because of your loyal love and faithfulness, for you have exalted your promise (word) above the entire sky.

At the very least what is David attempting to communicate to us about God’s word in Psalm 138:2?

God intends His word, along with His name, to receive the highest possible esteem over all else in creation.

At the most, this verse asserts that as far as His own reputation and attributes are concerned, God Himself places supreme value on His word.

What is the significance of comparing the word of God to the name of God?

How were names in the ancient culture of biblical times different from names in our culture today?

Most often names in our culture today are merely labels. Does anyone know what their name means? Does that meaning have any significance to you?

Names in biblical times often memorialized some detail of a person’s background or embodied some aspect of their personality.

God has revealed Himself by many names and all of them or heavy with meaning that communicates truth about his person.

What do these verse about God’s name tell us about his person?

Power of God

Psalm 44:5 ESV

5 Through you we push down our foes; through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.

Psalm 54:1 ESV

1 O God, save me by your name, and vindicate me by your might.

Reputation of God

Psalm 8:1 ESV

1 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.

Psalm 135:13 ESV

13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever, your renown, O Lord, throughout all ages.

Presence of God

Psalm 52:9 ESV

9 I will thank you forever, because you have done it. I will wait for your name, for it is good, in the presence of the godly.

Psalm 75:1 ESV

1 We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds.

The very being of God

Psalm 18:49 ESV

49 For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations, and sing to your name.

Psalm 61:5 ESV

5 For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

Psalm 83:16 ESV

16 Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek your name, O Lord.

What do David’s statements in Ps 138:2 about God’s name tell us about God?

Psalm 138:2 ESV

2 I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

1. For God to exalt His word “above all his name”— or even along with His name— teaches us that His words are an extension and expression of Himself.

His words are an extension and expression of Himself. What does that mean to us practically?

For God to exalt His word “above all his name”— or even along with His name—means that He places the highest possible premium on His words. And if He does, we should.

2. For God to exalt His word “above all his name”— or even along with His name— implies a coordination of all His attributes toward a common goal.

What does that mean?

Every other attribute of God works in harmony to fulfill what He has verbally committed Himself to do and communicated Himself to be.

Illustration: If a person desires to be known or have a reputation of being trustworthy how will that affect his actions? They will bend all their efforts and qualities in order to keep their word. I.E. Volunteers that cleaned the carpet. One person was here until 10:30 pm cleaning the rug. He has a reputation of being dependable and he bends all his efforts and qualities in order to keep his word.

“So the Lord lays all the rest of his name under tribute to his word: his wisdom, power, love, and all his other attributes combine to carry out his word.” —Spurgeon

3. For God to exalt His word “above all his name”— or even along with His name— highlights God’s holy preoccupation with the trustworthiness of His words.

This preoccupation is what we what to look at more in depth in the remainder of this lesson.

God’s Faithfulness and Lovingkindness are Measured by His Words

Psalm 138:2 (ESV)

2 I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

These two ideas, steadfast love (lovingkindness) and faithfulness are often paired together in the same verse. They are also often strongly connected to God’s word.

Steadfast love (lovingkindness)- is the Hebrew word chesed and has reference in this context to God’s loyalty to His covenant words. What are covenants made of? They are made of words. Words of promise and warning, obligation and expectation. Can we trust God’s covenantal promises? They can be relied upon forever! Why? Because God Himself is irrevocably committed to the promises He has made.

These promises that God’s makes are not aloof, impersonally duties however. This word also carries with it a strong undercurrent of love that motivates acts of kindness. It is a loyal love or a steadfast love or a lovingkindness. And this loyalty and love are directed toward those with whom He is in a covenant relationship.

Deuteronomy 7:9 ESV

9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,

1 Kings 8:23 ESV

23 and said, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart;

Nehemiah 1:5 ESV

5 And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,

Daniel 9:4 ESV

4 I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,

God’s words (his covenants) are the very basis and content of His chesed, and ‘his immutable character ensures the complete reliability of the promises that stem from his loving loyalty.”

Psalm 138:2 (ESV)

2 I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

Faithfulness- emet is the idea of truth and is linked to the word aman which we get our English word ‘amen.’ This can mean both to have faith (believe) and to be faithful. The core idea shared by all these words is certainty, assurance, reliability, dependability. And just like God’s steadfast love his faithfulness has virtually no meaning apart from His words. How can you judge someone’s faithfulness apart from whether they are and do what they say?

Two other texts related to David help us cement these concepts in our minds.

2 Samuel 7

What is the theme of 2 Samuel 7?

Davidic Covenant. What is the core of this covenant?

Listen to how God’s loyal love and his faithfulness are connected to his words and his promises in this text.

2 Samuel 7:25–29 (ESV)

25 And now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken.

26 And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you.

27 For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you.

28 And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant.

29 Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”

David praises God’s words and his promises! Listen to the loyal love and faithfulness of the words of God’s promise to David!

2 Samuel 7:13–16 (ESV)

13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men,

15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.

16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ”

So David responds to God’s words this way:

2 Samuel 7:28 (ESV)

28 And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant.

What is David doing here in v. 28 in response to God’s promises made to him? He is exulting in the faithfulness of God!

One more interesting verse here in 2 Sam 7.

2 Samuel 7:21 (NASB95)

21 “For the sake of Your word, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness to let Your servant know.

What does this phrase mean? For the sake of your word?

1). It could be looking backward. That is God is making and will keep these covenant promises to David for the sake of the word he has made in the past.

What promises or covenants has God made in the past that might be at least partially fulfilled by the promises and covenants he is making with David now?

Abrahamic covenant- in you shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.

What about this promise?

Genesis 49:10 ESV

10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

God promised that the scepter of royalty would reside within the house of Judah.

2). For the sake of Your word could be looking forward: this Davidic covenant was made on account of His word of for the sake of his word in the sense of God’s desire (in keeping with Psalm 138:2) to magnify His word, and consequently, His trustworthiness by faithfully fulfilling every word of this covenant.

Wither way for God to keep all of the covenant promises he made to David for the sake of His word is a testimony to the total dependability and trustworthiness of God’s words.

Psalm 89

This Psalm is about what we should do when the turn of events in our lives seem to contradict the promises that God has made to us.

This Psalm is divided into two parts (vv. 1-37) which are celebratory verses of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness and (vv. 38-52) which are a poignant prayer to God to remember his covenant promises.

This Psalm is penned by Ethan the Ezrahite, perhaps during the rebellion of Absalom and David’s exile from his throne. During that time it certainly didn’t feel like God was keeping His covenant promises. That is what the Psalmist expresses in vv. 38-52.

Psalm 89:38–52 ESV

38 But now you have cast off and rejected; you are full of wrath against your anointed. 39 You have renounced the covenant with your servant; you have defiled his crown in the dust. 40 You have breached all his walls; you have laid his strongholds in ruins. 41 All who pass by plunder him; he has become the scorn of his neighbors. 42 You have exalted the right hand of his foes; you have made all his enemies rejoice. 43 You have also turned back the edge of his sword, and you have not made him stand in battle. 44 You have made his splendor to cease and cast his throne to the ground. 45 You have cut short the days of his youth; you have covered him with shame. Selah 46 How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire? 47 Remember how short my time is! For what vanity you have created all the children of man! 48 What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah 49 Lord, where is your steadfast love of old, which by your faithfulness you swore to David? 50 Remember, O Lord, how your servants are mocked, and how I bear in my heart the insults of all the many nations, 51 with which your enemies mock, O Lord, with which they mock the footsteps of your anointed. 52 Blessed be the Lord forever! Amen and Amen.

Do we ever feel this way? Does life ever feel this way? God has made wonderful promises to us and yet our present reality seems to contradict in every way the promises that God has made.

But it is important that the Psalmist doesn’t begin the Psalm this way. He ends the Psalm this way. Let’s read the first part of the Psalm.

Psalm 89:1–37 ESV

1 I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. 2 For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.” 3 You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: 4 ‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.’ ” Selah 5 Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones! 6 For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord? Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord, 7 a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him? 8 O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O Lord, with your faithfulness all around you? 9 You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them. 10 You crushed Rahab like a carcass; you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm. 11 The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them. 12 The north and the south, you have created them; Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name. 13 You have a mighty arm; strong is your hand, high your right hand. 14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. 15 Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face, 16 who exult in your name all the day and in your righteousness are exalted. 17 For you are the glory of their strength; by your favor our horn is exalted. 18 For our shield belongs to the Lord, our king to the Holy One of Israel. 19 Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one, and said: “I have granted help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people. 20 I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him, 21 so that my hand shall be established with him; my arm also shall strengthen him. 22 The enemy shall not outwit him; the wicked shall not humble him. 23 I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him. 24 My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him, and in my name shall his horn be exalted. 25 I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers. 26 He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’ 27 And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. 28 My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and my covenant will stand firm for him. 29 I will establish his offspring forever and his throne as the days of the heavens. 30 If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules, 31 if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments, 32 then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes, 33 but I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness. 34 I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips. 35 Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David. 36 His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me. 37 Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies.” Selah

What is going on here? Why begin with 37 verses of exalting and magnifying God’s promises and covenants and then spend the rest of the Psalm crying out to God and asking why he cast off and rejected his servant David?

Amid circumstances suggesting that God had renounced the eternal covenant He had made with David--

Psalm 89:39 ESV

39 You have renounced the covenant with your servant; you have defiled his crown in the dust.

Amid these circumstances the psalmist maintains a bulldog grip on the impossibility that God could ever abandon His promises, however much it may look like He has at present.

Psalm 89:3 (ESV)

3 You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant:

Psalm 89:28 ESV

28 My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and my covenant will stand firm for him.

Psalm 89:19 (ESV)

19 Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one, and said: “I have granted help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people.

Psalm 89:34–35 ESV

34 I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips. 35 Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David.

The psalmist is actually quoting God’s own words back to Him. In fact twenty-one verses of the psalm are direct quotation from God. What is the psalmist doing? In light of where he is headed in vv. 38-51, he is respectfully putting God’s trustworthiness on the line in a mighty public way. It is a classic example of praying God’s words back to Him. God relishes such prayers, because they reveal a life-or-death reliance on His words and give Him the opportunity to display afresh that He does what He says.

How can you do that this week? What words can you quote back to God? How can you respectfully put God’s trustworthiness on the line. God this is what you said to me, these are your promises that you have given me, and even though life does not appear to be measuring up to what you have promised I am going to take a bulldog grip on the trustworthiness of your words.

Example?

1 Peter 3:13–14 ESV

13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled,