Meditate on Scripture

If you were to spend a day at our house, you might hear the phrase……

Hydrate Don’t Die-drate.

...emanate from someone’s lips. It’s become a periodic reminder in our home to drink more water. Both through our weight loss journey and through regular visits to Dr. Duggirala and Dr. Kate, we’ve had to be reminded about the benefits of drinking water and the negative effects of not drinking enough.

Some smart people at Harvard have said:

Drinking enough water each day is crucial for many reasons: to regulate body temperature, keep joints lubricated, prevent infections, deliver nutrients to cells, and keep organs functioning properly. Being well-hydrated also improves sleep quality, cognition, and mood.

Experts recommend drinking roughly 11 cups [88 ounces] of water per day for the average woman and 16 [cups] [128 ounces] for men.

Our bodies just tend to work better with hydration and I’m learning the hard way that water is the best source of hydration. It’s pure and clean. It may not have a lot of taste, but it’s God’s gift to us and a vital part of our physical well-being.

Just as water is good for our bodies, God’s word is like water for our souls.

(series graphic)

As we continue looking a how we can have disciplined delight in the trinity through spiritual disciplines, we are going to reflect on another way that we can leverage the blessing of God’s word.

Last week we considered how we should hear, read and study the word. Today, we’re going to focus on meditating on God’s word. In many ways, memorization may become a natural by-product of meditating on scripture.

Open your Bibles to Psalm 1. There are many places where we can look throughout scripture to consider the idea of meditation, but this passage is one of the clearest.

Psalm 1 ESV

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

There are so many things that we can look at and apply from this passage, but I want to focus us on the discipline of meditation. One of the take aways that we can find in this passage is that…

Spiritual hydration is aided by meditation on God’s Word

As I mentioned last week, Donald Whitney has said:

“No Spiritual Discipline is more important than the intake of God’s Word. Nothing can substitute for it. There is simply no healthy Christian life apart from a diet of the milk and meat of Scripture.” (p. 22)

God’s word is our spiritual nutrition. I think this passage helps us to see that meditation is the means by which we get God’s word into our minds in a way that has a lasting impact.

(what about memorization)? Meditation is commanded and illustrated in several places. Often meditation and memorization go hand in hand. It’s difficult to ruminate on something that’s not in your mind.

So, as we think through this passage, let’s begin by asking...

What is meditation?

If we were to ask someone on the street, they might tell us that meditation is emptying the mind, freeing the mind of extraneous thoughts in order to gain a fresh perspective. Others might say that it is focused thinking on a particular word, phrase, subject, or object. Some may use it in those ways, but let’s consider a couple of……

Biblically-minded Definitions:

Donald Whitney:

“deep thinking on the truths and spiritual realities revealed in scripture…for the purposes of understanding, application and prayer.” (p. 46)

Richard Foster: referencing the two primary words for meditate which is found some 58 times in the OT -

“listening to God’s word, reflecting on God’s works, rehearsing God’s deeds, ruminating on God’s law…” p. 15

When we look throughout scripture, we find that meditating has a variety of connotations. As we can expect, it involves:

Pondering

Spending time thinking about the word, the law, the instructions, God, His work, His will.

Psalm 77:12 (ESV)

I will ponder all your work,

and meditate on your mighty deeds.

The word that we are studying from Psalm 1 is translated ponder in this passage. It involves careful thinking, even deep thinking as we saw in definitions from both Whitney and Foster.

But in addition to pondering, Meditation can involve…

Muttering or uttering

In other words, this is a verbal processing. Not only are we thinking about it, but we are working through it with our lips.

From a negative standpoint:

Isaiah 59:3 (ESV)

For your hands are defiled with blood

and your fingers with iniquity;

your lips have spoken lies;

your tongue mutters wickedness.

Yes, we can meditate/mutter on wickedness. There are so many ways that we can scheme and plan.

Positively, speaking, the Psalmist writes...

Psalm 37:30 (ESV)

The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,

and his tongue speaks justice.

As we think about Psalm 1 and the idea that the blessed person finds his “delight” (which seems to be a matter of the heart) in the “law of Yahweh and on his law he meditates day and night” there is an element of thinking AND speaking - but when we think about this in light of all of scripture, there is a sense in which meditating is also…

Chewing

Sort of like chewing the cud. Now, there are no words for meditate in Hebrew that get translated into English as chewing - but from a practical sense, what is meditating? It’s essentially bringing back up in our minds, that which we have taken in earlier. It’s processing with our mouths something that we’ve started to process before. That sounds a lot like chewing the cud to me.

Last week in our Community Group, Mi Na actually brought up the idea of God’s word being our spiritual food and then the work that we do of chewing it over and over until we can process it. Thank you Mi Na for that image.

Along those lines, as I was meditating on Psalm 1 this week, I got to thinking about the Israelite laws - holiness laws - and the book of Leviticus. Think about this with me. God told the people of Israel in Leviticus 11 that they are only aloud to eat animals that have a parted hoof, cloven hoof and chew the cud. In other words, animals like cows, goats, and sheep. Other animals could be used, but could not be eaten or worn. Why?

I still have a lot of questions about that, but imagine being an Israelite - maybe in the wilderness, maybe in the promised land. You likely have some farm animals - sheep for sure, maybe some goats, or cows. You might also have a horse or two or a camel. You attend synagogue on the Sabbath and hear the word preached - maybe it’s a passage like Leviticus 11 or Psalm 1. You and your children hear it. And then you are challenged to meditate on the word. Imagine that your daughter comes to you and says - “Mommy, why can’t we eat a horse, but we can eat sheep?” First, your response could be “Well, God told us the sheep are good for food for us, but not horses. God said it, so we obey it.” But then, thinking a bit more practically, you could say - “you know how we are challenged to meditate on the law of the Lord? We don’t have it at home to read, so we have to take what we hear on Sabbath and think about it, meditate on it, speak of it, and sort of chew on it - just like the sheep, the goat, and the cow chew on their food.”

For them, the clean animals might be a daily reminder of the way in which they should delight in and meditate on the law of the Lord.

So, meditation is pondering, muttering, and chewing on God’s word. But this challenges us to ask another question…

Why is meditation important?

Just as hydrating our bodies has both preventative and productive benefits, so too does meditating on God’s Word.

First of all,

Meditation prevents…

several things.

Meditation prevents falling into sinful ways

Think about the person that is contrasted in Psalm 1. The blessed person does not

walk in the counsel of the wicked - moving, passing by, intentionally intercepting their counsel. Wickedness has a sort of enticing allure. There is something that, in our flesh, we want to see, learn about, understand. The person who is blessed of God, does not intentionally walk into places where they can be influenced by wickedness.

Nor does this person…

stand in the way of sinners - Notice the progression from movement (walking) to being stationary. In other words, the blessed person is not intentionally placing himself or herself in a place where sinners are in order to be influenced.

Nor does this person

sit in the seat of scoffers - in other words, resting, residing, sitting down, getting comfortable

When we meditate on God’s laws on his instructions, on his word, we are choosing to be influenced by his word. We are choosing to associate with God and his ways rather than the world and its wicked ways.

But in addition to preventing us for falling into sinful ways, when prompting us to respond to God’s call for salvation...

Meditation prevents eternal destruction

After talking about the blessed person being like a fruitful tree, the Psalmist writes

Psalm 1:4–6 ESV

The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Notice, the Psalmist here refers to a judgment. I think that when we truly meditate on God’s law - we get to see His holiness and justice. We get to see His goodness and grace. We get to see his love and forgiveness. We get to see that as God is calling us into a relationship with him, he is calling us to live his ways - not because he doesn’t want us to have fun, but he wants us to be holy. Ultimately, our holiness comes through Jesus Christ. Jesus fulfilled all of the requirements of the law that we never could. Jesus demonstrated the life that we are called to live.

Friend, if you’re not yet a follower of Jesus, if you’ve not yet trusted Him as your savior, then take a moment to meditate and reflect on His goodness and love. John 3:16 ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Ponder your own sinfulness - Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Repent of your sin, turn and trust in Jesus Christ as your savior. Believe, be baptized, be saved!

In addition to preventing those things,

Meditation produces…

A fruitful life

Again - this is not simply any kind of meditation, but meditation on the law of God or on his instructions.

The Psalmist goes on to describe the life of the blessed person who delights in God and His word:

Psalm 1:3 ESV

He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

growing deep roots and broad, strong branches to produce fruit

strength to withstand storms of life - storms will come

In addition to producing a fruitful life, it seems that a life that is marked by meditation on God’s Word will find that the process of meditation removes spiritual toxins/becomes a sort of filter for our souls - in other words - Meditation produces…

Holiness

Meditation on God’s instructions and precepts reveals areas in our lives where we may not be as holy as we could be. It should reveal areas where we have set up false idols, where we are trusting in our own strength more than in God’s, where we rely on our wisdom, rather than his, where our affections are misdirected.

Our lives fully belong to God - not just what happens when we gather. Every breath, every thought, every action, every intention has been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Every part of who we are is intended to be sanctified or holy. That will take time. Meditation on God’s word helps us to see where there are inconsistencies.

As I was studying this passage and began to look into some of the dietary laws, I ran across a comment from Derek Tidball - p. 141-142 in his commentary on Leviticus that I found very interesting. He writes…

Their God was holy and he required them to mirror his holiness in the way in which they lived. Holiness was never presented to them as an abstract ideal. It was always an ‘attainable reality’ that dealt with the ever-present routines of daily life. Holiness encompassed the whole of life. It impacted what went on in the kitchen, the maternity room, the sickroom and the bedroom as much as what went on in the sanctuary. A God whose presence was felt in the kitchen was not a God you could marginalize, keep confined to a compartment of life marked ‘spiritual’, or serve only at special times designated for worship. He was a God who reigned over the totality of life and was to be served at all times and in all places.

For the people of Israel, everything about their lives became practical reminders or means of meditation on God and His holiness and the holiness to which they had been called. When Jesus stepped onto the scene, he fulfilled all that those laws expected on our behalf and gave us His Spirit to dwell within us and now we have His Word as a guide:

Psalm 119:11 ESV

I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Not only does meditation produce a fruitful life and holiness, but the result of meditation on God’s Word and our appropriate response results in…

A relationship with God

The Psalmist writes in the last verse that Yahweh “knows the way of the righteous.” Now, God knows all things. He sees all things. This verb “knows” has also been translated “watches over” or “guards.” When we have put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, we are sealed with Him for Eternity. He guards us for eternity. Satan may attack and hurt us, but he will not, he cannot destroy us.

But more than that, as someone who has responded to the Gospel of Jesus, you and I get to walk with God. We get to converse with Him, interact with Him, delight in Him. We get to know him and be known.

So, we’ve seen that Meditation is a sort of spiritual hydration - bringing the nutrients of God’s word into our souls. We’ve discussed what it is and why it’s important. Let’ conclude by considering some…

Methods of meditation

There are so many different ways that we can meditate on God’s Word. It may involve journalling. It may involve reading and memorizing. It may involve singing or speaking aloud. Over the course of our lives, it may require a variety of these things. I know for me, it’s easy to get into a rut and become stale. You and I may have to change plans from time to time.

Because you are uniquely created by God and have a unique relationship with Him, you may find that you’ll have to…

Chart your own course:

Now, this is not to say that you just do anything. Meditation is rooted in God and His Word. So in charting your own course, read the word - prayerfully, carefully, and slowly - asking God to peak your interest on something - and then reflect on that through the day. Grab a study Bible - read the comments. Look up the cross references.

Set your spiritual gaze on God and navigate your soul in His direction. Plant the tree of your life near the living springs of His word and let your roots dive deep and soak up all that God’s spirit is leading you to.

If you’d like a more structured plan, you might want to…

Follow M.A.P.S. :

When Zack, Mel, and I were at the Cross Conference a couple of weeks ago, David Platt shared this plan. Over the last several days I have been thoroughly enriched by this. MAPS essentially stands for Meditate/Memorize, Apply, Pray, Share.

Meditate

As you read scripture consider journaling thoughts - looking up cross reference, thinking through (example of reading this passage) - then mutter on this - verbally ruminate on the words throughout the day.

Apply

Write down or think about some implications/applications of what you’ve read.

P.R.A.Y

Even in this, Platt suggested an acronym for prayer.

Praise - praise God for who he is, for His word, for what you’ve read, and what he has revealed

Repent - in light of what the Spirit has brought conviction of through the Word, repent of your sin. As I meditated and processed through this passage, I found that I had to repent of ways that I have been more inclined to consider the counsel of the wicked in what I listen to.

Ask - this is where you might ask for something personally from God in light of what you’ve read and what your meditating on. This is also where you could pray for others in light of this. Praying, for example from this passage, that this person might long to meditate and delight, that God would produce fruit in and through them.

Yield - in light of this passage, adjust your way to His. Commit to follow through with what God is bringing mind or change.

Share

Talk about it with someone - at home, at work about what you’ve read. Maybe it’s around the dinner table or on the drive to school or at work. You may have noticed over the last couple of weeks that we are concluding the service with the Shema. My hope is that this will remind us to not simply walk in God’s ways alone but to bring others along as we talk of them at any time. That God’s word and ways would be on the forefront of our minds, would guide what we do with our hands, would mark our homes. The Pharisees in the NT would fulfill some of this passage by putting a small box of scripture that would dangle from their headgear. They would bind a leather strap to their arms when praying. They would put a small cylinder of Scripture on their doorposts. I’m not saying we should do those things, but I do think God’s word should be shared in such a way through our lives that it can be seen. (Dt. 6 - reference)

Closing thoughts

Our souls need God’s Word in the same way that our bodies need water. May we have a deep desire to find that spiritual hydration through meditation as we delight in God and his word. May we experience the fruit that he promised in our lives.

Let’s pray.

Benediction

Deuteronomy 6:4–9 ESV

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Questions for Discussion and Meditation:

Read: Psalm 1

In Psalm 1:1-2, how do the commands to not walk, stand, sit relate to the charges to delight and meditate?

How do walking, standing, and sitting relate to each other?

Why does hydration become a good metaphor for meditation? (verse 3)

How do the outcomes of the blessed person and wicked person relate to their actions? (vs. 3-6)

Kid’s Connection Questions: The children are working through the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20). This week, they are looking at the command to have no idols and are referencing 2 Kings 23 and the reforms of King Josiah.

What was the problem in Israel at the time of King Josiah?

What did King Josiah do?

What are some idols that we might be tempted to worship today?

What should we do about those?

Sources:

Piper, John. Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist. Sisters, OR. Multnomah, 2003.

Piper, John. Providence. Wheaton, IL. Crossway, 2020.

Reeves, Michael. Delighting in the Trinity: An Introduction to the Christian Faith. Downers Grove, IL. InterVarsity Press, 2012.

Tidball, Derek. The Message of Leviticus: Free to Be Holy. Edited by Alec Motyer and Derek Tidball. The Bible Speaks Today. England: Inter-Varsity Press, 2005.

Torrey, R. A. The New Topical Text Book: A Scripture Text Book for the Use of Ministers, Teachers, and All Christian Workers. New, revised and enlarged edition. Chicago; New York; Toronto: Fleming H. Revell, 1897.

Whitney, Donald S. Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. NavPress, 2014.

Whitney, Donald S. TEN Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health. NavPress, 2001.

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/the-importance-of-hydration/#:~:text=Drinking%20enough%20water%20each%20day,quality%2C%20cognition%2C%20and%20mood.