Zayin

Introduction:

What differentiates those who truly value the Word of God from those who do not?

Young people remain in the faith because they learn to value the Word of God.

Ever since the early 20th century, often the “Christian” answer is to say, we “don’t do” certain things.

A characteristic of 20th century Christianity has been articulating what we oppose.

The Bible relies primarily on positive statements and characteristics that differentiate God’s people from those who are not.

This morning we will focus on three: hope, comfort in affliction, and endurance.

We will see the connection between these characteristics and the Word of God.

Background: Many of the sections have taken the form of a request or indicate prayer is being made.

He prays for deliverance, but this is not a mere wish.

He refers to his obedience, but, this is neither a negotiation nor a complaint.

Hope = Confidence in God

We have learned, especially, in the last section that the Psalmist longs to see God fulfill a promise of salvation and deliverance for him.

Now, following the majority of introductions to this point (4/6), he expresses an entreaty to God.

He asks for the Lord to “remember your word to your slave.”

This is a genuine request because the adverse circumstances are real and urgent.

The promise the Lord has made him has shaped his whole perspective, his whole outlook.

According to TWOT 1:373, “yahal is used of ‘expectation, hope’ which for the believer is closely linked with “faith, trust” and results in patient waiting…This yahal “hope” is not a pacifying wish of the imagination which drowns out troubles, nor is it uncertain (as in the Greek concept), but rather yahal ‘hope’ is the solid ground of expectation for the righteous. As such it is directed towards God.”

Illustrate, perhaps with Ps. 130:7.

Comfort = God’s Life-giving Promise

The writer uses short, simple to understand statements here:

This (is) my comfort: the statement anticipates what is to come.

The comfort is needed because he is “in affliction.”

That your word (is) my life.

This something more relevant to his circumstances.

That promise, which forms the basis of his confident expectation provides consolation for him in his trouble.

We can see, yet again, another mirror of New Testament concepts.

Note 2 Corinthians 1: God is the God of all encouragement in affliction.

Endurance = Obedience in the Midst of Derision

Perhaps foreshadowing more strident observations to come, the Psalmist, here, describes his opponents as “the insolent.”

This is a plural term.

It refers to those who place little value upon God or his word, and thus, they live their lives in open rebellion against Him and it.

This insolence manifests itself in the real world by subjecting the Psalmist to scorn.

The word of God must be the cause of this.

Yet, he remains committed to living his life based on God’s law and is unaffected by ridicule or scorn.

Introduction (Part 2):

In part 1, we learned of two positive characteristics shared by the writer of the Psalm and all believers:

Certainty about the future.

Comfort or consolation based upon God’s person and word.

In part 2, we will examine the third characteristic we should share, and then, we will think about the contrast between the Psalmist’s reliance upon the Word of God and those who do not.

This had an effect upon the writer.

Memory and the importance of memory are two important points of emphasis in the scriptures.

Passover

Remembrance of the covenant between God and Abraham.

Remembering the Lord in the land (Dt. 6).

The thief on the cross: “remember me…”

The Lord’s Supper - memory.

Memory #1: Comfort from Stability of the Word of God

Playing on the idea of remembering, the Psalmist now gives one of two statements about what he “remembered.”

This statement, most likely, helps us to discern how he was comforted in his tribulation, and, more to the immediate point, why in the midst of derision he has not “stretched himself” away from God’s law.

He remembered “your judgments” from antiquity.

This could possibly refer to his long knowledge of the judgments of God.

More than likely, however, he means that he recalled those laws that God had given so long ago.

They not only retained value for him, but they provided his courage to endure in the face of adversity.

God’s word remains true across time and space, and time does not diminish their effectualness.

Indignation at God’s Word being Devalued:

While the Psalmist finds comfort in God’s word, it angers him to see it held in so little esteem by his contemporaries.

Note Jeremiah 6:8-19.

Malachi 1:11-13: characterizes a later generation.

Three Ways He Differed:

Jehovah’s statutes have been his songs.

We could understand this literally.

We might also understand this to be something akin to delight and/joy.

We should also not that he sees himself as a sojourner, not a permanent resident of this earth (Ps. 119:19 - seems to be a different meaning, referring to the limited time he has to learn the Word of God).

He remembers Jehovah’s name in the night.

Perhaps Ps. 42:8 provides some guidance to understanding the meaning.

The point seems to be that he consistently remembers the name of the Lord, that is his character and identity.

He views keeping the Lord’s precepts as a blessing (not a burden).

We should learn a lesson of humility from this last statement.

How fortunate are we to have the opportunity to learn and to obey God’s word!