Psalm 119:17-32

Psalm 119:17-32

Both stanzas we are looking at tonight contain references to suffering. This suffering is the result of the Psalmist seeking to live according to the commandments of God.

Note verse 23- a plot by political rulers against the Psalmist.

Note verse 28 – sorrow that can be removed through the Word of God.

Sorrow is common to us all. We should have no problem relating to our text this evening.

1. The Psalmist wants to live so he can keep God’s word (17).

“Deal bountifully” There is nothing wrong with praying for things like:

A home

Savings

Good health

Abundance

As long as we realize we are the “servant” to the Lord and He is not the servant to us.

“that I may live” This could be a reference to what we see in verse 23. Perhaps he is praying that the Lord will allow him to live.

We should pray that the Lord gives us a long life.

“live” could also refer to the quality of life. We should pray that we live a Spirit filled life. We are not really living at all until we are saved. Christ promised abundant life of His followers. Therefore, praying for an abundance in our spiritual life is proper.

“and keep your Word” This should be our greatest desire. We should want to live so we can live for God. Is this your reason for living?

We may have many reasons to want to live:

Things we want to do

Place we want to visit

Relationships we want to enjoy (kids, grandkids)

There is nothing wrong with that. Ultimately we should want to live so we can honor God with obedience. Paul said he was ready to die but He said to live was Christ. In other words, if the Lord left him on this earth he wanted to live every moment for Jesus.

2. The Psalmist needs God’s Word because this world does not satisfy him (18-19).

There are two requests for God to reveal His Word in verses 18-19. Between those requests is a description of the Psalmist.

“I am a sojourner on the earth” In the NT Christians are called pilgrims (1 Pet. 2:11). We are strangers in this world. We don’t belong here. We belong in heaven. Until we make it we will feel out of place.

What does the pilgrim need in this world? He needs a letter from home. He needs to hear from His Father.

“Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of your law”

A few thoughts on this:

A) We need illumination to understand the Bible. “hide not your commandments from me.” Without the Spirit of God we will not comprehend Scripture.

B) The Bible contains wondrous things. These are things that fill us with wonder. All the Psalmist had was portions of the OT and they filled him with awe. What wondrous things are in the Bible?

God

Creation

God’s works

God’s grace

God’s power

C) The Bible is all we need to stand in awe of God.

“things out of your law”

We don’t need miracles. We have a book. When studied and understood the Bible will lead us to stand in awe of who God is, what He has done, and will do for us.

This world cannot satisfy us. We were created for God. We may drink from the wells of this world until they are dry. We will always find we are still thirsty. We need God to satisfy us with the wonderful things His Word promises us.

3. The Psalmist stands in contrast to the wicked (20-21).

“my soul is consumed” This is his greatest desire.

“longing for your rules at all times” He has a constant craving for the Word of God.

The wicked are the opposite. They wander from the commandments of God. They have no desire for them.

Desire is the distinguishing factor between the lost and saved. You can not make a lost person desire the things of God. Only God can change a heart.

A dead person has no appetite. Those dead in their sins have no appetite for the Word of God. This is why it is so important not to divorce the bible from Christianity. We know we have been saved because we love and desire God’s Word. Those who claim to love God yet reject his Word are deceived.

4. The Psalmist continues in the Word despite persecution (22-23).

Whoever the Psalmist was, he did not plan on pleasing politicians so he would be well received.

“Scorn and contempt” was upon him. He was spoken evil of. He was treated badly. He didn’t want this. He asked God to take it away. But he would not forsake the commandments to achieve peace.

“for I have kept your testimonies” We may have to choose between pleasing people and pleasing God when it comes to God’s Word. The scorn and contempt the Psalmist experienced appears to be the result of the Psalmists refusal to forsake the Word.

Will we stand on the Word of God when it leads to:

People hating us

People ridiculing us

Loss of a job/promotion

5. The Word of God is the Psalmists delight (24).

“your testimonies” = delight

“They are my counselors” No political counsel could take the place of God’s Word. The Psalmist was loyal to Scripture. He was bound by the Word of God.

Is Scripture our counselor? Is it where we look for:

Truth

Guidance

Clarity

Comfort

6. The Psalmist needs the strength of God’s Word to go on living (25-26).

In the past the Lord had strengthened him. Look at verse 25.

“When I told of my ways” He had prayed in the past.

“You answered me” God gave him the strength to live.

His present situation is:

“My soul clings to the dust” He feels as if he is already being laid into his grave.

“give me life according to your word” The Word of God is a great cure for depression. One can feel they cannot go on any longer and in a moment be revived and standing strong in the army of the Lord.

We should read Scripture as if God Himself is speaking to us. He is indeed. When you find yourself ready to give up open to the Psalms. Find Romans chapter 8. Read God’s Word and believe it.

God’s truth will always destroy Satan’s lies.

7. The Psalmist wants to know the depth of God’s Word (27).

“precepts” has to do with instruction. He asks to understand the Word. He wants to comprehend the things of God.

His motive is so he can meditate on the wondrous works of God.

Do you want to be preached at or do you want to learn the Bible?

How can we meditate on or talk about what we do not comprehend? I’m afraid that one reason many in the church do not talk much about God is they do not know much. They know enough to be saved. They know little more. This is why so many can be easily talked out of their faith.

The Bible says we should be prepared to answer questions about our faith. We should be able to share what we believe and why we believe it. Moralistic teaching has replaced verse by verse teaching because people would rather hear speeches than learn the Word.

The Bible is not an easy book to understand. We should pray as the Psalmist does to make us understand His Word.

8. The Psalmist knows that obedience to God’s Word combats sorrow (28-30).

“My soul melts away for sorrow” Sorrow is common for the believer. We may feel at times like we cannot go one. We can be captured by sorrow. The Psalmist again asks to be strengthened by the Word of God. This strengthening ensures he will continue in obedience ot the Lord.

“Put false ways from me” The believer is not immune to sin. The old master rises up and tries to teach us. He prays that the Lord would remove any desire to sin.

“I have chosen the way of faithfulness” Obedience is an act of the will. Prayer alone will not keep us from sin. We must set the rules of God before us.

Some sorrow we cannot help.

A loved one dies.

A disease comes.

Persecution, hatred, etc.

We can help the sorrow that comes from our own sin. Clinging to God’s Word in obedience will rescue us from the sorrow that conviction of sin brings.

9. The Psalmist makes a resolution to keep God’s Word (31-32).

“I will cling to your testimonies” In verse 25 he was clinging to the dust. Now he is clinging to the Word.

“let me not be put to shame”

This could be a request for God to deliver him from his enemies.

This could be a request for the Lord to keep him from the shame of sin.

The Christian will not ultimately be put to shame. The Word of God will prove to be true. In the end every knew will bow and every tongue will confess.

“I will run in the way of your commandments” There is nothing casual about his commitment to God’s Word. There is an eagerness and resolve like that of a runner in a race.

“when you enlarge my heart” This goes back to the idea of learning more about God. We should ask God to enlarge our heart so we can receive more of His truth. The more we know of Him the more we can:

Enjoy

Obey

Share

We ought to desire to know more so we can live more. We opened with the Psalmist asking the Lord to open His eyes to the Word. We close with the Psalmist asking the Lord to enlarge His heart so he can receive more of God’s Word. Those are two wonderful prayers we should pray.