The Central Question of Psalm 119

Introduction to

is the giant of the psalter

is the full flowering of the kind of delight of God’s Word that is mentioned in .

In we see a full flowering of the kind of delight in God’s Word that is mentioned in Psalm 1

is probably the most popular of all the psalms.

Of course as i mentioned earlier that God’s law and God’s King are two central themes in the psalter and gives the fullest expression of the centrality of God’s law.

I want to give a little bit of time to some introductory matters so that we might better appreciate the masterpiece that we have before us in .

It is an acrostic psalm and what I mean by that is that every letter of the Hebrew alphabet is given its turn to introduce eight successive verses on the subject of God’s law.

1-8 aleph, all eight verses begin with this letter

9-16 beth

17-24 gimel

You will also notice in your study of that there are a variety of words that are used to describe or to refer to God’s Word, at least 8.

Law v.1

The parent verb means to teach (v.33) or direct. It reminds us that God’s revelation is not simply for interest but to direct us, it is given to us so that we might obey

Testimonies v.2

In this expression we are reminded that God’s revelation to us is dependable, the word of a faithful and true witness.

Ways v.3 (this one is debated)

This reminds us that there is a way that seems right to a man but it leads to death, God’s Word shows us the way that leads to life

Precepts v.4

This word speaks of instructions of procedures. The Lord has given His people clear instructions in His Word, He cares about detail and does not leave things like worship up to decide the best way to do these things.

Statutes v.5

With this word we are reminded that God’s law, His Word is fixed, they are set in the heavens and will not erased.

Commandments v.6

We are reminded that God’s Word is not a book of suggestions, but of orders, of commands and as Lord and Master He has every right to command and to expect obedience.

Ordinances/judgments v.7

Scripture is the standard given by the Judge of all Creation. One way we understand this word is that Scripture is the standard for fair and righteous dealing between man and man.

Word v.9

This is the most general term of all.

Word/promise v.11 and v.41

This is used to speak of God’s Word in general and particular promises that God has made.

I point these words out not to try to say that we need to make a big deal of the nuances of each Word but that though there are nuances to each word each word is simply another way of referring to the Scriptures

They are God’s Word to us, they are God’s promises that cannot be broken, the Scriptures are the Words of one that cannot lie, they are Divine statues that can never be changed.

And We see that the Scriptures are the delight of God’s people v.14-16

And We see that the Scriptures are the delight of God’s people v.14-16

And We see that the Scriptures are the delight of God’s people v.14-16

It is much better than anything this world can offer v.72

v.111, 127, 162

Not just a delight but a love for the Scriptures, a great desire for the Scriptures v.20, 40, 47

v.20, 40

There is a desire and a delight because the Psalmist knows that the Scriptures are

righteous v.7

wondrous v.18

unshakable v.89

dependable v.160

unshakable v.89

sweeter than honey, v.103

sweeter than honey, v.103

dependable v.160

You see the psalmist knew the sweetness of the scriptures and the benefit of the scriptures

The Scriptures bring freedom to One’s life v.45 (walk at liberty, or in freedom)

The Scriptures are a light in the midst of darkness v.105 (they give insight and understanding)

The Scriptures give life v.25, 50, 93

The Scriptures give stability and peace v.49-50, 89-92, vv.114-117

And the Psalmist knows his need for the Scriptures. was not written by a scholar sitting in the Ivory Towers. Instead it was written by a man who new the difficulties of life and especially the difficulties of life living as one of God’s people in a foreign land v.19

v.19

He knew the hatred of the wicked v.22-23, 95

He knew that life was a fight, a struggle v.54, 61, 153-154

Listen to the cry of the Psalmist v.145-152

And in the midst of the difficulties of life, in the midst of a foreign land, in the midst of darkness, in the midst of the hate and the pressure of the world we have a question raised by the psalmist toward the beginning of the psalm, this is the central question of the Psalm (only three other v.82 and 84) and that is what I want to spend the rest of our time on.

The central question for the Psalmist

The importance of this question, always applicable, Job asked the same question

Job 25:4 ESV

How then can man be in the right before God? How can he who is born of woman be pure?

, David prayed for this

The question is just as applicable today even though it is a question that is ignored in our day.

Psalm 27:11 ESV

Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.

How an a young man make his way prosperous

How can a young man make his way popular

How can a young man make his way pleasurable

But

How can a young man make his way pure?

That is considered a fools question.

The necessity of the question in that we are not naturally prone to purity.

We are unclean, we are sinful and we are prone to walk the way of sinfulness, to walk the way of impurity.

oh we should consider our way

oh that we would see the need to be pure

pure in my standing before God

pure in my walk before God

pure in my walk before man

Few things

There is only one who is pure before God.

1 Peter 2:22 ESV

He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.

1 Peter 2:21–23 ESV

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

We are only pure in Him

1 Corinthians 6:9–11 ESV

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

1 John 1:9 ESV

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

As those who are washed, made clean in Him, we are to seek to walk as He walked

1 John 2:6 ESV

whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

Those who know Him, those who have been purified by Him will want to walk in purity.

The Biblical assumption is that everyone who is a Christ follower will want to know the answer to this question, this question that seems crazy to the world is a question that resonates in the heart of the child of God.

The answer

Guarding it

what is the it, your way, your life, your thoughts, your affections, maybe one might say your heart

Proverbs 4:23 ESV

Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

Keep, guard, preserve, protect your heart, your way.

according to your Word

In other words God’s word must direct my thoughts, my affections, my feet, my hands, my mouth

In other words, your Word must direct me, it must guide me.

In other words, your Word must direct me, it must guide me or I will go into an impure path

A couple of things here brothers and sisters.

The Spirit inspired this verse because we need it.

We need to be reminded that it is God’s Word that directs us to purity and not

our thoughts

our opinions

etc....

Natural implication here is this, if we do not guide our way with God’s Word then we will not walk in purity.

When the word of God is not instructing, directing, leading, guiding then we are prone to wander off of the path of purity,

We are prone to lust, envy, gossip, backbiting, pride, and the list goes on and on

Simply put we cannot walk in purity, we cannot walk in a way that is pleasing to God brothers and sisters unless we are guarding our way with God’s Word.

Practical Application

What does guarding one’s way according to God’s Word look like?

If we are going to guard our way according to God’s Word then we must desire to obey His Word and we must delight in His Word.

I. We see this desire to obey God’s Word (v. 10-12)

a. seek the Lord with your whole heart,

expound upon seeking the Lord (His Word, prayer, His people)

expound upon whole heart

, He alone can keep you from wandering

He alone can keep you from wandering

And notice we are prone to wander, let me not wander, that is Lord if left to myself I will wander, I need you to keep me to protect me

b. store God’s Word in your heart that you can fight against sin

Stored up, treasured; like a gold miser storing up gold so also God’s Word is to be stored up in the heart

Without God’s Word stored up in the heart we do not have weapons to fight against the enemy when temptation comes.

Let me ask you, what do you store up in your heart? What do you treasure? We are all treasuring something in our hearts.

What do we tend to treasure and store in our hearts?

c. submit to the Lord’s teaching, He alone is blessed

Part of guarding our way according to God’s Word is understanding that we need to be taught

We do not know it all and we never will know it all

Teachable, (teach so that I might obey)

Hunger for knowledge

What do we naturally have a desire to obey?

We need to learn to pray in this way

II. Delight in God’s Word

v.13 and 14

V. Delight in God’s Word

I declare, there is this recounting, this declaring of God’s Word because of a delight in His Word

I really see in all of these last verses this delight in God’s Word

VII. Fix your eyes on God’s Word

VIII. Delight

declares it

delights in it

IX. Refuse to forget

meditates upon it

fixes his eyes upon it

delight

will not forget it

What do we tend to delight in?

What do we tend to declare? (you will sing the praises of the things your treasure)

What do you tend to meditate upon?

What do you tend to fix your eyes upon?

What do you cling to in your mind?