Untitled Sermon

GIMEL

📷 GIMEL Psalm 119:17-24

📷 The picture is the foot of a man. The Hebrews were always on their feet for traveling, working, moving. Meaning: Gather, Walk. The Lord supplies through His Word

“Honoring the Word of God in a Hostile World.”

THEME

The opposition sits and slanders the psalmist, but he keeps his mind focused on the word of God (119:23). This ability to focus in the midst of the most severe affliction is found throughout the entire psalm. Watch for it.

SHORT OUTLINE

A. His Opening Prayer 119:17-19

B. His Passionate Desire 119:20

C. His Faithful Persistence 119:21-24

HIS OPENING PRAYER 119:17-19

Prayer that is Positive in Nature 119:17-18

Prayer for God’s Bounty 119:17

“Deal bountifully with Your servant, that I may live and keep Your word.”

Deal Bountifully

How did the psalmist know he could ask God to be bountiful? How could he be sure God would even entertain such a request? He could make such a request because of historical precedent. God was known for dealing bountifully with men (Psalm 13:6, 116:7). Since God had been bountiful in the past, the psalmist could expect Him to do the same in the present.

Your servant. For the first time in this psalm, the writer gives himself a descriptive title—“Your servant.” This is the only title he gives himself. It is found in 119:17, 49, 65, 76, 84, 91, 122, 124, 125, 135, and 140. The chief characteristic of a servant is obedience to orders. Since Psalm 119 is all about the Word of God, the sole issue for the believer is obedience to it.

That I may live

The expression that I may live occurs four times in this psalm and describes life at its fullest. An examination of each reveals—

The full life depends upon the abundance of God (Psalm 119:17).

The full life depends upon the grace of God (Psalm 119:77).

The full life depends upon the truth from God (Psalm 119:116). ·

The full life depends upon the wisdom from God (Psalm 119:144).

Prayer for Insight 119:18

“Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law.”

The verb open is an intensive form. It means open my eyes widely—20/20 vision please! The petition assumes that human insight is not sufficient to perceive truth clearly.

The term that I may behold is a causative stem. He desires that God will cause him to see wonderful things from the word of God.

Wonderful things do not merely refer to things that amaze, but to things that are extraordinary. It contains things that cannot be discovered by human reason (I Corinthians 2).

Prayer that is Negative in Nature 119:19

“I am a stranger in the earth; do not hide Your commandments from me.”

The word stranger refers to people with no inheritance rights— transients. The believer’s pilgrim state calls upon him to attach himself to that which is eternal.

What does it mean for God’s commandments to be hidden? The context supplies the answer. It means hidden to one’s understanding. The psalmist is asking for enlightenment.

HIS PASSIONATE DESIRE 119:20

“My soul is crushed with longing after Your ordinances at all times.”

The word longing is found three times in the Old Testament, and all are here in Psalm 119:20, 40, and 174. What does it mean to have a crushed soul? In English idiom, being crushed refers to disappointment. This is not the idea in the Hebrew expression. It refers to intense longing. The consistency of the longing is expressed by the words at all times.

HIS FAITHFUL PERSISTENCE 119:21-24

In Resisting Human Viewpoint 119:21-23

“Thou dost rebuke the arrogant, the cursed, who wander from Thy commandments. 22Take away reproach and contempt from me, for I observe Thy testimonies. 23Even though princes sit and talk against me, Thy servant meditates on Thy statutes.”

Of the Arrogant 119:21-22

The arrogant are described by two participles, “ones being cursed” and “ones wandering.” Their destiny is described by the word cursed, and their conduct is described by the word wandering. Arrogant ones are referred to in 119:21, 51, 69, 78, 85, and 122.

The verb take away is literally to roll away. This pictures the psalmist under a great burden that needs to be removed. He needs a load taken off his shoulders.

The word reproach means taunt and is used in Nehemiah 4:4 of the taunts directed toward the Israelites who were trying to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. This might mean this psalm was written during post-exilic times.

The reproach and contempt spoken of here is not divine discipline but persecution from those who detest God’s truth. We live in Satan’s cosmos, and to assert the truth of God’s word is to ensure that one will be ridiculed in a thousand different ways. He was being taunted because he was observe(ing) Your testimonies. He could have caused the affliction to go away if he had stopped asserting God’s truth. However, he did not choose to put comfort above principle. Holding to God’s word is never comfortable and easy.

Of the Critics 119:23

Princes refers to officials, rulers, leaders, and dignitaries of all sorts. The word sit denotes an official gathering. The psalmist’s proclamation of God’s Word was so forceful that his opponents found it necessary to call a formal session to discuss him!

In Embracing Divine Viewpoint 119:24

“Your testimonies are also my delight; they are my counselors.”

While this slanderous talk was going on, what did God’s servant do? He occupied himself with God’s word—he ignored the opposition. They were not allowed a place in his thoughts.

The verb meditate denotes total occupation. I Kings 18:27 illustrates its meaning. Elijah had challenged the prophets of Baal to a contest to see whose God would listen to their prayers. When their god did not respond to their prayers, Elijah taunted them saying, “...either he (their god) is occupied (our word meditate) or otherwise unavailable.”

God’s word is the psalmist’s delight. This word is used five times in Psalm 119. In each case it serves as a buffer against pressure and affliction. See it in 119:24, 77, 92, 143, and 174.

Over against the princes gathered in counsel against him stands his “staff of advisors” called my counselors, or literally “the men of my counsel.”