Psalm 119: Introduction, Part 1

I am setting out on what looms before me as a gargantuan task. I would like to devote these meditations to a verse by verse consideration of Psalm 119. Psalm 119 is one of my favourite things in the Bible to read and think about. It is the longest psalm in the Bible. It is generally believed that David is the author of this psalm, although his name does not appear in connection with it as it does others of the psalms. The theme of this psalm is the written revelation of God to man, which is elsewhere called the scriptures and which we call the Bible. This written revelation is called by ten different names in this psalm. It is called God’s law, His commandment(s), His word(s), His way(s), His judgment(s), His precepts, His statutes, His testimony or testimonies, His righteousness, and the truth.

I am aware that some of the members of the congregation I serve have the excellent exposition of Psalm 119 written by Charles Bridges. If you do not have this book, I heartily recommend it. While I will doubtless quote Mr. Bridges in these meditations, I do not intend to merely rehash what he has already written. These will be my insights into these marvelous verses garnished with insights of other writers in just the same way as I do in all of my preaching and writing.

Psalm 119 consists of 176 verses divided into 22 sections of eight verses each. Each of the 22 sections is marked off with one of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet beginning with the first letter aleph and going through the alphabet in order thus concluding with the last letter tau. Not knowing Hebrew, I cannot personally vouch for what I am about to say, but I have read that each verse of each section begins with the Hebrew letter that marks that respective section. This would doubtless have facilitated memorization and recall of the verses by the Hebrews.

The author of this psalm records a variety of experiences, emotions, and frames of mind in which he found himself. There is something in this psalm to speak to you wherever you are in whatever condition you may be. In this psalm we find the author experiencing the full range of human emotions. He felt joy (v. 162), peace (v. 165), longing (v. 20), fear (v. 120), horror (v. 53), sorrow (v. 136), grief (v. 158), anguish (143), and aversion (v. 163). At times he felt jubilant, enriched, and comforted (vs. 14, 162, 50, 52) while at other times he felt faint and withered, and wondered when he would be comforted (vs. 81-83). His varied emotions and frames of mind mirror our own. And yet the psalmist processes all of these experiences through the word of God. It is obvious from the psalm that the author’s relationship with God was grounded in and experienced through the word of God. Our relationship with God is also experienced through the written word of God, if that relationship is as it ought to be. If you think you are maintaining a healthy fellowship with God and yet you are neglecting your Bible, you are sadly deceived.

When one considers what the word of God provides, one can understand why the psalmist would process his varied experiences and emotions through it. According to this psalm, the written word of God provides us with blessedness (v. 2), honour (v. 6), cleansing (v. 9), delight, (v. 24), counsel (v. 24), answers (v. 42), freedom (v. 45), hope (v. 49), comfort, (v. 50), quickening (v. 50), songs (v. 54), riches (72), wisdom (v. 98), sweetness (v. 103), understanding (v. 104), guidance (v. 105), heritage (v. 111), truth (v. 142), peace (v. 165), and help (v. 175). What more could we want?

With the exception of verses 1-3 and verse 115, every verse in Psalm 119 is a prayer. Here is a collection of 172 short prayers that we can adopt. The psalmist’s life was so centered in the words of God that his prayers were for the word of God that he might learn it, obey it, and be helped by it. How much richer our spiritual lives would be if we prayed as much for our relationship to the word of God as we do for other things! Writing what others have said of this psalm, Matthew Henry said: “He that shall read it consistently, it will either warm him or shame him.” Doubtless we will find that true as we consider it together.

From what we have observed thus far, it may be said that the major theme of this psalm is verbal communication with God.

Communicate – To give to another as a partaker; to give a share of; to impart, confer, transmit. spec. To impart (information, knowledge, or the like); to impart or convey the knowledge of, inform a person of, tell.

By means of prayer we communicate with God. We tell God about ourselves, our problems, our wants, and what we are doing. We share ourselves with Him, both the good and the bad. By means of the Holy Scriptures God communicates with us. He tells us about Himself, what He is like, what He does, and what He requires of us. Such communication is indispensable to healthy relationships on a human level between spouses, families, brethren, and friends. And such communication is equally indispensable to a healthy relationship with God. This Psalm will teach us how to maintain communication with God.

Writing of this Psalm Charles Spurgeon said:

“It is loaded with holy sense, and is as weighty as it is bulky. Again and again have we cried while studying it, ‘Oh, the depths!’ Yet these depths are hidden beneath an apparent simplicity, as Augustine has well and wisely said, and this makes the exposition all the more difficult. Its obscurity is hidden beneath a veil of light, and hence only those discover it who are in thorough earnest, not only to look on the word, but, like the angels, to look into it.”

As I dive into these verses I fully expect to also cry, “Oh, the depths!” And as I pore over them, I shall keep an eye out to behold the Lord Jesus Christ as He is certain to show Himself here as in all the other Scriptures. For He said:

John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

Next time, God willing, we shall continue to take an overview of this psalm by considering the definitions of the various words it uses for the scriptures. In the meantime, I hope this introduction will whet your appetite for a more in-depth consideration of this psalm. Do earnestly pray God’s blessing upon me as I attempt to walk you through this sacred ground. I trust through God that these meditations may prove a blessing to you.

According to Thine Anger

For my daily Bible reading I have been going through the book of Ezekiel. Today as I was reading chapter 35 I was struck by the following verse:

Ezekiel 35:11 Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will even do according to thine anger, and according to thine envy which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them; and I will make myself known among them, when I have judged thee.

In this passage God is pronouncing judgment against the nation of Edom because of their hatred and mistreatment of the nation of Israel. Although Israel had sinned against God and was being judged by Him, Edom had no right to take advantage of this against Israel. Israel may have sinned, but they were still God’s people and their enemies would have done well to remember that instead of adding to Israel’s calamities. Edom was angry against Israel and envious of them. We are here told that this anger and envy proceeded out of their hatred against them. There was obviously something about Israel that made Edom feel threatened so that they were glad to have an advantage against them. Now this verse in Ezekiel is a tremendous commentary on the psychology of fallen man.

Anger and envy are the effects of hatred. Charity or love stands in sharp antithesis to hatred. We are told in 1 Corinthians 13 that “charity envieth not…is not puffed up…is not easily provoked.” When anger and envy are the controlling emotions, charity is definitely not being exercised. Rather, hatred is at work bringing forth its evil fruit of anger and envy.

Consider the definition of envy.

Envy - Malignant or hostile feeling; ill-will, malice, enmity; The feeling of mortification and ill-will occasioned by the contemplation of superior advantages possessed by another.

If you hate someone, you will feel ill-will at any advantage you perceive that person has over you, whether that advantage be strength, beauty, knowledge, wealth, position, goodness, or authority. Conversely, if you envy someone this will lead to hatred of them, which will in turn only cause more envy against them. And, of course, envy and hatred will breed anger.

Now the thing in our passage that arrested my attention is that God told Edom: “I will even do according to thine anger, and according to thine envy which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them.” In other words, God would deal with Edom as they dealt with Israel. Whenever you hate someone and are angry against them, ask yourself these questions: “How would I like it if God felt toward me like I am feeling toward that person?” “What if God treated me like I am treating that person?” Sound frightening? It should!

So if you are indulging anger, envy, and hatred against someone, you had better repent of these sins, fleeing to the Lord Jesus Christ for mercy and forgiveness, and seeking grace to overcome them. Whatever personal insecurities and fears you may have, they can be resolved in a submissive, obedient relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. They cannot be resolved by anger, envy, and hatred. In her book Ten Stupid Things Men Do to Mess Up Their Lives¸ Dr. Laura Schlessinger had the following interesting thing to say about anger:

“When you draw on your anger strength instead of your vulnerability strength you create your own minefield to dance through. First of all, anger isn’t really strength; its defensiveness, fear, uncertainty, immaturity, and hurt posing as something seemingly strong – and additionally, it’s only temporary. Criticism, yelling, and violence are ultimately poor, ugly, immoral, and illegal substitutes for inner strength. Vulnerability strength is the willingness to face personal shortcomings and fears (real or otherwise), and in so doing to gain the ability to get and be better.”

From a Christian perspective, we can overcome anger, envy, and hatred when we face our own personal sins and weaknesses through repentance and find forgiveness, healing, and strength in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let these verses admonish you regarding the danger of the sins of anger, envy, and hatred:

James 1:20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

Job 5:2 For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.

Proverbs 14:30 A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.

1 John 2:11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

1 John 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

Observe in these verses that anger, envy, and hatred are sinful, physically and psychologically destructive, spiritually blinding, and eternally damning. They are not to be trifled with. God forbid that He should deal with us according to our anger and according to our envy which we use out of our hatred against others. Repent and turn to the Lord for pardon so that it may be rather said of you:

Psalms 103:10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

Without Carefulness and Without Distraction

Yesterday I brought an extremely important message to our congregation about the dangers of our modern age of technological advancement. We live in an age characterized by “the information explosion.” I pointed out that we have become a nation that is addicted to noise, constant contact, and instant information. All of this tends to crowd and overcharge the mind with the result that our love for the Lord Jesus Christ weakens or waxes cold, to borrow the language of our Lord in Matthew 24:12. I taught the church yesterday that Paul prophesied in 1Timothy 3:1-7 of perilous times in the last days. The men of these times “shall be lovers of their own selves” and “lovers of pleasures more than of God.” The love of God will definitely not be the most dominant influence in men’s lives. What I find alarming is that these times when the love of God will be suppressed, information will be exploding. During these days men shall be “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” There will be so much information available to learn, and yet with such a plethora of information there will be little arrival at truth. This led me to warn the church to keep the strictest guards on all the modern gadgets and entertainments that vie for the attention of our minds so that our love for God does not become choked by “cares and riches and pleasures of this life” (Luke 8:14).

There is a very relevant passage that I did not include in yesterday’s sermon that contains the two prepositional phrases in the title of this meditation. It is 1 Corinthians 7:29-35.

1 Corinthians 7:29 But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;
30 And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;
31 And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
32 But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:
33 But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.
34 There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
35 And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.

Let’s define the two nouns that I have italicized in this passage.

Carefulness – The quality of state of being careful. Solicitude, anxiety, concern. Heedfulness, vigilance, attentiveness, exactness, caution.

Distraction – A drawing or being drawn asunder. The drawing away (of the mind or thoughts) from one point or course to another; diversion of the mind or attention.

In the context of Paul’s admonition, carefulness refers to having things to care for.

To care for – to take thought for, provide for, look after, take care of.

If one is careful or full of care, he has a lot of things to care for. Therefore, to be without carefulness is to have fewer things to care for or to look after. The fewer things one has to look after, the fewer things there are to cause distraction, fewer things that draw the mind and thoughts away from what they should be focused upon. That is why I stressed in my message the necessity for stepping back from the rush and racket of our fast-paced life and considering our ways. How many activities do we do and how many things do we possess that needlessly clutter our lives and cause distraction? And make no mistake about it! Nothing pleases our adversary the devil more than to have our minds and thoughts so drawn away to other things, that we have difficulty focusing when it comes to attending upon the Lord.

In the passage we are considering Paul lists several things such as having a spouse, weeping, rejoicing, buying, possessing, and generally using the world. All these things he listed are certainly lawful and may be used. But he warns against their being abused. When these things so occupy our minds that they come ahead of the Lord and those things which He commands of us, then we have abused them. It is a great blessing to have a spouse. “Marriage is honourable in all” (Hebrews 13:4). But when the spouse is cared for ahead of the Lord, then the spouse has become a distraction. If you have time and money for cable television, movies, computer games, sports, internet surfing, vacations, or whatever; but you set aside little or nothing to give to God, you never crack a Bible, or you scarcely pray, you are not attending upon the Lord without distraction. No relationship, no grief, no pleasure, and no possession should ever be allowed to so claim our attention, that God’s interests get shoved into the background.

We would all do well to seek out ways to simplify our lives and eliminate cares so that we may attend upon the Lord without distraction. If something you are using is claiming too much attention, then cut it back or cut it out. I know whereof I speak. God willing, I will be hosting a day of prayer in my home in two days. Today I had a chance to go and do something that I very much enjoy, and when I say “very much” I mean very much. But I feared that engaging in this fun today might take too much out of me. I believe I need to rest up and orient my thoughts toward attending upon the Lord that day without distraction. Therefore, I declined the opportunity. Although this is displeasing to the flesh, I know I have made the right decision. This is just a tiny example of the kinds of decisions we sometimes ought to make so that, as Paul says, we “may attend upon the Lord without distraction.”

If it pains you to part with things to simplify your life or to eliminate distraction, then remember something I said yesterday in my sermon: We profess to be followers of One Who never owned a home and, when He needed an ass, He borrowed one. May God bless this meditation to your soul and to His glory. Amen.

Unsolicited Advice

Are you one of those people who spend advice freely even when it is not asked for? You mean well. Whenever you hear of a problem, you want to fix it. You want to help people because you care. But have you ever noticed that very often your advice is not followed? The reason for this is likely because your advice was not sought in the first place. You just gave it anyway.

Solomon, the wisest of men, teaches us that it is a wise man who will take advice.

Proverbs 1:5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

Proverbs 9:9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

But the reason a wise man will so readily receive advice is because he seeks it!

Proverbs 15:14 The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness.

Proverbs 18:15 The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

Our Lord also taught that it is the seeker that finds.

Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

In fact, our Lord likened the kingdom of heaven to a man seeking goodly pearls and finding “one pearl of great price.”

Matthew 13:45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Here is an interesting verse in this connection:

Proverbs 20:5 Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.

There are people who are not free with their advice. They keep their advice deep down within them. But a man of understanding who wants to learn will find ways to draw that counsel out of them. It may take some time and probing, but he will not pass up good counsel if he thinks it is to be had. He will make an effort to draw it out. A man of understanding will leave no stone unturned in his effort to get answers.

While a wise man will seek counsel, a fool and a scorner will not only not seek advice, they will despise and reject it when it is given.

Proverbs 1:22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:…
30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

Proverbs 15:12 A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise.

It has been said that when there is a student, there will be a teacher. One must have a desire to learn before he will learn. A man is not as likely to follow advice that he is not looking for. I know I have spent a lot of time advising people on how to handle a problem and my advice has not been followed. But when I think back on it, when the person told me his/her problem, they did not ask for advice on how to handle it. They were just venting or complaining. They were not seeking a solution.

Now to be sure, sometimes we just want to talk about our problem. I have found that often in talking out a problem with a friend, as I bring the problem before him I am actually getting it out of me and in front of me so as to more objectively consider it. In so doing, I sometimes find the answer. That is one thing. But then there are times when we just want to complain because we want attention and sympathy or we want someone else to rescue us from something that is ours to deal with. This is not healthy. People who do this a lot should not be surprised if others avoid them. We only have so much sympathy to give to others before we become weary with the complaining. At that point we just want to tell that person something like this: “Look! This is the hand you have been dealt. Just deal with it.” And when you think about it, that isn’t bad advice. However, it is apt to be resented by a chronic complainer.

Sometimes the wisest thing to do is to step back and let the person with the problem suffer to the point where they genuinely want a solution. When they are ready for an answer, then they are more apt to seek it. And that is when your advice will do the most good.

So next time someone brings a problem to you, but does not seek advice, just listen and see if they come up with an answer. If they keep coming to you with the same set of complaints, ask the person if they are just venting or do they want a solution. That may just set them to thinking about what they are doing. When they ask for your advice, then meekly give it. If they insist on continuing to complain and you suspect that they will resent and reject any advice you attempt to give, you may just have to back off and leave them to their choice. Scripture will support such a decision.

Proverbs 9:7 He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.
8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

Proverbs 23:9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

In conclusion, a good suggestion is to be sparing and selective with your advice. If you would save yourself some time, breath, and frustration, it might be a good idea to withhold your advice until it is sought.

Having, Losing, and Regaining Pets

My computer is down this week. So I am composing this meditation on the computer at my local library. Thank God for libraries!

In our previous meditations we have looked at what the Scriptures have to say about having and caring for pets. We have also considered the grief that comes with losing a beloved pet. And we have addressed the question about pets and the afterlife. Although an animal possesses consciousness, its consciousness is strictly tied to its physical being and never acts independently of it. Therefore, when the body of an animal dies, its consciousness dies with it. So animals do not continue to exist after death as humans do. An animal has a soul, but it does not have an immortal soul. Its soul perishes with its body. This being the case, are pets then something we can only enjoy in this life? Are there no pets in the next life? These questions bring us to today's meditation in which we shall deal with regaining pets.

Recall from our first meditation that before the fall there was no hostility between men and animals. It is an effect of the fall that animals have a fear and dread of man that will cause them to either run away from man or fight back.

Genesis 9:2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.

Because of this fear and dread, animals need to be tamed if we are to make pets of them.

Now the Scriptures plainly teach that there will be animals in the world to come. In Hebrews 2 Paul writes of the world to come and that it will be in subjection to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 2:5 For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.
6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?
7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:
8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.
9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

In this passage the apostle is quoting the eighth Psalm and clearly applying it to the Lord Jesus Christ. In the world to come, which we see not yet, all things will be put into subjection to the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is crowned with glory and honour. Now the thing that is relevant to our meditation today is that animals are included in "all things" that will be in subjection to Christ in the world to come. This can be seen by looking at Psalm 8, which Paul was quoting.

Psalm 8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;
8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

In that world to come, also called a "new heavens and a new earth," there will be animals. All the animals there will be tame being in absolute subjection to the Lord Jesus Christ. No carnivores will be found among the animals. There will be no fear and dread of man, but there will be perfect harmony between all creatures. There will be beasts, but there will be no evil beasts. The following two passages speak clearly to this:

Isaiah 65:25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

Ezekiel 34:25 And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.

Our Lord gave us a sampling of His dominion over the animals at His first coming. On one occasion He ordered the fishes of the sea to a specific place so that they could be caught by his disciples and this after the disciples had "toiled all the night" and had "taken nothing" (Luke 5:4-6). On another occasion our Lord rode a colt "whereon yet never man sat" and there is no hint that the colt resisted in any way (Luke 19:29-36).

Now think of some beloved pet you have lost. I am thinking of my daughter's little gray parakeet Sugarbaby. Who is to say that when you arrive at your long sought home on the new earth, you might not encounter an animal that will be every bit as beautiful and sweet as the one you lost but only more so? I can imagine a little gray parakeet flying up to me and lighting on my shoulder jubilating the praises of its Maker. This little bird will be everything good that our little bird was and more. I'll rub my glorified nose on his cuddly, feathery breast as I enjoy this creation of God. The joy that this little bird will bring will be perfect, better than any joy our little pet brought us here. In a curious way that I cannot fully explain, I suspect that it will seem like I have reconnected to something I loved and lost awile. And there will never be the fear of losing him. But neither will we have the emotional weaknesses that we sometimes look to companions and pets to satisfy. For we shall be emotionally whole and eternally satisfied in a secure and abiding fellowship with God. We will be able to enjoy our pets as gifts of God without making little gods of them as some might do in this fallen world. We together with all creatures will live holily, happily, harmoniously, and peacefully basking in the light of God's radiant face forever and ever and ever. I can't wait! "Even so, come, Lord Jesus."