Psalm 119:100

The word of God had given the psalmist the edge over his enemies and over all his teachers.  In today’s verse we see that it also gave him the edge over the ancients.

Psalms 119:100  I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.

That word ancients is a plural noun and refers to old folks.

Ancient – sb. An old or aged man; a patriarch.

The Hebrew word translated ancients is zaqen and is also rendered elders, aged, and old men.  So the psalmist was speaking of men who were older than he.  Nevertheless, he understood more than they.  The same was true of Elihu, the author of the book of Job.  Speaking of Job’s three friends, all of whom were older than he, Elihu wrote:

Job 32:4  Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder than he.

5  When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was kindled.

6  And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said, I am young, and ye are very old; wherefore I was afraid, and durst not shew you mine opinion.

7  I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.

8  But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

9  Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment.

10  Therefore I said, Hearken to me; I also will shew mine opinion.

As a rule, older people should have more understanding than young people.  They have had more years to learn, more experience to draw from.  Yet there are times when young people know more than their elders so that their elders would do well to listen to them.  I for one understand how Elihu felt.  I remember how hard it was for me to take issue with my revered grandfather on a point of doctrine on which he was clearly wrong.  Thank God he never fell out with me over it. In fact, I preached that doctrine in his presence one time and he publicly commended me.

If there is ever a choice between the understanding of years and the understanding of the Scriptures, always choose that of the Scriptures.  Matthew Henry’s comment on this verse is insightful:  “In short, the written word is a surer guide to heaven than all the doctors and fathers, the teachers and ancients, of the church; and the sacred writings kept, and kept to, will teach us more wisdom than all their writings.”

Now the way the psalmist came by this advanced understanding was by having the word of God ever with him, by meditating upon it, and by keeping it.  If you want to increase your understanding, you need the source of it, which is your Bible (the Authorized Version of 1611); you need to bestow focused thought upon your Bible, which is meditation; and you need to keep its precepts.  Our Lord put it this way:

John 7:17  If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

The more you do the will of God, the more knowledge and understanding you will have.  Years and years of reading and study will not yield the understanding that simple obedience will.  The Lord is far more honoured by practical wisdom applied daily than a head full of speculative knowledge.    

With a Bible that is studied, believed, and obeyed, young people do not have to wait for years of experience to gain understanding.  The book of Proverbs is written for the instruction of  “the young man” (Proverbs 1:1, 4).  If a young man will apply the teachings of that single book to his life, he will save himself from a lot of the misery that can come when one learns by experience.  Experience can be a slow and painful teacher.  Benjamin Franklin wrote:  “Experience keeps a dear school, yet fools will learn in no other.”  Thomas Manton pointed out that “our experience reaches to but a few things; but the word of God reacheth to all cases that concern true happiness.” 

Now if a man has spent many years studying the Scriptures and applying what he has learned to life by keeping its precepts, such a man is a valuable resource and his understanding a thing to be sought out.  For the rule is: “Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.”

Proverbs 16:31  The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.   

With today’s verse we have cleared 100 verses of this psalm.  We have just 76 to go.  Let me pause at this point and raise an “Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us” (1Samuel 7:12).