Psalm 119:41-48
Since the bible is God’s revealed word to us, we are to respond to it with love
and obedience.
I have been meeting with David for almost one month. On Tuesday evening, he shared with me some of his emotions. He was anxiously waiting for his release from prison next summer. He worried about what would happen afterwards, how his daughter is doing. He felt discouraged about life. He is not looking forward to work because he feels intimidated by the fellows there. Knowing that he is a Christian, they constantly and intentionally use foul language to irritate him. He is confused about what God is doing in his life.
Aren’t these also our emotional needs? Some of us may have come here feeling discouraged and depressed. We are frustrated at work, home and relationships. We don’t seem to see a way out of this present predicament.
What do we do when we find ourselves in such a state of mind? Do we pick up the phone and call a good friend? Make an appointment to see a counselor? Or indulge in TV, computer and food?
As we look closely at the passage we read earlier, we notice that the psalmist was also expressing some of his emotions. He too felt discouraged about his present situation. He wanted out. Facing his enemies, he lost sight and hope of the future. He felt trapped and found himself in a tight spot. What did he do then?
V41, “your word”, 42, “Your word”, 43, “your law”, 44, “your law”, 45, “your precepts”, 46, “your statues”, 47, “your commands”, and 48, “your decrees”. The psalmist repeatedly refers this as God's word, God's law, God's command. When he feels the burdens of life, he turned to God's word. These words are from God, therefore they are also truth, for God is truth. These words are never changing; they do not contradict themselves. There are times we may think some words are contradicting each other. But it is only because of our lack of understanding of its true meaning.
Whenever we read the bible, we remember that this is God's word. So what is its significance?
First, since this is a word from God, we are to take it seriously. I think of my roommate in Japan. Once in a while, when he received a letter, he would bring it to his desk, sat properly and began reading. Later I found out it was a letter from his father. Whenever he received a letter from his father, he took it very seriously.
The same with us. Since the bible is God's word to us, therefore we too take it seriously. We are to have a high view of the bible. We read and study it with a cautious attitude. When we preach the word, or teach it in Sunday school or in small group settings, our preparation is to be thorough. If our preparation is sloppy, it dishonors God's word.
Secondly, since this word is from God, we believe its content is true. When God says that he will forgive sins, we can know for sure that our sins will be forgiven completely. When God says he loves us, we know that we are being loved and accepted completely.
How does this truth, revealed from God, affect my daily living?
1. The word tells us of God's loving kindness.
V41, “may your unfailing love come to me, O Lord, your salvation according to your promise.” This love is God's covenant love towards men. When we read this word, we learn about God's unconditional and unfathomable love for us.
Rom 8:38-39, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” And then John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The bible tells us about God's love toward men.
So what does it mean to the Psalmist? In v41, he writes about God's salvation coming to him. He is looking forward to God's delivering him from his difficulties. He remembers God's love toward his people several hundred years ago when they were suffering in Egypt. He had compassion and delivered them from the hands of the Egyptians. Later, out of his love, he delivered the Israelites from their enemies. Now, the psalmist finds himself in some difficulties. He believes that God will also deliver him out of his present situations.
You see, the bible tells us of his great love toward us. Because he is a loving God, therefore I know he will deliver me out of my distressing and difficult situations. It is not because of my merits, for I have none before him. Nor does it depend on how much I try to love and please him. Because no matter how hard I try, I can never gain his love. His deliverance of me is entirely based on his love for me.
One time some one asked the well known theologian, Karl Barth, what about the Christian faith that deeply impressed him. After thinking for a little while, he said, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so.” The bible tells me of God's unconditional love for me.
2. The Word provides me with hope.
We live in a world full of frustration and confusion. We try to be a good person, yet we face one problem after another. We feel defeated and helpless with the relationships we find ourselves in. We don’t understand why all the accidents and sicknesses just keep coming at us like waves. We feel so hopeless. We want to give up. What do we do under such circumstances? We may resort to the daily horoscope. Others may go find a psychic or palm reader, hoping to hear something positive about the future.
What did the psalmist do when he found himself in distress? Vs43, “ I have put hope in your laws.” Again, he went back to God's word. It’s the word that will give him hope in a hopeless situation.
Rom15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Isa 55:8, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.” These words tell us that the holy spirit will give us hope. Hope in what? Again, in God's word. The words tell us that his thoughts are not our thoughts. His ways and thoughts are better and higher than ours. Even though I may not understand what is going on in my life, but he knows. This is my hope.
3. The Word provides us with Freedom. v45
V45, “I will walk about in freedom.” The word freedom literally means spacious ground. So the opposite is a tight spot. A place with little room for maneuvering, where we feel edgy, tense and nervous. When do we feel we are in a tight spot, being trapped? When others accuse us, causing us to feel guilty about ourselves. When we fail to meet others or our own expectations and standards. When we try so hard to gain others favor, love and approval. We are so afraid that our words may offend and hurt that important person in our life. If we ever live under such situations, we need to come and listen to God's word.
His words tell us that we don’t have to gain his approval and love, because he has already loved and accepted us. He has deeply loved each one of us.
His words tell us that when we fail, he is there to forgive us. You see, the basis of our forgiveness is not how hard we try to please him by doing the good works or trying to serve in the church. No, he forgives us because Jesus died on the cross for our sins.
His words tell us there is no need to be afraid of failure in life. Our value is not dependent on our performance or accomplishment. For each of us is made in his image. This is our intrinsic value.
When we listen to these words and take them to heart, we’ll begin to experience true freedom. We begin to stand and walk on a spacious ground. Jesus said, “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
We’ve seen how God's word can bring us hope and freedom in life. It fills some of our deepest emotional needs. His word is like the bread of our life. How then shall we respond to it? After citing all the good that God's word can be to him, the psalmist writes in v47, “ I delight in your commands because I love them.” Simply put, his response to God's word is to love them. How is this love expressed?
1. To study the revealed word. v45.
V45, “…for I sought out your precepts”. It means I study your words. Loving God's word is to be seen in our studying of its content. We read the bible and think through its meaning. We read other books, such as commentaries to help us understand what God has spoken. We come to Sunday school, bible study, so we can study God's word with other Christians.
2. To obey the revealed word. v44.
The psalmist did not just study the word, but obedience to it is also a very important part of his life. V44, “I will always obey your law, for ever and ever.” What a statement. He was committed to obey what he had studied. Study and obey can’t be separated. Ezra7:10, “For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.” Ezra devoted himself to three things: study the law, obey the law and teach the law.” Matthew 28:19, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…….” The disciples’ mandate is to teach God's word and to teach others to obey. Here again, we see learning, studying and obeying God's words are inseparable.
The same is true today. Whenever we study God's word, we are also committed to obey it. When we teach God's word, we are to show our students what and how to obey. Knowledge and obedience go hand in hand.
What happens when we obey God's word? Our lives will begin to change. Studying the word must lead to a change in how we live. If our lives are not changed, it means that we have not learned. If our students’ lives are not changed, it also means that we have not taught. The objective of any teaching and learning is to result in a changed life.
3. To meditate on the revealed word.
The psalmist studied and obeyed God's word. He also meditated on the word. In v48, “………and I meditate on your decrees.” To put the word in his heart. Think about them regularly.
Eastern meditation is about thinking nothing. If you can think about nothing, then you have arrived. But biblical meditation is very different. We don’t meditate on nothing. We meditate on God's word. In order to meditate, we need to read and memorize them.
4. Teaching others the Word.
Besides studying, obeying and meditating the word, there is also the teaching of the word. Ezra was determined to teach God's word to God's people. Paul reminded Timothy to preach the word in all seasons. Jesus directed his disciples to teach the world all that he had taught them.
This is also our responsibility to teach others. Recently many are talking about the challenges of the coming new century. Certainly there are many projects and programs we can launch. However, one characteristic of the new era is that people are not impressed by reason and logic, but by feeling, experience and relationship. It is rather subjective. If I can feel it, then its fine. If I experience it, then it is true to me. Yes, on the one hand we need to adjust our style of communication. But its still important for us to teach the objective word that has been revealed to us. Its true, not because we have experienced it, but because it is God's word.
In this passage, we see how God's word can address our emotional needs. His word reminds us of his unconditional love. Out of his love, he will deliver us from our difficult situations. He could change the situation, or he could make us stronger persons to overcome our circumstances. His love provides us with hope and freedom in our daily living. His word is our bread of life. Do we see what we are missing when we are ignorant of the word? We become emotionally and spiritually starved.
If we truly believe that the bible is God's word, then we may need to make some changes in our lives. Some may want to begin reading the bible on a daily basis. Others may want to come to church one hour earlier to attend Sunday school. How about bring the entire family to SS? If children do not come to Sunday School when they are young, where do they learn God's word? Well, if we decide to come to Sunday School in the morning, this will also require that we go to bed earlier on Saturday night. There are some radical adjustments to be made.
Some of us have been studying the word for a long time. Maybe this is time for you to consider teaching ss or leading a bible study. You see, studying, obeying and teaching are the triads of God's word.
Sunday September 12th, 1999, Rev. William Hsueh, Houston Chinese Church, Houston, Texas.