Psalm 119:1-40 (He Has Given Us His Word, part 1)

The Blessing of Psalm 119 and the Value of God’s Word

All right, let's go to the Lord in prayer and begin to dig into His Word. God, we are so thankful this morning to have the Scriptures, but this morning we want to confess to You that we have undervalued Your Word.

We love Your Word, we know that You hold it up above Your name, and we have been transformed by Your Word, born again through the Word of Truth. You've saved us by this Word, and yet we don't recognize fully how valuable this gift really is.

It is more precious than gold, it is sweeter than honey, it is a lamp unto our feet. Lord, You speak to us. You are not silent, but You speak, and so we pray this morning that You would increase our love for Your Word.

Turn our eyes to the Scriptures and help us to listen for Your voice in the Scripture. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. What's the first thing that comes to mind when I say Psalm 119? I hear it, long, it's long.

Some of you would say, why couldn't you just pick Psalm 117? Look back in the Scriptures, you'll see that that is the shortest chapter in the Bible. But no, I had to go and pick Psalm 119, which is 176 verses long.

Daunting task. And so we will spread it out over the course of four weeks, and not try to tackle all 176 today. It would be a shame if after however many years you're given on this earth, and your final retirement comes, and you go before the Lord, and you have one thing to hold on to regarding Psalm 119, and the main thing that you knew was more or less Bible trivia, that Psalm 119 is long.

Wouldn't that be a shame? Because this is a treasure trove of truth. This should be light to our path for the course of our lives. I'd like us to change the way we think of Psalm 119. Not as that long Psalm in the middle of our Bibles.

If you let your Bible fall open, it's very near the center of the Scripture. But I want you to think of it more like you think of Ruth or James or Philippians. Do you realize that the book of Ruth, the book of James, and the book of Philippians are about the same length as this one chapter of the Bible?

And yet when we think of Ruth, when we think of Philippians or James, we're drawn to the amazing truth that's found there, that shaped the way we think. And the same is also true of Psalm 119. Now, another thing that most people think of if you've studied the Psalm at all, is that it's an acrostic.

You realize the 176 verses of Psalm 119 are following an acrostic that goes through the Hebrew alphabet, from Aleph to Tav. And so what the author of the Psalm does is he will use the first letter and write eight verses for that.

So eight verses, each of those verses start with the letter Aleph, the Hebrew first letter of the alphabet. By the way, if you're reading Hebrew, you need to read right to left instead of left to right.

The second letter is Bet, and verses 9 through 16, each one begin with that second letter of the alphabet. And it goes through this way, 22 letters, each one with eight verses that begin with that letter.

So that's how we get the total of 176. For you math whiz people, you can check that in your head. Eight times 22, 176. So why do you think this Psalm was laid out the way it was? Well, clearly it's a memory device.

The author of the Psalm wanted the Hebrew children growing up to learn each one of these verses, and many of them did. Some would memorize it all 176 and be able to recite that back to their parents, also for adults to do.

I find that this A to Z Bible memory is a very helpful tool. My parents taught me this, not using the Hebrew alphabet, although that would be pretty cool if anybody wants to go the extra mile and learn the Hebrew alphabet and teach Bible verses that correspond to each of those.

But I learned it A to Z in English. So A, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. B, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. C, children obey your parents and the Lord for this is right.

I could go A to Z, but I will spare you that because that would just be tedious. Be showing off, right? Yeah, we don't want to do that. So A to Z though, parents, I commend this method to you. It's a quick, good, easy way to teach your kids 26 Bible verses.

And it'll lock into their brain because that mnemonic, that acrostic locks in and kids are able to remember that. You guys can sing the ABCs, right? You learned that when you were kids? A, B, C. You still have that locked into your mind because you followed this method.

Well, the scriptures use it here. It also uses it in Proverbs 31, verses 10 to 31 is also the same acrostic. And you also see a similar thing in Lamentations. So this is a device for memory. A second very interesting observation from the 176 verses is that 173 of them, almost all of them, in some way reference the Bible.

The Bible is called the word or the law or statutes or precepts or rules. In each of these terms, we are understanding that the focus is on God's word. So 173 explicitly use a word for the Bible. And the three that don't, I think we'll see as we get to them in coming weeks, they imply the same.

But we'd be missing something if we stop there. Not only are 173 out of the 176 verses about the Bible, every last verse in this psalm refers to, by name or by pronoun, the God of the word. The God of the word is in every single verse of this psalm.

So, this psalm is kind of like a prayer. It is the heart of a believer in God whose God has spoken, now relating to God through the word. So you see a lot of me and my, and God is referred to you and your.

It's a prayer. I like the way David Paulson spoke about it from CCEF, the counseling ministry. David Paulson says Psalm 119 is a personal prayer. It's talking to, not teaching about. We hear what a man says out loud in God's presence.

His joyous pleasure, vocal need, open adoration, blunt requests, candid assertions, deep struggles, fiercely good intentions. We hear someone speaking to the God who speaks. Someone who needs the God who speaks.

Someone who loves the God who speaks. He says that Psalm 119 is torrential, not topical. It's like a torrential downpour that you're just getting soaked in the word of God. And then he asks the question, well, why this rigid structure of following Aleph to Tav, letter by letter, in this acrostic?

Well, he describes that as being like a cast iron crucible that contains and purifies and channels and pours forth the molten living gold. So, the structure of the Psalm gives it structure. It's like a cast iron crucible through which the gold of God's word flows to us.

He says Psalm 119 is the thoughtful outcry that rises when real life meets a real God. Good description of this Psalm. So, let's go to it. Everybody turn, if you will, in your Bible, if you've brought one, or you can find it on your phone if you haven't, to Psalm 119.

It's very important that we follow along with the Scripture because it's the word of God that speaks. What I have to say matters very little. What God has to say matters infinitely, eternally. So, Psalm 119, we're going to start with Aleph.

The Word Blesses the Doer

The word blesses the doer. Let's read it. The first eight verses. Who seek Him with their whole heart. Who also do no wrong, but walk in His ways. You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently.

Oh, that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes. Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. I will praise you with an upright heart when I learn your righteous rules.

I will keep your statutes. Do not utterly forsake me. So, beginning now in verse one, we'll comment through. Notice the first word of the Psalm is blessed. Blessed are those whose way is blameless.

Blessed.

What does it mean to be blessed? Well, it includes the concept of happiness, joy in the Lord. That's not based on circumstance, but that's set in God. And it's the good and gracious favor of God upon a person.

The opposite of blessed, of course, is cursed. Nobody wants to be cursed. We want to be blessed. And so, how can we live a blessed life? Well, there's books written about that. There's one by a famous author who I try to refrain my impulse to name names so often.

But this one is a famous guy who wrote a book called Your Best Life Now. Your best life now tells you how you can have your best life here and now. And I like how MacArthur describes that concept. John MacArthur says, if you get your best life now, that's not a good sign for your eternity.

If you go from best here to worst there, evidently, that would be hell. But if heaven awaits you on the other side, your best life is yet to come. That agrees with what James said in James 1 .12. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial.

For when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. That crown of life, that's your best life on the other side. But yet, while we're here, I think we're being told about being blessed while we're here.

Recall Psalm 1, the first psalm, which sets the stage for all the rest. It's kind of like a thesis for the book. It says, blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers.

But his delight is on the law of the Lord. And on his law, he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in season. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked.

They're like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgment or sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous. But the way of the wicked shall perish.

This is a kind of blessing that is described. And the analogy is a tree that's planted. And this tree is not withering. And its leaves don't just wither and get blown off by the wind. But it's flourishing in the place where it's planted.

Doesn't mean that hurricanes won't come. It doesn't mean that people won't chop at the tree, or take its fruit, or damage the tree. But it has a source of life. What is that source of life? The stream of water.

And we're told earlier in the Psalm, meditating on the word of God. Delighting in the word of God. The word of God is the source that gives life. That's what Psalm 119 is saying. Blessed are those whose way is blameless.

Who walk in the law of the Lord.

Now notice verses 1, 2, and 3 are impersonal. It lays the foundation like a principle. Blessed are those whose way is blameless. That's a principle. People who do this are blessed.

They walk in the law of the Lord.

Blessed are those who keep His commandments. Who seek Him with their whole heart. Who also do no wrong, but walk in His ways. After verse 3, it moves from a principle to something very personal.

Look at verse 4.

You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Now, the author is addressing God. And for the next 173 verses, he will address God as you and your. It's become a prayer for him. It's moved from a principle to something personal.

A gap has been bridged between verses 1, 2, and 3. And the remainder of the psalm. And I don't know about you, brothers and sisters. But I can't make it past verse 3 in the scripture without Jesus Christ, my Savior.

Pay attention to verse 1. Blessed are those whose way is blameless. It's not me.

Who walk in the law of the Lord.

Blessed are those who keep His testimonies. Who seek Him with their whole heart. That also doesn't describe me. Sometimes my heart is divided. Who also do no wrong, but walk in His ways. The principle is true.

The perfectly obedient one. The one who walks uprightly and seeks God with his whole heart all the time.

He's blessed.

But somebody needs to bridge the gap for me. Between verse 3 and verse 4. Because as I stand before a holy God. And am judged according to verses 1 to 3.

I fall short.

Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ, our Savior. I can't make it to verse 4 without Him. But God sent His one and only Son to be that bridge for a sinner like me. To make a principle personal and apply it to my life.

Something I couldn't do for myself. James 1 tells us that we are brought forth by the word of truth. It's able to save our souls we're told. 1 Peter chapter 1 says we're born again by the enduring word.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of the Lord endures forever. We're born again by the word. The law and the prophets testify in believing the precious blood of Jesus has been shed for us.

We are given the new birth. That's the connection point to the rest of the psalm. The psalmist didn't see the full light of what we're able to see looking back at. As we look back from 2 ,000 years after the cross.

Christ is that bridge. Christ accomplishes for us what we cannot. And that's good news. Now some people stop there and they say it's good news that Christ has come. He's paid the price. Therefore all my sin is covered and I can live however I want.

Pursuing whatever desires I have. I'll be saved in the end. Easy believism. Easy believism. Many people are confused and deceived by a teaching that's rampant in the Christian church. Because the doctrine of justification by faith is true.

People latch on to that rightly. And that is the teaching of the scripture. But James tells us as we continue in James chapter 1. That those who look into a mirror and immediately forget what their face looks like.

Are deceived. And are in danger of being lost. Because James tells us faith without works is dead. Our works cannot justify us. But a true saving faith will produce works. Let's return to our analogy of the tree.

Planted by streams of water. The one who's truly receiving the life-giving word.

Will produce fruit.

The scariest verse in the Bible is Matthew chapter 7. I believe it's the 21st verse or right in there. Where Jesus says. Depart from me. I never knew you. The danger of the person who says Lord, Lord.

Yet was never born again. I want you to see something that rises in Psalm 119 verses 1 to 8. Then we're going to move on to Tibet. Notice the verbs walk and keep. Walk and keep. Verse 1 walk. Verse 2 keep.

Verse 3 walk. Verse 4 kept. Verse 5 keeping. And then again in verse 8. Keep your statutes. The call of Psalm 119.

Aleph.

The first letter. Is not only to be a hearer of the word. But one who walks in it. And keeps the word. So the born again person. Continues in the faith. Colossians 1 .23. Hebrews 3 .6. Hebrews 3 .14. Continues in the confidence you had at first.

It's not enough to pray a prayer. Hope that you're saved. Sign a paper. And then live apart from God for the rest of your life.

No.

The one who is genuinely born again. Continues in the word and grows deeper in the word. Those roots of that tree will continue to seek water. To desire that life-giving water of the word. To be washed in it.

To keep it.

To live by it. Will you be perfect?

No.

You'll still fall short. 1 John 1 tells us that. But this is a picture of someone who's walking in the truth. Walking in the truth. Second. So, first big point. God's word blesses the doer. Blessed is the man.

Blessed we're told. As you do his word. You continue to do.

You keep.

You walk in it. You will find that life-giving water is blessing you. In the midst of trials. Secondly. The word of God. Protects us from temptation.

And I want all the young men.

Your ears to peak up. But I also want the older men. And all the women.

And the children. To hear this.

We all are tempted. And that temptation according to James 1 comes from us. The world exasperates it. The devil is pouring on and leading us to these temptations. We're all tempted. How then can we resist temptation?

It's by the word.

The word. The word.

If you don't stay in the word. You will fall to many temptations. And shipwreck your faith. Verse 9. How can a young man keep his way pure?

By guarding it. According to your word.

We need the word to protect us from temptation. Let's keep reading. With my whole heart I seek you. Let me not wander from your commandments. Remember that song.

Prone to wander.

Lord I feel it.

Prone to leave the God I love.

The allurement of the world. The temptations of the world.

The flesh. The devil. The lust of the eyes. The pride of life.

So many things that would cause us to wander. Let me not wander from your commandments. Verse 11. Here this is key.

Here's a memory verse. About a memory verse.

I have stored up your word in my heart. That I might not sin against you.

It's a memory verse. Reminding you.

To memorize verses. It's a good place to start.

If you don't memorize.

Blessed are you oh Lord. Teach me your statutes. With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. In the way of your testimonies I delight. As much as in all riches. The allurement of riches. The deceitfulness of wealth.

To pursue stuff in this world. The temptation is strong. I will meditate on your precepts. And fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes. I will not forget your word. Keeping the word of God central in your mind.

Meditating on the word. This is the protected path. Write down this little phrase if you're taking notes. This book will keep you from sin. Or sin will keep you from this book.

This book is the safety.

The protection that you have. Against the wiles of the devil. This book will keep you from sin.

Or sin will keep you from this book.

Temptation becomes strong when you're out of the word. Stay in the word. That's the place of safety. Temptations will come. But woe to those through whom they come. My mind always goes to shmeagle when I think of temptation.

Lord of the rings. That weird old wrinkly character. Who's withering in desire. For the ring of power. It's fixating to him. He's preoccupied with it. And so it is with temptation. It draws us. It allures us.

I had a pastor growing up that I respected so much.

When I went off to college.

My senior year is when the Lord really took hold of my heart. I invited this pastor to come down and speak to the FCA group. We started a fellowship of Christian athletes. And he came down and he's so dynamic.

I mean this guy was hilarious. I sometimes think I'm funny but I'm really not. But this guy was like genuinely a funny preacher. And everybody was captivated by everything he said. But his character didn't keep up with his competence.

A couple years later it was discovered that he was sleeping with someone. In the congregation. It wasn't his wife. And everything was ruined. And his family fell apart. And the church fell apart. This vibrant church that was growing by leaps and bounds.

Crumbled to nothing.

From one decision that led to another. One open door that let other sin in. And it all fell apart. Well how do you fight these temptations? Because young men, old men, women, children. You will be tempted.

How do you fight?

How can you resist these temptations that are coming over you? How about you learn from Jesus the Christ? When Satan came to him and tempted him three times. All Jesus would have had to do is speak a word.

And sent that devil to hell.

He could have torched him.

With the word.

But instead he showed us how to fight. And set an example for us. Each time he resisted temptation. By using the word of God.

It is written.

Man shall not live on bread alone. But by every word that comes from the mouth of the Father. He fought him a second time. Again it is written. A third time.

It is written.

And he cut him with that sword. And he drove him away with that sword. And he won the victory with the sword of the Spirit. Which is the word of truth. If you are not in this word. You will be falling to the same temptations again and again.

But the word does have power.

To repel the devil.

He has to run.

He hates the word.

And you speak that against him. And that is how you are protected. That is where you are kept safe.

One.

The word blesses the doer.

Two.

The word protects the tempted.

The Word Awes the Beholder

Three.

The word awes the beholder. I remember being an early. I might have been an early teenager. Maybe a preteen. Maybe ten years old. We used to go to a water park every summer. And the idea of going to this water park fascinated me.

I loved it.

And it held this sense of wonder. To go down these water slides. The thought of it would capture my mind for weeks in advance. I would think about it. But I remember as a young teen or preteen. The day when we got there.

And I looked around.

And it had lost its sense of wonder.

They were just water slides. And I remember this feeling walking around. The wonder is gone. And I thought is this what it means to be an adult? You lose your sense of wonder. Well then of course come the wonder years.

And there is other areas that you become intoxicated with.

Love.

But I think the maturing man. Doesn't lose his sense of wonder. But that sense of wonder.

Changes.

From the smaller things. Like water slides.

To the deep things of God.

Now.

My sense of wonder. Is in God's word. And it's alive and awe inspiring. Look here with me in the scripture. Verse 17 through 24. Deal bountifully. We don't just want some repetition of rules. We want something bountiful.

Something delightful. That I may live and keep your word. Now look at this verse 18. Another memory verse. There are certain key verses here that pop out. That you just got to memorize it. Verse 18. Open my eyes.

That I may behold.

Wondrous things.

Out of your law. The word of God does more. Than teach us information. It's not just about God. It introduces us to God.

Who is infinite.

And your eyes can be affixed to him.

Through the word.

And you will see glory. Beyond anything this world has to offer. Open my eyes to see this in your word. I'm a sojourner on the earth. Hide not your commandments from me. My soul is consumed with longing.

Circle those words. Consumed with longing. This is the desire. Like a little kid to go to a theme park. For your rules at all times. You rebuke the insolent. Accursed ones. Who wander from your commandments.

Take away from me scorn and contempt. For I have kept your testimonies. Even though princes sit plotting against me. Your servant will meditate. On your statutes. Your testimonies are my delight. They are my counselors.

The word of God. Is like going to the Grand Canyon. And opening your eyes to see something you've never seen before. For me. Recently just looking in Psalm 110. And seeing that the coming king. Who's told sit at my right hand.

Until your enemies are made a footstool for your feet. Is the same as the coming priest. Who's of the order of Melchizedek. The king is the priest. And my eyes see that and say.

Wow.

God.

You foretold the coming of Christ. Through David in Psalm 110. And that blows my mind. I find it more fascinating than seeing a miracle. I think it would be cool to see blind eyes open. I've heard testimonies of people who say they've seen that in the name of Jesus.

And I don't doubt those things. I'm not as interested to see that. As to see Christ in his word. That's what captures my mind. In Psalm 111. It says that he's recorded for us. Recounted his wonderful works.

You don't have to see a miracle every day. When you can go into the word. And read what God has done. He stored it there for us for all eternity.

We should be in awe.

Whenever we go to the word. So that's the third thing. It captures us. It inspires us. It wows us. As we behold. Now the fourth thing. Strengthens the faint hearted. David said. Through the word of God.

My arms can bend a rod of iron. I can scale a wall. He looked into the word and he found strength. In the promises of God. For it is you who light my lamp. For by you I can run against a troop. And by my God I can leap over a wall.

This God. His way is perfect. The word of the Lord proves true.

Gideon. Hiding.

In a wine press. Trampling on grapes. Hiding from the Midianites. Because they were so fierce.

And his heart was faint.

Threshing. In hiding. Along comes an angel. And tells him. Go now in the strength of yours. An ironic statement. Because Gideon was showing no strength of his own. But by that word spoken. With God empowering it.

Gideon goes and conquers the Midianites. Not with 30 ,000 troops. But whittle it down to 300. Just to show who won the victory. The battle is the Lord's. The strength comes from God. So let me show you this.

My soul clings to the dust.

Give me life.

According to your word.

When I told of my ways.

You answered me. Teach me your statutes. Make me understand the way of your precepts. And I will meditate on your wondrous works. Now look at this in verse 28. My soul melts away for sorrow. You ever felt like that?

Like the strength inside of you. Is just melting your heart and your soul. You don't have strength. You're weak.

Strengthen me.

According to your word. So it strengthened David and Gideon. Put false ways far from me. And graciously teach me your law. I have chosen the way of faithfulness. I set your rules before me. I cling to your testimonies oh Lord.

Let me not be put to shame. Verse 32. I will run. In the way of your commandments. When you enlarge my heart. The word of God gives strength to the faint hearted. You will be called to do some things that are beyond your strength.

We have missionaries now sent out to. Almost a dozen countries. And sometimes. God is challenging them with things that are beyond their ability to cope with. And yet.

He enlarges their heart.

He gives them the strength to do the thing he's called them to do. Enlarge my heart. Remember when Hank Gathers died in the 1990s? He had an enlarged heart. And just all of a sudden on the basketball court he just dropped.

They used to say he was the strongest man in America. And just like that he dropped. I loved how his friend Bo Kimble. In honor of Hank. In the NCAA playoffs. Shot the first free throw of every game left handed.

Like his friend Hank Gathers used to shoot. And he made all of them. Probably should have kept shooting that way. It was working. But out of that people came to faith. One of his teammates named Jeff became a born again believer.

And started preaching.

Not this Jeff.

Different Jeff. In fact that guy hit the NCAA record. I think it was 11 three-pointers the next game after Hank died. Trusting in God.

But listen.

Don't trust in human strength. The strongest man in the world can drop in a second.

The strongest man.

Look to the God who doesn't just enlarge your physical heart. To help you play basketball. But enlarges your heart. The heart that needs to love that person that hates you. The heart that needs passion to live for God.

The emotional heart. That wants to cry to God and to know him. We need our hearts enlarged. And it doesn't happen on our own. It doesn't happen by working out. Lifting weights. It happens in the word.