WWUTT 1214 My Soul Longs for Your Salvation? (Psalm 119:73-96)

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In this world we will go through afflictions but God will not let us be destroyed by those afflictions.

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He will deliver us. Jesus said let not your hearts be troubled but be comforted by the

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Word of God when we understand the text. This is

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When We Understand the Text, a daily Bible commentary to help encourage your time in the Word. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday we feature

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New Testament study, an Old Testament book on Thursday, and our Q &A on Friday.

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Now here's your teacher, Pastor Gabe. Thank you Becky. We return to our study of Psalm 119 and we're looking at the section that begins with the letter

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Yod. This is verse 73 and I'll read through verse 80.

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Your hands have made and fashioned me. Give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.

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Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice because I have hoped in your word.

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I know O Lord that your rules are righteous and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

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Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant. Let your mercy come to me that I may live for your law is my delight.

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Let the insolent be put to shame because they have wronged me with falsehood. As for me

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I will meditate on your precepts. Let those who fear you turn to me that they may know your testimonies.

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May my heart be blameless in your statutes that I may not be put to shame.

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Of course we've got some repeating themes that we've seen in Psalm 119 particularly related to keeping

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God's commandments but we also have this reference to being afflicted. It's there in verse 75.

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I know O Lord that your rules are righteous and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

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Back in the previous section we saw that word afflicted come up twice. There was verse 71 it is good for me that I was afflicted and and even before that in verse 67 before I was afflicted

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I went astray. So we have the psalmist again praising the Lord for the discipline that he gives and he disciplines us because he loves us so that we may walk in his statutes not go the way of unrighteousness but love the path of righteousness.

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Now the way that we start here in verse 73 is very similar to something that we'll see in verse or I'm sorry

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Psalm 139. It sounds a lot like that a Psalm that we haven't made it to yet but it's in Psalm 139 that's famous for this passage beginning in verse 13 for you formed my inward parts you knitted me together in my mother's womb

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I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made wonderful are your works my soul knows it very well my frame was not hidden from you when

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I was being made in secret intricately woven in the depths of the earth your eyes saw my unformed substance in your book were written every one of them the days that were formed for me when as yet there was none of them that's kind of an expounding upon what we have here in verse 73 your hands have made and fashioned me give me understanding that I may learn your

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Commandments again as we've seen this over and over in Psalm 119 it is by the gift of God that we can understand the

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Word of God anybody can read God's Word but not understand God's Word unless his spirit has made us to understand it these things are spiritually discerned as Paul says in 1st

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Corinthians 2 the naturally minded man cannot understand spiritual things for they are spiritually discerned we need the

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Spirit of God to understand them and so even in the Old Testament it is prayed that God would give us understanding to learn your

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Commandments and keep them and just and even as we have in Psalm 139 about being fearfully and wonderfully made now we get to verse 74 where we have a reference to being in the fear of the

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Lord those who fear you shall see me and rejoice because I have hoped in your word my testimony means something to those who likewise fear

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God and here when we're talking about fearing God we're not talking about the man who fears the judgment of God coming upon him we're talking about that reverend fear of the

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Lord that we are to have see the sinful and wicked man does not fear God that's exactly why they walk in sinfulness and wickedness they do not think that the judgment of God is going to come upon them or that somehow they may escape the judgment of God and they suppress the truth with their unrighteousness but those who fear

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God see those who are of God and they rejoice in the testimony of how the law has led us rightly because I have hoped in your word and this is this is a praise to all of us we see our brothers and sisters walking in the faith think of the letters of John John's three epistles 1st

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John 2nd John 3rd John all three of them expressed to some degree a rejoicing to hear that the children of God are walking in faith compare that with the book of Jude which is right after for second and third

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John and June's Jude begins by saying I would like to have rejoiced with you in our common faith but I find it necessary to write to you to warn you about those who are going astray and leading astray so you have an interesting contrast there between John's letters and Jude's letter but here we understand that those who fear

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God rejoice in others who fear God because of our hope in the

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Word of God praise belongs to him I know O Lord that your rules are righteous and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me when we experience the discipline of the

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Lord it's not because it's not because he's punishing us may not always be because he's punishing us maybe he is because we need to have a right understanding we need to be brought back to a path of righteousness maybe that's the reason but there's always some sort of fleshly tendency in us that sanctification is working out and so when

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God afflicts us afflicts our circumstance brings us hardship and trial it is so we may cling to God and so many times when we've talked about this

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I've referenced to second Corinthians chapter 1 where the Apostle Paul says that we went through these things so that we may rely not on ourselves but on God we may rely all the more on God who raises the dead that's second

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Corinthians 1 9 and so we put our faith in God who has faithfully afflicted us because we are his children because he's faithful to us he has not cast us off he has not thrown us into judgment but he has afflicted us so we would cling to God verse 76 let your steadfast love comfort me as we've just read about God's faithfulness in your faithfulness you have afflicted me so let your steadfast love let me recognize your love for me in this and let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant where do we find the promise of God where where do we come to cling to the promise of God it's when we read his word because I have hoped in your word as he said earlier so verse 77 let your mercy come to me that I may live for your law is my delight if we continue in trial and tribulation and punishment with no hope for deliverance well then we would utterly perish so by the mercy of God may we be delivered from our plight for your law is my delight

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I wasn't trying to rhyme there and it just came that way it's also in 2nd Corinthians chapter 1 as Paul opens that letter he gives praise to the father of mercies and the

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God of all comforts and so here we have that's pleading for God to show mercy to us that we may be delivered verse 78 let the insolent be put to shame because they have wronged me with falsehood as for me

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I will meditate on your precepts let the insolent be put to shame so I've been preaching through the

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Sermon on the Mount and it's in Matthew chapter 5 at the end of Matthew 5 where Jesus talks about not taking vengeance out on your enemies but vengeance is mine sayeth the

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Lord it is not for us to retaliate against our enemies or even hate our enemies but that we would love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us so let the insolent be put to shame by the judgment of God not because we retaliated but because the

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Lord will be vindicated because they've wronged me with falsehood as for me

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I will meditate on your precepts this isn't been something that I've had to grow up in as I've matured as a

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Christian not retaliating against those who have done me wrong and have even attempted to smear my name by spreading falsehoods about me but rather meditating on God's precepts trusting in his ways and he will he will accomplish his will verse 79 let those who fear you turn to me that they may know your testimonies again those who fear

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God with a reverent fear they turn to me here of the testimony of God that has been done in my life and the word that I have known and so that I may guide another according to what you have accomplished in me according to your word this is not just look at all the great things that I have done look at what

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I've accomplished and here's my testimony this is how the Word of God has guided me and brought me to this place has delivered me from darkness has rescued me from my affliction has shown me mercy all of this according to the

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Word of God may my heart be blameless in your statutes that I may not be put to shame let's go on to the next section of Psalm 119 this is calf and we begin here in verse 81 my soul longs for your salvation

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I hope in your word my eyes long for your promise I ask when will you comfort me for I have become like a wineskin in the smoke yet I have not forgotten your statutes how long must your servant endure when will you judge those who persecute me the insolent have dug pitfalls for me they do not live according to your law all your commandments are sure they persecute me with falsehood help me they have almost made an end of me on earth but I have not forsaken your precepts in your steadfast love give me life that I may keep the testimonies of your mouth again my soul sorry my soul verse 81 longs for your salvation

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I hope in your word now you are a follower of Jesus just taking for granted that pretty much everybody would be listening to me read the

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Bible day after day is a follower of the Lord so you follow God you are saved by the by the blood of the precious blood that was spilled for us on the cross for our sins and by faith you have been justified and received the righteousness of Christ so you're saved right you believe in Jesus you've repented of sin you're a follower of Christ you are saved and yet you still long for salvation that salvation is not is not the same as justification but the salvation context here would be sanctification we have been saved and we're even continually being saved and we're looking forward to a future glory in which we are saved out of this world into the glory of God so there are several contexts in which in which we understand this word salvation it is not wrong for the psalmist here to say my soul longs for your salvation when the soul that is longing is already saved we're looking for greater salvation remember the

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Apostle Paul in Philippians chapter 1 saying to the Philippians to work out your salvation with fear and with trembling for it is

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God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure we're working out our salvation as we grow in sanctification and yet it is

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God who is working in us according to his will and for his pleasure so my soul my soul longs for the salvation that only

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God can give that only God is working out in us that only God will deliver us into I hope in your word for it's in the

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Word of God that we find these promises my eyes long for your promise

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I ask when will your when will you comfort me my eyes long for your promise that could have a couple of different meanings it could it could mean that reading the

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Word of God we desire to see the promises of God and what it is that we read that goes back to the previous section where the psalmist prayed give me understanding that I may learn your commandment so even here my eyes long for your promises

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I'm looking upon your word I want to see the promises of God for me I ask when will you comfort me and this is fairly similar to a to many psalms that we've read up to this point but in particular

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I think of Psalm 13 which says how long Oh Lord will you forget me forever how long will you hide your face from me how long must

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I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day consider and answer me

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Oh Lord my God light up my eyes lest I sleep the sleep of death that's a few more verses than what we read here in this very simple question when will you comfort me it's not that God doesn't comfort and it's not that God has forgotten but when will

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I be comforted in my affliction this affliction that I am enduring when will

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I be delivered from it when will I enter into your promise for I have become like a wineskin in the smoke yet I have not forgotten your statutes an unused wineskin that is that is hanging it's still kind of going through that process of of tightening of being made a usable wineskin well if it's left too long where the wineskins are drying out then it becomes shriveled up by the smoke and this is this is as though the psalmist is saying

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I've been I've been hanging out for a long time kind of waiting to be delivered here to to experience the mercy of God in the midst of my affliction so I've become like a wineskin in the smoke

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I've become all up and if I'm not taken down soon then I could become completely unusable but I have not forgotten your statutes and that's like someone

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Psalm 13 as well where David prays there I have trusted in your steadfast love my heart shall rejoice in your salvation

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I will sing to the Lord because he has dealt bountifully me so even here the psalmist

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I'm feeling dried up but I have not forgotten your statutes I still cling to the

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Lord how long must your servant endure when will you judge those who persecute me so once again we don't take vengeance into our own hands but God will be vindicated it may feel like a long time that we endure the persecution of those who hate us but yet the

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Lord will deliver verse 85 the insolent have dug pitfalls for me and they do not live according to your law all your commandments are sure they persecute me with falsehood help me

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I believe in the truth they're believing in and propagating lies help me and punish them that's kind of what the psalmist is is asking for here but ultimately it's this is not a selfish request it's that the righteousness of God would be seen and in God's righteousness those who love righteousness are delivered and those who hate righteousness are destroyed verse 87 they have almost made an end of me on earth but I have not forsaken your precepts in your steadfast love give me life that I may keep the testimonies of your mouth we go on to this next section here and I'll conclude with this one this is

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Lamed starting in verse 89 forever Oh Lord your word is firmly fixed in the heavens your faithfulness endures to all generations you have established the earth and it stands fast by your appointment they stand this day for all things are your servants if your law had not been my delight

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I would have perished in my affliction I will never forget your precepts for by them you have given me life

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I am yours save me for I have sought your precepts the wicked lie and wait to destroy me but I consider your testimonies

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I have seen a limit to all perfection but your commandment is exceedingly broad forever

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Oh Lord your word this is verse 89 again your word is firmly fixed in the heavens consider the word of Christ and mark 1331 heaven and earth will pass away but my word will never pass away it is the word of God that had been spoken that brought all things into existence it's the word of God that has been spoken to us that brings us to salvation it is the word of God that will be spoken and by the breath of his mouth all evil will be destroyed and the righteous will be delivered and it's the word of God that we will exalt and praise forever and ever in glory

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God's word is firmly fixed in the heavens what he has decreed will happen what he has said will remain and it will not be moved his promises are sure and we are comforted by that knowing that what

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God has promised for us he will give to us and we have no reason to despair no reason to go astray no reason to fall into hopelessness which is more of what the psalmist praise here in this section as he did in the last your faithfulness endures to all generations you have established the earth and it stands fast by your appointment they stand to this day it's in Colossians chapter 1 where the

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Apostle Paul says that by the hand of Christ all things hold together he is before all things everything is is as it is it's not flying apart it's not coming to utter destruction and chaos because God is holding it together by his decree it came to be and by his decree it is as it is for your appointment by your appointment they stand this day for all things are your servants everything that exists is existing under the command of God nothing flees from the command of God everything will happen and come to pass exactly as God has ordained it verse 92 if your law had not been my delight

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I would have perished in my affliction because there would have been no hope there would have been no purpose to affliction unless it had been caused by God and take that with with any terrible circumstance that happens in the world now there are those who go through those things and the difficulty that they endure is ultimately meaningless because whether they are delivered from it or they aren't whether this this suffering that they are in ends or whether it ultimately takes their life there's no meaning or purpose in the suffering suffering is utterly meaningless which is why philosophers for ages past have been searching for pleasure as the meaning of life because there's no meaning and purpose in suffering but for us who are

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Christians there is meaning and suffering in fact we share in the sufferings of Christ that it mean it may make us more like him and we experience this suffering so that the glory and deliverance is that much sweeter on the day that we join the

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Lord in glory we live in a fallen world there's going to be trouble around us all the way but it's in John 14 one where Jesus said let not your hearts be troubled believe in God believe also in me if your law had not been my delight

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I would have perished in my affliction would have been utterly meaningless to me but I know the meaning and purpose of all things to God's glory because of what

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I find in God's Word I will never forget your precepts for by them you have given me life it's by the

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Word of God that all things hold together and it is by God's Word that we are sustained through hardship

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I am yours save me for I have sought your precepts the wicked lie in wait to destroy me but I consider your testimonies the wicked want to destroy me

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God is going to deliver me so it is by his Word that I will trust and I will be delivered verse 96

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I have seen a limit to all perfection but your commandment is exceedingly broad those things that we on earth would consider to be perfect and right and good there's a limit to that but the commandment of God is without limit it is exceedingly broad it is the righteousness of God revealed in his law so let us not take that for granted but love

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God for having given us his precepts that we may walk in them and rejoice in him for his commandments let's continue let's conclude with prayer

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Lord thank you for sustaining us and doing so by your word and by your law we rejoice to keep it this day and help us to show to another the deliverance and forgiveness of God that is by faith in our

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Lord Jesus Christ for everyone who believes in him will be saved thank you for this salvation you have given to us and continue to work out our salvation by your will and good pleasure and it's in Jesus name that we pray

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Amen you can find a complete list of videos books devotionals and other resources online at www .t