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Psalm 119
Turn in your Bibles tonight to Psalm 119. Kevin DeYoung points out something important for us. There are 1 ,189 chapters in the Bible scattered across 66 books written over the course of two millennia.
I think Bode Bachem has this famous line of the Bible is written about over 1 ,500 years by about 40 different authors on three different continents. But I want to mention tonight that of all them, of all the 1 ,189 chapters in the Bible, Psalm 119 is the longest.
It is the longest chapter in the Bible. It has 176 verses. The entire book of Ruth has 85 verses. Philippians in the New Testament has 104 verses. And here we are in one chapter in the Bible, in the book of Psalms, that has 176 verses.
It is obviously a psalm. That's why it's in the book of Psalms. So it is Hebrew poetry. Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet. So are you, I am too. I don't know. It's better than that, right?
Like it's deeper than that. It's richer than that. And it's not a love poem to a girl. So what is this chapter about? Here we are, the longest chapter in the Bible.
What is it about?
Perhaps we are embarking upon a detailed discourse on the inner operations of the triune God.
No.
Maybe it's how to get rich at work.
Maybe it's how to win friends and influence people.
Okay, well then, we know where you're going. It's about the church, right? Well, no. Not that either. These 176 verses are about the Word of God. So Kevin DeYoung says this, Surely it is significant that this intricate, finely crafted, single-minded love poem, the longest in the Bible, is not about marriage or children or food or drink or mountains or sunsets or rivers or oceans, but about the Bible itself.
Did you know that the Bible has a very high view of the Bible? The longest song in the Bible is about the Bible. So we begin tonight a new series. Psalm 119. The longest chapter of the Bible, and it is about the Bible.
Three main reasons we're doing this. First, it shows us the importance and beauty of the Word of God. Secondly, it shows us the delight that the redeemed can and should have in the Word. You heard this morning from Psalm 19.
The Word of God is not drudgery to us. If you begin a new year and you think, Oh, I've got to read the Bible. Please, go to the Lord. Ask Him to change your heart in that way. To see its beauty and richness.
Thirdly, Psalm 119 shows us practical ways to use the Word. You understand this evening that everything else in your world today crumbles without revelation. When I say revelation, I'm not talking about the last book of the Bible, Revelations.
No, it's called Revelation. I'm not talking about that book. I'm talking about the idea of God revealing Himself to us. You understand that without revelation, we don't understand the Trinity. We don't understand the Gospel.
We don't understand the church. Without God revealing these things to us in His Word. And that's what we talked about this morning. But believers must treat this Word as the precious treasure that it is.
Oh, tonight in our singing, I was so encouraged. Like, you got the Gospel tonight in those songs. It was so good.
So rich.
Well, how do we know the Gospel? The Bible points us to it. It shows us Christ. It shows us our sin. It shows us the work of Jesus. The faithfulness of the Messiah. The Son of God. His supernatural birth.
His perfect life. His death for sinners. His glorious resurrection. The Bible teaches us this. It shows us the way to God through Christ. How do you become a Christian? I won't say names because I don't want to discourage my children from talking to me and coming to me like, I'm going to end up in a sermon.
But I will say one of our children right now is wrestling. Wrestling with salvation. And this one person, I'm trying not to use pronouns here. We don't believe in pronouns in our family. No, it's just because, it's because I don't, I'm trying to be, you know, keep anonymity.
But this particular child is wrestling.
How do I come to Christ?
What do I do?
Well, what do I do as a parent? I just come up with something like, well, you know, try this. No, I take this person to the word. This is what the Bible says. Repent and believe the gospel.
Come to Christ. Trust Christ. Believe on Christ.
This is the sufficiency of the scriptures. This word defines Christianity for us. It defines the church. I could go all night on that. You know already that there is a war in the world today regarding the word of God.
You know, in your own, you ever know, you sit down and you can watch TV and there's no distraction. The phone doesn't ring.
Your mind taps out.
You're just numb there.
You watch TV. It's okay.
Nothing happens. You can read a book, another book, similar thing, a novel, something like that. You can do a thousand things in the world today and you can just check out and you can be okay. There's no distractions.
There's no interruptions. But as soon as you open up the Bible, what happens? Your mind starts going somewhere else. The phone begins to ring. You begin to worry about what the day has. I'm just saying to you, that's not by accident.
There's a war on the word today. So is the Bible a delight to you? Is it not just something you affirm in your brain, but your heart loves? So I hope this study fosters a fresh appreciation in all of us for the word.
This is the longest chapter in the Bible. It's about the Bible. Now, let me give you some context about the Psalm. First of all, we don't know who the author is. Some say it's a Psalm of David. Brian Borgman says it's a Psalm of Daniel.
We know it was written in the B .C. time period. If I may, though, I want to offer this thought. It's something cool about a Psalm that's anonymous. Because with this Psalm that's anonymous, I want to offer you this little nugget, if you will.
The fact that we don't know who wrote it maybe gives us a bit of encouragement that this could be anyone's Psalm. This could be your love point to the Bible, if you will. Because it ought to express the desire of every believer's heart about the Bible.
This is every believer's thought about the Bible. This is everyone's Psalm. We don't have to just say, well, this is David's Psalm, or this is Daniel's Psalm, or this is whoever's Psalm. Friend, if you're a believer, you can say, this is my Psalm, too.
Borgman notes that if it was written during the time of Israel's exile, then it reminds us, too, that we are exiles in this world. And while strangers and exiles, we are beholden to this glorious book of God.
Here we are, strangers and exiles in the world, and yet we have this great book.
It is a lamp.
See if this sounds familiar. It is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Something else I want you to know. This Psalm is 176 verses divided into 22 stanzas of 8. Now, 22 is important. The number 22 is the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet.
So, there are 22 stanzas. Like, if we were going to sing this song, and maybe sometime, you know, we sing through the Psalms, maybe Gunnar will lead us in singing through Psalm 119. That would be a Sunday you want to bring a lunch.
It's a long song, 22 stanzas. But each stanza represents, in the original Hebrew, each stanza is written with a new letter of the Hebrew alphabet. So, stanza 1, you look there, 1 through 8, that's the Hebrew.
It's each line here, each of these 8 lines starts with the Hebrew aleph. And then the next stanza starts with the Hebrew be. And I'm not going to go through the whole Hebrew alphabet. But it's probably in most of your Bibles, the heading there on each stanza.
But each stanza is a new letter of the Hebrew alphabet. And each line in that stanza is by that. Why is that? Because it's poetic. It's not just a neat thing. It's important. It's poetry. It's a way, listen to this, to help us remember.
Now, I know, sadly, it separates us a little bit because we're English speakers. And you can't really do what the Hebrew does. But it's a reminder that this psalm is for everyone.
It's for children.
It helps children remember. They can remember and recite the psalm as it's written in the original Hebrew. Little Hebrew children could remember, they go through the alphabet. Oh, yeah, what was that verse?
Oh, yeah, it begins with this.
Everybody.
It's not just, it's for the old, it's for the young, it's for the people with good memories, people with poor memories. All those who delight in God should be able to delight in His precious word. The very structure I'm saying of Psalm 119 shows us that the entire book isn't just for smart people or elite people or rich people, but it's for simple people, too.
Downtrodden people, too. Poor people, too. Everyone can and should make use of this great book. The Holy Spirit is the author of this book and the author of this psalm. He uses this book and this psalm to create God's people.
And what you find in this psalm is God's word is heavily emphasized. In all but just maybe like three verses of the 176 verses, some reference to God's revelation is mentioned. Now, let me go through those.
These are some of the common words used here in reference to God's word. There is law. A lot of this is similar to this morning. There's law, the Torah, referencing back to the Pentateuch, the first five books of the But I'll say this just a minute.
There's testimonies. That is what God testifies to be truth. The word precepts is used, a word that's really used only in psalms, meaning that God has appointed what God has appointed to be done. The word statutes, similar to precepts, what God has laid down.
Commandments, what God has commanded. Rules, what God has ruled to be right and true. The word word is used, what God has spoken. And then the word ways is used basically to be used as the way that God has revealed to be right.
So these eight words, I'll say them again. Law, testimonies, precepts, statutes, commandments, rules, word, ways. These eight words are used interchangeably in this psalm to refer to God's revelation to His covenant people.
The word of God is to be precious to us. Now, you think you've heard me preach a bunch and you think, boy, this is a super long introduction. We haven't even read anything in the psalm yet. Well, that is by design.
We're going to do something unique tonight. I'm at the end of my notes and I haven't read a single verse because tonight, yes, we're going to read Psalm 119. Now, you're not going to stand. That would that would just that would be too long.
Take a second.
I'm not joking. Take a second and adjust yourself. Get comfortable, if you will, not, you know, sleepy, comfortable, but make yourself comfortable. Have your Bible ready. If you need to get up and use the restroom, now is the time because it's going to take maybe 25 minutes or so to read this psalm together.
And as we do, I want you to feast your eyes upon God's word. Now, I had an outline. I had an outline. I was going to preach on the first eight verses. I was like, you know what? We're just going to go basically a sermon, a stanza.
And so tonight I was going to preach to you on these first eight verses. I'm going to preach a nice little sermon from one of your pastors. But I just thought about this morning, even during the service this afternoon.
I just thought, you know what? Sometimes we ought to just take an opportunity and read God's word. And I think tonight is an opportunity to do that. So as we do this, I want you to think about the things that I've already said.
I want you to think about the beauty and wonder, the treasure that is this book, that we have it in English. I want you to see in this psalm that Christ is the perfect example of obedience. So you'll have some parts of the psalm that talk about obedience.
Well, the perfect one there is it's Christ. This psalm points us to Christ. And ultimately we fail, but we need Jesus. But we see God desires for his people to love and treasure his word. And that we ought to walk in the way that Jesus walked.
We see the hope in this psalm and the benefit of the Bible. And so here's what we're going to do. It's unique. I'm going to pray. I'm going to ask for the Spirit's leading and work. And that he would speak to us through this written word as we read it and take it in tonight.
Now, for some of you, I'm thinking about, I'm not picking on you. I'm thinking about young people. If you're not used to this, you're not, you know, we live in a very short attention span culture. It's going to be hard for you.
But I'm going to pray for clarity of mind. That you would put your eyes on the paper. And that you would fight, if necessary, in your own mind and heart to pay attention. Adults, same. Let's pray. Father, what a beauty this psalm is.
As we begin this new series and take an opportunity to just drink through the entire psalm in one sitting, I pray for the blessing upon your Word. Holy Spirit, I pray that you'd be present in your gathered people tonight.
We know that you still speak to us today. And it's through the Word that you speak to your people. So help us to listen to what it is the Spirit has to say to the churches. Let us listen tonight carefully, remembering that we're not just reading the words of David or Daniel or whoever it may be that wrote this.
We're listening to your words, Holy Spirit, that you've given through your divine authorship. Help us to be a people hungry for the book. Help us to be a people longing for Christ. We pray it in Jesus' name.
Amen.
I'm going to read this, not dramatically or anything, but hopefully not boring to you. Let's consider Psalm 119. Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, 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. How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart, I seek you. Let me not wonder from your commandments. I've stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
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, 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. Deal bountifully with your servant that I may live and keep your word. Open my eyes that I might behold wondrous things out of your law. I'm a sojourner on the earth.
Hide not your commandments from me. My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times. You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones who wonder 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. 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. My soul melts away for sorrow. Strengthen me according to your word.
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, O Lord. Let me not be put to shame. I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart.
Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes, and I will keep it to the end. Give me understanding that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it.
Incline my heart to your testimonies and not to selfish gain. Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things and give me life in your ways. Confirm to your servant your promise that you may be feared. Turn away the reproach that I dread, for your rules are good.
Behold, I long for your precepts and your righteousness. Give me life. Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord, your salvation according to your promise. Then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me, for I trust in your word.
Take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in your rules. I will keep your law continually forever and ever, and I shall walk in a wide place, for I have sought your precepts. I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame, for I find my delight in your commandments, which I love.
I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes. Remember your word to your servant in which you have made me hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.
The insolent utterly deride me, but I do not turn away from your law. When I think of your rules from of old, I take comfort, O Lord. Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked who forsake your law.
Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my sojourning. I remember your name in the night, O Lord. Keep your law. This blessing has fallen to me, that I have kept your precepts. The Lord is my portion.
I promise to keep your words. I entreat your favor with all my heart. Be gracious to me according to your promise. When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies. I hasten and do not delay to keep your commandments.
Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me, I do not forget your law. At midnight, I rise to praise you because of your righteous rules. I am a companion of all who fear you, of those who keep your precepts.
The earth, O Lord, is full of your steadfast love. Teach me your statutes. You have dealt well with your servant, O Lord, according to your word. Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments.
Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep your word. You are good and do good. Teach me your statutes. The insolent smear me with lies, but with my whole heart, I keep your precepts. Their heart is unfeeling like fat, but I delight in your law.
It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces. Your hands have made and fashioned me. Give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.
Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice because I have hoped in your word. I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me. 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. Let the insolent be put to shame because they have wronged me with falsehood. As for me, I will meditate on your precepts. Let those who fear you turn to me that they may know your testimonies.
May my heart be blameless in your statutes that I may not be put to shame. My soul longs for your salvation. I hope in your word. My eyes long for your promise. I ask, when will you comfort me before I become like a wineskin in the smoke?
Yet, I have not forgotten your statute. 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.
Forever, O 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, I would have perished in my affliction. And I will never forget your precepts. For by them, you have given me life. I am yours. Save me, for I have sought your precepts.
The wicked lie in wait to destroy me. But I consider your testimonies. I have seen a limit to all perfection. But your commandment is exceedingly broad. Oh, how I love your law. My meditation all the day.
Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies. For it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers. For your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the age. For I keep your precepts.
I hold back my feet from every evil way in order to keep your word. I do not turn aside from your rules. For you have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste. Sweeter than honey to my mouth. Though through your precepts, I get understanding.
Therefore, I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I've sworn an oath and confirmed it to keep your righteous rules. I'm severely afflicted. Give me life, O Lord, according to your word.
Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O Lord, and teach me your rules. I hold my life in my hand continually, but I do not forget your law. The wicked laid a snare for me. But I do not stray from your precepts.
Your testimonies are my heritage forever. For they are the joy of my heart. I incline my heart to perform your statues forever to the end. I hate the double-minded, but I love your law. You are my hiding place and my shield.
I hope in your word. Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commandments of my God. Uphold me according to your promise that I may live. And let me not be put to shame in my hope. Hold me up that I may be safe and have regard for your statutes continually.
You spurn all who go astray from your statutes, for their cunning is in vain. All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross. Therefore, I love your testimonies. My flesh trembles for fear of you.
And I am afraid of your judgments. I have done what is just and right. Do not leave me to my oppressors. Give your servant a pledge of good. Let not the insolent oppress me. My eyes long for your salvation and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise.
Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love and teach me your statutes. I am your servant. Give me understanding that I may know your testimonies. It is time for the Lord to act, for your law has been broken.
Therefore, I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold. Therefore, I consider all your precepts to be right. I hate every false way. Your testimonies are wonderful. Therefore, my soul keeps them.
The unfolding of your words gives light. It imparts understanding to the simple. I open my mouth and pant because I long for your commandments. Turn to me and be gracious to me as is your way with those who love your name.
Keep steady my steps according to your promise and let no iniquity get dominion over me. Redeem me from man's oppression that I may keep your precepts. Make your face shine upon your servant and teach me your statutes.
My eyes shed streams of tears because people do not keep your law. Righteous are you, O Lord, and right are your rules. You have appointed your testimonies in righteousness and in all faithfulness. My zeal consumes me because my foes forget your words.
Your promise is well tried and your servant loves it. I am small and despised, yet I do not forget your precepts. Your righteousness is righteous forever and your law is true. Trouble and anguish have found me out, but your commandments are my delight.
Your testimonies are righteous forever. Give me understanding that I may live. With my whole heart, I cry. Answer me, O Lord.
I call to you. Save me that I may observe your testimony. I rise before dawn and cry for help. I hope in your words. My eyes are awake before the watches of the night that I may meditate on your promise.
Hear my voice according to your steadfast love, O Lord. According to your justice, give me life. They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose. They are far from your law, but you are near, O Lord.
And all your commandments are true. Long have I known from your testimonies that you have founded them forever. Look on my affliction and deliver me, for I do not forget your law. Plead my cause and redeem me.
Give me life according to your promise. Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek your statutes. Great is your mercy, O Lord. Give me life according to your rules. Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, but I do not swerve from your testimonies.
I look at the faithless with disgust because they do not keep your commands. Consider how I love your precepts. Give me life according to your steadfast love. The sum of your word is truth. And every one of your righteous rules endures forever.
Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of your words. How I rejoice at your word, like one who finds great spoil. I hate and abhor falsehood, but I love your law. Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous rules.
Great peace have those who love your law. Nothing can make them stumble. I hope for your salvation, O Lord. And I do your commandments. My soul keeps your testimonies. I love them exceedingly. I keep your precepts and testimonies, for all my ways are before you.
Let my cry come before you, O Lord. Give me understanding according to your word. Let my plea come before you. Deliver me according to your word. My lips will pour forth praise, for you teach me your statutes.
My tongue will sing of your word, for all your commandments are right. Let your hand be ready to help me, for I've chosen your precepts. I long for your salvation, O Lord, and your law is my delight. Let my soul live and praise you, and let your rules help me.
And I've gone astray like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments. Church, how could we read such a psalm? And at not simultaneously, I hope the Spirit did this in your heart as he was working in mine.
Be encouraged, be convicted, be challenged.
Be filled with hope.
We see in this psalm that God is going to have triumph over his enemies. We see in this psalm, our hope ultimately is Christ and the promise of salvation is ultimately in Christ. We see in this psalm, we're not crazy.
We're not crazy, right?
Get up, I read my Bible.
Like I want to read the Bible.
I want to know the Bible. I want to memorize the Bible. I want to talk to people about the Bible.
Am I crazy?
Well, no, I'm not crazy. I'm just in the path of people like the author of Psalm 119. Every person in this room should take serious assessment of our heart before the Lord. Will we be a people who long for God's Word like we see in this great psalm?
I hope that you can be committed to Sunday nights as we journey through Psalm 119 together. Next Sunday night, Brother Jerry will be preaching, but the following Sunday night we'll be picking up Psalm 119 verses 1 through 8.
Let me pray and then let us sing. Father, help us to be a people who love your Word. Who see in this revelation from Genesis to Revelation a glorious book, a glorious hope of our King, a glorious way to live.
Help us to have the proper fear of you that we should. Help us to have the proper love for you that we should. Help us to delight. Help us to quit making excuses for not interacting with your Word every day.
God, if necessary, I pray that you would help us in this room cancel social media, cancel streaming services, cancel so much extracurricular activity if necessary. Help us to cancel these other things so that we can spend the time necessary in your Word.
Give us this resolve, not as drudgery, but as delight. Help us, God, not to make this a legalistic thing, but a desire Christ has given His life for people like us who have mistreated the Word of God.
Yet, He's forgiven us. He's clothed us in His righteousness. He's given us a new heart to now long for and desire and yearn for the Bible. Help us to be people of the book. Help us to not walk out of here tonight and just be like, well, that was neat, that was interesting, that was boring.
Lord, let us take to heart these words that we've heard from the Spirit of God, and let them change us into the likeness of Jesus.