OVERVIEW:
The greatness, power, and perfection of God’s holy word.
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
Psalm 119 is nothing short of a masterpiece. It is an “alphabet Psalm”, meaning that in that each of the 22 stanzas that are each comprised of 8 verses, each stanza begins with the 22 consecutive letters of the Hebrew alphabet (i.e. Alpha, Beth, Gimel, etc.) There is no greater treatise concerning the word of God in the entire Bible, or in all of existence for that matter, than this Psalm. Note that 173 verses, out of the 176, specifically refer to the word of God, keeping in mind that there are at least eight different terms used in referring to God’s perfect word:
- law
- testimonies
- way/ways
- precepts
- statutes
- commandments
- judgments
- word/words
Notice also that all eight of these terms are found in the first nine verses.
In terms of providing an overview of this incredible psalm, it is difficult to even know where to begin. There are just so many moving parts, and all worthy of discussion, making a simple overview almost seem to diminish the beauty and significance of this incredible work of art. But do know this, any person who is serious about God and His word needs to immerse themselves in this psalm, not only repeatedly, but continuously! This psalm reveals the key to becoming a man or woman of the word because it deals with our heart attitude toward the word of God. It beautifully reveals to us that the real issue concerning God’s word is NOT, first and foremost, our “KNOWLEDGE” of the Bible, but our “LOVE” for the Bible. (John 14:15, 23)
In light of that reality, as we approach this psalm today, perhaps the best question we could ask ourselves is, “Do I genuinely LOVE the word of God?” It is extremely important for us to realize that answering that question isn’t as easy as pointing to the fact that we have been faithful through the 365 Days of Pursuit, having already read through half of the entire Bible. That is certainly commendable, and yet, it isn’t necessarily an indication of our love for the word of God. For example, something as seemingly “spiritual” as reading through the Bible, might actually be something “carnal” because our motivation for doing it is the key! If our motivation for reading through the Bible is so we can “flaunt” that fact to others, or if it is somehow causing us to “feel good about ourselves” as Christians, it might be, that rather than our faithfulness being an indication of our LOVE for GOD and HIS WORD, it might actually be an indication of our LOVE for OURSELVES! (2nd Timothy 3:1–2) Rather than revealing our PURSUIT of GOD it may reveal that we are PURSUING OURSELVES! Rather than our pursuit being to “KNOW GOD” by pursuing Him through the pages of His word, our real pursuit might be to impress others with our “KNOWLEDGE” of His word! (1st Corinthians 8:2) Do recognize that many times the “love of self”, that Paul prophesied would be the overarching characteristic of believers in the last days, often comes in a very spiritual-looking package!
So, as we approach Psalm 119 today, would you take the time for some honest introspection to determine whether or not you genuinely “love” the word of God? Perhaps you’re thinking, “Well, if it’s not as easy as pointing to the fact that I faithfully read it and seek to know it, how can I determine whether or not I love it, biblically?” That’s one of the tremendous qualities of this incredible psalm! Because, as God inspired the “man after His own heart” (obviously, a man who loved God passionately!) to pen the psalms he composed, it is interesting that seldom does God choose to record those times when David actually expressed His love for Him! There are only two occasions where he actually does so, and as we read them, though they are certainly beautiful declarations, we’re probably not going to be overwhelmed by what might be considered the “heartfelt passion” of his expression! (See Psalms 18:1 and 116:1) In Psalm 119 alone, however, David passionately expresses his love for the word of God a whopping 11 times! There are certainly many lessons to glean and apply from that observation, but perhaps the most practical and applicable being the simple fact that it is impossible to separate LOVING the GOD of the WORD from LOVING the WORD of GOD!
Another of the beautiful things about David’s expressions of his love for the word of God in Psalm 119, is that each time, God was careful in inspiring him to do so, also included the characteristic his love for the word of God actually produced in his life. What these expressions of David’s love for the word of God then become for us is a way for us to search our own hearts to determine biblically whether or not we love the word of God! We can simply look at what God, through the psalmist, reveals were the practical and observable characteristics loving the word of God produced in his life, and then seek to determine whether or not those characteristics are likewise present and observable in our own lives! What Psalm 119 reveals to us are:
SEVEN WAYS TO KNOW IF YOU LOVE THE WORD OF GOD:
- You know you LOVE the word of God BY WHAT YOU HATE. (119:127–128)
- You will HATE every FALSE WAY. (119:127–128)
- You will HATE LYING. (119:163)
- You will HATE VAIN THOUGHTS. (119:113)
- You know you LOVE the word of God BY THE HOLY ATTITUDE WITH WHICH YOU VIEW IT. (119:140, 160, 164, 72, 93, 103, 128, 131, 161)
- You know you LOVE the word of God BY WHAT CONSUMES YOUR THOUGHTS. (119:97, 15, 23, 48, 78, 99, 148)
- You know you LOVE the word of God BY THE JOY YOU RECEIVE FROM GETTING INTO IT AND LIVING IT. (119:47)
- You know you LOVE the word of God BY YOUR SURRENDER TO IT. (119:48)
- You know you LOVE the word of God BY YOUR INABILITY TO BE OFFENDED. (119:165)
- You know you LOVE the word of God BY THE DESIRE IN YOUR INNERMOST BEING TO OBEY IT. (119:116–167)
Based on those seven divinely inspired characteristics, can you honestly say that you love the word of God?
CHRIST IS REVEALED:
- By the PSALMIST WHO DELIGHTED IN FULFILLING GOD’S WILL — Psalm 119:47 (John 6:38; 15:10; 4:34)