17 July 2006

Text: Psalm 119:97-104


DECLARATION OF LOVE FOR GOD'S WORD

"Oh, how I love Your law!
It is my meditation all the day"    Psalm 119:97

"And I will delight myself in Your commandments,
Which I love"    Psalm 119:47

"My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments,
Which I love, and I will meditate on Your statutes"    Psalm 119:48

SPECIAL REASONS FOR LOVE OF GOD'S WORD

"You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies;
For they are ever with me."

"I have more understanding than all my teachers,
For Your testimonies are my meditation.

I understand more than the ancients,
Because I keep Your precepts."     Psalm 119:98-100

"Through Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way"    Psalm 119:104

1. Much needed wisdom to survive the cunning plots of enemies
a) The "dark wisdom" of enemies in mind
b) The "clean wisdom" that comes from God

2. Growth of understanding that surpasses "teachers"
a) Teachers (secular and religious) can end up not making progress in their field of knowledge
b) Deep understanding possible through meditation on God's word

3. Deep and great wisdom that surpasses "the ancients"
a) The "ancients" - a reference to scholars (secular and religious)
    These keep alive the heritage of a society (country) through their devotion to collect knowledge
b) Through meditation on God's word, great wisdom is possible

4. God Himself is the Teacher
"You Yourself have taught me"    Psalm 119:102

EXPRESSIONS OF WISDOM

"I have restrained my feet from every evil way,
That I may keep Your word"

"I have not departed from Your judgments,
For You Yourself have taught me"

1. The way of evil rejected
"I have restrained my feet from every evil way"    Psalm 119:101

"I hate every false way"    Psalm 119:104

2. Faithfulness to God and His word
"I have not departed from Your judgments…"    Psalm 119:102

APPRECIATION OF GOD'S WORD

"How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth"    Psalm 119:103

1. God's word described as sweet    Cf. Ezekiel 3:4

2. The Word is sweet only to those who have learned how to love the Scriptures