THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Psalms: God's Nurture Of The Inner Man In The Life Of Faith

CXIX: Appreciating And Applying Scripture For Every Spiritual Need, Psalm 119

E. He - God's Use Of Scripture With Life's Events To Produce Faithfulness

(Psalm 119:33-40)

I. Introduction

A. Psalm 119 is all about the profitable use of God's written Scriptures, with the psalm being formed as an acrostic where each section contains a Hebrew letter that begins each of the eight verses in that section.

B. Section "He" in Psalm 119:33-40 reveals God's use of Scripture and trials to produce godly faithfulness, so we view the section for insight and edification (as follows):

II. God's Use Of Scripture With Life's Events To Produce Faithfulness, Psalm 119:33-40.

A. The verse numbering system in the Hebrew text matches that of the English Bible (Kittel, Bib. Heb., p. 1081), so we stay with the English Bible's numbering system for this lesson.

B. We thus translate Psalm 119:33-40 (as follows):

1. "Point out, teach (yarah, B. D. B., A Heb. and Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 434-435; Hiphil = caus.) me the way of Your decrees, O Jahweh, and I will preserve them to the end," Psalm 119:33.

2. "Make me understand it, and I will preserve and observe Your Law with my whole heart," Psalm 119:34.

3. "Cause me to tread in the path of Your commands, because I have delighted in them," Psalm 119:35.

4. "Incline, bend (natah, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 639-641) my heart toward Your statutes and not toward unjust gain, plunder, gain acquired by violence (besa', Ibid., p. 130)," Psalm 119:36.

5. "Turn away ('abar, Ibid., p. 716-719; Hiph. = caus.) my eyes from viewing vanity; revive me in Your ways," Psalm 119:37.

6. "Carry out, fulfill (qum, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 877-879) Your Word to Your servant that You may be revered," Psalm 119:38.

7. "Turn away ('abar again, cf. v. 37) my disgrace which I dread, because Your verdicts are good," v. 39.

8. "Behold! I long for Your precepts; in Your righteousness revive me," Psalm 119:40.

C. We consider significant observations regarding this psalm (as follows):

1. In verses 33-35, the psalmist tells how delighting in the WORD (v. 35b) makes him faithful to heed it:

a. If he delights in Scripture (v. 35b), God points the way he should go, and he faithfully goes there, v. 33.

b. If he delights in Scripture (v. 35b), God makes him understand it and he faithfully obeys it, v. 34.

c. If he delights in Scripture (v. 35b), God leads him to take certain steps, and he takes them, v. 35a.

2. However, by delighting in the WORLD, one ceases to be faithul in heeding Scripture, v. 36-37 implied.

3. Thus, God's CURE for unfaithfulness is to mix Scripture up with varying circumstances in life, v. 36-40:

a. Positively, the Lord may encourage a believer to heed Scripture by fulfilling edifying promises if he heeds and trust God's Word, Psalm 119:38. He thus comes to revere the Lord for such positive blessing.

b. However, God may negatively let one face godless reproach that produces disgrace, what drives him to Scripture to find God's comfort and relief from the dreaded effects of this reproach, Psalm 119:39.

c. In the end, the once unfaithful believer longs to read and heed Scripture that life's circumstances might always be edifying, never dreadful, thus finding renewal and becoming faithful to heeding Scripture, v. 40.

Lesson: UNFAITHFLUNESS is caused by DELIGHTING in the WORLD where FAITHFULNESS is caused by DELIGHTING in God's WORD. A believer afflicted by unfaithfulness in this realm will find God work to nurture him positively to be blessed by heeding His Word and also negatively to be reproached by the godless to drive him to God's Word in a "force-fed" program, making him faithful as a means of perserving his inner man from pain!

Application: (1) The desire to avoid God's DISCIPLINARY measures of letting us be MISTREATED by ungodly foes to make us become FAITHFUL to His WORD in a "force-fed" program will KEEP us faithful to God that we might always enjoy His nurturing help through His Word. (2) If we see God provide an encouraging NURTURE by fulfilling some Bible promise for us, not only must we be grateful for His edifying help, but we must examine our lives to see if He is starting us on a GENTLE path of DIRECTING us to greater faithfulness before letting the heat of dreadful TRIALS drive us in earnest toward faithfully heeding Him! It is far better to heed God's gentle, positive nudging than to see Him let the godless mercilously persecute us with reproach! (3) Thus, any time we are exposed to Scripture, we should EARNESTLY apply it in thereby staying faithful to heed God through His Word!