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

N. Nun - Biblical Management Of Overwhelming Crises

(Psalm 119:105-112)

I. Introduction

A. Psalm 119 tells of the profitable use of God's written Word, the Scriptures, and the psalm is formed as an acrostic where each section has a Hebrew letter that begins each of the eight verses in its respective section.

B. Section "Nun" in Psalm 119:105-112 explains how Scripture equips the believer to handle sudden, humanly overwhelming crises when there is no time for long-range planning or anticipation of the crises (as follows):

II. Biblical Management Of Overwhelming Crises, Psalm 119:105-112.

A. The verse numbering system in the Hebrew text matches that of the English Bible (Kittel, Bib. Heb., p. 1084), so we stay with the English Bible's numbering system for this lesson.

B. We thus translate Psalm 119:105-112 (as follows):

1. "Your Word is a small-bowl-like-container-with-olive-oil-and-a-lit-wick-lamp (H. A. W., Theol. Wrdbk. of the O. T., 1980, v. II, p 565-566) for my feet and a light for my pathway [figuratively of one's course in life, B. D.B., A Heb. and Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 677]," Psalm 119:105.

2. "I have taken an oath and confirmed it, to keep Your righteous verdicts," Psalm 119:106.

3. "I have been very exceedingly afflicted; O Jahweh, renew me according to Your Word," Psalm 119:107.

4. "Accept the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Jahweh, and teach me Your verdicts," Psalm 119:108.

5. "My life principle is continually in the hollow of my hand (Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 496-497 = always in danger), but I will not forget Your law," Psalm 119:109.

6. "The wicked have set a bird-trap for me, but I have not strayed from Your precepts," Psalm 119:110.

7. "Your statutes are my heritage forever, for they are the exultation of my heart," Psalm 119:111.

8. "I have bent my heart to perform Your decrees forever, to the end," Psalm 119:112.

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

1. The psalmist presented a course of action in using Scripture for management of a humanly overwhelming crisis, v. 105: (a) He pictures the crisis as making insight as hard as gaining visibility for a moonless night path, v. 105. (b) In view of this darkness, he uses Scripture to illumine the next step he must take, v. 105a. (c) When that step is taken on what is illumined immediately in front of him, the lamp, moving along with the psalmist, illumines the next step of the path, v. 105b. (d) As each step is taken, the psalmist moves along the whole path, his small light thus illumining his whole pathway, but only a-step-at-a-time, v. 105c.

2. Having laid out this formula for a severe crisis management, the pslamist describes the mental dynamics involved, Psalm 119:106-112: (a) He describes the immediate steps in his crisis, v. 107-110: (i) To offset the cost in emotional, mental and physical suffering caused by the huge crisis, the psalmist looks to God's promises for renewal, v. 107. (ii) Having been renewed in each case, he offers thanksgiving and requests for more insight that impact his understanding for each next step, v. 108. (iii) Aware that his life is always endangered in the crisis, the psalmist promises not to forget the life-saving insight Scripture provides for his every crisis, v. 109. (iv) Knowing that his foes try to create more trouble for him in his crises, the psalmist sticks close to Scripture to offset their plans and efforts, v. 110. (b) The psalmist then describes his long-term planning and mental dynamics once he has time to dwell on it, v. 106, 111-112: (i) He makes a committment to stick close to Scripture, v. 106. (ii) He recognizes that Scripture, his inheritance of great value in his crisis, is what brings him joy for its protective, edifying insight, v. 111. (iii) He thus decides that, for the long-term, he will bend his heart to do what Scripture teaches, v. 112.

Lesson: In handling intense, sudden, humanly overwhelming crises, long-range planning is not feasible for the afflicted -- they cannot emotionally or mentally focus well on any "long-term" plan. Thus, God expects them to heed only what His Word directs for their next immediate, "baby" step, and to focus on addressing each successive step as they must face it until the pressure of the whole crisis lets up enough to give room for long-range planning.

Application: Scripture is sufficient for us even in sudden, humanly overwhelming crises when we have no capacity to be able think long-term and so to plan long-term. Thus, if facing such crises, we should apply Scripture truth to the immediate needs we can think clearly enough to address until God gives us the help we need to plan long-term!