Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb19981122.htm

PSALMS: DIARIES OF GODLY OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS
Psalm One Hundred And Nineteen (Pe) - Scripture's Release For Those Oppressed By Ungodly Manipulators
(Psalm 119:129-136)
  1. Introduction
    1. Paul warned that in the latter days of the Church, men would go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived, 2 Timothy 3:13. This would create suffering for the godly, 2 Tim. 3:12 implied.
    2. In contrast to this challenge, one main source of help was Timothy's exposure to God's written, unchanging Word, cf. 2 Timothy 3:14,15-17. Just how Scripture enables one to overcome pressures of ungodly manipulators is taught in Psalm 119:129-136. We study it for motivation to use Scripture as follows:
  2. Scripture's Release For Those Oppressed By Ungodly Manipulators, Psalm 119:129-136.
    1. The Psalmist expressed his appreciation for Scripture, noting that it ministered to his whole heart, 119:129.
    2. The reason for the psalmist's appreciation of Scripture, was, that when it is used properly, it releases even naive people from deceivers who try to manipulate the minds of others to their own ends, Ps. 119:130:
      1. Even the doorway of Scripture, i.e., when it is initially read, supplies helpful insight to the troubled mind of one who is obsessed by self-serving mind-benders and deceivers, Ps. 119:130a.
      2. Scripture can thus equip even the naive to have discernment between what is right and wrong, and make the reader immune from being errantly manipulated into errant thinking, Ps. 119:130b.
    3. Following this claim of the psalmist, he described in detail just how Scripture shields the oppressed and naive from being manipulated into deception in Ps. 119:131-135:
      1. Because of oppressions by the manipulators, the psalmist has learned to long for Scripture's insight with the intensity akin to that of a needy, oppressed animal who desperately pants for air, Ps. 119:131.
      2. With this longing for the Word's clarification on issues relating to the oppression, the psalmist saw God bless him by making judgments in his favor as a reward for his seeking Scripture's view, 119:132.
      3. While he read Scripture, God offered step-by-step guidance in being released from the mind game clutches of the oppressive manipulator, Ps. 119:133a.
      4. In reading Scripture, the oppressed became confident that no sin ruled him so that the oppressed could not control him by use of the wedge of charges of sin that were really only false guilt, Ps. 119:133b.
      5. In his reading Scripture, God rescued the psalmist from all controls of the manipulator, Ps. 119:134.
      6. In reading Scripture, the oppressed came to enjoy God encouraging blessings, Ps. 119:135.
Lesson: When one endures being oppressively manipulated in his viewpoint by a self-serving party that uses false guilt as a wedge to try to deceive and control him for the oppressor's selfish ends, the victim experiences suffering in the entire inn er man. However, his reading and applying God's written Word provides total relief from this manipulation.

Application: (1) When having inner pain in interacting with a difficult, mind-controlling party, this PAIN acts like the discomfort a troubled animal experiences when it cannot obtain enough AIR! (2) God thus wants those who are op pressed to use this PAIN as a DRIVING FORCE to direct their attention to READ SCRIPTURE for a breath of spiritual AIR! (3) In reading Scripture, (a) the afflicted finds even his INITIAL exposure to Scripture bringing some relief, (b) let alon e what a broader, deeper study of applicable passage(s) produce. This is because ((a)) READING Scripture offers step-by-step guidance to counter mind games of manipulators, and ((b)) GOD rewards those who look to His Word for help with emergency interve ntions in life's critical circumstances in order to KEEP them READING His Word, 119:134. (4) Thus, IF we face CONTINUAL pressures from destructively manipulative parties, VIEW this status as a DIVINELY permitted ASSIGNMENT in which God is d irecting us to STICK with SCRIPTURE input which God obviously asserts that we need in large doses.