Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20121028.htm

SPECIAL INTERLUDE
Guarding The Heart Through Scripture: Five Gems From Psalm 119
Part I: Section Gimel - Guarding The Heart From Verbal Abuse
(Psalm 119:17-24)
    Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

    (1) Patricia Evans' landmark book, The Verbally Abusive Relationship, 1996, p. 17-19, claims that "verbal abuse is an issue of control, a means of holding power over another" by "covert, constant, controlling . . . crazymaking'," that the goal of such abuse is to control how the victim perceives reality so as to control the victim himself.

    (2) As such, we as a people face a lot of political verbal abuse:

    (a) The October 22, 2012 edition of the nationwide paper, USA TODAY, p. 7A ran a full page ad by "A Critical Choice For America Political Action Committee" that listed business leaders who charged: "In a campaign season marked by new lows in polarizing rhetoric, some of the most divisive has originated from the President and his allies -- and has been aimed at successful people in the business sector . . ." The ad countered the President's claim that successful businesses "didn't build" their enterprises unless the government had let them do so. This large ad in a nationwide paper that pits 38 notable business leaders against the President, with each side charging the other with misrepresenting reality before the voters, reveals that at least one side is guilty of verbally abusing an entire nation of voters!

    (b) Political verbal abuse hits us statewide, too. Radio talk show host, Brad Davis, last Wednesday said on his show that, for the first time in fifty years in the broadcast business, he produced an ad supporting Linda McMahon, Republican candidate for the U. S. Senate because he was appalled that her opponent, Senator Chris Murphy, asserts she would do away with Social Security and Medicare when Linda has repeatedly denied it! One side is verbally abusing the state!

    (3) However, verbal abuse hits us locally apart from politics, and sometimes quite hard! I was recently so moved by a verbal abuse case that a believer in our body has faced that I could not focus on any other subject besides this five-part series out of Psalm 119 on guarding the inner man! [We will return to our history trek through Scripture by beginning a series out of Deuteronomy in January!]



    Scripture directs us in Proverbs 4:23 NIV, "Above all else, guard your heart, for out of it is the wellspring of life," so we ask, "If verbal abuse permeates the culture and hurts the inner man of many people, how does God want me protect my heart from it?!"

    Need: "If verbal abuse is so pervasive and harmful in today's culture, what would God have me do to protect my inner man from it?!"

  1. Psalm 119 is written in an alphabetical arrangement of sections where each section is marked by the first word of each of its lines starting with a specific Hebrew letter, and the focus in the ENTIRE psalm is on the PRACTICAL VALUE of GOD'S WORD.
  2. The Psalm 119:17-24 letter "Gimel" section describes the practical value of Scripture in guarding the inner man in verbal abuse cases:
    1. The psalmist expresses an inner great need for Scripture in dealing effectively with a verbally abusive case he faced, Psalm 119:17-20:
      1. He asks God to "deal bountifully with" (gamal, B. D. B., A Heb.-Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 168) him that he might be "revived from discouragement" ( hayah, Ibid., p. 310-311; Biblia Hebraica, p. 1080, Ps. 119:17), which crushing of the spirit is experienced by victims in verbally abusive relationships, Ibid., Evans, p. 82.
      2. A result of this crushing is a lack of being sure what is reality, what verbal abuse victims typically experience (Ibid., Evans, p. 69-78), so the psalmist asks God to uncover his eyes that he might see "extraordinarily wonderful" ( nipla'ot, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 810), and hence, edifying realities from Scripture, Psalm 119:18.
      3. The sense of relationship alienation typical of victims of verbal abuse (Ibid., Evans, p. 75) is voiced by the psalmist when he calls himself a "sojourner," an outsider ( ger, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid. B. D. B., p. 158), Psalm 119:19a, so he asks God not to hide His commands from him, to make them public where even a foreigner like he felt himself to be could easily detect and identify them, Psalm 119:19b.
      4. Also, the psalmist claims his nepesh, or "life principle" of mental, emotional, physical and spiritual life (Ibid., Kittel, p. 1080 and 3 in citing Gen. 2:7 where God made man a nepesh) is consumed with longing for God's applicational rulings (mishpat, Ibid., Kittel, p. 1080; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 1048-1049) of Scripture at all times, Psalm 119:20. The continuous nature of the psalmist's need reflects the typical verbal abuse victim's sense that his relationship problem with his abuser is never understood or solved. (Ibid., Evans, p. 18)
    2. The verbally abusive activity faced is described in Psalm 119:23:
      1. Rulers (sar, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 978-979) sit enthroned (yashab, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 442-443), men of power meeting against the psalmist, and a verbally abusive party typically exerts "power over" his victim, Psalm 119:23a; Ibid., Evans, p. 29.
      2. These princes speak words against the psalmist (Psalm 119:23b), so very typical of cases of verbal abuse, Ibid., Evans, p. 23-27.
    3. Yet, Scripture use gives the victim victory, Psalm 119:21-22, 23b, 24:
      1. To face the abuse itself, the psalmist meditates on the Scripture passage(s) that counter the abusers' errant words, Psalm 119:23b.
      2. God's Word neutralizes the abusers' words, Psalm 119:21-22:
        1. As the verbal abuse victim focuses on Scripture in facing abuse, he pits God's Word against the abuser's words, and the abuser's words of inferior power "roll off" ( galal, Ibid., B. D. B., p. 164) the psalmist's inner man without doing him harm, Psa. 119:22.
        2. Scripture also acts to rebuke the arrogant abusers, people who are under God's curse for their evil since they have themselves wandered away from God's Scripture truth, Psalm 119:21.
        3. Scripture even acts as a host of edifying counselors to offset the evil, destructive mind control of many abusers, Psalm 119:24.
    4. [This directive counters the view that a verbal abuse victim should try to combat his abuser in his own effort, and we explain as follows:
      1. Verbal abuse can quickly escalate into physical abuse, Ibid., Evans, p. 83-84, so it is unwise for a victim himself to confront his abuser.
      2. Also, long-term victims of abuse may lack the fortitude to face an abuser's escalated reaction were he to confront his abuser. Rather, the victim must shield his inner man with God's authority in Scripture, an authority greater than the abuser's, Hebrews 4:12!
      3. Besides, God promises to keep one who relies on God's Word in perfect peace while he trusts in the Lord, Isaiah 26:3.
      4. In addition, 2 Timothy 2:26 with 3:2e reveals "verbally abusive" people can be actually influenced by Satan, (blasphemos, Arndt & Gingrich, A Grk.-Engl. Lex. of the N. T. , p. 142; T. D. N. T., v. 1, p. 621-622), so, to handle the abuse, one must heed Jesus' example and use God's authority in Scripture to counter Satanic efforts that may lurk behind the verbal abuse, Matthew 4:1-11; 1 John 2:14b.]
Application: May we (1) trust in Christ to become a child of God and come under His spiritual care, John 3:16; Romans 8:32. (2) May we respond to verbal abuse by prayerfully using Scripture.

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message . . . )

 While doing undergraduate studies in Portland, Oregon years ago, a classmate whose father worked in a Liberal Theology ministry began a conversation with me after class on how to get to heaven.

She was of the opinion that it was absurd to claim that salvation was only by faith in Christ, for a God of love would necessarily have to concern Himself with the good intentions of people of all faiths.

I of course took the Bible's "narrow road" view in the conversation, replying that eternal life is available only through faith in Christ, and she became indignant, declaring my view was wrong!

As she turned and started to march angrily away, the thought occurred to me to cite 1 John 5:12. After all, by now I had nothing to lose, so, I simply said after her as she walked away: "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life."

She stopped, turned around, and walked slowly back to the desk where I was sitting and quietly asked, "What did you just say?!"

I answered, "I quoted a Bible verse -- He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.'"

She looked at me somewhat stunned, and then, slowly, turned to leave the room at a slower pace. She never spoke to me again.

What amazed me about that encounter was the raw power of Scripture! This classmate with her Liberal Theology rearing was about as hardened against the doctrine of faith in Christ as the only way of salvation as anyone could be. Anything I tried to say on my own, she would readily counter. In fact, as a child of Liberal Theology, she probably denied the full divine inspiration of the Bible verse I had just cited to her! Regardless, she could NOT counter the AUTHORITY of GOD'S WORD! It stopped her in her tracks, and changed her demeanor.

She of course will be held eternally accountable to God for what that verse teaches since she came to understand it, so I hope she has since trusted in Jesus Christ as Her Savior!



In the end, verbal abuse is overcome by the use of GOD'S AUTHORITATIVE WORD. May we trust in Christ to be saved, and, if we face verbal abuse, may we prayerfully read and apply Scripture to find God's edifying help!