Benefits for Trusting the Faithful Word

Lamedh Stanza Part 2 Psalm 119:92-96

Last time we noted in the first part of this stanza (119:89-91) that God demonstrated His faithfulness through His creation which should encourage each one of us. The Psalmist related how creation relates to the creator as a servant. And the Creator reciprocates by making them permanent, sustaining them! The point we need to think about and consider now is that if He does that much for His creation then should he not also do as much for his people?? That is the ones who have believed in Him What does this all mean to us and our relationship to the Creator God??

This is what the Psalmist deals with in the rest of the stanza. (vs:92-96) How it all relates to me and the benefits of putting my trust and confidence in his faithful word, a word that is changeless, settled in heaven.

This leads to an easy transition to the application to His people. If He does that much for His creation then should he not also do as much for his people?? What does this all mean to him and his relationship to the Creator God??

This is what the Psalmist deals with in the rest of the stanza. vs:92-96 How it all relates to each one of us, the benefits in putting our trust and confidence in his faithful word, a word that is changeless; that is settled in heaven.

Are we not to be His servants just like the creation is His servant? Are we not to be sustained by His word just as the creation is sustained by His word?

But there is an additional factor introduced with man; the capacity to misuse his volition, and make bad choices. He gave us the capacity to choose; and often we choose not to relate to our creator God rightly and in fact some even go so far as to reject that a Creator God even exists. Peter mentions that in 2 Pet 2:1 "they deny the master who bought them.".

First we see how the Psalmist relates to His creator God in his mental attitude in verses 92-93. "If thy law had not been my delight...." See that his mental attitude toward the instruction and teaching of God was one of delight. Might note that the word delight is plural. This intensifies the mental attitude of delight, the idea is of full complete delight in other words, he is excited about what the word is able to do for him. This concept of delight appears 5x's in 119:24; 77; 92; 143; 174; In each case the object of the delight is the word.

What's he saying? Since your word is my delight, I have realized your protection, your deliverance in the midst of my affliction. So his total delight is protective. In fact its so protective that if I had not had it, if I had not used it, I would never have made it. Notice how he puts it in the 2nd half of verse 92.

"Then I would have perished in my affliction." The idea is that the Word became like a ramrod to keep him standing straight even in the midst of circumstances that could have easily bent him over, but since his delight was in the word, his attitude was impacted by the Word instead of the circumstances he faced.

This should not be too difficult to understand I don't believe. Many pressures and tests that we face do just that, they all too easily "bend us over?" What we need to be asking ourselves is why should they? Because the simple truth is that most of what bends us over, should never do so!! We get bent over by things that make a lot of difference to us! When the word of God is our full delight; then our priorities are rearranged so that many of the things that might have bent us over, no longer do so! Why? Because we have the spiritual assets to deal with them.

How many times are we knocked off stride spiritually because our delight, our focus in life is not where God would have it? What the Psalmist is saying is that if I had not had my delight in your word, if it had not been my focus, if I had not lived it, then I would have perished in the midst of my affliction. He knew where his protection and provision in this and any other test was and he stayed focused.

In verse 93 we see his mental attitude and here he uses a negative statement. "I will never forget thy precepts."

The Psalmist makes a very strong, objective statement which revolves around the concept of forgetfulness. Word is shakach; xk;v' with the negative. Not only is the concept of forgetfulness central to the understanding of his mental attitude here but has major significance throughout the OT. (used 102 times)

He also recognizes the importance of the word to him personally. "For by them, (precepts) Thou hast revived me," literally you have given me life (chajah) hwx). The emphasis in the context is on the ability of the word to give him life even in the midst of extensive pressure and affliction.

His full delight in the word was effective in delivering him physically and sustaining him spiritually in life.

So the Psalmist's mental attitude revolves around the importance of the word, it brings life therefore I will not forget it! Eight times in Psalm 119 the Psalmist weaves into the message the importance of not forgetting the Word. (vs:16,61,83,93,109,141,153,176)

He follows this in verse 94 with a petition here which is made on the basis of 2 important things. The first is on the basis of his relationship to God; "I am thine, save me." He looks to YHWH and says, You and I. Looks at himself as unified, one with YHWH; it speaks here of a close intimate relationship. He is able to say this because of his close relationship with the word.

Then he says on that basis save me (yasha') [v;yE deliver me. Since this is a hiphil imperative the idea is cause me to be delivered! Why should God consider that? The next phrase tells us, "I have sought thy precepts."

In the next verse (95) we discover his personal attitude towards God in terms of persistence. How does he relate to God's faithful word in terms of persistence even while under pressure.

"The wicked (criminal) wait for me to destroy me;" (cause to perish or to destroy).

What he is saying here is this, even the pressure of my enemies, that won't detract me, I will not be deterred from my focus on my relationship with God and my desire for his word.

"I shall diligently consider thy testimonies."

In verse 96 we find his testimony. The first part is a reference to what he has seen in life. "I have seen a limit (end) to all perfection." He's simply saying, I've seen a lot of great things that man has accomplished, they are indeed impressive. Man with all his ingenuity has done great things; he acknowledges that, but they are also limited they're finite.

The contrast "Thy commandment is exceedingly broad." When man's accomplishments are compared to all the things that I've seen nothing compares to God's word for breadth. There are several ways that this could be understood in the context.

First a temporal meaning, that God's word works the longest. I've seen some great things that man has done, that were supposedly perfect, but they are gone, they don't last, they don't have the breadth of coverage time wise that God's word does.

Secondly, a sufficiency concept. I've seen some perfect things but in terms of sufficiency in my life nothing compares to the Word of God for its sufficiency.

And third in terms of thoroughness. The word leaves nothing uncovered, its scope is very broad about dealing with all the important issues of life; all the things that we need to consider about God, man, the Holy Spirit about the person of Christ, about salvation, many things.

The word alone is infinite, unchangeable and boundless in its completeness, finality, and flawlessness being exceedingly broad, its standards infinitely holy and righteous, in contrast to the narrow boundaries of human measurements.

In the view of the average person, the Bible is a very narrow book. Not so! The Bible in scope takes the broadest view of life and death, of time and eternity, that it is possible to take. All human philosophies are finite, limited, inadequate, bent, and harmful because they are clouded by human viewpoint, colored by the old sin nature and its fruit, sin.

The Bible however, gives us a total and adequate view of all issues because it reveals to us God's thinking, the viewpoint of an Omniscient God.

The Bible alone gives us a true account of origin of the universe. It alone tells the truth about God. His essence, character, how He relates to His creation and creatures. Nowhere else do you find a comprehensive and completely reliable plan of salvation, by faith alone in Christ alone. The Bible offers us everlasting life, God's life, and warns of the horrors of rejecting that life.

Above all, it tells us about the unique person of the universe, the God-man Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. It records much of His teaching. It sets before us a wholly satisfying and all-embracing view of life.

It gives solace to the suffering and dying, salvation to the lost who believe in Christ, that He died for them, bearing the penalty for their sin. It tells of life everlasting in a dimension beyond our imagining and of a duration that knows no end.

What are we able to add to that? Nothing! &