PRECIOUS BENEFITS OF GOD’S WORD
Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on September 27, 2020 under 2020 |
Bethany Bible Church Sunday Message; September 27, 2020 from Psalm 19:7-11
Theme: We are a living epistle that commends the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world.
(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).
Click HERE for the live-stream archive of this sermon.
Click HERE for the audio version of this sermon.
There are, of course, lots of troubles in the world today. Most of our attention lately seems to be on those troubles. But we forget that there has also never been a time when the Bible has been available to people as much as it is right now. Thanks to the printed word—and also, thanks to the digital word on the Internet—the Scriptures are now available, in some form, almost everywhere and to almost anyone on the planet. And God’s word is still today what it has always been—wonderfully powerful, by the work of the Holy Spirit, to save souls and transform lives.
My hope this morning is to simply encourage you with what a wonderful thing it is to have the Bible in our hands. And I can’t think of a better place to go for that encouragement this morning than to Psalm 19.
* * * * * * * * * *
Psalm 19 was written by King David. It may have been a song that had its origins back at the time when he was a shepherd boy—gazing up at the nighttime sky as he kept watch over the flocks until the sun arose and lit up the morning. In this song, he reflected on the ways that God has graciously revealed Himself to humanity:
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,
Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.
Its rising is from one end of heaven,
And its circuit to the other end;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat (Psalm 19:1-6)
Note how he then seems to change his theme:
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward (vv. 7-11).
And then note how he seems to change his theme yet again:
Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer (vv. 12-14).
These seem to be changes of theme. But they are actually different expressions of but one theme: The revelation of God to humankind.
There are three main parts to this psalm. In the first part—in verses 1-6—David sang about the ways that God has declared Himself in the creation of the heavens. All human beings everywhere can know something of the power of God by gazing up into the sky and seeing the stars and the sun that God has made. But God’s revelation through the heavens doesn’t tell fallen humanity what it needs in order to be right with Him or how He wants us to live; and so David went on to sing in the second part—in verses 7-11—about the ways that God had declared Himself in the Scriptures. From God’s written revelation, we are given the clear knowledge of His holy standards and His redeeming grace. But then, looking at God’s revelation through the Scriptures leads us to look at ourselves. And so, in the third part—in verses 12-14, David looks at his own inner being in the light of God’s word, and calls out for God’s gracious mercy and help—looking to God as his Redeemer.
I like the way one old-time preacher has divided this psalm up. He has said that—in it—God speaks to us through (1) the skies, (2) the Scriptures, and (3) the soul. And this morning, I ask that we give special attention to that second part in verses 7-11—that middle division that celebrates God’s self-disclosure to us through the Scriptures.
* * * * * * * * * *
Look again with me at those verses. They tell us of the precious benefits that God’s word gives to us. And in order to appreciate how it can benefit us so much, we must first understand what God’s word is. It’s because of what it is that it is able to do for us what it does.
To help us understand what it is, David gave us six unique names for the written word of God. He says, for example, that it is “the law of the LORD”; indicating to us that it gives us God’s authoritative rules for living. He calls it, “the testimony of the LORD”; which lets us know that it is God’s witness of Himself in this world. It is called “the statues of the LORD”; because the Scriptures contain God’s specific precepts for everyday situations of life. David calls it “the commandment of the LORD”—that is, in the original language, not ‘commandments’ (in the plural) but ‘commandment’ (in the singular)—indicating that it constitutes the one body of individual, authoritative instructions that we are called upon by Him to keep. He calls it “the fear of the LORD”, indicating the reverence and awe we are to have toward God in His self-disclosure to us. And finally, David calls it “the judgments of the LORD”; showing us that it gives us the decisive ordinances of God for life.
These are all said to be “of the LORD”—with David using the sacred covenant name YHWH that God gave of Himself to the people of Israel. Just think of how holy these identifying names show us that God’s word is! And think, too, of the six characteristics that King David then attached to these names. As the translation that I’m using has it, Kind David says that God’s word is “perfect”—that is, it is stable and whole. It is “sure”—that is, trustworthy, unchanging and reliable. It is “right”—that is, a just and straight rule for life. It is “pure”—that is, it is clear and lucid and plain. It is “clean”—that is, it is ethically undefiled and free from error. And finally, it is “true”—that is to say, it is firm and reliable. You can build your eternity on what it says.
These statements of the identity and character of God’s word are important to know. This is because they assure us that the word of God is wonderfully able to be the blessing it is in people’s lives because of what it is. The apostle Paul, in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, says something very similar concerning the word of God. He wrote, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God …”; that is, it is God-breathed. It has God Himself as its source. That’s what it is. And because of what it is, Paul could go on to say that it is
… profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
So, dear brothers and sisters; when we pick up our Bible, we ought to hold it with awe. We’re picking up the Lord’s law, His testimony, his statutes, His commandment, His reverent fear, and His judgment. We’re picking up that which is perfect, sure, right, pure, clean and true. What a marvelous thing the Bible is! How grateful we should be that God has provided it for us for life on this earth! How eagerly and prayerfully we should read from it every day!
* * * * * * * * * *
Now; all of that is preparatory for our consideration of what it is that the word of God does for us. Because of what it is, it does great things to those who encounter it. First …
IT CONVERTS THE SOUL.
David says in verse 7, “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul …” Because it is the word of God, God the Holy Spirit works mightily through it. By it, He is able to bring a hard-hearted sinner to saving faith in Jesus Christ. In the original language, it’s the idea of “turning back” or “restoring” someone from a lost way. A man or woman can be converted—turned back and delivered from a lifestyle of sin—and brought to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ by reading God’s word.
The apostle Paul once told Timothy;
But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:14-15).
No wonder we must get the word of God into people’s hands!
Then, we’re told that …
IT MAKES WISE THE SIMPLE.
In verse 7, King David said, “The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple …” To be “simple” in this verse doesn’t necessarily mean ‘innocently naive’. Rather, it means ‘to be open toward folly’ or ‘to tend toward bad sense’. That describes so many of us; doesn’t it? And the word of God is a sure word that gives wisdom for living to those who lack it—and who desperately need it.
Back in my college days, I had a terrible temptation. I used to want to write the words of Psalm 119:99 at the end of my papers that I turned in:
I have more understanding than all my teachers,
For Your testimonies are my meditation (Psalm 119:99).
I didn’t do so, though; because that would definitely not have been a wise thing to do. But it is still true for anyone who faithfully studies God’s word. Whoever gives his or her life to faithfully reading and understanding and obeying the Scriptures ends up with more wisdom for living than 100 college degrees could ever give.
David also tells us that …
IT REJOICES THE HEART.
In verse 8, he wrote, “The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart …” To read and study the word of God refreshes and renews the soul of the man or woman who is redeemed by the blood of Jesus. It gives us delight to know what God has done for us in Him. And it gives us joy to know what God wants us to do.
Have you ever had a time when you were driving around somewhere and were lost? I’m afraid I have had more than my share of those times. But then, have you ever noticed the happiness and relief you feel when you suddenly discover where you are and how to get where you need to be? That’s what the word of God does for us. His statutes give us true and reliable direction in life; and as a result, we have the joy of knowing where we are and what He wants us to do. It rejoices our hearts. As it says in Psalm 1;
Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper (Psalm 1:1-3).
David also says that …
IT ENLIGHTENS THE EYES.
Verse 8 tells us, “The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes …”
In this dark world of sin, there are many pitfalls and traps that the enemy has laid out for us. And on our own, we don’t have the wisdom to know where to place our feet. As it says in Jeremiah 10:23, “It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.” But God has not left us on our own. He has given us His word to enlighten our eyes. As it says in Psalm 119:105;
“Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path (Psalm 119:105)”.
David tells us another benefit we receive from God’s word …
IT ENDURES FOREVER.
In verse 9, he tells us, “The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever …” As that which testifies to the holy majesty of the Creator God Himself—and as that which calls forth reverent awe for Him—it is without fault or error or sin. It is that which is eternal. Jesus once said;
“For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled” (Matthew 5:18).
A ‘jot’ is the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet. It sort of looks like a comma. It isn’t even pronounced. And a ‘tittle’ is a simple stroke of a pen that differentiates one letter from another. It’s a lot like the one simple stroke that makes a difference between an “F” and an “E”. And not one of these will pass away from the written word of God until all is fulfilled. God’s word—even down the very strokes of the letters—will outlast heaven and earth. It will never change with the times. No wonder we can trust our lives—and even our eternity—to what it tells us!
And finally, David says that …
IT GIVES US TRUTH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS.
In verse 9, he says, “The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” To say that the judgments of God are “true” is to say that they are “firm”—as if to say that they are reliable. You don’t ever have to worry about building your whole life or resting your eternity on what God’s word says. And what’s more, His judgments are “righteous altogether”—which is to say that they are all alike in being completely just and true. As Jesus said in prayer to the Father for us;
“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17).
Following God’s judgments in His word leads us along the path of truth and righteousness. What a precious gift that is!
* * * * * * * * * *
No wonder, then—at the end of his words about the Scriptures in verses 10-11—that King David declares;
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward (vv. 11-12).
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let’s greatly value God’s word. Of all the things God has given us for life, it is truly the most precious thing we have. Let’s read it, and study it, and enjoy it, and live by it.
And more—let’s also make sure we put it in the hands of others in this world!
EA
