Temple Baptist Church - 3-24-2024
Psalm 119:97-104
Introduction:
A. Psalm 119 contains 176 verses with 22 stanzas and 8 verses per stanza with each verse in a stanza beginning with the corresponding letter of the Hebrew alphabet. An acrostic.
B. Tonight, I want to look at the 13th stanza, verses 97-104, and the Hebrew letter MEM.
1. This letter MEM has two different forms – the regular letter מ, which is open at the bottom and the special final letter ם, which is closed. I wanted to mention this without spending a lot of time on it. We are not here tonight to learn the Hebrew language. We are here to convey a simple truth.
2. The regular MEM מ, represents everything that we understand while the special letter MEM ם, represents everything that we do not comprehend.
3. In Genesis, chapter 1, we find both uses of MEM in one verse. In the story of the Creation, the text mentions that God separated the waters above the firmament and below it. The first MEM represents the waters above the firmament, which we and the second MEM the waters below the firmament. Therefore, this letter is connected to the element of water.
Genesis 1:7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
4. God made a division between the waters above the firmament, which we can see, and the waters below the firmament which we can only see that which is above ground with the water underground not seen.
5. There are parts of the Bible that we know and understand. There are spiritual truths found in the Bible that are later grasped through continuation of study of the Scriptures.
6. The numerical value of MEM is 40, an important number in the Bible as it signifies ripeness and maturity.
a) The life of Moses was split into three segments of 40 years. Each segment of 40 was a stage of development in his life and ministry.
b) The rains of the Great Flood lasted for 40 days.
c) Moses stayed on Mount Sinai for 40 days to receive the Law.
d) Jonah the prophet told the people of Ninveh that they had 40 days to repent.
e) The Children of Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years.
f) The LORD Jesus fasted 40 days before the Mount of Temptation.
C. MEM represents water. In this portion of the 119th Psalm, I want to look at the Word of God in relationship to our spiritual understanding. Many of God’s people have only head knowledge of God’s Word but, in life, the Word of God has little practical use. Putting the Word of God into practice, especially in decision making.
D. In your Bible, water represents the Word of God.
Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
John 4:10-14 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. (11) The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? (12) Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? (13) Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: (14) But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
E. The common thread in these 8 verses is learning.
Proverbs 4:5-7 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. (6) Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. (7) Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
1. Verse 97. Knowledge. “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.” The motivation for growing in God’s Word is found in this verse. There are two aspects vital to our learning:
a. Love. “O how love I thy law! The words “O how” are exclamatory. This is a strong statement exemplifying the strength of “love I thy law!” Though punctuation is not a part of the actual text, the exclamation point at the end of the statement agrees with the wording. We will never gain knowledge of the Word of God unless we love the Word of God.
Job 23:11-12 My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined. (12) Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.
b. Meditation. “It is my meditation all the day.” Another key to knowledge of Scripture is meditation. Emersed in the Bible! Controlled by the Bible. As we saturate our minds and hearts with the Word of God, the Spirit of God can bring the Word to our remembrance when needed.
Isaiah 55:8-11 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. (9) For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (10) For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: (11) So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
c. So, what’s the problem in our day? Two-fold:
1) It is a Pew Problem. Hosea 4:1 Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
Hebrews 5:11-12 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. (12) For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
2) It is a Pulpit Problem. Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
2. Verse 98. Wisdom. “Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies.” Spiritual wisdom is greater than the wisdom of the world and will overcome the wicked.
a. The Master. “Thou … hast made me” is key to adding wisdom to knowledge. By my definition, wisdom is the right application of knowledge. When we love and meditate in God’s Word, God the Holy Ghost will teach us how to use it in our daily lives and future days.
b. The Median. “through thy commandments” Instead of the wisdom of the world which is good to some degree, the wisdom that comes through the application of the Word of God which is all good.
3. Verse 99-102. Understanding. “Spiritual Engineering.” Knowledge is learning facts; wisdom it learning to put what you learn to work; Understanding is knowing why they work. What does understanding of God’s commandment do?
a. Verse 98. They make you wiser than your enemies. You are not ignorant of Satan’s devices.
b. Verse 99. They make you wise enough to be an example in both word and truth. You eventually become a teacher of teachers.
c. Verse 100. They make you wiser because you do not follow the wrong paths others before you have trodden.
d. Verse 101. They make you wise enough to know that sinfulness brings about a woeful end.
e. Verse 102. They make you wise enough to not think that you have “arrived” and are foolproof. Satan often attacks us in our strengths in stead of our weaknesses. Never get too wise to be smart!
4. Verses 103-104. Never get to the place where you are no longer a learner. Often, teachers quit being students and become spiritually stale.
a. Keep the Word of God Sweet so as not to get Stale.
b. Keep the Word of God Faithfully to prevent going into the False Way.
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