The Word of God and Magnification of His Word

 Temple Baptist Church - 6-23-2024

Psalm 119:169-176

 

Introduction:

 

A.  Tonight, we will finish the 119^th Psalm and I have enjoyed preaching through it.  176 verses about the Word of God!  22 stanzas with each stanza containing 8 verses.  Each stanza begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet with each verse of that particular stanza beginning with Hebrew letter in the Hebrew bible.  A 176 verse acrostic!  What a magnificent Psalm!

 

B.  The relationship of the Word of God with the believer is dependent upon the relationship of the believer with the Word of God.  This is shared importance.  The Bible speaks of our importance to Almighty God and our relationship to the Word of God expresses the importance of it in our lives.

 

C.  Tonight, we will finish Psalm 119.  It has been a joy to preach through this magnificent Psalm that magnifies the Word of God which glorifies the Son of God.  The intent of the Bible is to reestablish our relationship to God through salvation and sanctification.  Please notice the order: salvation first and then sanctification.  Religion always reverses the two.

 

1.  As with the New Testament Greek letters, Alpha and Omega, the first and last letters of the Greek Alphabet, so ALPH and TAU are the first and last letters of the Hebrew Alphabet. 

 

2.  Our Lord said, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8)  This verse is applied to our Glorified Saviour in Revelation. 

 

a)  Alpha – the beginning, Omega – the last, the end, the ultimate limit of a set.

 

b)  Alpha and Omega are used 4 times in the Book of Revelation: twice in chapter 1, once in chapter 21, and once in chapter 22.  These are “Bookends” that hold all that lies between Genesis, chapter one and Revelation, chapter 22.  The Revelation of Jesus Christ.

 

3.  Psalm 119 begins with ALPH, the first letter of the Hebrew Alphabet and ends with TAU, the last letter of the Hebrew Alphabet.  These are the “Bookends” that introduce the prophesied coming of Messiah, the Saviour of the world.

 

4. Psalm 119 begins with the first letter ALPH– Master, Teacher, Wondrous. 

 

a)  The Lord Jesus Christ was Master!  Matthew 8:25-27  And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.  (26)  And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.  (27)  But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

 

b)  The Lord Jesus was Teacher.  John 3:1-2  There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:  (2)  The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

 

c)  The Lord Jesus was certainly Wonderful.   Isaiah 9:6-7  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.  (7)  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

 

5.  Psalm 119 ends with TAU.  TAU – Truth, Sign, Life and Death.  These verses are about the Coming Saviour in the Old Testament.

 

a)  Truth – The Person of Christ – The Word of God and Jesus Christ the Word.  John 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

 

b)  Sign – The Prophecy of Christ - The Identification of Christ.  Isaiah 7:14  Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

 

c)  Life and Death – The Prerogative of Christ - Reception or Rejection. John 5:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

 

6.  Christ Jesus is the Wondrous Teacher and Master but also the Truth that brings either Life or Death.

 

7.  Thus, we find the two sets of “Bookends” found in the Old and New Testaments.  The Bible is a Him Book.  In both the Old and New Testament, we find the words “Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me.” 

 

Psalm 40:7  Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,

 

Hebrews 10:7  Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

 

8.  In the beginning of the Volume of the Book, we find the Creator. 

 

Genesis 1:1  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

 

John 1:1-3  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  (2)  The same was in the beginning with God.  (3)  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

 

9.  In the last chapter of the Volume of the Bood, we find the Coming King.

 

Revelation 22:20-21  He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.  (21)  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

 

b)  Revelation 22:21, the last verse of the Bible, speaks of Him.  “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”

 

D.  One can never establish a relationship with God or His Word until they come to Him in repentance and faith!  A new birth into the Family of God.  The Word of God is Truth that converts or condemns.  “Except a man be born again” is an option that all must choose of reject.

 

E.  A proper relationship with God through His Word:

 

1.  Verse 169.  A desire for understanding God’s Word.  The more knowledge that we have of the Word of God, the closer the relationship with God.

 

2.  Verse 170.  A desire for deliverance (from self, sin, and Satan) according to God’s Word.  Not our way and time but His way and time.

 

3.  Verse 171.  A desire to rightly praise the Lord through His Word.  We see so much unbiblical “worship” in these last days.  We are to worship God in spirit and truth!

 

4.  Verse 172.  A desire to share God with others through His Word.  The greatest gift that we can give to others is the greatest gift that we have ever received.  The gospel is the best kept secret in the world.

 

5.  Verse 173.  A desire to live for Christ through the Word of God.  Then we have not only life but life more abundantly.

 

6.  Verse 174.  A desire to wait upon God instead of acting or reacting in the flesh.  Let God, Who is greater, smarter, and more loving than anyone else, direct your path.  Proverbs 3:5-6.

 

7.  Verse 175.  A desire to bow to the will and way of God in our lives.  When I ask God for something, I always try to let Him know that His time, woll and ways come first.

 

8.  Verse 176.  A desire to continually return to God as we all fall and fail at times.  Proverbs 24:16  For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

 

Conclusion:

 

Psalms 138:1-2  A Psalm of David. I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.  (2)  I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

 

I thank God for these past months that we have spent in Psalm 119!  Let us continue to magnify God’s Word, the Inscribed Word, and glorify God’s Son, the Incarnate Word.