Temple Baptist Church - 12-10-2023
Psalm 119
Introduction:
A. The Word of God, our Bible.
1. There are people who have the idea that the Bible is just for those who are mentally weak, not too smart, those who are not well educated. Others think that the Bible is for elderly people and shut-ins who have nothing else to do but read.
2. There are people who have the idea that the Bible is just for children. Thy memorized it as boys and girls in Sunday School, but when they were a bit older they quit going to Sunday School and church and hence, quit reading and memorizing the Word of God.
3. The Bible has been on the 'best-seller' list for years. Of all books ever written, only the Bible is found in almost every home in America. It makes no difference whether or not the people are saved, somewhere there is a Bible.
4. If this is the world's greatest Book, and it is, then why don't we read it? It is more exciting than any adventure story, contains more intrigue than any mystery, speaks of greater love than any love story could, and yet it remains unread by the majority of people who possess the Book.
B. Tonight, we will begin a series of messages on Psalm 119. I pray that these lessons will help us to understand the importance of the Word of God to both saved and unsaved.
1. To the saved because it is practical as it shows us the importance of a proper relationship with God is based upon God’s Word.
2. What God wants us to understand is that He is the only one who can fill the emptiness of the human heart, which longs for fulfillment and happiness, and God is the only one who can give those to us.
3. To the unsaved because it is essential as faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
C. The Book of Psalms is the “Centerpiece” of the Bible. When you split your Bible in half, you are in the Book of Psalms.
D. The Book of Psalms is a rich, powerful, and needful compilation of prayers to be prayed, poems to thrill the soul, and hymns to encourage the believer. Psalm 119 is the Practical use of the Word of God in the lives of His children.
E. The Book of Psalms is vitally important to the believer as expresses virtually every emotion that a believer has: anger, frustration, fear, loneliness, sadness, bliss, joy, elation, wonder, gratitude, and praise.
F. The Book of Psalms inspires us as we see believers throughout the millenniums overcome in the darkest of their hours. The Book of Psalms encourages us as we follow in the Old Paths of suffering and often confusion.
G. Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible: 22 stanzas with each stanza containing eight verses. Psalm 119 is written in its entirety, 176 verses, about the written Word of God.
1. That God would inspire the longest chapter of the written Word of God about the written Word of God shows the importance of the written Word of God.
2. There is no human author given to Palm 119 and rightly so as each of God’s children can explore and adore God’s Word simply by reading it. Some said that it was Davidic while others said that it was postexilic. The one thing that we know for certain is that the Holy Ghost was the Author.
2 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
3. The 176 verses are broken down into 22 parts with 8 verses in each part. There are 22 letters in the Hebrew Alphabet with one letter ascribed to each of the 22 parts beginning with Alph, the first letter of the Hebrew Alphabet and with all 22 of its parts in alphabetical order.
4. The Psalm is written about the written Word of God, and we find the Word of God is described with eight different words describing eight different usages. The law—25 times, testimony—23 times, precept—21 times, statute—21 times, commandment—22 times, judgment—23 times, and two different usages of word—43 times (24 of the 43 uses the word dabar while using the word imrah 19 times.
H. There seems to be a correlation between Psalm 19 and Psalm 119. In Psalm 19, David mentions five different areas of the Word of God: law, testimony, precept, commandment, and judgment. Also, some of the wording in these two Psalm are descriptively the same: perfect or blameless, pure, righteous, righteousness, meditate, mediation, gold, and honey.
J. In these days of “the shifting sands of human theology,” Psalm 119 is an anchor of the soul. As things change constantly around us, we tend to get “spiritual vertigo” and, if not careful, change with the changing theology.
K. We have an anchor of the soul called the Bible, the written Word of God. When I get spiritually dizzy looking around, I look down at my unchanging Bible and it holds me fast.
L. Why such emphasis on the written Word of God? Did the Lord deem the Word of God so important that He inspired this 119th Psalm containing 176 verses? The answer is a simple, “Yes He did!”
1. The Magnification of God’s Word - Psalms 138:2 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. (This is God magnifying it, not man. It is alright for God’s people to magnify it.)
2. The Praise of God’s Word - Psalms 56:4 In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.
Psalms 56:10 In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word. (It is alright for God’s people to praise it.)
3. The Esteem of God’s Word - Job 23:12 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. (It is alright for God’s people to esteem it.)
M. The importance of our Bible, the written Word of God. Other than natural revelation of nature itself, which declares the glory of God, all that we know about God is found in the Bible. The Bible is the final authority for both faith and practice; it is the “Gold Standard!”
l. As we get into this study, I once again clarify my position on the Bible. I am a Bible believer. By Bible, I mean the Authorized King James Bible.
2. I will not explain the Bible away; I will not change the Bible in any way, nor will I apologize for the Bible! God said it and that settles it if we believe it or not.
3. Why are we Biblicists? Psalm 119 sets forth out relationship to God through God’s Word. And we wonder why Satan has so attacked the veracity of God’s Word in these end times?
N. Psalm 119 is about the Bible! We have neither owned nor seen an Original Manuscript so it could not be talking about them. The greatest commentary on the Word of God is the Word of God. I had rather depend upon what the Bible says than what man says the Bible says.
O. Why? Simple!
1. Our salvation Depends Upon God's Word. The written Word of God is the foundation upon which our salvation rests. Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
2. Our sound doctrine Demands God's Word. “thoroughly furnished.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
3. Our Christian growth and maturity Necessitates God's Word. Acts 20:32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
4. Our daily walk with Christ depends upon God's Word. Colossians 2:6-7 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: (7) Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
5. The exposing of false teachers and teaching requires God's Word. Romans 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
6. The proving of our love for the Saviour is found in the keeping of God's Word. John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
7. The hope of our future is guaranteed by God's Word. John 14:1-3 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. (2) In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
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