Temple Baptist Church - 2-25-2024
Psalm 119:65-72
Introduction: Psalm 119 is broken down into 22 stanzas with each stanza represented by one of the 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet. Each stanza contains 8 verses with each verse beginning with the Hebrew letter that begins the stanza. An acrostic. A total of 176 verses elaborating upon the blessing of the Word of God and its intended work in the life of the believer. Absolutely the work of God!
A. Tonight, TETH ט – the 9th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
1. TETH is an interesting letter as it is another one of those with a double meaning.
2. It is what is called a paradoxical letter or, in our day, an oxymoron: two conflicting terms used together to convey a truth. TETH can mean bad or good at the same time. The letter looks somewhat like a woman great with child and the oxymoron is that pain is used to bring forth a beautiful child.
John 16:20-22 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. (21) A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. (22) And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
A sweet sorrow. A fine mess. A deafening silence. Clearly confused. Pretty ugly. Same difference. One of my favorites: jumbo shrimp. The list could go indefinitely but now we have an idea of what the Hebrew letter TETH does. It conveys conflicting thoughts that bring about a truth.
3. TETH is the least used of the 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet. Therefore, it will be easier to define using Scripture.
4. Example: The first use of the letter TETH is found in Genesis 4:1. In this verse, we find light that is good and darkness which is not that is not good. God divided the light from the darkness, thereby making a distinction.
Genesis 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
5. Example: Though God is good, He ultimately controls both good and evil through potential and allowance He made both men and angels free moral agents, having the potential for both good and evil along with allowing them to make the choice.
Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
B. The key word in this 9th stanza is “afflicted,” found in these two verses: 67 and 71. In these two verses, we find that affliction is the result of chastisement! The oxymoron is that affliction brings about chastisement, which is not viewed as good, but brings about a desired end-result of restoration to God which is good.
C. A right relationship to the Word of God brings about acceptance and spiritual growth through chastisement.
1. Verse 65. The Psalmist commends God for doing both right and well in His dealing with sinfulness in the saint. This chastisement is according to Scripture and is both right and necessary. The New Testament example is this:
Hebrews 12:6-13 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. (7) If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? (8) But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. (9) Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? (10) (11) (12) Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; (13) And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
2. Verse 66. Chastisement is a “teaching moment” for the child of God. As our loving parents corrected us so as to make us good people and citizens, so our heavenly Father corrects us and is a sign of love.
Proverbs 13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
3. Verse 67. The Psalmist went astray before God chastised him but the chastening brought him back to obedience to the Word of God.
Hebrews 6:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
4. Verse 68. The declaration that the parent who chastises his children is both good and doing a good thing.
Hebrews 6:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
5. Verses 69-70. When the unsaved saw the saint do according to the sinful, they denounced him by saying, “We knew his religion would not last. You see, he is just like us.” But the backslidden saint was not like them though his actions may have looked to be so. The chastening hand of the Lord was upon the sinful saint and turned him back to both obedience to and delight of God’s commandments.
6. Verse 71. Chastening, which seems bad was a good thing in the eyes of the saint. I thank God for a Dad and Mom who loved me enough to make me do right and developed within me what character that I have today.
Proverbs 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.
7. Verse 72. The chastened now fully understood the importance of obedience and the love of a loving God. The end result of chastening is to fully establish God’s Word and to mold the child of God in a godly manner.
Conclusion: I thank God for His chastening hand which brings about holiness and restoration to a place of fellowship!
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