This Week's Focus Passage

The Word of God in Psalm 119

Focus Passage: Psalm 119:57-120

‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And light unto my path.’

A prominent feature of the one-hundred and nineteenth psalm; a feature that is quite well-known among Christians that have given any attention, at all, to the study of their bibles, and most certainly for those that have perused one or more of the many commentaries that have been written upon the Psalms, is that conspicuous reference to the word of God. Whoever the human author of this psalm was, he was led by the Spirit of God to make mention of the word of God in every single verse of this psalm, with just a few exceptions among the one hundred and seventy-six verses. These numerous mentions are found in a fine variety of expression; the writer referring to God’s holy word under many different, but synonymous, forms. We will find among these synonyms, ‘the law of Jehovah,’ ‘his testimonies,’ ‘his ways,’ ‘thy precepts,’ ‘thy statutes,’ ‘thy commandments,’ ‘thy righteous judgments,’ ‘thy word,’ ‘thy law,’ and, ‘thine ordinances.’ In every instance, it is plain that these are, every one of them, allusions to the expressed will of God; His will for His people unto the praise of His glory; His will stored up in the sacred record through the inspiration of God, the Holy Spirit, as the apostle has declared:

Concerning which salvation the prophets sought and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what time or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did point unto, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that should follow them. To whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto you, did they minister these things, which now have been announced unto you through them that preached the gospel unto you by the Holy Spirit sent forth from heaven; which things angels desire to look into. —1 Peter 1:10-12

To what does the psalm-writer refer in so many of these blessed instances if not to the very promises of God? From the very beginning of the history of God and man, the utterances from His mouth were nothing less than promises to His favored creation. There was an implicit promise even in the midst of that prohibition given Adam, But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. For God had said just prior to giving this prohibition, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat. Was there not contained in that statement a promise, not only to being able to enjoy every tree of the garden, which were all pleasant to the sight, and good for food, but to be able to enjoy sweet fellowship with God Himself. God is a God of promise, and He is a promise-keeping God; Faith is His Name. We can say with Solomon, and should say with Solomon, 1 Kings 8:56, Blessed be Jehovah, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise.

But to return to Psalm 119: We may see the thinly veiled concept of promise in the corollaries found in the verses where law, testimony, way, precept, statute, commandment, judgment, word, law, and ordinance are addressed. In the third verse, is there not a relationship between they that do no unrighteousness, and they that walk in His ways? Is there not here a promise of sanctification for those that walk in His ways i.e. that observe His laws, His testimonies, His precepts, and so on? Yea, it was our Lord Himself who made this connection when He prayed to the Father, Sanctify them in the truth: thy word is truth. Our Good Shepherd guides our feet in the paths of righteousness (Psalm 23:3) for his name’s sake; what else are those paths of righteousness beside the very Word of the Shepherd Himself?

Further, another corollary is apparent in the ninth verse where a similar allusion is possibly made to sanctification. In this case, it is the corresponding work of the believer cleansing his way. How is he able to do that, the psalmist inquires. By taking heed thereto according to thy word, he answers. This contains an implicit promise that cleansing is going to be granted as the believer takes heed according to the word of God. This does not speak of any merit in the behavior of the child of God. It does speak of the means that God uses to sanctify His people. It does speak of His promise to provide that means that His people might be washed in the laver of the word. Paul expresses it thusly to the Ephesians;

As Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it; that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word, that he might present the church to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy.

Just one more occasion of this blessed connection: verse 42. So shall I have an answer for him that reproacheth me; For I trust in thy word. This would anticipate the words of our Savior (Luke 12:11-12) when He gave promise to His disciples, And when they bring you before the synagogues, and the rulers, and the authorities, be not anxious how or what ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: for the Holy Spirit shall teach you in that very hour what ye ought to say. Jesus had made promise to His disciples, but it was not an empty promise without the means being promised as well. He spoke of the promise of the Spirit to teach them what to say. Let us remember that the Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. Jesus spoke of the Word in us providing the answer to the reproachers. For how many soever be the promises of God, in him is the yea: wherefore also through him is the Amen, unto the glory of God through us. —2 Corinthians 1:20 David Farmer, elder

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