G o d ' s L a w s e t t o M u s i c

Verse by verse through

PSALM 119

Part I of IV by Bill Burkett

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Introduction

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Bill Burkett

G o d ' s L a w s e t t o M u s i c

FROM THE HEART OF THE BIBLE TO THE HEART OF MAN ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY SIX PRAYERS OF HOLINESS IN SONG. THE PECULIAR REDEMPTIVE NATURE OF PSALM 119 REVEALED

Psalm 119 consists of One hundred and seventy six prayers linking the instruction of God's Word to holy conduct. God's purpose in giving man His Word is to produce character becoming those professing salvation Christ. (Psalm 19:7) God's Words reveal the moral qualities He imparts to those who receive the new nature God gives at new birth.

The life of holiness and separation is not only a life of great and unspeakable joy, it is also an intelligent life based on the divine wisdom of God's disciplines of the body. Until a Christian comes under divine govenment he or she will not be under the saving disciplines of the their lower nature. They may claim it and display great emotion to convince themselves and others, but the proof of salvation is in the bringing of the body under the disciplines and governments of the moral commandments of God. Until righteousness and holiness are the themes of the heart the salvation experience is only based on one's own ideas of salvation from selected verses of the Bible. Here in this treatment of the Christian life we subject ourselves to all of the promises and precepts of God whether our lower natures stings under it or not.

One of the first conclusions we must settle in our hearts is that, we are changed in our behavior only as our thinking changes. We cannot live right until we think right. It is impossible to change your way of life until you first change your way of thinking.
The Bible is a divine revelation that appeals to the intellect (soul) of the born again person providing instruction for the spirit of man. The perfecting of salvation is through the renewing of the mind. Romans 12:1-2. The regenerate life sees truth as sovereign in God's plan to perfect me morally. That is the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16.

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. 2 Timothy 3:16

The Ungodly And Apostate Do Not Pursue Holiness - The cross provided the new nature that is compatible with the moral requirements of the Word. The excellence of salvation is achieved only by those who possess the desire to be holy. The new birth that comes from in depth conversion to Christ as Lord will always be characterized by this desire. This is the real sign of pure Christianity in any professed believer, the desire to be holy.

The Devil's people may have tongues and miracles but they do not have holiness nor do they want it. Satan never advocates holiness. This is the one doctrine he cannot imitate. His children may use the language but they do not live by the standard of the Word. It is a human kind of holiness that breaks down and falls short of the supernatural character of true holiness that comes from God.

Modern apostates talk holiness while they busily conform to the world around them and openly indulge in the pleasures of the culture.

Those who possess true holiness easily discern those who claim a false goodness. John said it takes the power of God to live out the holy life. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: John 1:12. It is when the holiness written in the Word of God is transferred by the Holy Spirit from the paper its on, or the voice that's heard to the heart of the new nature that desires to be holy that holiness is achieved.

The desire to be holy and separation from (as opposed to conforming to) the world is the identifying characteristic of every Christian born of the Holy Spirit. Without this new moral nature no person will see God. (Hebrews 12:14) You can only get it from God, and if you don't have it, go back to the cross and repent! There lies the problem with most modern conversions, there was no regret for sin, no abandonment of the old life, no denunciation of the world. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 2 Corinthians 7:10.

THE PECULIAR REDEMPTIVE NATURE OF PSALM 119

The bond between the pure in heart and the Word of God.The key phrase is Thy Word.

The key verses are; Psalm 119:11 and 97.

Going To The Source Of Purity - All of the prayers making up Psalm 119 are either a declaration of the Psalmists devotion to the Scriptures or a confession of needing the power of God's Word to operate in some corrective way in his life. In this Psalm is the cry of the holy heart; A heart that is soft and pliable toward the Word, hard toward sin and broken in submission toward God.

There is a wonderful parallel between many of the statements made in Psalm 119 and the apostles writings of the New Testament. We will be referring to this connection between the first and last covenant writings as we go through the Psalm.

Prayer And The Word Are Wed. All but four of these prayers concern the Scriptures. It shows the link between the Word and prayer . . . the bond between the two pure forms of God's presence, His WORD PRESENCE and His SPIRIT PRESENCE.

The Resolve Of The Redeemed. These praying Psalms declare the holy resolve of God's servants against the things in this world environment that would distract him from his pursuit of holiness and thus break his intimacy God.

The Prominent Psalm. Here is the largest and most prominent chapter of the Bible stuck right in the middle of God's book! And what is the message of this remarkable chapter? Prayer and meditation in God's Word. These are the two pure forms of God's presence; His Spirit presence (prayer), and His Word presence (the Word of God). Holiness of heart and purity of life is the theme of the most prominent book of the Bible.

The message of Psalm 119 is very clear: The Bible does not merely contain a message of holiness; holiness is the message of the Bible.

MY ATTITUDE TOWARD THE GOVERNING LAWS OF GOD?Redeemed People Are God Governed People. They are identified by their attitude toward obedience to the Word of God. Not a mere professed belief that the Bible is the Word of God, but a love for moral purity, a motivating love that inspires me to live the holy life set forth in Scripture. These are people who want men of the Word as pastors.

True faith is a right attitude toward the word of God. Faith is a positive attitude toward what God says on any subject He speaks on. This is the singular quality of every verse of this largest and most distinguished chapter of the Bible; The attitude of the heart toward God when he speaks!

Have we kept the true meaning of being born again? It is a moral transformation of the mind that is evidenced by a whole new way of thinking toward moral issues. It is an abhorrence of sin and all conduct contrary to Biblical morals. With all of this talk about being gods and having dominion, this is where it applies - to become like God in holy character. That new moral nature will be completely and totally compatible with the moral nature of God and the moral government revealed in Scriptures. Unless I have that perfect hatred of sin (which God also possesses) I shall never know the perfect love of God. The sloppy kind of love being pandered off on the church today is an abominable fleshy sentimentalism that promotes immoral and amoral conduct, i.e., materialism, divorce and remarriage, promiscuity, foul language, criticism of the godly etc.. To love God is synonymous with hatred of sin, and that is the mark of the new creation, that is the proof of being born again! (Psalm 97:10; 101:3; 119:104, 128; Romans 12:9; Hebrews 1:9.) It is only to the degree I hate sin that I truly love God.

Transformation is a state of the mind. (Romans 12:1-2) It is an attitude toward kingdom government and the disciplines of the depraved flesh nature. It is a new nature that is compatible, harmonious and agreeable with the moral commandment. Modern evangelical ecumenical preachers want us to believe that moral law has been removed and obliterated through Grace and that man is not obligated to obey God's moral law or preserve the apostle's doctrine in this dispensation. This is an attempt by those endorsing apostate theories to put a license on their looseness and be released from their moral responsibility. Because many modern Christians who profess Christ have believed on Him, but have not been born again, they have no affinity or love for the moral laws of the kingdom. Not being born of the Spirit they do not possess the new nature that overflows with that loving attitude toward God's goodness and moral government.
When new birth happens the rebel attitude is taken out of us and a new nature that is compatible with moral principle and holiness replaces that old nature of rebellion. The desire to indulge in selfish lusts is replaced with a desire to be holy and achieve supernatural character and godliness. (1 Timothy 4:7-8; 6:3-11; 2 Timothy 3:5; Titus 1:1; 2:11-12; 2 peter 1:6; 3:11.)

Regeneration by the Holy Spirit is evidenced by a joy that exults in obedience to the Lord's commandments, a positive attitude toward moral behavior prescribed by God's moral instruction.

All true children of God have a very special attitude of commitment and obedience to the moral commandments. This is the redemptive attitude, or the attitude of the redeemed.

The Redeemed Attitude - The redeemed attitude is a mind set that hungers and thirsts for the instruction in righteousness it finds in the Word of God. It approaches the Word eagerly to be instructed and corrected by it. This is the message of Psalm 119.

A redemptive attitude enters into the presence of the Word in submission to God. Psalm 119 expresses the attitude of a true believer toward the governing laws of God's kingdom. It expresses the attitude of the Spirit-born toward the wisdom of the commandment and appreciation of God's government over man.

This Psalm reveals the mentality of the consecrated who want God to govern them.

The Redemptive Power Of The Word - Psalm 119 makes known to us one of the most important and redemptive qualities of the Word of God, it's power to impart purity to the seeking heart and satisfy the desires of the "inward man" that longs to be holy. (Romans 7:22)

Every true Christian is a seeking Christian. He is ever in pursuit of God's highest and is never satisfied with his present spiritual state, he wants to ever be a better Christian as the pilot perfects his skills, as the physicist increases his knowledge, and as the chef perfects his expertise in the culinary.

But moral excellence is only achieved by those who seek it. The Christian MUST make moral excellence the supreme pursuit of his or her life. The Bible seems to think this matter of seeking God to be rather important according to Genesis 49:18; Deuteronomy 4:29; 1 Chronicles 16:11; 22:19; 28:9; 2 Chronicles 11:16; 15:2; 15:12-13; 26:5; 30:18-19; 31:21; Ezra 8:22; Job 5:8; 8:5-6; Psalm 9:10; 14:2; 17:1-2; 22:26; 24:3-6; 25:5; 25:15; 27:4; 27:8; 27:14; 33:20; 34:4; 34:10; 40:1-4; 42:1-4; 63:1-8; 69:32; 70:4-5; 77:1-9; 78:34; 81:10; 83:16; 84:2; 105:4; 119:2; 119:10; 130:5-6; 143:6; 145:18-19; Proverbs 2:3-5; 8:17; 8:34; 28:5; Song of Solomon 3:1-4; Isaiah 8:19; 26:8-9; 44:3-4; 45:19; 45:22; 49:9-12; 49:23; 51:1; 55:6-7; 59:20; 61:1-3; Jeremiah 29:13; 42:3; 50:1-46; Lamentations 3:25-26; 3:41; Ezekiel 18:21-23; Daniel 9:3; Hosea 3:5; Hosea 5:15; Hosea 10:12; Joel 2:1-32; Amos 5:4-6; 5:8; 5:14; 8:12; Zephaniah 2:3; Zechariah 8:20-23; Matthew 5:6; 6:33; 7:7-12; Luke 6:21; Luke 11:9-13; 13:24; 14:26-33; 16:16; John 6:37; Acts 2:21; Acts 17:27; Romans 3:11; 10:13; Hebrews 7:25; 9:28; 11:6; James 4:8; Revelation 3:20; 21:6, 22:17.

That God's Law is external is a seriously wrong false teaching!

The moral law of God is not, has not ever been, or never shall be an external lifeless
code from without to any man who has the Spirit of God within him.

The Lord's commandments were never intended to be, nor have they ever been external in any dispensation. The words "in my heart,"... "long for,"... "understanding,"... "peace,"... "rejoicing,"... "love"and "meditation" (plus many other such terms referring to the inner spiritual man) are not references to the external man but refer to the inner man's affection for moral perfection. Psalm 119:97.

It is a liberal error to think that divine order coming from God in any form or in any dispensation could be anything less that internally and eternally good and sublime! It is this distorted and rebellious attitude toward God's moral law that identifies the mentality that is unregenerate or trying to serve God with false beliefs in his heart. It is often true that liberal rebels within the church have the same attitude toward the moral law of God as atheists, hippy's and eggheads. There is something wrong when my theology matches that of God's enemies! A departure in the attitude toward the goodness and power of all of God's commandments is what is separating men from God but like Samson of old they do not even know they have lost God. This wrong attitude toward the impeccability of God's Law has brought hundreds and thousands if not millions of Christians into the damnable faith doctrine that puts down traditional holiness teaching of the apostles and fosters the departure from Biblical holiness. This departure from apostolic doctrine in the area of obedience to the moral instruction of God's Word is what has triggered the apostate condition that now grips the church and replaced apostolic teaching with Evangelical Ecumenism.&NBS; This departure from the doctrines of godliness and the whoring after Laodicean grandeur is Edenic anarchy pure and simple! (1 Timothy 3:3-6)

One of the most common errors liberal and Charismatic teachers make when they demonize law as not belonging to Grace, is that they confuse the Torah with the Talmudic laws taught by the Jews. Both are mentioned in the New Testament by Jesus and the apostles. Jesus denounced the Talmudic law as replacing the commandments of God's law (Torah). When modern liberal preachers fully understand this distinction between the two laws, one from God (Torah) and the other from man (Talmud) they will see they have wrongly denounced God's law. Mark 7:7-13. There is much of the Lord's and the apostles teaching you will never understand until you know clearly undersytand the difference between the Torah and the Talmud. Paul's epistle to the Galatians is a good starter. And then, even the ceremonial law contained in the Torah became obsolete with the atoning death of Christ. But the moral teaching of the Torah is eternal and unchanging and required.

Ever Learning And Never Coming To A Knowledge - This generation of fundamental Christians are perhaps the most religiously educated of any previous generation of the church. They have been exposed to religious knowledge from their youth in Christian school environments, Christian satellite ministries, Bible colleges and seminaries; Bible research programs and the Christian Internet, and yet this generation of the church is one of the most indifferent to the doctrine of holiness and all but devoid of any appreciation for the moral law of God. And the reason for this indifference and even open rejection of the Christian's obligation to God's moral law has been taught to their people by their own ministers! According to recent polls taken among evangelicals the morals of this present generation of youth in the evangelical churches shows high percentages of sexual looseness. It reminds me of the Bible college president that stood before a district meeting of ministers and hailed the great revival taking place on the college campus. But many of the ministers present knew that on that very campus a ring of prostitutes and pimps had been discovered operating. Church leaders and heads of youth groups keep commending the great character of the youth when they know that at their camps they have moral problems with the youth. The right attitude toward sin is to confess it, and not cover it up!

This last generation of the church, according to Scripture, is one of the most deceived and doctrinally illiterate in the history of the church! (2 Timothy 3:1-8; 4:3-4; Revelation 3:17) The more doctrinally bankrupt we become the more self righteousness they heap upon themselves. It is a strange anomaly indeed, that in the midst of such massive access of information and Biblical knowledge that the more distorted our concept of the holiness of God, and the more doctrinally illiterate we become.

The Word Is An Inner Power - The sanctifying power of the Word is an inward work. To love the Word of God and regard the commandments is not an external religion. External religion is pompous and proud. It places value and importance on such things as invented religious liturgies, symbols, human interpretations, sensual beauty, and adornments of the external person. That is external religion. To regard the Word of God and find joy in obedience to the teaching of the Word is a precious inner person experience. This entire Psalm carries this theme.

There are no direct references to the blood sacrifice system in this Psalm. Psalm 119 deals strictly with the rectitude of the believer's heart, the attitude of the inner person toward God and His Word (God and His Word being synonymous).
This Psalm is a revelation of the relationship between the heart possessing a genuine faith in God and God's Word. It is how a genuine faith in God's Word reacts when God speaks.

The blood atonement provides forgiveness for my weaknesses, but the Word of God is my source of power to reverse my weaknesses, "that I might not sin against Thee." It is this matter of discovering the power of moral motivation that is released from the Words of God as they are read by those who believe.

The blood atonement was provided to release man from his past sin(Romans 3:25), put him back into the presence of God and place him once again under the operation of the Holy Spirit so he can enter into a life in the Word and to be instructed by it.

The blood sanctifies us ceremonially, that is, we are declared holy and set apart unto God. But faith and obedience to the Word of God cultivates the inner nature of God-likeness. It is the living out what I believe that identifies true faith. (Romans 10:10)

Our primary concern as a church should be the same as God's ... the moral state of the Christian who has come under the teaching of God's Word. Am I, as a minister of the gospel, being faithful to the purpose and intent of God which He reveals in His Word? If I am, then there will be a promised result; a people of moral power and excellence!

But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings. Jeremiah 23:22.

The blood sacrifice system Given to the Hebrew children after their deliverance from Egypt was an external ritual that foretold the coming of Messiah. But this system also served as a legal temporary release from the guilt of sin until the Messiah would come and once for all make the ultimate legal atonement. The book of Hebrews was written to make this provision clear. But release from sin was not the primary objective of the Hebrew system as given to Moses. Release from the guilt of sin was a secondary provision. The blood sacrifice system was there to forgive sin IF obedience to the moral law had failed.

The primary provision of God for the children of Israel was the moral instruction given in the law and the precepts of God. If and when those precepts were obeyed then blood sacrifice was not required. But God provided the blood sacrifice system so that even when we offended Him with disobedience we could be forgiven through faith in the atoning blood and restored to fellowship with God.

The blood sacrifice system was set in place to insure our restored fellowship with God when we failed to regard or obey the moral law. The relationship of the heart to the Word is where the real romance between God and man takes place. All ritual and blood sacrifice will cease but the affection and communication between the heart of man and the heart of God is forever! (Psalm 40:6; 34:18; 51:17 and Psalm 115)

Oh God, can we see how extremely important it is that we cultivate this right relationship between my heart and yours and that your heart is bared to me in your Word? It is in the Word that our hearts meet. Can we even begin to see how devilish and evil is a faith teaching that trifles with obedience to the moral commandments of God's Word and then claim all of the blessings of obedience.

The objective of redemption is to restore man to his original fellowship with God. Without that fact underlying all Biblical truth we can lose the true direction and purpose of the gospel. Man's love for God is as great as the credibility he places on God's Words. Love ... believeth all things. (1 Corinthians 13:7)

Bonds of love are created through knowing a person which only happens as I communicate with the person I am coming to know. The Bible is God's self revelation to man. If my love for God is based on faith then I consider every Word to be acted upon and as being essential to salvation. (Matthew 7:24-25) For a Christian to say he has faith means that he gives absolute credibility to every inspired Word of God!

Man lost paradise when he disregarded the Word of God and showed contempt in his heart for the commandment. Man is restored to paradise as this attitude toward God's Word is reversed.

Scripture refers to the heart in a moral sense over nine hundred times revealing the association between the heart, the center of affection, and moral obligation.

Pure religion, then and now is of the heart. Matthew 5:8; 12:35; Acts 2:46; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Romans 2:19; I Samuel 1:12,13; 2 Kings 22:19; Psalms 4:4; 51:17; 57:7; 73:1; 101:2; 119:32; Proverbs 10:8. Also see Psalm 119:97.

Psalm 119 A Treasure House Of Truth! - Christians may find the reading of Psalm 119 a bit tedious or repetitious at first. But at second glance you will find it laden with treasures of truth! Only a few are given here.

Man tends to emphasize the promises of God apart from the precondition of obedience to precepts while God places emphasis upon obedience to precept as the only means of receiving the promise. Read 2 Corinthians 10:1-11 carefully.

This Psalm Was Not Written By A Modern Liberal - Psalm 119 does not dwell on the promises of God, but rather emphasizes moral obligation to the precepts of God - that is love! (John 14:15; 1 John 3:5)

If it had been written by a modern gospel songwriter it would have the emphasis of God's promises rather than God's precepts. Methinks they had little precept boxes on their tables in David's time instead of promise boxes as we have today. We might have avoided some scandalous events in recent years if we had precept boxes on our tables at home instead of promise boxes.

Christ came to provide the inner man with the love-power of His own indwelling nature. His Spirit now dwelling within gives me the inner desire to be holy, providing for us what was lacking under the old covenant, the power of the inner man over the power of sin which is in my members(the body). Romans 7:23 with 8:1. When Christ dwells within there is a perfect love for the Word of God! Romans 8:4 It is at this point the "contemp" (modern antinomians) insist the Holy Spirit teaches us to love God and man and not the commandment. But, these are the same! John 14:15.

The proponents of the modern Gospel think to isolate the meaning of God's love from God's holiness and separation from the world. They are experimenting with a Christian life-style that is foreign to scripture, that love can exist apart from obedience and godliness. This theory conflicts diametricly with the teaching of Christ and the apostles. Holy love produces holy living. All other "loves" are so much sloppy sentimentalism.

To think we can present the gospel to the sinner in such a way as make it more palatable to him is to try to teach swine not to trample on the pearls. The only way to do this is to eliminate references to the moral law of God from the message of the gospel. Of course it will bring more people into the church because the carnal nature hates the moral law of God and will not be governed by it. Eliminate that factor and reduce the gospel message to a faith in Christ, only, and the flood gates will open. Most of the mega churches can attribute their growth to this method of eliminating Biblical standards from their doctrine and requirements for membership in the church.

We have departed from the apostolic method of proclaiming the gospel of the New Testament which is very much moral law oriented. The result of this liberal populism has produced a church that resents any mention of God's moral law. What kind of "Bible" church is it that replaces apostolic morality with a gospel of Godless grace? The result was inevitable and all the while it was espousing this message of love and grace (apart from moral instruction) we were warning the church leaders where this liberation theology would lead the church. They would not listen and now they have arrived at a point where recovery is not even possible without a total fragmentation of, and a coming out from the organizational structure. All of this crisis because we have not dwelt more on the very theme and power of Psalm 119, the incorporation of holiness with the message of Grace.

In our "wisdom" to make the gospel respectable and popular to the sinner, we have filled the church with sinners who believe in Christ. We confused sloppy sentimentalism with real agape love.

The only perfect code of love is contained in the ten principles of the moral law. There simply is no greater or higher revelation of love than the ten commandments. (Romans 13:8-10) Everything Christ and the apostles teach is based on these principles of goodness. (James 2:8-13) It reveals a moral standard upon which restoration and fellowship with God is possible. Read Romans 8:4.

Calvary is the perfect expression of all that is contained in the moral law.

PSALMS OF HOLINESS:

119:1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.
This chapter starts with the word blessed, or "happy," is the person who walks in (complies gladly with) the law of the Lord.
At it's very beginning this Psalm establishes the willing attitude toward obedience to God as the source of happiness. In this opening verse of the chapter we see a happy group of believers who enjoy "the way" and walk in the Law with great and positive exultation. 2 Corinthians 3:3

The happiness God gives is experienced as a result of applying the moral law to our lives. It is not in the knowing of what is right but in the doing of what is right that guarantees happiness. In John 13:17 Jesus said to His disciples, If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. God's happiness is on God's terms, and these are God's terms.

119:2 Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart.
Again, happiness is noticeable in those who seek the Word of God with loyal affection. Jeremiah said, And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Those who find God and have Him manifesting Himself to them, are those who have learned to seek God with the whole heart.

119:3 They also do no iniquity: They walk in His ways.
When one complies with the Word of God with a willing heart, there will be no iniquity in that life-style. Iniquity (uncleanness) is eliminated when God's Word is our first love. The soul saturated with the presence of God has discovered the secret of the blessed state of purity - the absolute lack of desire to commit sin.

119:4 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.
119:5 O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!
119:6 Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.
119:7 I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.
119:8 I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.
FROM THEY TO I.
Verse 3; "they"
Verse 4; "us"
Verse 5; "my"
Verse 6,7,8; "I"

Notice how he went from the outward look to the inward look;

THEY - The Psalmist started by observing others (they) walking in the way. At first he did not identify with these righteous people, but as he observed them, he became desirous to be one of them.

US - He begins to not only see the influence of the Word of God on the behavior of man but singles out the quality of that relationship between God and man that makes the Word of God effective. That quality which he carefully cites is "diligence." Diligence here means, with intensity. It is a regard for the word of God with power, seriousness and with all of the emotions.

MY - Now he becomes personally involved and identifies with the righteous. He yearns to be one of them (v.5).
I - Five times (v's 6-8) the psalmist speaks in the first person. He has gone from "they" to "I." It is a good lesson for us. It is not until "I" praise Him, and until "I" keep His statutes that God's redemptive purposes are achieved in me. Thou art my Portion, by S. Franklyn Logsdon.

119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.
The young spirit is a great roaring water falls of dynamism. The Word of God rightly channels that energy where it is most useful, in the building of godly character. Young people not only have tremendous vision but they also have the energy to accomplish their vision. 2 Kings 6:1-4. But as young people with mighty youthful energies shut up inside we need the wisdom of the Word to keep our energies harnessed and directed to the ultimate glory of God.
A stallion running wild is a waste.
A stallion in a splendid harness is both useful and beautiful.

As we grow older and accustomed to harness we rely on wisdom more than strength. Ecclesiastes 9:14-16.

Without the harness the stallion is still beautiful but his usefulness and great strength is wasted without the harness of control and being governed by a rider holding the reins and guiding him with intelligence. But put the strength of the stallion in a good harness with a good rider on him and you have one of the best illustrations of the worth of freedom! Freedom is only virtuous when it is accomplishing the most good for others. Freedom that is appreciated for what latitude pleasure it gives me is not freedom but actually a terrible bondage! When I think of freedom as a personal advantage, it only proves how twisted my values have become. Many modern Bible believing Christians have fallen into the trap of a false Christianity that teaches against the spiritual laws and disciplines of control over the flesh. They have believed the big lie of Satan that "God wants you to be free from the law." This philosophy makes God a devil! Any teaching that defines God's moral law, and His commandments whether found in the Old Covenant or the New Covenant, as being wrong and evil because they destroy a man's freedom is a terrible ignorance of what the Scripture teaches. modern

Freedom is the happiness that comes from the life that is joyfully living under the inhibitions of God's commandments that harness our desires and energies to accomplish the highest good. Without that goodness then freedom is a mockery and a threat to the order and happiness of others around me. The Bible says All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 1 Corinthians 6:12.

And so is a youthful spirit, or the life of any man or woman who yields to the Lordship of Jesus. When we become Christians we are standing still and allowing Jesus to slip over us the splendid harness of the disciplines of that wayward nature of sin and rebellion. This is the evidence of a genuine Christian life - it is governed by the intelligence of Christ. That harness and the restrictions it places on me may seem to others a loss of freedom, and it is! But do not be deceived, it is only a loss of the freedom to sin, and the freedom to be selfish, and vain, and proud, and carnal. All men need to be governed and have their lower nature controlled and taught goodness.

Without the harness of divine control on our lives the only freedom you have is freedom of the flesh and unfortunately, too many Christians do not make a difference between freedom of flesh and freedom of spirit. Paul says in this Scripture that he (his spiritual man) will not be brought under the control of these things that are not expedient. The word expedient here is sumphero meaning no goodness is accomplished by doing them. Carnal Christians will say, "Well, there's no harm in it."Or, "It's not a sin is it?" Or, "God won't send me to hell for doing such a little thing as that, will He?" We may answer no to all of these questions but it reveals that you do not want to be under the control of the Holy Spirit's governing wisdom and such an attitude that does not want to be governed by God is the carnal nature that refuses to be governed by God's Spirit. The time will come in that life that attitude will become as Samson who kept playing around with his commitment to God, and the Lord will leave your life and you won't even know it in your state of deception and carnality. And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And He awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him. Judges 16:20.

Don't be afraid of Biblical constraints ... it's part of walking in the Spirit. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. (17) For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: SO THAT YE CANNOT DO THE THINGS THAT YE WOULD. Galatians 5:16-17. To choose to do what is right over what the impulses of the flesh prompt me to do indicates Spirit control in my life. It is when I choose the option to do what is good over what the depraved flesh nature is inclined to do. We are walking in the Spirit of God when the joy to do what is right and pleases God is overcoming the impulses of our fleshy preferences.

119:10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
This is the only way to seek God; with the whole heart. Desire and affection are planted in the heart of the redeemed to love the Word. He thought of his relationship with God as equivalent to his relationship to the commandments.

119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
This verse is the key to Psalm 119, indeed to the Bible. The Word imparts into us the divine moral that will not tolerate sin! The Spirit's moral excellence is breathed into us and imparts a sensitivity to right and wrong as we meditate on His Words.

The internal work of the Word is again mentioned. "Thy word have I hid in mine heart" is not an external condition. it reveals an internal bond between the Word of God and the heart of man. John Wesley preached a pure heart doctrine that transformed a nation. Jesus didn't come and die on a cross to give us head religion - He came to give us a new heart that is compatible with the Word of God. Holiness is to possess a new God given nature that is compatible with the Word of God.

Notice the preventive power of the Word. He kept the Word in his heart to prevent sin in his outward life!
This verse has a sister verse in John 17:17. Jesus said, Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
The Word of God is the chief instrument of sanctification.
The Holy Spirit is the chief agent of sanctification.
The truth of God's Word dwelling in us builds up a spiritual immune system against the power of sin; it gives the Christian the power to discern all that is not true.

Do not confuse the difference in meaning between TRUTH, FACTS and INFORMATION. It could be hazardous to the health of your soul.INFORMATION:All truth contains information (knowledge) but some information is not true. Information simply means to be informed about something. It is to have the facts.FACTS:All truth and information is made up of facts (actuality) but the presentation of certain facts while carefully and intentionally omitting other facts is error and serves only to deceive and misinform.TRUTH:Truth presents ALL of the facts in such a way as to leave a correct impression. Truth is made of facts, but if the facts are presented in such a way as to leave a wrong impression by omitting certain known facts so as to leave a wrong impression, then the facts are no longer the truth. is becomes deception although all of the facts given were true! When we fail to present all of the facts so as to leave a right impression, we have mislead someone with the facts but we have relayed the truth to them.

The Charismatic teachers handle a lot of information which conveys neither Biblical information or Biblical facts, but because it is "informative" or contains "facts" it is received as being the truth. The feeling of receiving information can be confused with the feeling of hearing the truth. It is informative to learn that we are gods and can fly like the birds because we have been given dominion over them. It has a certain logical sound to it but it is not the truth! A good example of the distinguishing between truth, information and facts can be seen clearly examining the popular heresy of the "ye are gods" teaching. The term gods as Jesus used it in John 10:34 is a reference to the judges of Israel when Moses restructured the governing of Israel as advised by Jethro. (Exodus 18:6) These judges are mentioned 4 times in Exodus 21:6; 22:8; 22:9; 22:28. In each of these references the word judges is surprisingly the Hebrew word elohiym (the plural form of elowah), the same word used referring to God as supreme. So, while this same word is used to refer to God it is also used to refer to men who serve as magistrates in human government. Jesus was not referring to divine dominion when He used the word gods, He was referring to the Hebrew word elohiymand the authority vested in the elders of Israel to judge in the matters of conflict among the Hebrew children. The popular heresy of we being gods taught by false teachers is based on a terrible distortion of their interpretation of dominion. There is no dominion teaching in Scripture to infer we have the same powers as the animals in order to have dominion over them. The dominion of man over the animal kingdom is because he is superior to the animals and not because he has the same powers as animals.

Our dominion over the animals means that we have a superiority over them and are empowered to subdue and control them for our domestic advantage as food and servants - but it is ridiculous to interpret that dominion as meaning we can do the same things physically God has vested in them. But some well known "Bible teachers" have that teaching.

They tell us we can become like the animals but they do not tell us to become like God in holiness and purity separated from the world value system. I have no command to become like the animals but I have a clear command from God to be like Him even as He is holy! (1 Peter 1:15-16)

The snake appeared to Eve in the midst of the garden and today he appears to Christians in the midst of the church. The snake that appeared in the grasses of paradise promised Eve dominion like that of God, i.e., "ye shall be as gods." Genesis 3:5. It seems he has the same ole' message going today. Of course, why should he change his message as long as the old one is still working?

This is an example of the difference between truth and INFORMATION, and truth and (Biblical) FACTS.

We must be very careful to make the distinction between facts, information and truth.

The doctrinal illiteracy the modern fundamentalist suffers from is not from a lack of knowledge, but from a lack of truth.

God's Word in the heart is not the same as knowledge retained in the memory. When it speaks of the Word in the heart it is speaking of a commitment of love. The heart is where love happens. He loves the Word! God's Word is the only power man has available to the heart that is greater than the power of sin. Notice: it is a union between the heart and the Word. Not the Word and the tongue; not the Word and the brains or the eyes; not the Word and the liver or the gall bladder. God doesn't ask for my liver, He want's my heart! When He has my heart, He has all of me ... including my liver.

119:12 Blessed art thou, O lord: teach me thy statutes.
The man that loves the Word of God is teachable! Here is the attitude factor again. Is not a right attitude toward the wisdom and authority of God's Word essential to learning...and learning essential to maturity and growth? On the other hand, any disregard or contempt for what is written in the Word of God is rebellion against the LOGOS Himself.

119:13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.
Here is a wonderful example of godliness. Note that the psalmist is speaking the same thing with his lips that God speaks with His mouth. It is to be like God when we speak the same things God speaks. He was so agreeable with God that he spoke like God.

119:14 I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.
This is a paradox (a seeming contradiction) to some: That he is rejoicing over the demands God's commandments place on his flesh nature? But more than that, he thinks of the testimonies of His Word as "riches."Usually we do not think of God's moral law as something to rejoice over. It all depends on my attitude toward His Word, doesn't it? How can we explain this thing that we are able to rejoice about the Word that corrects us and constrains us from so many of our fleshy preferences?
The reason is that we have two natures. The one is earthy and seeks (lusts) for material riches, while the spiritual man seeks the eternal riches of the knowledge of God. See Galatians 5:14-17; Matthew 6:19-21
Note: We must point out here that throughout Psalm 119 there is the strong emphasis placed on the fact that it is THY LAW, THY STATUTES and THY COMMANDMENTS. God identifies in a very personal way with His Word. God and His Word are inseparable! (John 1:1)

Certain false Bible teachers have led their listeners to believe that the law of God is impersonal, that God's law is constituted of demands He never intended man to actually keep. These same false teachers go on to tell us, "Therefore, because man is incapable of keeping the commandments God gave him, we must come to Jesus and believe in His righteousness, for the only righteousness we have is the righteousness He gives us as we believe in Him." Bunk! Listen to Jesus Himself - not these doctrinaire. What does Jesus teach us? what do the apostles teach in their inspired epistles?

What does the Bible say about our obedience to the Word? But as many as received him, to them gave he POWER TO BECOME THE SONS OF GOD, even to them that believe on his name: John 1:12. The word power here is exousiasupernatural mastery, control, authority, dominion over the body appetites.

And what did Jesus teach about obedience to the moral instruction He gave in the sermon on the mount recorded in Matthew chapters 5 through 7? After He had finished amplifying the moral commandments (It was said by them of old ... But I say unto you...), He finished His discourse after giving the moral commandments, by saying, Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, AND DOETH THEM, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: Matthew 7:24. (See also Matthew 5:19.)

The most concentrated effort of Satan throughout the history of redemption has been the destruction of all credibility in the moral law of God. Satan knows very well that once morals are no longer important to man he has destroyed the efficacy of the meaning of the cross. Jesus came to give us supernatural moral character. The moral law simply reveals that standard of morals that is required by God and available in Christ. Once we believe that moral goodness is the high calling of the Christian life it will soon produce a moral character pleasing to God. The moral instruction of God's Word is the foundation and guideline to life in the Spirit. Without a tangible written guideline we would be doing that which was right in our own sight. That is precisely the state of the church today because it mocks true holiness and scorns those who hold to the doctrines of the apostles.

My actual relationship to God's Word is my true relationship to God

How I relate to the Word of God is how I relate to God. Jesus made that clear in His statement found in John 14:15, If you love ME, keep my commandments (Word). My attitude toward what He says is my attitude toward Him. John begins his gospel with the wonderful and extremely important revelation of the oneness of God and His Word. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1. It is good for Christians to remember the oneness of God and His Word - Jesus did. John 7:16. The Lord Jesus spoke of His oneness with us when He said, (Romans 8:17) And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with {him}, that we may be also glorified together. Romans 8:17
119:15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.

Notice that he meditates "in" God's precepts. There is a difference between meditating on God's precepts and in God's precepts. To get the power God vested in the Scriptures we must get inside the Word! There is a big difference between walking around an airplane and imagining what it would be like to fly on it, and getting inside and actually experience flying "in" it. The Word of God cannot get inside of us until we get inside of the Word of God. Jesus said, If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. John 15:7

Is the Psalmist teaching us to talk to ourselves? The word meditation (siyach)means to converse with ones self. It includes the idea of musing, talking to ones self aloud, to study and even to sing. When we meditate in the Word we are absorbed, we are indulging, we are so preoccupied that we talk to ourselves. Sometimes we understand what God says but we do not understand His ways - that is, why He does some of the things He does. But as we meditate in the Scriptures and keep on praising Him and continue trusting Him, suddenly it all starts becoming clear, and our meditation is rewarded with great enlightenment. Each new enlightenment brings a greater respect for God and His dealings with wayward man.

119:16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.
Another paradox? How can the Psalmist actually delight in the statutes? According to much of the modern thinking toward moral precepts and commandments today, anything that is obligatory is legalism and casts us down in despair. When you finally realize that His statutes (established customs and ordinances) are all intended to ultimately insure the highest state of happiness for man and assume the attitude of faith and love toward His Word, you will throw off the wrong attitudes formed in the carnal mind against God's moral standards. To be spiritually minded is to have this positive attitude toward moral principles and the moral laws of God. (Carefully read Romans 8:4.) No, its not really a paradox to those who have the loving attitude toward His Word.
The world is living in the space age.
The church is living in the "faith age."
That is, faith in healing and deliverance.
Faith for homes and cars and success.
Faith for happiness and power.
Sad: We never hear about the faith to be holy and righteous;
The faith to be morally perfect;
The faith to be godly and separated! (1 John 5:4);
The faith to keep ourselves unspotted from the world;

We believe in all kinds of miracles God is capable of and promises, but for some reason we don't have the faith to live a holy and separated life. I am leery of faith that can raise the dead but cannot put the flesh to death.

119:17 Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word. (18) Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

Most Christians don't think of God law as being wondrous. The modern mind thinks of wondrous things being in God's promises, but not in His law, after all, this is the age of Grace. Yes but the moral law is perpetual so long as man is depraved and needs moral guidance. Maybe this is our malady. Maybe we have lost the treasures of joy and peace found only in His moral counsel ... all because our attitude toward His Word has separated us from His moral excellence.

We have become so preoccupied with promises of prosperity and what all God is obligated to do for us, that we have lost our vision for the things we can do to please God. How do we know what pleases God? What pleases God is revealed in His moral instruction to man, in His commandments and His moral law. It is a love for the moral law that promises the greatest rewards when we stand before God in the judgment. Revelation 22:14. In Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus rejected those who claimed supernatural gifts operating in them, but He did receive and reward those who kept His commandments. The word iniquity (anomia) in the text mentioned here, means "lawless." So they had power gifts but they opposed the moral commandments of God and lost their souls in the end.

119:19 I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.
When we are lonely, when we are in strange places, when our friends are far from us and we have no one, we do have "thy commandments."They represent God with us, God loving us, and God speaking His comforting assurances to us.
Our fathers were devoted to the commandments of God. Today's televangelists are devoted to the promises of God and this wrong focus is showing in the loss of holy character values in the modern church.

119:20 My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times.
What a precious attitude toward the Word of truth. His soul is breaking, his heart is longing ... for heaven? No! But for the moral judgments of God every minute! If the twentieth century church could achieve this kind of heart condition, it would change the face of the earth in only hours.

119:21 Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments.
Here God's attitude is revealed toward the proud and the erring. Certainly pride and contempt for the commandments of God are one and the same. Human pride is incompatible with the Word of God. Pride is selfish and taken up with self importance. It is easy to see the conflict between evil pride and the principles of the crucified life. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20.

God's commandments involve vicarious compassion, they demand respect and regard for the rights, the feelings and the possessions of others. The proud are self-centered, but the spiritual who regard the commandments of the Lord are "others" minded. Romans 13:8-10. See Altruism.

119:22 Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies.
If the psalmist is reminding the Lord that he has kept His testimonies then it must be because his suffering at the hands of his enemies is a result of his obedience to the Word. For this reason he can ask the Lord to intervene and remove this reproach. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 2 Timothy 3:12.When we regard God's Word and live out the life style it teaches there will be a contrast between our life and those who walk after the rudiments of this world.

An unsaved man wanted a Christian co-worker to check in his time card for him at the shop because he wanted to be late while meeting with a woman he was having an affair with. It was supposed to be a "Big favor"for the dishonest friend. But the Christian refused. The unsaved man was angry and held a grudge against the Christian and later blamed the Christian for a costly mistake in production which he had nothing to do with. Nevertheless, the Christian was fired from his job. Fellow workers petitioned the company and threatened to walk out unless the Christian worker was returned to his job. He not only was brought back but after an investigation the crooked employees was fired and the discharged Christian was put in his position as foreman. Righteousness will not only make the wicked your enemies but it will draw the righteous around you - and often just when you need them. The righteousness of the Christian will create two different reactions in the unsaved around you. It will cause some who are longing for the truth to be drawn to you, and to God in you; and then it will make the evil minded ugly and hateful resenting your testimony. Both are good! Those who respect your godly life will be committed to do the right thing and those who hate you put you through trials that cause us to call on the Lord and keeps us in the closet of prayer seeking Him. Because we keep the Lord's testimonies does not keep us from having contempt and shame heaped upon us by sinners - to the contrary, it invites the contempt of the wicked crowd.

One of the apostate doctrines being taught today that has become very popular is that Jesus came not to empower the Christian to live obedient and moral lives, but that grace overlooks sin and disobedience as long as we "believe" in Jesus as the son of God. (Matthew 7:24-27; John 1:12; 2 Timothy 2:19) But the psalmist reveals here one of the unconfessed motives behind the invention of this heretical teaching - cowardice. To live the lifestyle of holiness as taught by Jesus and the apostles in the New Testament marks you as a very different person from those people around you in the world and in the apostate church. One of the reasons for many people choosing liberal churches is that they do not have to live righteous and obedient lives but find a release from moral obligation through this false faith teaching prevalent in liberal denominational churches and the Charismatic churches. Modern materialistic conditions makes these people fearful of the consequences of living a separated and holy life.

Throughout this Psalm the writer again and again states that his life of obedience has made him a target of criticism and persecution of the wicked of the world, and the disobedient within the faith. When he was persecuted for his obedience to the righteousness which the law of God taught, he was able to come to the Lord boldly and ask for his deliverance.

119:23 Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.
Slandered but sustained and comforted by God's Word. We know that in the judgment all wrongs will be righted. No need to seek revenge here - it may spoil God's final decision by interfering. Sometimes the righteous are accused, having no recourse, no appeal. Here, someone high and mighty is slandering him, but he is comforted through meditation in the Word. Another comforting power of the Word to restore us when we are victims of injustice.
Men want to condemn us when as yet they do not have the facts on us. On the other hand, God will forgive even though He has all the terrible facts about us. 1 John 1:9

119:24 Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counselors.
The attitude of the righteous delight in the spiritual truth of moral law. The testimonies of the Lord give more guidance than if one was surrounded by wise men. Even wise men are given to favoritism and power struggles among themselves. But the Word of God gives the pure counsel of an unchanging God.

119:25 My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.
The psalmist is saying, my soul is joined or stuck to the dust. He was low. But when I get so low my soul and the dust are cleaving together, I am brought to prayer by my desperation. Some things in life are not pleasant, but if they bring us to our knees and humble me before the Lord, God has accomplished something in us more important than riches or fame! Prayer is the one thing we can always do no matter where we are or what is happening to us. When there was nothing else - he remembered God, the life giver. Quicken me, give me life. He remembered the many times God saw the afflictions of hurting people all through the Scripture record.(Genesis 16:6-11.), and how He raised up nations and men who were destitute and helpless. According to thy Word.

When your so low your laying on the ground flat on your back and afraid your going to fall off, just remember you have an advocate in the highest heaven with His eye on you and, every sparrow that falls. Matthew 10:29.

End of Part I of IV. Part I Part II Part 111 Part IV

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Bill Burkett

~ "Every one that doeth righteousness is born of him." - 1 John 2:29 ~