NUN —Psalm 119:105-136
Keep in mind as we progress through this masterpiece psalm that the focus throughout is on the exaltation of the Word of God. We see it described for us repeatedly as the Law (Torah), Testimony, Precept(s), Statute(s), Commandment(s), Judgments, Word, and Promise. There’s another component to this psalm that we’ve touched on a bit throughout our studies but haven’t yet identified, and that is the psalmist’s response to the Law, Testimony, Precept(s), Statute(s), Commandments(s), Judgments, Word, and Promises of God. Also, intermingled with these descriptive terms for “The Word of God” we find words like “walk,” “keep,” “look,” “learn,” “heed,” “meditate,” and “live.” We’re reminded in this that the Word of God is of little value or benefit at all if it’s merely ignored, and we don’t do our part to walk according to it, keep it in our hearts, look to it always as our source of hope and truth, learn from it and obey it, meditate on it, and live by it.
Remember the admonition in Psalm 1? “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so. . . . The Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish” (Psalm 1). The contrasting life experiences, the eternal destinies revealed all through the Scriptures, and the defining factor in how our lives are experienced and how our eternal destinies are determined is the way we respond to the Word of God. The blessed man doesn’t walk in ungodly counsel or hang around with sinners or join forces with scorners. Instead he delights in and meditates on God’s Word, experiencing the blessings, both temporal and eternal, as a result. The implied negative for the unrighteous is that they will have the exact opposite experience, both here on earth and in eternity.
How can this have been laid out so long ago and yet we are to live by it today? It’s because the Word of God itself is unchanging and is authored by the eternal God, who does not change! Although the world is rejecting the Word, and though many in the church are diluting and even changing the Word, we want to offer a warning. Actually, it’s both a warning and encouragement: Watch your step! Those who dismiss and disparage the Word of God had better watch their step. And conversely, those who live by the Word of God will be shown how to watch their step. Psalm 37:23-24 says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand.” Saints, God has ordered the steps for each of our lives. Morally, they will lead us all in the same direction. Practically, they are individually designed for our own lives, and our paths may be different from someone else’s. But ultimately, He will guide us in all of these things, and they will turn out to be the most effective for His name and beneficial to us and our loved ones. Since God has ordered our steps, we need to make certain as we make our way through life that we’re walking in the ones that He has ordered! Let’s move forward with hope and confidence that our Lord is leading us to where He wants us to go, and all we need to do is to pay attention and follow closely. The result can only be good!
Excerpt from “Beside Still Waters” now available on Amazon.
