Psalm 119 - Part 2

I'd like for us this evening to look in Psalm 119. Now, this is a lengthy psalm, 176 verses, the longest chapter, I believe, in the scriptures. And, indeed, to look at a chapter like this, and to look at the individual verses, and to gather thoughts, indeed, the writer of this psalm had a tremendous interest in the value of the Word of God.

And when you think about the scriptures, the Word of God, it says that the Word of God is living, is quick, is powerful, is sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, bone and marrow, discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the mind and heart. Indeed, we're dealing with something, and we have in our hands that which sometimes we may take lightly. So often, we have to appropriate by faith the promises that are made for them to become very real to us.

And, of course, that's the intent of the psalmist to impress upon us that out of his own experience, indeed, he had proven over and over again the value of the Word of God. It applies to those that are young, it applies to those that are old, and all in between. It deals with every situation in life that you can think of, and some that you've never experienced.

But, indeed, there are answers here that should be valued. If you haven't already had the experience in proving the promises that are made, as you read and as you look at these experiences and these promises, if perhaps in the course of life you find yourself in such a position, may the Spirit of God bring to your mind the precious promises in the Word of God. It'll strengthen you, it'll fortify you, because your enemy, Satan, seeks to discredit the Lord of glory through your life.

And, it is a grave thing in our lives. It certainly does injustice to the Word of God, and the value of the Word of God, for any one of us to have any doubts in our hearts regarding the promises of God. His promises are sure.

He never fails. Any promise that he makes, he fulfills. Let's read from verse 113, and read this eight-verse section, and then some thoughts.

I hate vain thoughts, but thy law do I love. Thou art my hiding place and my shield, I hope in thy word. Depart from me, ye evildoers, for I will keep the commandments of my God.

Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live, and let me not be ashamed of my hope. Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe, and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually. Thou hast trodden down all those who err from thy statutes, for their deceit is falsehood.

Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross. Therefore, I love thy testimonies. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgments.

Shall we look to the Lord again in a word of prayer? Our Father in Heaven, we thank Thee for providing us with such a wonderful insight into Your workings with the sons of men. We thank Thee in the name of the Lord Jesus that You've given to us Your holy word. Grant, we pray Thee, that each one of us shall value it.

It, indeed, is a wonderful treasure. You've revealed Your mind, Your will and way to us for the course of our lives while we live here upon the earth. We're fully aware that many things will come and go and pass away, but the word of God endureth forever.

As we look at these things tonight, and as we seek to gather something for the enrichment of our souls, grant, we pray Thee, that each shall be rewarded, and that all of it will be for the glory and honor of the Lord Jesus Christ, for it's in His precious name we pray. Amen. Now, sometimes you, I think, find yourself seeking to defend the Lord, at least you feel that way.

From time to time you may see things in the course of life. A few years ago there were very prominent displays of signs and slogans that were written in places that said, God is dead. Right away, for the Christian, there's a sense of being a little angry and ready to step forward and say, My God is not dead.

That's good, but you have to be aware that men with darkened minds, darkened hearts, and living in a world in which Satan is the ruler of this world, they're subject almost to say anything. Some of the things that they say, indeed, are just ridiculous, so silly. Now, I believe that there's such a thing as being incensed when we really see that righteousness is being given a black eye by those in this world that don't even understand the righteousness of God.

The basis of all of His dealings with us is on that basis of righteousness, His righteousness, and all that He has done to provide for us in the person of His Son, a perfect righteousness found in Him and Him alone, the Lord Jesus, the One that took upon Himself our sin, the One that knew no sin, but He was made sin for us, that the righteousness of God might be put to our account. This is the same God that measured out the waters that are in the sea in His hands, and as you just take a little walk through the scriptures, you're constantly made aware of the greatness of our God. You're also made aware of the silliness and the foolishness of the hearts of men, things that are said, things that are done, and we may sometimes take these things for a person.

Here's a poor rebel sinner, and perhaps every moment of every day he's demonstrating in some way rebellion against God. He's rebelling against the authority of God over his life he will not submit, and sometimes we have a feeling within our hearts in which we take it personal. It's against me, but it's not.

Basically, we have to realize that all of this rebellion, all of this hatred and bitterness that one sometimes finds in his soul, is from a source that most of us honestly have to look back and say, there was a point in my life when some of these same things I entertained in my heart, my mind. Poor sinners outside of Christ do some pretty ridiculous things. The psalmist talks about the wicked, those that are intrinsically evil down to the very core.

They're lost, and they're rebelling against the authority of God, and when the psalmist considers all of this, he says, I hate evil. I hate vain thought. I hate double-minded men.

I hate those that, in a sense, have been taken prey by the God of this world, and the ridiculous things that are happening in their lives I recognize the source, but I still hate it. I detest it. The word of God says that you can be angry, but be sure you say not, and don't let the sun go down on your anger.

It's proper, it's in order, that when we observe some of those things in this life that we recognize the source. It is from the God of this world, it's from Satan. It primarily is addressed as opposition against God.

We have to recognize it as such, but it does make us a little angry. That's a natural response. The psalmist says, I hate vain thoughts.

I hate the double-minded, but I love the law of God. We can ask ourselves the question, in view of all of the distressing things that happen in this life, all of those things that are observable in the lives of those that are rebelling against God, you certainly won't find any comfort in making these observations, and it may cause you to be a little angry. Think of how comforting it is to read the word of God.

It has that effect of calming one's spirit within, and as we read and study and meditate upon the scriptures, it gives us heavenly thoughts of the God that we serve, the Savior who loved us and gave Himself for us. I believe that those in this world that know the Lord should take a stand for holiness. Godliness with contentment is great gain.

The problem is that, in the world today, people are not interested in being godlike. Most people are just interested in being happy. And they go about all sorts of things or pursuits with the hope that, some way, I'll find happiness in this life.

And they're chasing shadows, and they're living in a world of fantasy. If we are to find the real true source of satisfaction and joy for the soul, it has to be found in God. To be godlike and to understand more perfectly our God, the God that created all things, the God who sovereignly rules even in the affairs of men where God is ruled out and we will not have this God to rule over us.

He still sovereignly rules, no matter what men say, no matter what ridiculous positions they take. And even though they assume a posture of being godlike, yet they have no power, very often there may be an advantage sometimes to be gained in at least taking a stand on the side of that which is truly righteous. Men are given to being double-minded.

James talks about those that the instability in their lives, they're like the sea and the waves of the sea, and you never really know where they stand. And they say so many foolish and silly things. Well, the psalmist can go on record as saying, I hate all that.

I hate all those things, and that's enough to just say I disapprove of all of that because God's judgment is appointed unto men once to die, and after that the judgment. You know, our Lord Jesus, with all of the injustice that was aimed at Him, when He reviled, He reviled not again. When He suffered, He threatened not, but He committed Himself unto Him that judges righteously.

When we're fully persuaded in our own hearts and minds, one day God will rectify all of the injustices in this life. Righteousness will prevail. I can say, Lord, I've been on Your side all the time.

I was fully persuaded of that. You convinced me of that long ago, but during the course of my life, I expressed disapproval of all of these things. I believe the righteous should take a stand.

It is with holy boldness that we should stand up in this world and let men know where we stand. I value more the Word of God than I do the words of men. Men are liars.

Men are deceivers. Again, it's traceable back to the God of this world who is a liar and a deceiver, and so those that are His willing subjects, they do their master's bidding. But our God is a pure and a holy and a righteous God, and when we think of all of the things in this life that are so contrary to that purity and that righteousness, we must express our disapproval of it.

I think the psalmist is aware that there are always those around, and there will be until our Lord, in that final time of judgment upon all unrighteousness, a setting of things right. He says that we have to recognize at least the danger that is presented of evil that is fostered by those doubters and apostates. And like Paul's words in Ephesians 5, verse 11, he says, "...have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but reprove them." We must speak out.

We must let men know. No, I don't approve of the things, even though our legislators, our supreme court justices, they may approve of legalized murder, abortion. But we must be bold and say, no, that cuts right across all that I know to be true in the Word of God.

That's murder. That's a sin. And, as a nation, we say, in God we trust, and then we are involved through this legislation with all of these laws that have been enacted in something that legalizes something as horrible as killing unborn children.

There's so many other things that you can say in which today, if you take a stand for these things, you're characterized as being a fundamentalist. You may be called some other names. You may be called ignorant, unlearned, and out of touch with the progress that perhaps scientists are making in the world today in uncovering the mysteries of the universe and this sort of thing.

Well, believe me, it's only a smokescreen, and I know that in the hearts of many of these, there must be deep, troubled thoughts. There has to be, because they don't know the peace of God in their souls, and it requires that they keep busy, busily engaged in seeking to find some satisfaction even in an area in which sometimes dishonor is brought upon the name of the Lord by some that even claim to know the Lord in the experience of salvation. Secondly, I think Christians, and I believe the psalmist was aware of this, that we're not to allow such idle, vain thoughts to be coursing through our minds.

It's good to meditate upon the Word of God, and thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed upon thee. It also says that we are to keep our thoughts and our minds, our affections upon things that are above where Christ sits at the right hand of God. When Paul writes to the church at Corinth, he says, casting down imaginations.

There's some strange things that you can go through your mind, and Paul says, be aware that the one that is the ruler of the kingdom of darkness, the one with such subtle power, can introduce, if he can prepare those ministers of righteousness, and he himself can appear as an angel of shining light, certainly as that master deceiver. But all of the strange things that are provided today for men to think upon, things because of the discernment that we have based upon the Word of God, we know are a fraud and a sham. Paul says, cast down those imaginations, those vain thoughts, and every high thing that would exalt itself above the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

You know, the answer is found in the Word of God. Clear instructions are always provided for God's people so that we can keep our lives under the control of the Spirit of God. That course that he directs is a safe course, or it may be rocky at times.

There may be all sorts of things along the pathway. The psalmist speaks, indeed, of the entrapment by Satan of those that he seeks to bring into subjection to himself. I know the Word of God says, Be strong in the Lord.

Put on the whole armor of God that you might be able to stand. The days are evil. These are distressing times that we live in.

Let God's people be fortified with the Word of God. Let's be prepared to give every man an answer of that hope that is within us. You see, we can't claim that these things are original with us.

It's the Word of God. We speak for the truth that God provides for us from His Word. I hate, the psalmist says, vain thoughts, but I love the Law of God.

You and I reject, and indeed we detest, those that seem to find it so difficult in the course of life to take a clear-cut stand as far as their Christian profession is concerned. It bothers you when someone says, I'm a Christian, and yet there's so much that swirls around his life that bespeaks of a love for this world. He's not clearly marked out and defined as being a person that knows Jesus Christ and the experience of salvation.

Scripture says, If any man is in Christ, he becomes a new creation. All things pass away. Behold, all things become new.

But in the course of life, we see individuals. I'm a Christian. It's so easy to say that, but then the life, there's something about it that's not clear-cut.

You can keep one foot on this side of the fence, and the one here, and we call it fence straddling. We call it the gray area. Oh, you say, he's not completely in the dark, but then I can't say he's in the light, either.

I think something that we find in the word of God is in 1 Kings, chapter 18, when Elijah, he says to all that were assembled there that day when he was challenging these false prophets, and he was bringing it to the attention of God's people and all that were present, that we're going to prove something today, and I want you to be a witness to it. He says, How long halt ye between two opinions? Will you worship God, or will you worship Baal? I trust you know the story, and you know that a victory that day, because of the faithfulness of a man that was wholly bold, was willing to put his God to the test, and his God was victorious. The judgment that fell upon those false prophets, he wanted God's people to be delivered out of that realm of being indecisive as to who they were going to worship.

The one that they owed their allegiance and their loyalty to, and God forbid that one of us should have a testimony as a Christian that it was not clearly definable, that we believe that holiness of character on a walk in this life that would indeed bring glory to God, that it is something that characterized us as we walk through this pilgrim pathway. Men and women would know, we would know by our actions, by what we do, what we say, where we go, that godliness was something that we put a high value upon, and we would have no part in those realms of evil and darkness that men seem to almost glory in today. Scripture tells us our God is a jealous God, and He certainly doesn't want any one of us to have any fails in our lives.

Doesn't the first commandment say, Thou shalt have no other gods before me? And there are so many false things that can be introduced into our lives. They appear to be so harmless, and they even have the approval of the world, but they are rejected by the word of God. Anything that would come between me and my God should be utterly rejected.

Jesus Christ should have the preeminent first place in our lives. And, of course, the psalmist, the next verse, 114, in contrast to such conditions as they exist, and men with all of their vain, empty-headed thinking, his love, his faith, all that he associated with belonging to the Lord and the worship of his God, his hope, it was firmly established that his hope was in his God, and his God had given him his word, and that was the fight. But when you get to verse 115, he comes forth with a very firm declaration, and sometimes we have to take a position akin to this.

He says, Depart from me, ye evildoers. Now, listen, I believe in being kind, and gracious, and loving to poor sinners in this world, but our toleration of evil, sometimes it may smack of even our approval or our endorsement of it. Let us speak out and say away with you, I know the source of all that you live for, the things that are most meaningful in your life, I know the source of these things.

Depart from me, ye evildoers. I will keep the commandments of God, those commandments of pure and holy. My God looks for holiness and righteousness within the inner parts.

Remember, it's the word of God that discerns the intent and the thoughts of the heart and the mind. Our whole being is an open book to God. This is the God we serve, and if we practice deceit, he knows we're being deceitful.

We could never be so clever as to pull anything over on our God, because he knows our hearts. It's wonderful to know that the word of God reveals all these conditions and warns us, Don't let this happen to you. Don't let Satan deceive you.

You stand ready to courageously take a stand against all the evil that is in the world. Depart. You will have no part with evildoers.

The next two verses, verses 116 and 117, he offers in the form of a prayer for grace. He knows he must have God's help if he's to be victorious, and don't ever think you can gain a victory apart from God's help. That's what he's there for.

He says, Call upon me in the day of trouble. I'll hear you, and I'll help you. That's Psalm 50, verse 15.

You call upon me. I have an attentive ear. I'm listening.

All I'm listening for is your cry. You say, Help, Lord! I need help. He stands ready to help.

He promised it in his word, and he can preserve us. The word of God tells us that we can be more than conquerors through him that loved us and gave himself for us. We should be fully aware that perfect victory can be ours in the provision that God has made for us.

I know that very often in the scriptures you read that word, ashamed, and it means to be affected by the reproach that may be associated with someone else. I think about Paul. He says, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.

It's the power of God and the salvation to everyone that believes it. Now, Paul had made a determination in his heart, I will not be ashamed. I will not be affected by the reproach that is upon that person Jesus Christ, this world with all of the enmity within the heart, all of the bitterness, all of the hatred that is directed toward that blessed person, the Son of God.

I know where men stand on that issue. I'm not ashamed of Christ. I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It is the power of God and the salvation to everyone that believes it. So, when we even entertain a thought in our minds that there might be some social blemish brought to bear upon me, if I take this very firm stand, I believe in God. I believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God.

I believe that He is the Savior of sinners. I believe in the atoning sacrifice that He made upon Calvary's cross to provide salvation for us. I have believed this.

I will, in the course of my life, make all of my claims for the forgiveness of my sin and the acceptance of the Holy and Righteous God upon the crews that are found in this book. I'm not ashamed of this. There's a tremendous tendency within the soul to be frightened by men, and I know that our enemy, Satan, he seeks to terrorize God's people, and I know he is a mighty foe.

I know that picture of a roaring lion going about seeking whom he might devour. Indeed, he's formidable. I don't minimize that for a moment.

Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. And when we claim these wonderful promises, the promises of our God, we are fortified in that quietness of spirit, that blessed assurance that in the face of all the opposition that we may find coming our way, I'm not ashamed. I'm not ashamed.

We stand in a day in which it appears that some are indeed wavering because of all of the opposition that sometimes is directed toward the gospel. We live in an area in this land in which we live. It seems that it's almost protected.

It seems like there's almost a hedge around us. There are many other places in which there's a hostility toward the gospel. Is opposition really a raid against the preaching of the Word of God? Men and women carrying their Bibles, their scoffers, they are those that do their evil work, sometimes even under guise, of having the answers to problems that men are faced with, which we personally know and believe from the Word of God.

This book, the Word of God, is that which supplies the answers to the problems of men. In verse 118, from his sheltered place, he has made an observation. God's judgment.

If God promises something, He'll do it. You know this to be true. Men are to take lightly.

They do take lightly. If we say that God says that one day He will cast into the lake of fire all of those that have rejected the Son of God, everything that is evil, everything that is opposed to the righteousness of God, it will be judged justly and righteously. And then we make an observation.

God has promised that, but men sometimes are aware that these things have been said. But the thing they don't take into account is that that Word will be fulfilled. They don't believe God is going to do what He says He's going to do.

Some way, somehow, it won't be quite that bad. And how often have you heard this? Oh, that's just your interpretation of Scripture. You know, when you talk about hell, the lake of fire, a place that is very unpleasant, a place that bespeaks of judgment, someone says it's not quite that bad.

You're just painting a picture, and indeed your picture is not really what it's really going to be like. We see something far less than that, and through these vain imaginations of men, they're able to soften and sometimes even discredit those things that are said in the Word of God. I can say this.

Don't you be deceived. God will not be mocked. Whatsoever men sow, that shall they reap.

A statement is made here in which so often we think about the course of the Christian life, in which there is a refining process that's going on, and there's so many things in our lives that God, by process of trial and testing and so many experiences in life, He removes the dross. But, when the psalmist thinks about the wicked, he says, I'll put it away, the dross. Well, the Christian goes through a refining process with a view of just producing the pure gold, that precious metal.

But, the wicked are looked upon as being nothing but dross. That's all they are, and that's the way the psalmist sees them. Isn't that horrible? Here's a man made in the image and likeness of God because of his defiance of God, because of that position that he takes opposing God.

He's looked upon as being dross, and dross, of course, is worthless. This erring as to judgment, the psalmist sees. He approves of God's judgment.

God's judgment is righteous. God's judgment is true. It is right, and no one can ever say that God was unjust in the things that He did.

The last verse of this section, he says, My flesh trembles for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgment. You know, when you think about the judgment of God falling upon this world, and how awful that judgment will be, if we can come to grips with that, and realize the reality of it, just as the psalmist has, when he thinks about the judgment of God, he says, My flesh trembles, and have you ever heard the expression, it made my hair stand on end? Well, it's a little akin to that. I'll tell you, we would promote holiness of life, and put a different value upon the righteousness of God if we discerned more perfectly the judgment of God.

It would cause each one of us, in our hearts and souls, to be aware the judgment of God, it will fall. If we don't hear a lot of preaching about the judgment of God, not as much as we should, but the judgment of God is real. To the psalmist, it made it tremble.

I think about Jeremiah and his pronouncements and thinking about those false prophets, and indeed there was a deep sense of fear and distress that overcame his soul. So, I look out on this world in which we live, and know the judgment of God will fall, that judgment that is being impounded day by day. It will surely come, but those in this world say it won't come.

It won't come. We're going to create utopia right here upon the face of the earth. We're going to have our own Garden of Eden.

We don't need God. But, I know the judgment of God will come, and those that know that God, Creator of all things, the sovereign ruler of the universe, are persuaded in their hearts this judgment will come. And, I have a sense of fearfulness for those that will experience and feel the mighty power of God's judgment upon them.

What an awesome thought, and to have the comforting promises of God's word to sustain and strengthen us and fortify us as we walk through this pilgrim pathway. Shall we pray? Our Father in heaven, with thou my presence, again thanking thee for the word of God, thanking thee, O God, for this revelation of thyself, being reminded again and again and again that the psalmist had taken your word, or the psalmist had taken and proven the word of God. He had found it to be that which would strengthen his soul.

He had found it to be that which, in the face of all that he had witnessed in this life, there was nothing comparable to it. Because, all of the promises of men, they come to naught. The promises of God, they stand and endure throughout all eternity.

O God, we thank thee tonight that we claim your promises, claim your promises for the salvation of our souls. We claim your promises for sustaining us and keeping us through the course of this life. We claim your promises for an eternity in your presence, bearing the likeness of your wonderful Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

And, tonight, we pray thy blessing upon us. Grant, we pray thee, that a new value and a new appreciation of the word of God shall be instilled in our hearts. For this we pray in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Amen. Amen.