Sermon Central
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Heth - Psalm 119:57-64 Series
Contributed by Bobby Stults on Nov 28, 2017 (message contributor)
Summary: Here we can see that the psalmist understands that God is the author of the Law he is writing about and that God’s law is something PERSONAL to him… Now with that premise locked in our heads, let’s look at our passage to see what he is saying in these 8 v
64The earth, O LORD, is full of your steadfast love; teach me Your statutes!
The psalmist ends this particular stanza with a line of praise to God. He proclaims the greatness of God in that God’s love is omnipresent! He says, “…the earth…is full of Your steadfast love…”
When we look at the world today, there is sometimes a tendency for us to miss this… Even as believers we find ourselves losing sight of God’s love made manifest in our world. All we can see is the darkness… all we can see is the circumstances and situations that press down on us… but the psalmist tells us that God’s love is ever present…
The word used here for God’s steadfast love is the Hebrew words - kheh'-sed which means faithfulness, goodness and kindness. God’s love is kind, God’s love is good and most importantly, God’s love is faithful! It is a love that can be relied upon… it is a love is a love that reaches out to those who do NOT know it… a love that desires all to KNOW it!
And in this verse we have the psalmist crying out to God for Him to teach him His law! The psalmist realizes that God teaching him His law will change his heart and will cause him to serve and be obedient!
In this we can see that the psalmist is placing a very HIGH priority in knowing and keeping the law of God in his life! He is placing it as a FIRST priority in his mind. I was reading Matthew Henry’s commentary on this passage and here is how he summarizes these verses!
Matthew Henry’s Commentary [Ps 119:57-64]
True believers take the Lord for the portion of their inheritance, and nothing less will satisfy them. The psalmist prayed with his whole heart, knowing how to value the blessing he prayed for: he desired the mercy promised, and depended on the promise for it.
He turned from by-paths, and returned to God's testimonies. He delayed not. It behooves sinners to hasten to escape; and the believer will be equally in haste to glorify God. No care or grief should take away God's word out of our minds, or hinder the comfort it bestows. There is no situation on earth in which a believer has not cause to be thankful.
Let us feel ashamed that others are more willing to keep from sleep to spend the time in sinful pleasures, than we are to praise God. And we should be more earnest in prayer, that our hearts may be filled with his mercy, grace, and peace.
Is God’s law our priority? If not… the psalmist is giving us a template on how important God’s law… the WORD of God should be for us as believers today! Let’s pray…
