“THE PRIORITY OF THE WORD” Ps. 119
FBCF – 2/1/23 - REFRESH
Jon Daniels
“Fresh Start” services – start 2023 off in the Word
- Dr. VanHorn’s great overview of the need for us to study, do, & teach the Word (Ezra 7:10)
- Dr. Dew’s challenge for us from 2 Timothy 3 to stay in the Word
- Dr. Parker’s challenge to share the Word w/ those who are lost
- Pastor Luter’s getting a fresh start from our past according to the way the Word teaches us
WHY? – Let’s let the Word speak about the Word:
- 2 Timothy 3:16-17 – “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
- Romans 10:17 – “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
- Matthew 24:35 – “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”
- Isaiah 55:10-11 – “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
- Psalm 119:105 – “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
- Hebrews 4:12 – “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
- Isaiah 40:8 – “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”
- Jeremiah 23:29 – “Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?”
- Psalm 19:7-11 – “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”
Psalm 119:1 - We are going to take the next 3 months & walk through Psalm 119 – longest chapter in longest book in the Bible. Interesting characteristics about this chapter:
- Format – alphabetic acrostic – 22 stanzas that follow the letters of the Hebrew alphabet – then within each stanza, each verse begins w/ the same Hebrew letter. “One message of this psalm is that we are to live a lifestyle that demonstrates obedience to the Lord, who is a God of order (hence the acrostic structure), not of chaos.” (https://www.gotquestions.org/Psalm-119.html)
- Not sure who author is – maybe David, Ezra, or Daniel. All 3 experienced serious hardships. Ps 119 contains several references to conflict & persecution & affliction that the author had gone through. Ps. 119 helps us as men & women of God know how to endure persecution.
- Major theme of Ps 119 is the Word of God. Various words used to describe W of G: Word – Law of the Lord – Testimonies – Statutes – Precepts – Rules – Commandments.
- Ps. 119 affirms the Word of God but also the God of the Word – His righteousness, trustworthiness, steadfast love, salvation, faithfulness, purity, holiness, protection – to name a few.
THE WORD IS SPECIAL – No other book like this in the world. Unique in so many ways.
- 66 books written by 40 writers over course of 800-1500 years, all weaving together the same story of redemption without any contradictions.
- Has been preserved throughout the centuries of persecution, ridicule, attempts to discredit it & get rid of it. It just keeps on keeping on.
- Contains detailed & accurate prophecies rooted in actual history.
- No other book has shaped the course of history, arts, culture, politics, literature, & humanity like the Bible has.
- “Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the book widens & deepens with our years.” (Spurgeon)
THE WORD IS SUFFICIENT – In other words, it’s complete –done – finished – Nothing can be added to it or taken away from it.
Wayne Grudem: “The sufficiency of Scripture means that Scripture contains all the words of God He intended for His people to have at each stage of redemptive history, & that it now contains all the words of God we need for salvation, for trusting Him perfectly, & obeying Him perfectly.”
THE WORD IS PERFECT – Back to Ps. 19:7 – “The law of the Lord is perfect” – Heb word means complete, unscathed, intact, blameless, without fault, free of blemish, impeccable.
THE WORD IS POWERFUL –
- It’s powerful b/c God is powerful – and He’s the author of it – “All Scripture is God-breathed…”
- It’s powerful b/c Jesus is powerful – and He’s the theme & subject of it. He’s everywhere in the OT, fulfilling prophecies, seen in the sacrifices, revealed in the wisdom literature Psalms, Proverbs, Job, & Ecclesiastes. The Gospels tell His life story on earth & the fulfillment of God’s perfect plan for our redemption, & the rest of the NT establishes the foundations of doctrine for the Church – the foundation of the Gospel that we will proclaim until He returns - & His return is found in the Word, too.
- It’s powerful b/c the Holy Spirit is powerful – and He’s the Teacher of it to our minds – John 14:26 – “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”
- It’s powerful b/c we believe & KNOW that it can change a person’s life.
o Why do you think Gideons are so passionate? People’s lives changed reading a Bible in a hotel room, prison cell, kid at elementary school. B/c it’s powerful!
o Why do you think people risk their lives to smuggle Bibles into countries where it’s illegal? B/c it’s powerful!
o Why do you think my granddaughter, Selah, gave Bible to a girl who was bullying her & is now doing Bible study w/ the girl over Facetime? B/c it’s powerful!
CONCLUSION – Let’s make Ps. 119:18 our prayer for this study – read it w/ me – “Open my eyes, that I may behold
