Text: Ps. 119:97-104
Theme: Wisdom of God
Greetings: The Lord is Good and His Love Endures forever.
Illustration:
James Bracy, a military officer served at a California military base in 1950s. He wrote many letters to his wife, one letter was misplaced. Half a century later, James and Sallie celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary. Meanwhile, a construction crew dismantled the old post office at Fort Ord and discovered that misplaced letter. The postmaster tracked down Bracys and handed over the letterdated January 28, 1955 to Sallie Bracy. His wife responded: “It meant a lot to me then,” and “It means even more now.” If you read the Bible, you can understand centuries ago it was written for you and delivered to you at the right time (Adopted).
Introduction: Mem ?: In Psalm 119 the psalmist learns it, loves it, and lives it. In this 13th stanza, the psalmist reveals to us three specific reasons for loving God’s law: it gives wisdom and understanding, it restrains you from sin, and it satisfies your soul. Charles Swindoll wrote: “Wisdom is the God-given ability to see life with rare objectivity and to handle life with rare stability.” “This is a pure song of praise. It contains no single petition, but is just one glad outpouring of the heart.” (Morgan). “Oh how I love your law!” (Psalm 119:97). Psalm 119:48 says, “I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on our statues.” There are 613 commandments [including 10 commandments Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21] not easy to love all the commandments. We need not to worry and live negative feelings and guilt or frustration for the impossibility of observing them and pleasing God.
Today I would like to share with you the Excellency about the WISDOM of GOD from this passage. Three things we can do with the WISDOM of GOD, Earn the Wisdom; Excel in Wisdom; and Expose the Wisdom at the right time at the right place.
1. Earn the Wisdom
SOPHIA: But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? (Job 28:12). Source of all Wisdom is God (James 1:5, Job 12:13, 16, job 38:36, Proverbs 2:6). Job 28:28 fear of the lord is wisdom (Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 1:7). Proverbs 3:13 blessed is the man that finds wisdom. 1 Kings 4:29-30, 5:12, 7:14 10:24, 2 chronicles 1:10-11 Solomon was filled with wisdom of God. Job 12:12 wisdom is with ancient and elders. Psalm 37:30 righteous speaks wisdom.
God gives knowledge to whom he pleases; but those that meditate most, thrive most. Wisdom: “Knowledge” and “wisdom” are closely tied together in Proverbs: “knowledge” tends to focus on correct understanding of the world and oneself as creatures of the magnificent and loving God, while “wisdom” is the acquired skill of applying that knowledge rightly, or “skill in the art of godly living”. The reason that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of both knowledge and wisdom is that the moral life begins with reverence and humility before God and people. Trust goes beyond intellectual assent to a deep reliance on the Lord, a settled confidence in his care and his faithfulness to his word.
Godly wisdom is passed on through the laying of Hands on the children, followers and disciples as per the biblical understanding (Exodus 28:3, 31:3, 6, 35:26, 31, 35, 36:1, Deuteronomy 4:6, 34:9). Joshua was filled with wisdom by laying of hands of Moses. Jesus used the idea of building a house to illustrate that wisdom is the foundation of a godly life. He said those who act on His words are like the “wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24).
2. Excel in the Wisdom
Excel than your enemies, excel than your teachers, and excel than your elders. The verses 98-100, the psalmist states that God’s Word makes us wiser than our enemies, and gives us more understanding than our teachers, and our elders. These three sorts of men are his immediate challenges, his enemies, his teachers, and the ancients. The enemies excel in policy, teachers in doctrine, and ancients in counsel, but David became wiser than all these by the word.
Excel than your enemies (Psalm 119:98) – The Psalmists says that he exceled than his enemies in wisdom because the commands of God was with him ALWAYS. The commandments gives most practical wisdom and enables to cope with our adversaries who plotted schemes, told lies, and acted wickedly to bring him down. Enemies inherited from the Old serpent. If we keep the wise law ever near us we shall become wise, and when our adversaries assail us we shall be prepared defend through the word of God. A soldier in battle will never lay aside his shield likewise we must have the word of God in our minds. The word of the Lord is not equips to meet the challenges of the Enemy camp.
Excel than your teachers (Psalm 119:99) - The Psalmists says that he exceled than his teachers in wisdom because he meditates the statutes of God. Reading the scriptures, Meditating God’s word give more knowledge than the teachers of doctrines. The wisest teachers may remain fools, unwise, doubtful about Godly matters and miracles but if we meditate upon the sacred word we will become wise. There is more wisdom in the testimonies of the Lord than in all the teachings of men. The light needed for our paths comes through our personal meditation. When I excel my teachers in understanding refers that I understand God in a more intimate way than the teachings I heard on God. By meditation we preach to ourselves, and we understand our hearts. The instruction derived from Holy Scripture is useful in many directions, superior from many points of view, unrivalled everywhere and in every way.
Excelled than my Elders (Psalm 119:100) - The Psalmists says that he exceled than his elders in wisdom because he obeys the precepts of God. Without intake of medicine, the Hospital visitation, doctor’s appointment and prescription, purchase of medicines from pharmacy are useless. Without obedience to the Word of God, having a costly Bible, reading it, hearing it may not be more useful in life. Understanding the precepts of the word is better than understanding by long experience of the Elders. It gives wisdom to the simple (Psalm 19:7), able to guide the people by the skillfulness of his hands (Psalm 78:72). WISDOM gained by experience, is of inestimable value.
3. Expose the Wisdom (Psalm 119:101-104)
I will keep your WORD, Your judgments, Sweeter than honey, I hate every false way. Verse 104: says: “Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.” Derek Kinder comments: “Attraction to the true and revulsion against the false are, for us, acquired tastes. Verse 104 describes the process.”
In Old Testament, wisdom was described in four ways: First, found in skilled arts and artisans, weavers (Exodus 35:25-26), architects (Exodus 35:30-36:1), and goldsmiths (Jeremiah10:9). Second, wisdom was ways of dealing with lifeproblems e.g. Solomon (1 Kings 3:1-15; 1 Kings 4:32-34).Third is understanding. Fourth, wisdom is applied by men and women in a way of thinking and orderly, socially sensitive, and morally upright conduct, a code of moral conduct. A holy life is the highest wisdom and the surest defense. A godly wise man is careful to keep in with God: he is more prepared and furnished, can have a higher hope, more expectation of success, than others.
The following are the few examples: Wisdom of Joseph was exposed in the Palace of Pharaoh (Acts 7:10, Genesis 41:16, 41:25-39). Wisdom of Moses was exposed through his words and deeds (Acts 7:22). Wisdom of Bezaleel and Aholiabwere exposed in the workmanship and skilled labor (Exodus 31:3-6; 35:31-35; 36:1). Wisdom of women were witnessed through their artistic garments (Exodus 35:26). Wisdom of Hiram was exposed through the brass works in the temple of God (1 Kings 7:14, 2 Chronicles 2:14). Wisdom of the princes of Issachar were of their times (1 Chronicles 12:32). Wisdom of Daniel almost equivalent to the wisdom of Joseph (Daniel 1:17; 5:14).
Expose the wisdom means wisdom in act, effect, and practice. If wisdom is to be considered as a faculty of the mind, it is the faculty of discerning or judging what is most just, proper and useful, and if it is to be considered as an acquirement, it is the knowledge and use of what is best, most just, most proper, most conducive to prosperity or happiness. Wisdom is nearly synonymous with discretion. The right use or exercise of knowledge is laudable and the best means to accomplish right things in life. “A good man, wherever he goes, carries his Bible along with him, if not in his hands, yet in his head and in his heart” (Matthew Henry).
James explains four kinds of wisdom: Earthly wisdom, Intellectual wisdom, Devilish wisdom and the Wisdom from above (James 3:15-17).
The finest form of expression of God’s Wisdom is through evangelism. St. Paul’s description is found in 1 Corinthians 1:20-31: Wise Man, Scholar, Philosopher, wisdom of the world, Wisdom of God. Crucifixion is the Power of God and the Wisdom of GOD (1 Cor. 1:20-21).
Conclusion:
Let us earn the Wisdom of God by meditation of the WORD, let us excel in our generation in the wisdom and understanding of the present and the future world, and let us expose the wisdom through Evangelism and Soul Winning.
