Psalm 119: God's Word on Display. Pt. 8

Good Morning.....
Each day that we open our door, we find a variety of paths and directions awaiting us. The world is always trying to tug us onto a path that leads away from the things of God. The Lord always gives direction by showing us the right path to take.  Let us go out to serve our Lord this morning!

Psalm 119:1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.


We are exploring the emotional connection that the inspired author of Psalm 119 has with the Holy Word of God. I think it is important to think about this because if he loves the scripture then I need to see if I love it too. 



He loves the truthful testimonies of Jehovah

Psalms 119:119  Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: therefore I love thy testimonies.

The word translated “testimonies” refers to someone giving testimony in a legal proceeding as a witness. In this case, God is testifying His expectations toward mankind with regard to His right to rule over us. In another sense, we who trust the Living God are to bear witness or give testimony about Him to men, women and children who do not yet know God. 

Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines this word as “a solemn declaration or affirmation made for the purpose of establishing or proving some fact. Testimony differs from evidence; testimony is the declaration of a witness”  and in most cases the testimony of a first hand witness carries significant weight.

In this case, God is the one bearing witness and “testimonies” can apply to all aspects of His revealed truth. They are God's commands as a witness to his perfect, holy character and to his will. They bear witness to the unchangeable character of God. They clearly express His boundless love,  His much needed mercy, His unyielding truth, His perfect righteousness, His right judgment against sin and His unsullied holiness.

The Psalmist loves the testimonies of God because they pronounce a final judgment upon the wicked. The testimonies of God represent the holy vindication of His wrath against sin. 

The wicked in this text refers to those who are criminal in actions. They are guilty and hostile toward God. What they say or what they stand for is compared to dross. Dross refers to base metals separated from pure metal by use of a fiery furnace. 

The text from Jeremiah is a rebuke from Jehovah to the people of Jerusalem and Judah. Dross includes actions like burning incense to idols. They committed numerous unnamed abominations. Worst of all is the fact that they did not listen to what God said in His statutes, testimonies and law. 

Jeremiah 44: 20-23 Then Jeremiah said unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to all the people which had given him that answer, saying, The incense that ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye, and your fathers, your kings, and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them, and came it not into his mind? So that the LORD could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day. Because ye have burned incense, and because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil is happened unto you, as at this day.

Love for God's Testimonies leads to keeping them

Psalms 119:167  My soul hath kept thy testimonies; and I love them exceedingly.

Remember that the word "kept" functions both as a verb and a noun. The Psalmist declares his dedication to the testimonies of God at the level of his heart, emotions and thought processes. 

The idea is that of experiencing a love that has increased exponentially as his understanding of the testimonies of God grows. However, the Psalmist recognizes the need for purifying to take place in his own life.

He loves the wonderful Word of God

Psalms 119:140  Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it.

God's word refers to its actual spoken, visual or written utterances. Scripture is very pure. It has been smelted, refined, tested in the intense heat of God's furnace of purification. It is purer than the purest gold that man can produce.

Typical gold needs about 1900 degrees heat in order to smelt and burn off impurities or reduce it to slag. There are typically 11 degrees of purity used to classify gold. 

Psalm 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

Psalm 18:30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.

Points to Ponder....

• Do I love the Testimonies of God?

• Am I moved to "keep" His testimonies in the fullest sense of the word "keep?"

• Have I sought to have the dross in my life purged out by God's refining fire?

•  Do I truly love His Word in all respects?

God uses His Word to change us. He renews our minds with His truth. He revives the weary soul with His word. He restores the backslider by the scripture. He comforts the sick and sorrowing with His promises. 

The scriptures are life changing in every respect. If we claim to be a Christian and we read our Bible but see no evidence of change taking place, no evidence of fruit being produced, then we need to carefully consider our claim of salvation. 

Bob