Why I Love the Word of God

Why I Love the Word of God

Psalm 119:97-104

Main Idea: The Word of God gives us divine wisdom, guides us toward obedience, and provides us lasting joy.

In a devotional titled “How to Delight in God’s Word,” John Piper says,

Never reduce Christianity to a matter of demands and resolutions and willpower. It is a matter of what we love, what we delight in, what tastes good to us. . . . So someone may ask: How can I come to delight in the Word of God? My answer is twofold: (1) pray for new taste buds on the tongue of your heart; (2) meditate on the staggering promises of God to his people.

Piper is on to something; both ideas find biblical warrant in the thirteenth stanza of Psalm 119, stanza Mem (?). Meditation is mentioned twice in verses 97 and 99. Verse 103 beautifully describes the idea of spiritually alive taste buds. What do you meditate on or daydream about? What do you hunger for and long to taste with the tongue of your soul? For the author of Psalm 119, the answer is easy. It is the Bible, the Word of God. In the longest chapter of the Scriptures, he spends 176 verses extolling the beauty and wonder of the Bible. And now, in verses 97-104, he specifically addresses his love for the Word of God (v. 97). This book is special to him. It is like no other book on planet Earth. He has a love relationship with it that is unparalleled and knows no rival. While there are, no doubt, many reasons he loves the Bible, he chooses to focus on three in these verses. These three reasons provide a natural division for this stanza:

It gives me wisdom (vv. 97-100).

It keeps me from evil (vv. 101-102).

It provides me joy and protection (vv. 103-104).

Amazingly, and unlike almost all the other stanzas, this one does not contain a single petition or request. In a real sense, it is a declaration or confession of faith. It is not a declaration of independence but a declaration of absolute dependence on the inerrant and infallible, holy, and righteous Word of God.

The Bible Gives Me Wisdom

Psalm 119:97-100

We talk about what we love. We think about what we love. We dream about what we love. We sing about what we love. The psalmist is no different. There is an object of his heart and affections, and he is not ashamed to tell the world. In verse 97 he bursts out with it: “How I love your instruction!” Of course the Lord, who is never directly mentioned in this stanza, is the object of this declaration. It is the Lord’s instruction (“law” ESV) that he loves because he loves the Lord of the instruction, the Lord of the Word. And because he loves the Word of God, he meditates on it “all day long.” Why does he love it? Why does he think about it, recall it, and ponder it throughout the day? His reasons appear in verses 98-100.

It Makes Me Wiser than My Enemies (119:97-98)

Verse 98 contains another clear and straightforward declaration: “Your command makes me wiser than my enemies.” The psalmist has repeatedly discussed his enemies in the previous verses. They are the arrogant, cursed ones of verse 21 (cf. v. 69). They are those who insult him and hold him in contempt in verse 22. They are the princes (government leaders) who plot against him in verse 23. They are those who taunt him in verse 42. They are the wicked of verses 53 and 61, and they are the liars of verses 69, 78, and 86. They are the persecutors of verse 84 who set traps for him in verse 85 and nearly end his life in verses 87 and 94. And yet all their efforts have failed because God’s Word enabled the psalmist to outsmart them again and again. God’s Word gave him victory over his enemies.

You and I will repeatedly face opposition in this life because of our devotion to Christ and obedience to his Word (2 Tim 3:12). When we determine to please Christ rather than man, we can expect to be attacked, mocked, scorned, and ridiculed. And we can also be tempted to fight our battles man’s way rather than God’s. We must not! We must determine to do God’s will God’s way, believing it is smarter and wiser than the ways of this world. And we must be sure God’s Word is ready at hand, that “it is always with me.” If we do not have it or know it, we cannot use it. Love it. Read it. Meditate on it. Memorize it. Keep it close.

It Gives Me More Insight than All My Teachers (119:99)

Verse 99 can sound arrogant and presumptuous at first blush. However, the context is crucial. John Goldingay helpfully writes that the psalmist may “refer to people who do not base their instruction on the Teaching,” that is teachers who do not base their instruction on the Word of God (Psalms, 418; emphasis in original). Mere knowledge does not necessarily translate into insight and wisdom. Having a Ph.D. may indicate you have accumulated a lot of knowledge, but it does not mean you have a lot of wisdom. “God is the great teacher,” and his Bible is the great book (Ross, Psalms, 547)! Allen Ross is right: God’s Word

is superior to all other sources of wisdom and knowledge. Therefore, knowledge alone is not enough; faith in God’s Word and the commitment to obey it is what brings spiritual insight and wisdom. (Ibid.)

Know it and obey it, and you will be wiser than your enemies. Ignore it and disobey it, and you will be a fool.

It Provides Me More Understanding than Is Possessed by the Elders (119:100)

The Bible teaches us to honor and listen to our elders. We are to treat them with reverence and respect. Yet it is possible for them to be wrong, to make mistakes, and to allow their priorities and perspective to become skewed. Life experiences are helpful, but they are not infallible. Thus the psalmist can declare, “I understand more than the elders [“the aged” ESV] because I obey your precepts.” If he has to choose between listening to and obeying God or listening to and obeying parents, grandparents, teachers, or elders, then he will listen to and obey God. James Boice gives a helpful perspective of this verse:

How can this be? How can the writer claim to be wiser than these others, particularly his teachers and the elders? Is this only the boast of some smart young student who thinks he has all the answers when he actually hardly even knows the right questions? Is he a “sophomore” in God’s school, one whose initial learning has made him only a “wise moron,” which is what the word “sophomore” means? In each of these comparisons the psalmist is thinking of those who appear wise by the world’s standards but who lack the deeper wisdom that comes from the [Word] of God. (Living, 92)

The Bible Keeps Me from Evil

Psalm 119:101-102

Wisdom is knowledge applied. It is the ability to see life from God’s perspective and then to act accordingly. Wisdom is displayed in a holy and obedient life to the lordship of Jesus Christ and the Word of God. It is a life characterized by goodness, not evil. How specifically does the Word of God help us do this?

It Helps Me Walk the Right Way (119:101)

Because of his love for the Word of God, the psalmist says, “I have kept my feet from every evil path.” He realizes this precaution is essential if he is to keep or follow God’s Word. The Word of God checks our conduct. It provides divine guardrails that keep us on the right path, the right road. It is a spiritual GPS that will guide us in the right way and to the right place. Proverbs 14:12 is a faithful reminder: “There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.” The Word of God helps us walk the right path, a path that leads to life, not death.

It Helps Me Do the Right Things (119:102)

To honor Christ, there are some places we do not need to go. And there are some things we do not need to watch, read, or hear. Yes, we need to walk the right way, but we also need to do the right thing. The psalmist, as he walks the right path to avoid every evil way, determines that he will not turn aside from God’s Word (“your rules” ESV; “your judgments” CSB). In other words, “the decisions he makes in life [will] conform to the decisions of God in [his] word” (Ross, Psalms, 548). The compass for his life is Scripture, and the perennial question that guides every decision is, “What does the Bible say?” Because God has “instructed me” in the truth, knowledge, and wisdom in his Word, we will live a Scripture-saturated life. It guides us, and it instructs us. We can stay on the right road and choose to do the right thing because we listen to the right Teacher! Spurgeon provides a wonderful word of wisdom in all of this: “If we begin to depart a little we can never tell where we shall end” (Treasury, 332). If there is no beginning toward sin, there will be no end in sin. Let the Word guide you where you go. Let the Word teach you how to think. Let the Word make you more like Jesus.

The Bible Provides Me Joy and Protection

Psalm 119:103-104

Following Christ is not a religion; it is a relationship. It is not a drudgery of duty. It is a delectable delight. His Word is how he feeds and nourishes us. It is like a vitamin-rich smoothie that not only tastes good but also is good for you. In Psalm 19:10 King David tells us the Word of God is “sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb.” The anonymous author of Psalm 119 agrees!

It Gives Me Pleasure (119:103)

When we fall in love with Jesus, we will love and desire his Word. It will not taste like castor oil, shredded wheat, or English peas. No! The psalmist says, “How sweet your word is to my taste—sweeter than honey in my mouth.” The Message colorfully paraphrases, “Your words are so choice, so tasty; I prefer them to the best home cooking.” God’s Word becomes our desire, our passion. It is sweet, and it brings us happiness, joy, satisfaction, and pleasure. It tastes good. As Spurgeon says, “The sweetness of all temporal things fall short of the infinite deliciousness of the eternal word” (Treasury, 332). It is spiritual health food with no fat or unnecessary carbs. It is not loaded with calories—only tasty, nourishing protein.

It Gives Me Protection (119:104)

God’s Word is nourishing and sweet to our spiritual palate. It is also healthy and good for the mind. Like spiritual antibodies, it protects us from life-threatening germs, bacteria, and diseases. The psalmist closes this stanza by again emphasizing the “understanding” (cf. v. 99) the Word of God provides. Through the Lord’s precepts, his teaching, we gain understanding. God’s Word teaches us how things really are, what is really important, and what really matters. It shows us what is right, good, and just. It shows us what is, as Francis Schaeffer said, “true truth” (Escape from Reason, 29). It helps us make sense of this fallen, broken, confused, and evil world. And because we love it and delight in it, we should also “hate every false way.” His Word exposes evil and protects our minds with truth so that we see things correctly. Thus, we ought to hate sin. We ought to hate Satan and his lies. We ought to hate the demonic and the pain they inflict all around the world and here in our nation. Everything that mocks God and leads people to walk the path of destruction and death we ought to hate. We ought to loathe it. We ought to want nothing to do with any of it.

Conclusion

George Barna says, “The primary reason that people do not act like Jesus is because they do not think like Jesus” (“A Biblical Worldview”). Sadly, this statement is true for many Christians. But could it be that the reason we do not think like Jesus is that we do not love like Jesus? Jesus had a Psalm 119 type of love for God’s Word. The Gospels show that he loved the Word’s instruction and that he meditated on it constantly. God’s Word made him wiser than his enemies. He had more insight than any teacher or elder. He obeyed God’s Word, and it kept him from every evil path. He never turned away from God’s judgment, and he hated every false way. This was the path he walked all the way to the cross and out of the tomb! May it be the path we walk wherever our Lord may lead.

Reflect and Discuss

1. What is wisdom?
2. What is the difference between knowledge and wisdom?
3. What type of wisdom can the Bible give you that you cannot gain elsewhere?
4. How do faith and obedience relate to wisdom? Can you have wisdom without faith or without obedience?
5. How does a Christian meditate on God’s Word “all day long”?
6. How can you prompt your heart to delight in God’s Word when you only feel a duty to meditate on it?
7. What are indicators that your meditating on and obeying the Word is a duty or a delight?
8. Is having joy in God’s Word as important as understanding God’s Word? Why or why not?
9. Are wisdom and joy connected? If so, how?
10. If the psalmist has hardships and trials (vv. 81-88), then how does the Word protect him, as this stanza teaches?