Psalm 119:49-56

Q: What does the Bible say about the importance of God's word?

God's word is vital as it sustains us through spiritual warfare and provides comfort in times of affliction. Scripture emphasizes the vital role of God's word in our lives, asserting that it is our source of hope and strength, especially in difficult times. Psalm 119:50 states, 'This is my comfort in my affliction, for thy word hath quickened me.' This highlights the life-giving and sustaining power of Scripture, reminding us that God's promises bring hope in the face of despair. Our faith is not based on fleeting feelings but is firmly established on the truths contained in God's word, which equips us to face life's challenges and temptations. As Hebrews 4:12 reveals, the word of God is 'quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword,' reinforcing its role as both a weapon and a source of nourishment in our spiritual journey.

Q: How do we know that God's promises are reliable?

God's promises are reliable because they are grounded in His unchanging nature and perfect character. The reliability of God's promises stems from His immutable nature. The psalmist entreats God to remember His word as a reminder of the hope and promises that sustain him. In Psalm 119:49, he calls upon God's faithfulness, knowing that God cannot forget His word. This assurance is not merely emotional but is anchored in the character of God, who is entirely faithful and sovereign over His creation. Richard Sibbes eloquently stated that we should 'sue Him at His bond,' indicating that God delights when we take hold of His promises through prayer. Moreover, in Lamentations 3:22-23, we see that God's mercies are 'new every morning,' affirming His steadfastness and the reliability of His promises for His people. We can, therefore, approach Him boldly, as stated in Hebrews 4:16, confident in His ability to fulfill what He has promised.

Q: Why is grace essential for salvation according to the Bible?

Grace is essential for salvation as it is solely through God's unmerited favor that we are saved. In Reformed theology, grace is foundational to the understanding of salvation. As highlighted throughout Scripture, particularly in Ephesians 2:5, we learn that we are saved 'by grace... through faith.' This grace is not something we can earn; it is a gift from God, bestowed freely to us through Christ's finished work on the cross. The entire framework of salvation is predicated on God's grace, exemplified in His decision to reconcile sinful humanity to Himself despite our unworthiness. Furthermore, Don Fortner emphasizes that if we grasp the truth that salvation is by grace alone and through faith alone, we will remain firmly grounded in the gospel. This grace enables us to believe, love, and obey, fulfilling God's commandments as a response to His love. Thus, recognizing and embracing this grace is vital for true faith and assurance of salvation.

Brother Mike. Morning, everybody. This morning's study is in Psalms 119, verses 49 through 56. 49 through 56 is the seventh section of Psalm chapter 119. And as we've mentioned previously, the acrostic structure of this chapter would put each verse in this section to start with the Hebrew letter, Zayin. Zayin is the seventh letter in the Hebrew alphabet, and it means or likened to a weapon or sword. Zayin represents both nourishment and struggle, reminding us that God's word sustains us through spiritual warfare and brings us comfort and strength. that this is maybe the only chapter in Psalm 119 or section of verses that the psalmist is not requesting or asking anything of God. It's just a, it's chapter 119 verses 49 through 56. 49 through 56. Zayin, remember the word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, for thy word hath quickened me.

The proud have had me greatly in derision, yet have I not declined from thy law. I remember thy judgments of old, O Lord, I have comforted myself. Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law. Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage. I have remembered thy name, O Lord, in the night, and have kept thy law. This I had because I kept thy precepts.

In verses 49 and 50, Zayin, remember the word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope. This is my comfort and affliction for thy word. hath quickened me." The psalmist in verse 49 is not declaring that God could possibly forget his word. God does not forget. But this is impossible for God to forget his word. So the psalmist's plea here is that God would fulfill the promises he has stated in his word.

Charles Spurgeon quoted a man named Richard Sibb Sibbes with an S about the promises of God. Has anyone heard of Richard Sibbes? I haven't either, so I had to look him up because if he was an important figure to Spurgeon in his life and he quoted him, then I thought I might want to know who this guy was, right? So I asked Mother Google. She never lies. She lies all the time. Yeah, the Richard Sibbes was between 1577 and 1635.

He was an Anglican theologian. He was a prominent figure in the Puritan movement, advocating for a more personal and heartfelt approach to faith. His most famous work, The Bruised Reed, emphasizes God's mercy and grace towards the brokenhearted. Sibbes was known for his pastoral care and ability to comfort those struggling with doubt and despair. And he played a significant role in the development of the Puritan theology and spirituality, influencing later thinkers and movements.

So this is the quote that Charles Spurgeon used of Richard Sibbes about the promises of God. He goes on to say, Richard Sibbes says, when we hear any promises in the word of God, let us turn it into prayer. This is interesting. He says, sue him at his bond. God loves that we should wrestle with him by his promises. End of quote.

Another famous quote by Richard Sibbes that goes right along with the latter part of verse 49, upon which thou has caused me to hope, latter part of verse 49, is, quote from Richard Sibbes, is, there is more mercy in Christ than sin in us. Amen. Speaking of the latter part of verse 49, upon thou has caused me to hope, it is the promises of God that has caused us to hope. This is my comfort and my affliction, says the psalmist in verse 50 of 119.

Our comfort and affliction is the word of God and the promises found in the word of God. Because our faith is derived from the word of God. Our faith is not derived from our personal feelings or experiences. They will lead you astray, but from the word of God.

Hebrews chapter four, verse 16, says, let us therefore come boldly into the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. God help us to remember his promises so that we may come boldly unto the throne of grace and find grace to find help in the time of need. As we read in chapter four, verse 16 of Hebrews.

Psalm 119, verse 49, when it mentions remember, some scriptures that can kind of go along with that are Psalms 77, verses 11 and 12. I will remember the works of the Lord. Surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also on all of thy work and talk of thy doings. And regarding hope, in Lamentations chapter three, verses 21 through 23, this I recall to mind, therefore have I hope.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness. Amen. Psalm chapter 119, verse 50. This is my comfort in my affliction, for thy word hath quickened me. I love it when the psalmist declares, for the word hath quickened me, because that means it gives life.

The power of God's word cannot be matched by anything that we can comprehend. God speaks, and worlds are created. God speaks, and life is created. God speaks, and a poor and needy, spiritually dead, hell-bound sinner is given life by faith to believe in the perfect plan of salvation God has set before us in his word. When God commands, repent and believe, Only God can give, gift, us that ability to believe. The gift of faith to believe cannot be earned. A gift cannot be earned. It must be given.

And this ensures God, in the face of Jesus Christ, because of His finished work on the cross, for the salvation, redemption, and sanctification of our souls, He will receive all the glory. Christ will receive all the glory, all the time, period. Isn't this what the Word of God teaches us? That salvation in its eternal entirety is the work of God's free and sovereign grace in Jesus Christ our Lord. Don Fortner says, and this is a quote from Don Fortner, if you get this one fundamental essential truth, then you won't go far astray. That salvation is by grace alone, faith alone, by grace and faith in the merits of Jesus Christ.

I can see a definite relationship to the meaning of the Hebrew letter, Zayin, as a sword, in the latter part of verse 50. For thy word hath quickened me. For the word of God is quick. This is Hebrews chapter four, verse 12. For the word of God is alive, is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Verse 51 of Psalm 119 says, the proud have had me greatly in derision, yet have I not declined from thy law. The psalmist in verse 51 is explaining what we all go through on a daily basis. There is nothing new under the sun. Nothing new today that wasn't happening in the time that the psalmist wrote this. Amen. Ecclesiastes chapter one, verse nine says, The thing that has been is that which shall be and that which is done is that which shall be done. And there is no new thing under the sun. Today, people mock and scoff at the word of God, just as in the days of the psalmist.

The proud and lofty would have you to believe that God is a fairy tale, great granddaddy in the sky. But on the contrary, they believe the fairy tale. They believe in the fairy tale that takes way more faith to believe in. The fairy tale of evolution and the Big Bang. It's not even a theory. Because a theory has to have evidence. And it's a hypothesis that's not grounded in any truth. And so it is a fairy tale that takes way more faith to believe in than our almighty God who created everything by speaking it into existence.

The ground scholars, the proud scholars of science are actually preaching a religion, the religion of their own wild imagination. No God, from the goo to the zoo to you. From the goo, the protozoa is gonna magically turn into the zoo, a monkey who's gonna magically turn into you. That's the fairy tale they preach in school and that's the religion and our tax dollars were supported without our consent.

But like the psalmist, we must not decline from thy law, as it says in verse 51. He was under the law of the Ten Commandments when the psalmist wrote that, but we are under the law of love. The word of God tells us this. In Romans chapter 13, verses eight through 10. Owe no man anything but to love one another, for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, and thou shalt not covet. And if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, that thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor, therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Jesus Christ God Almighty says in John chapter 15 verse 12, this is my commandment. that ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Verse 52 of Psalms 119, I have remembered thy judgments of old, O Lord, I have comforted myself. John Gill, anyone heard of John Gill? 1697 to 1771, he was an English Baptist theologian, a Bible scholar, a minister. He said, regarding verse 52, I remember thy judgments of old, O Lord, I have comforted myself.

Either the judgments of God executed on wicked men as the bringing a flood on the world of the ungodly, the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah, the destruction of Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, the cutting off of the Canaanites, and dispossessing them of their land, or the providential dispensations of God towards his own people, who sometimes chastises and corrects them. Okay, real quick, two big words there, providential dispensations, because I used to think that providence just meant planned with forethought, but it's more. It's God's active, wise, and loving governance of the universe where and dispensations is a specific period in history where an arrangement or stewardship by which God manages human affairs revealing his purpose in stages towards his own people who sometimes chastises and corrects them and brings them very low and then raises them up again as in the case of Job. These things the psalmist called to remembrance and evolved them in his mind. which gave him pleasure and comfort.

Like the scripture said in verse 52 I have comforted myself with such thoughts as these that God who had cast down the mighty from their seats and had scattered the proud imaginations of their hearts and destroyed them could easily rebuke the proud that had him in derision. And he that had shown himself so good and gracious to his people, when brought low, could raise him out of his afflictions and distresses." That was in a quote of John Gill. John Gill, in this reference to Psalm 119, verse 52, helped me to understand how I could find comfort in the judgments of God.

After all, the judgments of God are a scary thought. For many generations, there have been many fire and brimstone creatures who would try to scare you into believing. Matthew chapter 10, verse 28 says and fear. This is the words of King Jesus, by the way, Lord God Almighty, and fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear him, which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Hell is hot.

Eternity is a long time and judgment is a sure thing. And Jesus Christ is our only hope for salvation. So the only thing I find comfort in regarding God's judgments is the fact that I have been judged in Christ. Amen. Who took away my sin. What a great comfort this is to a believer in the truth of the word of God. I remember thy judgments of old, O Lord, and have comforted myself.

Second Corinthians chapter five, verse 10. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. 2nd Corinthians chapter 5, verses 17 through 19. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new.

All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation, to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, who hath committed unto us the word, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Right there, when it says that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, he's talking about his people that he knew before the foundation of the world. But that right there says that God humbled himself to become a man for our sakes, to reconcile us to him. That's the grace of God. That's his love and mercy.

Reconciliation restores a broken relationship between God and us due to sin. Reconciliation involves the forgiveness of sins where sin is pardoned. And this is the great comfort I'm referring to, that we who have faith in Christ are judged in Christ and his finished work on the cross.

Psalm chapter 119 verse 53 says, poor have taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake the law. The psalmist is bringing up a point here that we can all understand. Sin is a horrible sin is horrible in the eyes of all that are safe to find.

True. We go through this world seeing a mess of evil doings where that which is good is called evil and that which is evil is called good. Just turn on your TV and tell me that isn't true. And why is this? Let me just state the obvious. We are born dead. in our trespasses and sin. In 1 Corinthians 15, verse 22, the Word of God says, For as in Adam all died, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. People who don't believe God's Word, they don't believe original sin. But original sin is the reason why we're in the mess we're in.

Genesis 2, verses 16 and 17, And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat. But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it. For in the day that thou eatest, therefore thou shalt surely die. Notice God did not say if thou eat. He said when.

This is an important point to emphasize, because our God knows the end before the beginning. That's how amazing He is. That's not the God you hear preached from a lot of pulpits who can't do anything, who can't save anybody or do anything unless you let Him. This is a God who commands life to happen, the world to be existed. Isaiah chapter 46, verses 9 through 10.

Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is none else. I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, my counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. Psalm chapter 119, verse 54, thy statues have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage. Another way of putting that is the psalmist is saying, I have made thy statues the theme of my songs.

Look at Paul and Sias after they were beaten and thrown in jail for casting out an evil spirit from a certain damsel who was possessed with a spirit of divination. You can read that account in Acts chapter 16, verse 16. It talks about that evil spirit that was basically taunting them. And Paul had enough of it. He said, leave that lady. And the spirit did go. And then the owners, it was a servant. lost a bunch of money because they were making a bunch of money off of that spirit that was doing soothsaying.

And so they had Paul and Silas put in jail, and they hadn't beaten, and they were put in jail. And in Acts chapter 16, verse 25, at midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God. And the prisoners heard it. This is a great story of salvation, too, because you should go and read it sometime again just to refresh. I'm sure everyone's heard it before, but the jailer almost committed suicide because the doors of the jail opened up when Paul and Silas were praying, and he was gonna kill himself because he figured that he'd be put to death without the prisoners' help. But Paul and Silas said, wait, don't do that, don't do harm. And he says, what must I do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be baptized. And so they did. They did. There was this whole family that saved that night. Jailers. Anyways, Paul and Silas were seeing praises unto God.

Honoring God, seeing God honoring him is a great way to praise God and to remember things in his holy word. Kind of like the acrostic nature of Psalms 119, it was written in this poem like manner as a way to remember the scriptures. Songs help us to remember God's great love and mercy. The songs we sing in our church service are an important part of our worship service to our Lord God. They are intended to glorify and praise God for his great love and mercy that he has had to us through Jesus Christ, our Savior.

Psalm 119, verse 55 says, I have remembered thy name, O Lord, in the night. I have kept thy law. The psalmist proclaims here that even in the night, he is meditating and focusing on the Lord God. For it may be that the psalmist knows that if he's focusing on the Lord and God's laws at the night, that it may serve to help him to be more obedient in the day. I don't know. That just seems to be true to me.

For the nighttime is when wicked men do their most wicked deeds. Job chapter 24, verses 14 through 17. The murderer, rising with the light, killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief. The eye also of the adulterer waited for the twilight, saying, no eye shall see me, and disguised his face. In the dark they dig through houses which they had marked for themselves in the daytime. They know not the light. These are thieves that scope out houses and go steal from them at night. For the morning is to them, even as the shadow of death, This is talking about the murder of the adulterer and the thief. If one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death. Basically, they staying in the night because they know the light will expose what they did. Psalm chapter 119 verse 56 says, this I had because I kept thy precepts. I think what the psalmist is referring to here is what he was saying in verse 54.

Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage. I have remembered thy name, O Lord, and the night have kept the law, and this I had because I kept thy precepts. The psalmist is giving glory to God for having God's word in his heart. He knows that he has songs to sing in his heart because God blessed him with the faith to believe the truths of God's word. That's exactly right. And circling back to the beginning of this section where the psalmist declares God's word has given him hope in verse 49, remember the word unto the servant. upon which thou hast caused me to hope." In the last verse of this section, the psalmist declares that he has a new song, the song of God's word dwelling in his heart. He has this new song because he has kept thy precepts. Or in other words, he obeyed the commandments of God. We who believe God's word of truth and trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ and Him crucified for our salvation can relate to this because the commandment of God is to believe.

The commandment goes to everyone, everywhere. Repent and believe. In Mark chapter one, verse 15, this is King Jesus, Lord God Almighty saying, the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent ye and believe the gospel. The word of God also says that only he, God, can give you the faith to believe. So for this very reason, all the glory goes to God, the great three in one, in the face of Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to give us life. Remember, the word says the Holy Spirit quickened us. But to what? To believe in Jesus. Jesus ultimately gets all the glory. He gets the preeminence of everything. He's before everything when it comes to glory, but equal to God and the Holy Spirit in glory. These are things that we really can't fathom or concept, but the word of God says it, so we believe it. We believe the Trinity. we believe predestination. We don't understand these things, but the word of God teaches it.

Here's two scriptures that show how we were dead and God gave us life by his grace and mercy through Jesus Christ. Ephesians chapter two, verse one, and you have he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sin. And Ephesians chapter two, verse five, even when we were dead in sins, have quickened us together with Christ. By grace, you are saved.

As a reflection on the Hebrew letter theme of this section, being Zayin and meaning weapon or sword, I'm reminded of the scripture about putting on the armor of God. Ephesians chapter six, verse 17, and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. The word of God is our sword to protect us, defend us, and cut through the evil in this fallen world.

Psalm 119:49-56

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the importance of God's word?

How do we know that God's promises are reliable?

Why is grace essential for salvation according to the Bible?

Sermon Transcript

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Psalm 119:49-56

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the importance of God's word?

How do we know that God's promises are reliable?

Why is grace essential for salvation according to the Bible?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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