The primary purpose of the Book of Psalms is to encourage people to know the teachings in the written Word and to live in obedience to them. In this wonderful chapter 19, David focuses the attention of the LORD's His glory in nature! No man has an excuse (Romans 10:18) - the heavens proclaim the work of His hands. The heavens are constant in their declarations...day after day! This message goes out to Christians and to all others..."gone out to all the earth...to the ends of the inhabited world." SEE HIS GLORY!
SEARCH HIS WORD - Read, Know, Obey!!! The stars are a passive witness to the world. They speak nothing audibly but speak loudly! Our lives are the silent witness to the world. Verbal impact needs take place. GOD SPEAKS THROUGH HIS WORD!...THE WRITTEN revelation. Nature can inspire and actually terrify; the words from His Word, give us hope! V.7-9 express God's self-revelation: the instruction of the LORD refers to instruction in a general sense and refers to the Law of Moses, the testimony of the LORD - teaches us how we should live, the precepts of the LORD - behavioral obligations God has placed on His people, the commandment of the LORD - obligation to obey God's Word...set of mandates [will light up our eyes - will give us joy when we live it out], the fear of the LORD "constant awareness that the LORD knows everything that we think, say, do, and will reward or discipline accordingly!", the ordinances of the LORD God's ordinances are just.
His words are more desirable than pure gold and sweeter than honey. His Word is the only thing that a Christian can righteously covet. To obtain spiritual gold, one needs to mine the depths of the Word of God. As honey renews the strength and refreshes the countenance, putting God's Word into our minds renews and energizes our spiritual lives.
1. Nature 2. The Word and 3. Personal application...
David shows us that through nature and through His Word, our LORD is the communicating God!!! He expects and desires us to communicate with Him. David expresses his gratitude to the LORD for the importance of His Word in his life. As we should be, David is appreciative of the WARNING of God's Words. David prized God's Words...not just for what it helped him avoid, but also for what he received from It. THERE IS GREAT REWARD FOR KEEPING GOD'S WORDS! We must be on guard to make sure we do so!
Nature reveals the existence of God;' the Scriptures reveal how to experience a relationship with God. Obedience to the Word transforms the entire person and results in spiritual blessings.
SEEK GOD'S BEST:
David is appealing for the LORD to deal with His unintentional sins and hidden faults. He knew that he could not. EXTRA STUDY: Numbers 15:30, Romans 7:15, Psa. 51:16-17! IF you find the connections and SEE something, leave a note in the comments to bless us.
APPLICATION: Our words and thoughts bring the LORD satisfaction as they are filled with His truth and echo His values. They give pleasure to Him as they encourage and inspire others to love and serve Him. Vs. 14 should be in your memory bank! Acceptable means "pleasure" or "delight". Don't you want to be a delight to your LORD?!!
NEXT WEEK Psalm 9: 1-20
2 comments:
Dear Wes and Bernadine,
Thank you for teaching the class. Debbie and I, appreciate you and your diligent preparation and thoughtful presentation. Ms. Bernadine, thank you for hushing me. I needed to listen to the teaching God imparted in you for us. I included below the thoughts I intended to share in class. The application of God's word as you spoke of in class begins with the reverence (Fear of God). The understanding of God's word begins after we receive Wisdom. In proverbs God spoke through Solemn. I love what he teaches us in Proverbs 4:5, 4:7. In Pr. 4: 5 "Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them". Wisdom is the precedent to understanding. Yet, we don't receive understanding in its fullness until we lose our life (Ourselves) in Jesus Christ. 4:7 “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding”. It is when we surrender our life (ourselves) to Christ that understanding becomes the application of the wisdom God grants us. I like the way Oswald Chambers wife Gertrude cataloged Oswald Chamber’s thoughts on this topic self and understanding: In the devotional Do It Yourself Sept 8th 2 Corinthians 10:5 “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God.” Oswald and Gertrude wrote “It is only when God has altered our disposition and we have entere into the experience of sanctification that the fight begins. “ Our understanding grows as the old self dies and the new spiritual life emerges. That is why Christ said come to him in the innocence of a young child for it is in that innocence that our understanding grows in the Spirit God endowed us with when we accepted his Son as our Savior.
Amplified Bible Quotes below:
Proverbs 4:5, 4:7 5 Get skillful and godly Wisdom, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation); do not forget and do not turn back from the words of my mouth. 7 The beginning of Wisdom is: get Wisdom (skillful and godly Wisdom)! [For skillful and godly Wisdom is the principal thing.] And with all you have gotten, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation).
2 Corinthians 10: 5[Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One),
Thank you again,
Sent with the Warm Heart Love in the Grace of our Savior!
Your Friend Barry
Correction: Sent with the Warm Heart Love in the Grace of our Savior.
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