Message 57
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Scripture Reading: Psa. 119:1, 11, 14-16, 31-32, 34-35, 48, 51-52, 59, 72-73, 87, 95, 99, 102, 106, 111, 127-128, 130, 148, 157, 161-162, 166, 176
If we read Psalm 119 carefully, we shall see that the psalmist considered the law of God as God’s word. Like all the other psalms, this psalm was not written according to doctrine or theology, but according to the deep sentiment and aspiration of the psalmist.
The writer of Psalm 119 uses many different terms to express how he enjoyed God’s law as His living word and how he handled it as God’s word. In the foregoing message we pointed out that the psalmist inclined his heart unto it (v. 36), sought it (v. 45), and longed for it (v. 20). In verse 74 he declared, “I have hoped in thy word.” To hope in something is to wait for it. When the psalmist said that he hoped in God’s word, he meant that he was waiting on the word of God and waiting for it. He was waiting on God for a word. Furthermore, he put his trust in God’s word (v. 42). When we put all these matters together, we find that they correspond to our spiritual experience. Having a heart inclined unto the Word of God, we seek the Word, long for it, and hope in it. Then we place our trust in the word we have received of God.
In a number of verses the psalmist says that he mused upon God’s word (15, 23, 48, 78, 99, 148, Heb.). In each of these verses the King James Version uses the word meditate. However, in Psalm 55:17, the King James Version translates the same Hebrew word as pray. This Hebrew word is also used in Genesis 24:63, where we are told that Isaac went out in the field to meditate, or, as the margin says, to pray. Psalm 143:5 also uses this word: “I remember the days of old; I ponder all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands” (Heb.). Rich in meaning, the Hebrew word for muse, or meditate, implies to bow down, to converse with oneself, and to utter. According to the Old Testament, to meditate on the Word of God is to enjoy it by musing upon it.
To muse upon the Word is to “chew the cud,” like a cow eating grass (Lev. 11:3). As we muse upon the Word of God, we should “chew the cud.” If we take in the Word too quickly, we shall not have very much enjoyment. But if we “chew the cud” as we take in the Word, our enjoyment will increase.
When we muse upon the Word of God, enjoying it and even chewing it as a cow chews the cud, we shall spontaneously pray. Prayer is also included in musing upon the Word. Furthermore, we may converse with ourselves or begin to praise the Lord. We may be so inspired by the Word that we want to shout our praises to the Lord.
Usually musing upon the Word will be slower and finer than pray-reading the Word. For example, in our musing upon Exodus 20:2 we may say to ourselves, “Remember that Jehovah is your Lord. He has brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Now you are out. Amen! O Lord, I worship You for bringing me out of bondage!” In all our musing upon God’s Word, talking to the Lord or conversing with ourselves, we should be spontaneous and full of enjoyment. We may bow down to worship the Lord, ponder the Word, remember, or give ourselves a rebuke. All this is included in the practice of musing upon the Word of God. Any genuine seeker of the Lord who muses upon the Ten Commandments in a living way will enjoy the Lord, worship Him, pray, converse with himself in the Lord’s presence, and also praise the Lord. Surely one who takes the law of God in such a way will not apply it as dead letters, but will take it as God’s living word.
To muse upon the Word of God is to enjoy His Word as His breath. It is to contact God in the Word and to have fellowship with Him, to worship Him, and to pray to Him through and with the Word. By musing upon the Word of God in this way, we shall be infused by God, breathe Him into us, and receive spiritual nourishment.
Concerning musing upon the Word, verse 147 says, “I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word.” Here we see that the psalmist rose up before dawn, cried out, and hoped in God’s word. Verse 148 goes on to say, “Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might muse upon thy word” (Heb.). The psalmist woke up during the night to muse upon God’s word. Musing upon the Word involves more than just meditating on it. We muse upon the Word by talking to God, worshipping Him, enjoying Him, receiving grace from Him, and conversing with ourselves in the Lord’s presence. We cannot describe adequately the practice of musing on the Word of God and the enjoyment this affords us.
The seekers of God in the Old Testament mused upon His living word. Their way of handling the Word of God was different from that followed by many today who mainly exercise their mind to study the Word in letter. As the psalmists mused upon the Word of God, they spoke to God, prayed, worshipped Him, and even bowed down to Him. In the presence of God, they spoke to themselves of His mercy, salvation, and gracious supply. Musing upon the Word in this way is even richer, broader, and more inclusive than pray-reading, for it includes prayer, worship, enjoyment, conversation, bowing down, and even lifting up our hands to receive God’s word. It also includes rejoicing, praising, shouting, and even weeping before the Lord. In Pilgrim’s Progress there is a place where the pilgrim reads the Bible and weeps, shouts, and repents. This indicates that he not only read the Scriptures, but also mused upon them. If we muse upon the Word of God, we shall delight ourselves in the Word. Sometimes we may weep before the Lord or sing hymns of praise to Him.
The psalmist waited for the Lord’s word, hoped in it, and arose before dawn to cry out to the Lord that he needed His word. Then he mused upon the Word, worshipping the Lord, praying to Him, and receiving His supply. He also spoke to himself and instructed himself with the Word of God. All this is part of musing upon the Word of God.
In addition to musing upon the Word of God, the psalmist also considered it (119:95). In our spiritual experience we also consider the Word of God. Throughout the day we may consider what we enjoyed in our musing upon the Word in the morning. By recalling our enjoyment of the Lord in the Word, we receive further nourishment from the Word.
The psalmist also esteemed God’s Word right concerning all things (v. 128). The word “right” here does not mean right as opposed to wrong. It means upright, straight, strict in all things. When we muse upon the Word and consider it, we shall regard it upright in all things.
Verse 130 says, “The entrance of thy words giveth light.” When we enter into God’s Word, we see light. The Hebrew word for entrance means an opening, a gate, and it implies entering in. God’s Word has an entrance through which we may get into it. Let us learn to enter into the Word of God. Light is not outside the Word; it is in the Word. When we enter into the Word of God, we shall be in the light that shines there.
After we enter into the Word, we learn the Word. Verse 73 indicates that God has created us in such a way that we may have understanding of His Word and learn His commandments. Verse 71 says, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.” This verse indicates that God raises up circumstances to discipline us so that we may learn the Word. Through suffering and affliction we learn His law. Inwardly we have faculties created by God by which we can understand His Word, and outwardly we have the environment and the circumstances by which we are disciplined. God allows us to be afflicted so that we may learn the Word of God.
The psalmist also treasured the Word of God. He treasured it as great spoil (v. 162), as all riches (v. 14), above thousands of gold and silver (vv. 72, 127), and as a heritage forever (v. 111). Spoil refers to valuables taken away from an enemy. If we muse upon the Word, the enemy will be defeated, and we shall gather much spoil. Then we shall become rich and possess gold and silver, which will become our heritage. In ancient times, when a king conquered his enemies, he seized the gold and silver. Likewise, when we enjoy the Word and defeat the enemy through the Word, we shall gain spoil from the conquered enemy. Then we shall have the riches, the gold and silver, and the heritage.
Some may complain that what I have said about treasuring the Word of God is too experiential. If we do not understand the matter in this way, how should we treasure the Word as our spoil? We need to muse upon the Word and experience victory over the enemy through the Word. Then we shall have the spoil, the spoil will be our riches, the riches will be our gold and silver, and this will become our inheritance. I can testify that, for the most part, my inheritance has come to me in this way. When the enemy is defeated through the Word, I gain gold and silver as my heritage.
Verse 11 says, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Treasure should be hidden. However, many people like to display their wealth instead of concealing it. This way is not the biblical way. According to the Bible, we should hide our treasure. We should treasure God’s Word and hide it in our heart.
Verse 52 indicates that the writer of Psalm 119 remembered God’s Word. If we hide the Word in our heart, we shall remember it. To remember the Word is to call back, to recall, our enjoyment of it. The psalmists certainly were busy in handling the Word of God. They mused upon it, considered it, hid it in their heart, and remembered it.
In verse 16 the psalmist declares, “I will not forget thy word,” and in verse 93 he says, “I will never forget thy precepts.” We need to exercise ourselves not to forget the Word of God. It is difficult to remember the Word, but it is easy to forget it. We may hear many rich messages from the Word and in a very short period of time forget them all. Therefore, we need to exercise ourselves to remember God’s Word and not forget it.
In verse 161 the psalmist says, “My heart standeth in awe of thy word.” We also should stand in awe of the Word of God. Concerning it, we should be in fear and trembling (v. 120). Paul used such an expression both in 1 Corinthians 2:3 and in Philippians 2:12.
Verse 31 says, “I cleave unto thy testimonies” (Heb.). The King James Version uses the word stuck. We need to stick ourselves to the Word of God, to cleave to it.
With the psalmist, we should not forsake God’s Word (v. 87), not swerve from it (vv. 51, 157, Heb.), not turn aside from it (v. 102), and not go astray from it (v. 110, Heb.). Swerving from the Word is different from turning aside from it. To turn is to go in another specific direction, but to swerve is to veer off without direction, regulation, or control. On occasion, certain things will happen to cause us to swerve away from the Word of God. But we should not swerve from the Word, turn aside from it, or go astray from it.
Verse 59 says, “I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.” Instead of turning aside from the Word, we should turn our feet unto it.
At least twenty-eight times in Psalm 119 we are encouraged to keep, observe, practice, and do the Word of God. For example, verse 33 says, “Teach me, O Jehovah, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end” (Heb.). In verse 69 the psalmist says, “I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.” The psalmist used all these different verbs to show how he handled the Word of God.
Verse 1 says, “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of Jehovah” (Heb.), and verse 32 says, “I will run the way of thy commandments.” The psalmist walked in the Word and ran the way of the Word. This indicates that he lived according to the Word of God.
I am very fond of verse 48: “My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will muse upon thy statutes” (Heb.). Here we see that first the psalmist loved the Word; second, that he welcomed the Word; and third, that he enjoyed it and mused upon it. We also need to love the Word of God, receive it with warmth, and muse upon it and enjoy it. Through such an enjoyment of the Word, we shall worship God, talk to Him, pray to Him, and converse with ourselves before Him. Sometimes we may shout or cry; at other times we may delight ourselves in the Word or give ourselves a command. We shall enjoy the Word of God not only in the Lord’s presence, but also with His presence. We should never separate the Lord’s Word from the Lord Himself. As we muse upon His Word, we enjoy the Lord and have fellowship with Him. We speak to Him, and He speaks with us. Thus, there is spiritual traffic between us and the Lord.
Those who seek the Lord and become one with Him by enjoying His Word will automatically have a life that corresponds to the law, as God’s testimony, for they will be infused with the Lawgiver. The one who gives the law will become their living.
We have seen that God’s intention in the book of Exodus was to bring His people into such an enjoyment of Himself and to such a condition before Him. God brought them to the Mount of God so that they could receive His word. Having received the word, they could then muse upon it, pray to the Lord, worship Him, and have fellowship with Him. God gave the law to His people in such an intimate way, again and again referring to Himself as “Jehovah your God.” Therefore, as we consider the “day” aspect of the law, we see that God gave the law to His people in the way of enjoyment. Because it is God’s word, it is God’s breath. Those who receive the law of God in this way breathe God into them by musing upon His Word.
