Scripture Reading: Psa. 119
In this message we come to Psalm 119. This psalm does not have a title telling us who wrote it, but it is commonly understood by Bible teachers that this psalm was written by David.
Psalm 119 is one of the alphabetical, or acrostic, psalms. The first letters of each group of eight verses in this psalm follow the order of the Hebrew alphabet. The twenty-two sections of this psalm thus correspond to the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Furthermore, all the verses in a particular section begin with the same Hebrew letter. For example, in the Aleph section (vv. 1-8) every verse starts with the Hebrew letter Aleph.
The title of this message is "Christ — the Reality of the Law as the Testimony and the Word of God." In both the Old Testament and the New Testament there is a strong basis for saying that the law in its reality is Christ. If we would see that Christ is the reality of the law, we need to regard the law, as Psalm 119 does, as the testimony of God and as the word of God. This psalm does not contain the word "Christ," but it does contain a number of synonyms of Christ, such as "testimony" and "word," which are also synonyms of "law." We should not consider the law merely as commandments, regulations, and ordinances. Rather, we should consider the law as God's testimony. The law was given on Mount Sinai, but it was put into a little ark called "the ark of the testimony" (Exo. 25:16). The ark was then placed into "the tabernacle of testimony" (38:21). Thus, the law was in the ark of the testimony, and the ark of the testimony was in the tabernacle of testimony.
At this point we need to ask a very particular question: In typology, who is the law? This is a question not about what the law is but about who the law is. We cannot answer the question concerning who the law is by saying that the law is the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are not a person, but they are a portrait of a person. A law is always a picture of the person who makes it. The laws passed by today's legislators are pictures of the legislators. The principle is the same with the law of God. The law of God — the Ten Commandments with the many statutes, ordinances, and judgments — is a portrait of the person of God.
Christ is the reality of the law as the testimony of God. The testimony of God signifies Christ as the living portrait of what God is (Col. 2:9; 1:19).
The Ten Commandments are brief, but they give us a portrait of God. They show us that God is a jealous God, that He cannot tolerate other gods. In this matter, He is like a husband who is jealous concerning his wife. Also, God is a God of love, light, holiness, and righteousness. Here we have five crucial words — jealous, love, light, holiness, and righteousness.
The Ten Commandments were written on two tablets, with each tablet containing five commandments. In this way, the Ten Commandments were divided into two groups of five. The first three commandments are concerned with God. The first commandment says that the Lord is God and that we should not have any gods before Him (Exo. 20:2-3); the second commandment, that we should not make idols or worship idols (vv. 4-6); and the third commandment, that we should not take the name of God in vain (v. 7). The fourth commandment requires that we keep the Sabbath (vv. 8-11). This commandment indicates that God is love. Because He loves us, He wants us to have a day of rest. The fifth commandment is the commandment to honor our parents (v. 12). This commandment is ranked with the first four commandments, which are related to God. The reason for this ranking involves our source as human beings. In Luke 3 the human generations are traced all the way back to Adam, and then to God. This indicates that when we honor our parents, we honor our source, which, ultimately, is God Himself. When we honor our parents, we recognize the fact that, through them, we can trace our source back to God. Those who do not respect their parents do not respect God.
The five commandments in the second group are all related to humanity. These are the commandments about not killing, not committing adultery, not stealing, not lying, and not coveting. We may use five words to summarize these five commandments: murder, adultery, stealing, lying, and covetousness. Anyone who does not murder, commit fornication, steal, lie, or covet is a perfect person.
We have pointed out that the Ten Commandments portray God as the One who is a God of jealousy, love, light, holiness, and righteousness. The last five commandments are related to God's holiness and righteousness. For example, a person who steals or lies is not righteous.
The God who is jealous, who is love and light, and who is holy and righteous is embodied in Christ. For this reason, Christ is God's testimony. Christ is jealous, loving, and full of light. He is also holy and righteous. He is the reality of the law, which is a portrait of God.
Christ is the reality of the law not only as the testimony of God but also as the word of God, signifying Christ as the living word of God breathed out by Him (Rev. 19:13b; 2 Tim. 3:16-17). John 1:1 says that in the beginning was the Word (Christ), that the Word was with God, and that the Word was God. According to Revelation 19:13b, when Christ comes back to judge, His name will be called "the Word of God." The Ten Commandments, with all their statutes, ordinances, and judgments, are also called the word of God. A literal rendering of the Hebrew translated "ten commandments" in Exodus 34:28 would be "ten words." The Ten Commandments are thus God's words, breathed out by Him.
The word "law" is used twenty-five times in Psalm 119 (vv. 1, 18, etc.). A number of different synonyms for "law" are also used in this psalm, including "testimony" (once, in v. 88), "testimonies" (twenty-two times, in vv. 2, 14, etc.), "word" (thirty-six times, in vv. 9, 11, etc.), "words" (six times, in vv. 57, 103, etc.), "commandment" (once, in v. 96), "commandments" (twenty-one times, in vv. 6, 10, etc.), "statutes" (twenty-two times, in vv. 5, 8, etc.), "ordinances" (seventeen times, in vv. 7, 13, etc.), "judgments" (three times, in vv. 75, 120, 137), and "precepts" (twenty-one times, in vv. 4, 15, etc.). All these terms from "law" to "precepts" consummate in the "way" (four times, in vv. 14, 27, 32, 33) or "ways" (three times, in vv. 3, 15, 37), signifying Christ as the way of God to His people.
Psalm 119 is a psalm of one hundred seventy-six verses describing Christ, who is the reality of the law, the commandments, the ordinances, the statutes, the precepts, and the judgments. In total, He is the Word of God. The words of Psalm 119 are the written words of God, but Christ is the living Word of God. The written words are the letters, but the living Word is the Spirit, who is the reality of the letters.
Now we can see not only what the law is but also who the law is. Who is the law? The law is the person of Christ, and the person of Christ is the Spirit. The Spirit is the reality of whatever God is. Hence, as the Spirit Christ is the reality of the law. Eventually, this law, this person, consummates in the way (John 14:6). When we have Him, we have not only love and light but also the way. This is Christ being the reality of the law as the testimony and the word of God.
There are two aspects of the law — the aspect of the letter and the aspect of the Spirit. In 2 Corinthians 3:6 Paul says that "the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." Whether you have a killing law or a life-giving law depends on your attitude. If your attitude in coming to the law is to care only for the commandments in letters and to realize that you cannot fulfill these commandments, then you have the law in the aspect of the letter. However, if you take every part of the law — all the commandments, ordinances, statutes, precepts, and judgments — as the word breathed out by the God whom you love, then you will have the law in the aspect of the Spirit. Then instead of trembling before the law of letters, you will be happy to be fed with every part of the law as the word, the breath, of God.
Just as the law itself has two aspects, so also the function of the law has two aspects.
As God's commandments, the law exposes man's sin (Rom. 7:7b; 3:20b; 5:20a; 4:15b). Every item of the law with its statutes and ordinances exposes our shortcomings, defects, dishonesty, and unfaithfulness. For example, the commandment about not worshipping idols may expose the fact that many things are idols to us. For some people a pen or a diamond is an idol. Also, the commandment about keeping the Sabbath may expose our not resting regularly according to God's ordination. By failing to rest properly we fail to enjoy God's love expressed in the commandment to keep the Sabbath.
As God's regulations with statutes, ordinances, and rituals, the law functioned to guard God's chosen people in its custody that they might be conducted to Christ (Gal. 3:23-24). The law kept God's chosen people in custody, in ward, in the proper way until Christ came. The sheepfold in John 10 signifies the custody of the law. The Lord Jesus is the door of the sheepfold (v. 9), and through Him all those who were in the sheepfold could come out. Thus, on the negative side the law functioned to guard God's chosen people until Christ came.
As God's living testimony the law functions to minister the living God to His seekers (Psa. 119:2, 88). If we regard the law only as letters, the law will be very negative to us. However, if we regard the law as God's testimony, as a portrait of God, and if we consider that every word of the law is something breathed out by God, then to us the law will be the living and loving word of God. If this is our attitude toward the Bible today, then whenever we come to the Bible we will have the sense deep within that we are with God. Then as we read the Bible we will touch God, knowing that He is loving and that it is surely worthwhile for us to love Him and to seek Him. This is the positive function of the law as the testimony of God.
As God's living word the law functions to dispense God's life and light into those who love the law (vv. 25, 116, 130). We all should regard the Bible as the living word of God which dispenses God Himself into us as our life and light. Whether or not this is our experience depends upon whether we seek God and love Him. This means that what the Bible is to us depends upon our attitude toward the Bible.
There are two kinds of people in relation to the law.
The first kind is the letter-keepers, illustrated by the Judaizers and Saul of Tarsus (Phil. 3:6b). The Judaizers, who were zealous for Judaism, were a damage to the Lord Jesus in the Gospels, to the apostles in the Acts, and to the believers in the Epistles. Paul, before he was saved, was a strong Judaizer. In Philippians 3:2 Paul referred to the Judaizers as "dogs" and "evil workers," saying, "Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the concision."
The second kind is the God-seekers, illustrated by the psalmists, especially by the writer of Psalm 119.
"Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,/Who seek Him with all their heart" (v. 2). The writer of this psalm was one who sought God with his whole heart.
Verse 132 says, "Turn to me, and have compassion on me, /As is Your custom with those who love Your name." This verse indicates that the psalmist loved God's name. Verse 55 says, "I have remembered Your name in the night, O Jehovah,/And have kept Your law." When the psalmist awoke during the night, he remembered God's name. May we all love God's name and remember it.
The psalmist also entreated God's countenance (v. 58). To seek a person's countenance, his face, is actually to seek his favor. If we seek God's countenance, we will receive bounty. Often little children will earnestly seek the face of their mother. To them nothing is more precious than beholding the face of their mother. We also should seek God in such an intimate way. If we seek God in this way, we will not regard the law as letters but as a portrait of God which bears His countenance.
"Cause Your face to shine on Your servant,/And teach me Your statutes" (v. 135). Here we see that the psalmist lovingly sought God in an intimate way, even asking Him to cause His face to shine upon him.
"I have kept Your precepts and Your testimonies,/For all my ways are before You" (v. 168). This indicates that the psalmist walked in God's presence.
Verses 17 and 18 say, "Deal bountifully with Your servant that I may live/And keep Your word./Open my eyes that I may behold/Wondrous things out of Your law." This indicates that the psalmist considered God's law to be His word. This is indicated also by what the psalmist says in verses 28 and 29: "My soul melts because of grief;/Strengthen me according to Your word./Remove from me the way of falsehood,/And graciously grant me Your law." These verses prove that the psalmist thought of God's law as His living and loving word breathed out of God's mouth.
For the psalmists God's word was sweeter than honey to their mouth (v. 103).
"Therefore I love Your commandments/More than gold, indeed, more than fine gold" (v. 127). This indicates that to the psalmists God's word was more precious than fine gold.
God's word was a lamp to the psalmists' feet and a light to their path (v. 105).
In Psalm 119 many different verbs are used to express the attitude of the God-seekers toward God's law as God's testimony and God's word.
Psalm 119:30 says, "I have chosen the way of faithfulness; /Your ordinances I have set before me." Verse 173 says, "Let Your hand be ready to help me,/For I have chosen Your precepts." Like the psalmists, we all should choose God's word, making a strong decision in favor of the word of God.
Considering God's law to be His word, the psalmist believed in the word. Verse 66 says, "Teach me proper discernment and knowledge,/For I believe in Your commandments." We all must believe in the genuineness, accuracy, authority, and power of God's word.
"I will lift up my hand to Your commandments, which I love" (v. 48a). To lift up our hand unto God's word is to welcome it. Therefore, to lift up our hand unto the word of God is to indicate that we receive it warmly and gladly and that we say "amen" to it.
Many times the writer of this psalm declared that he loves God's word (vv. 47, 48, 97, 113, 119, 127, 140, 159, 163, 165, 167). We all should be able to testify that we love the word of God.
The psalmist also delighted in God's word (vv. 16, 24, 35, 47, 70, 77, 92, 174). He enjoyed the word of God and found it a source of delight. Every day we should have a time to delight ourselves in the Word.
"How sweet are Your words to my taste!/Sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (v. 103). To the psalmist the law was not merely a list of commandments; it was also a word full of enjoyment and life supply. For this reason, God's words were sweet to his taste. If we regard the law as nothing more than the commandments of God, it will not be sweet to us. But if we regard God's law as His word for our nourishment and life supply, we will enjoy its sweet taste.
When we taste the word of God, we rejoice in it. This was the experience of the psalmist, who testified again and again that he rejoiced in God's word (vv. 14, 111, 162).
"Your statutes have become my songs of praise/In the house of my pilgrimage" (v. 54). This indicates that the psalmist even sang of God's word.
In verse 6 the psalmist said that he regarded God's commandments, and in verse 117, that he regarded God's statutes. This means that he respected God's word. If we would be genuine seekers of God, we must respect His word.
The psalmist also had a sound, or healthy, heart in God's word (v. 80).
In verses 36 the psalmist prayed, "Incline my heart to Your testimonies/And not to unjust gain." Then in verse 112 he declared, "I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes/Forever, to the end." These verses show us that we need a heart inclined to the word of God. Sometimes as we are reading the Bible, our heart is inclined to something else. Because our heart has the tendency to depart from God's word, we need to pray that our heart will be called back to God's word and be inclined to it.
The psalmist also sought God's word (vv. 45, 94), longed for it (vv. 20, 40, 131), and hoped in it with prayer (vv. 43, 74, 114, 147).
In verse 42 the psalmist declared that he trusted in God's word.
In several verses the writer of Psalm 119 tells us that he mused upon God's word (vv. 15, 23, 48, 78, 99, 148). To muse on the word is to taste it through careful considering. Thus, musing is a kind of enjoyment. I can testify that most of the enlightenment I receive comes by musing on the Word early in the morning. As I muse on the Word, I think about it with much consideration in a detailed way.
In verse 95b the psalmist said, "I consider Your testimonies." To consider the Word is to think it over very carefully. Concerning this, we may use the word mull. To consider the Word is to mull it over, even to study it and research it.
"I esteem all Your precepts concerning all things to be right" (v. 128a). Here we see that the psalmist esteemed God's word to be right — to be upright, straight, strict — in all things.
"Your hands have made me and fashioned me;/Give me understanding that I may learn Your commandments" (v. 73). This indicates that God has created us in such a way that we may have understanding of His word and learn it. In verse 71 the writer says, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted,/That I might learn Your statutes." This indicates that suffering and affliction can help us to learn God's word.
The psalmist also treasured the word of God. He treasured it as much as all riches (v. 14), as great spoil (v. 162), better than gold and silver (vv. 72, 127), and as a heritage forever (v. 111).
In verse 11 we are told that the psalmist treasured up God's word in his heart. Paul charged us to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly (Col. 3:16). We should not only memorize the word and keep it within us — we should treasure it up in our heart.
In Psalm 119:52 the psalmist indicates that he remembered God's word. If we treasure up the word in our heart, we will remember it; we will call back, or recall, our enjoyment of it. In verse 16b the writer declared, "I will not forget Your word," and in verse 93 he said, "I will never forget Your precepts,/For by them You have enlivened me."
In verse 161b the psalmist said, "My heart stands in awe of Your words." The psalmist also said that he was afraid of God's judgments (v. 120). Like the psalmist, we also should stand in awe of the word of God.
In verse 31 the psalmist said to God, "I cling to Your testimonies." We also need to cling to the word of God.
Furthermore, the psalmist said that he did not forsake God's word, did not swerve from it, did not turn aside from it, and did not go astray from it (vv. 87, 51, 157, 102, 110).
"I considered my ways/And turned my feet toward Your testimonies" (v. 59). Instead of turning aside from the law, we, like the psalmist, should turn our feet toward it.
The psalmist kept, observed, and did the word of God (vv. 33, 69). All these different words show how he regarded the word of God.
Verse 1 says, "Blessed are those whose way is perfect,/Who walk in the law of Jehovah." Verse 32a says, "I run the way of Your commandments." The psalmist walked in the word of God and ran the way of the word of God. This indicates that he lived according to the word of God.
These twenty-six items reveal the attitude of the God-seekers toward God's law as God's testimony and as God's word.
