Cork Free Presbyterian Church, 10 Briarscourt
(Annex) Shanakiel, Cork, Ireland
Pastor: Colin Maxwell. Email: colin.maxwell@fpcmission.org
The
fact that this Psalm constitutes the longest chapter in the Bible often
has an intimidating affect upon many students of the Word. Yet it is
structured in the original Hebrew to aid not merely its study, but its
memorisation. Using alliteration, the Psalm is divided into twenty two
sections, corresponding to the Hebrew alphabet. Each section has eight
verses with the first word in each verse beginning with the
corresponding Hebrew letter. The missionary Henry Martyn relieved a
particularly difficult time in his life by committing this great Psalm
to memory. Perhaps it is a sad comment on our age that while another
missionary won a New Testament in the junior Sunday School for being
able to repeat it by heart, it was a full 11 years later when David
Livingstone's mind was judged to have taken "a decidedly religious turn!"
THE THEME OF THE PSALM
What
makes the Psalm even harder to learn, apart from its sheer volume, is
the fact that it concentrates on one constant theme i.e. the word of
God. Yet this may be said be its glory. The Divine Book bears testimony
to itself as well as to the Lord Jesus. Christ challenged His hearers
to search the Scriptures, confident that they would testify of Him
(John 5:39 See also: Luke 24:44 Hebrews 10:7) and so the self
vindication of the Scriptures causes us no surprise.
THE TITLES OF GOD'S WORD IN THE PSALM
The
riches of the word of God must be observed in the several designations
which this Psalm ascribe to it. Although one Book, it may be viewed as
God's Way [ii] God's Law, [iii] God's Testimonies, [iv] God's Precepts,
[v] God's Statutes, [vi] God's Commandments, [vii] God's Judgements,
[viii] God's Word, [ix] God's Truth [x] God's Righteousness. Each of
these designations throw a particular shade on the meaning of
Scripture. CH Spurgeon considered it a deep injury to the cause of
revealed truth to consider them as mere synonyms. These are the very
words which the Holy Ghost teacheth (1 Corinthians 2:13) and it will
profit us to ask why this word was used instead of another at any
particular point. Although there might appear to us to be
but little difference between (say) a law and a precept, the latter
refers to God's law in general while the latter carries the force of
something entrusted to men.
THE VERBS IN THE PSALM
Simple
use of the concordance will show us the various verbs which the
Psalmist used. Positively, he spoke about walking, keeping, seeking,
respecting, praising, learning, cleansing, heeding, hiding, declaring,
meditating, and a whole host of other action words. Surely it was
drawing from the spirit of this Psalm when the Saviour said: "Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it." (Luke 11:28)
Negatively, the Psalmist expressed the thought that by hiding God's
word in his heart, then he might not sin against God, that he might not
have any shame, that he might avoid covetousness, escape beholding
vanity and elude thinking vain thoughts, even to the hating of every
false way, etc.
THE APPRECIATION IN THE PSALM
Such deeds both flowed from and led to his appreciation of the Book
which he held in his hands. He repeatedly tells us, by a number of
different ways, that it was his most valuable possession. He sought its
author with His whole heart and to the same ultimate extent, he sought
to keep His law and would seek His face. He bears testimony to its
sweetness also, and the emotions which he describes include words like
joy, delight, glad, love etc., Any negative emotions about the Bible
flow only from the wicked who do not share the Psalmist's appreciation.
This Book has brought the Psalmist to know God and by knowing God, he
also knows men. Therefore he can castigate the wicked for their neglect
and rejection of this Book, although he does so with rivers of water
coursing down his cheeks. He does not stand alone in his recognition
and he speaks of others who share the same blessing. These are
they who are glad to see him because they too love the Lord.
THE PRAYERS FOR HOLINESS IN THE PSALM
We never read of the Psalmist doing or expressing all these things in
his own strength. Amidst the notes of praise and testimony, many verses
in this Psalm are actually petitions to God for help. As ever when a
spiritual man draws near unto God, he acknowledges his own nothingness
and sinfulness, but expresses the desire that God will lead Him on with
Himself. This "holiness movement" is always linked to the word of God. It is neither Charismatic on one hand nor passive ("Let go and let God…")
on the other. There are no quick fixes here. The petitions are solid.
They speak of long term strategies like meditating etc., The cries are
balanced. God must enlarge his heart, while he will make haste and
delay not to keep God's commandments.
THE TIMES AND SEASONS REFERRED TO IN THE PSALM
All
kinds of times and circumstances are mentioned. He rises before dawn to
cry to God, he meditates all the day upon God's law, while at midnight,
he rises to give God thanks for what He has done, even when the
previous verse speaks of being robbed by the bands of the wicked. He
comes up against the wicked in general and the proud, reproaching,
lying, etc., in particular. He stands before kings without shame,
even when the princes speak against him and persecute him without a
cause. Keeping such august company, does not mean that he forgets
lesser mortals. He has a word for the young man just starting out who
seeks to cleanse his way. He is a companion of all who fear God, and
Peter's designation of "pilgrims and strangers" may also be found in this Psalm. An interesting study is to follow through the word "affliction"
Before the Psalmist was afflicted, he went horribly astray. He sees the
affliction as being from God's hand - directly and/or indirectly - and
the means of bringing him back to the Lord. Therefore he can positively
say that it was good for him to have been afflicted. Here are echoes of
Romans 8:28.
THE COMPARISON BETWEEN THE AUTHOR AND HIS SAVIOUR IN THIE PSALM
Who wrote this Psalm? No name appears at its head, but CH Spurgeon declares it to be "Davidic in tone and spirit."
As indicated earlier, we must look for Christ in this Psalm, where it
is appropriate to do so. He outshines David in every way. All David's
emotions and praises are tainted by human failure and limitation.
Consumed though David was with zeal for the things of God, the
narrative of his life exposes seasons of coldness and backsliding. Not
so the Lord Jesus, who knew perfection in every virtue. The great
doctors of the law in David's day never expressed astonishment at his
answers and understanding of the Scriptures, but they did during the
adolescent years of the Lord Jesus. Again, although David
suffered much persecution at the hands of wicked men, yet none can
compare to the persecution of Jesus Christ. It would be a most
profitable study to write out each verse of this Psalm in one column
and seek to link it up with an appropriate verse from the life and
ministry of Christ in a corresponding column. In this way, the Inspired
Word would meet the Incarnate Word and our hearts would be drawn out
further in wonder, love and praise.
THE END