Psalm 119:137-144

GOOD MORNING! We are reading in the great 119th Psalm: "Righteous art thou, O LORD, and upright are thy judgments. Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful. My zeal hath consumed me, because mine enemies have forgotten thy words. Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it. I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts. Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth. Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet thy commandments are my delights. The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live."[1]

This passage of the PSALM is speaking of the perfect righteousness of the LORD our God, and of His word that was written by holy men of God "as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." [2]

The Psalmist is praying that the word of the LORD will have its promised effect in his own life, to the honor and glory of the Father of mercies "with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." [3]

We know and apprehend by faith that it is by the word of God that we enter into the abundant life that our LORD came to give us. The more we are taught by the Holy Spirit to receive the eternal rightness of God's word, and the more He quickens us to love the word of the LORD, the stronger and more blessed we shall become.

This is what the Scripture is showing us in the New Testament passage: "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."[4]

There is a New Testament companion statement to this eighteenth portion of Psalm 119. "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. ... Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." … "And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us."[5] It is the blessed ministry of the Holy Spirit to lead us into an ever clearer knowledge of the things of God.

Our LORD JESUS said, "When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come: He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shew it unto you." [6]

Our LORD speaks of the Holy Spirit as, "the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."[7]

The petition of the Psalmist is "The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding and I shall live." Long as the earth shall stand, as long as there shall be an intelligent creature in the universe, it will be confessed that God's plans of mercy are in all respects marvelous proofs of his justice and holiness.

The precious blood of Jesus our LORD declares the righteousness of God, for it is written, "To declare, I say at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."[8]

A beautiful prayer hymn puts it this way:

Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love what thou dost love,
And do what Thou wouldst do.

Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Until my heart is pure,
Until with thee I will one will,
To do and to endure.

Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Till I am wholly thine,
Until this earthly part of me
Glows with thy fire divine."[9]

AMEN.

[1] Psalm 119:137-144
[2] 2 Peter 1:21
[3] James 1:17
[4] 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
[5] 1 John 3:1-3, 24
[6] John 16:13-15
[7] John 14:26
[8] Romans 3:26
[9] From "Breathe on Me, Breath of God" by Edwin Hatch