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SCRIPTURE
Today, we will see from our text how God’s laws, ways, and words give understanding to those who follow them.
Simply put, understanding is the ability to accurately see what once was abstract or unclear to you.
Involuntary Disobedience
The attendant at a movie theater was walking up and down the aisle between showings of the movie.
While doing so, he noticed that in the back of the theater there was a man lying across three seats.
The attendant told the man that he would need to sit up in one chair.
The only answer that came from the man was a muffled groan; the man did not even turn around and look at the attendant.
The attendant went to get the manager.
The manager approached the man who was still lying across the three seats in the back of the theater.
“Sir, you cannot lie down in this theater; you must sit up or I will have to insist that you leave!”
The man responded to the manager the same way he had responded to the attendant.
The manager warned the man once more, but the reaction was the same.
The frustrated manager returned to his office and called the police.
A police officer arrived and spoke to the man who was lying across three seats in the back of the theater: “I understand there is a little problem here; I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave this theater.
So, what do you have to say for yourself now?”
With great hesitation, the man slowly turned toward the police officer and groaned out an answer, “You don’t seem to understand at all; we have a big problem here: I fell from the balcony and can’t get up!”
Knowledge: to know—they knew the man was lying on the seats
Knowledge: to know
Wisdom: to do (apply)—they applied what wisdom they had based on their knowledge
Understanding: to see—seeing the full story changed everything
Understanding often takes time to develop.
We do what we know, and we see what has been done.
God’s words and ways are eternal, already established truth.
If we can get understanding from them, we can avoid much ignorant discovery.
Our text begins with an exclamation of love for God’s law.
His love for God’s law goes on to be explained as he describes the understanding and wisdom gained from it.
I love God’s law greatly and think on it often!
O how…love…law
My meditation all the day
I love God’s law greatly and think on it often!
As has been stated previously, the Psalmist’s love for God’s law is obvious in this Psalm.
God’s law and ways are of utmost importance to him.
As followers of Christ, we ought to have a similar mindset toward God’s laws, ways, and words.
What God says should matter to us.
Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and, if true, of infinite importance.
The one thing it cannot be is moderately important.
Citation: C. S. Lewis, God in the Dock
Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and, if true, of infinite importance.
The one thing it cannot be is moderately important.
So true.
God’s words and ways cannot be moderately important to one who truly believes Him.
In our text today, we not only see a love for God’s laws but we also see practical reasons for the Psalmist’s love for God’s laws.
The reasons can be summed up as giving the Psalmist understanding, but let’s take a look at them individually verse by verse.
Let’s look and see what God’s law did for the Psalmist and what it can do for us.
SEVEN BENEFITS OF GOD’S LAW
Commandments: what God has commanded
Wise: trust and fear of God; ability to apply knowledge to succeed in life
1) Having God’s commands always with me can make me wiser than my enemies.
Commandments: what God has commanded
Wise: trust and fear of God that works out faithfulness to God in the practical details of life; able to apply knowledge to bring success in life and situations
God’s commandments, when followed, make one wise.
First, consider that those who practice evil do not understand true judgement.
Evil people don’t understand God or His ways.
John Wesley captured that same truth in a different way.
“Give me a worm that can understand a man,” he wrote, “and I will give you a man who can understand God.”
And in Psalm 145:3, David said of God, “His greatness is unsearchable.”
This makes sense since we see the fear of the LORD (and what He says) is the very beginning of wisdom.
We also see here that the knowledge of the holy is the beginning of understanding.
Those living in rejection of God and His Gospel, no matter how worldly wise and knowledgeable, have not even begun to attain wisdom and understanding in those things which most matter in this life—the eternal things of God.
Secondly, consider how God’s commands help us act wiser than enemies.
By enemies, think of those who would scorn, mock, or even cause harm to you.
Knowing how to act around and respond to enemies can be tricky.
Think about how Jesus was around His enemies.
Discerned their thoughts and intents
Held back knowledge that was not prudent to share with them
Asked them questions that led them to a truce
Warned others of their ways
Having God’s commands in our heart and mind give us trustworthy foundational thinking and helps us expose what is not trustworthy.
Trustworthy thinking
Being able to discern between truth and error helps us act and respond wisely to scorning, deception, and attacks.
Evil people don’t understand God or His ways.
Evil people don’t understand God or His ways.
It helps us also have love and mercy for those lost, living in rejection of God and His wisdom.
John Wesley captured that same truth in a different way.
“Give me a worm that can understand a man,” he wrote, “and I will give you a man who can understand God.”
And in Psalm 145:3, David said of God, “His greatness is unsearchable.”
1) Having God’s commands always with me can make me wiser than my enemies.
Testimonies: what God testifies to be His will
Meditating on God’s testimonies makes me wiser than my teachers.
Meditation: to think and contemplate
2) Meditating on God’s testimonies can give me more understanding than my teachers.
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