Psalm 119:65-72: The Goodness of the Word of God
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction: The theme of the importance, and the practicality, of God’s Word is displayed in each section (8 sections so far). Each time that may be a specific focus, or it may treat God’s Word in general.
This next section, what it described as teth, from the Hebrew letter which has the same letter begin each verse, focuses on God’s goodness. The word for good appears 6 times in these eight verses. That is, is displays for us the goodness of God as given through His Word.
Our God is a good God. He has created a world, and though we have marred it through our sinful choices, that provides rich blessing and beauty. In our country alone we enjoy riches on an unprecedented scale. We enjoy deep friendships, worshiping in freedom, and the list could go on. However, God’s goodness is most clearly seen in the giving of His Word. There are many passages of Scripture that we could cite to prove this, but let this one Psalm stand as a pillar, declaring God’s goodness in His Word. This Psalm describes God’s goodness in His Word in several facets.
I. The purpose of God’s goodness-
I. The purpose of God’s goodness-
The first facet describes the purpose of God’s goodness in His Word: blessing. Passages such as describe how blessed we will be following God’s Word. That is, a certainly quality of life will typically follow the sincere observer of God’s Word. Now, we know this is not always the case, nor is it a guarantee. However, God’s goodness directs us to His Word. Consider , which describes the purpose of God’s goodness: leading to repentance. And God’s goodness is according to His revealed truth.
This means that God will never bless you in a way that is contrary to His Word. To give you an example, a man who is married may choose to love another woman. He may think that God has finally blessed him because he has this woman in his life. But God would never bring another woman to a married man, because that would be adultery. God’s goodness, then, is found within the realms of His holy Word, and the purpose is always to bring us closer to Him. God’s goodness, then, is always a tool meant to draw us closer to Him.
II. The practicality of God’s goodness-
II. The practicality of God’s goodness-
The psalmist then requests God’s help in learning God’s Word with the purpose of acquiring good judgment and knowledge. He bases this request in his faith that God’s Word is true. And faith is a vital part of the believer’s life. Look at . That verse tells us it is impossible to please God without faith. But faith is never blind, and it is always anchored in and encouraged by God’s Word. The psalmist, then, is seeing a practicality of God’s goodness, it brings good judgment and knowledge.
God’s goodness is seen in how practical His Word is. Just take property for an example. Scripture describes our responsibility to care for our property, to praise God for the blessings by which He has provided it, and to help those in need when able. That is good, and it helps us see how, practically speaking, good God’s Word truly is. It is practically good.
III. The precaution of God’s goodness-
III. The precaution of God’s goodness-
Discipline is one of those terms that raises eyebrows. We do not like being disciplined. It was tough as a child, and its tough as an adult. However, disciple is a good thing. The author of Hebrews discusses the unpleasantness of discipline at the moment. But ultimately discipline helps us. A trip to the grocery store will yield an abundance of examples of parents who fail to discipline their children, and as the years go on we see adults who are undisciplined.
In God’s Word there is a precaution to it. It warns us of the dangers of sinful living, false doctrines, and denials of God’s Word. This word used for affliction implies a bowing down, a humbling. Like bending children over your knee, affliction is a good tool of discipline. Notice the progression and development in the psalmist’s life. Before he was afflicted, that is, before he was humbled, bowed down, he went astray.
The idea of astray is one of inadvertently. That is, he did not know. Young children are particularly prone to this. They simply do not know what _____ will result in, and so they do it. But we, through proper and loving discipline help them learn, and the result is that they no longer go astray, they “keep your word.” And we, too, when disciplined by God’s goodness through the precautionary aspect of God’s Word, are helped to keep His Word.
IV. The personality of God’s goodness-
IV. The personality of God’s goodness-
The psalmist notes that God’s very nature is found in God’s goodness, that is, His Word. He declares God to be good. God is inherently good. Stephen Charnock, in his masterful work on the attributes of God says,
“A boundless goodness that knows no limits, a goodness as infinite as his essence, not only good, but best; not only good, but goodness itself, and the supreme unconceivable goodness.” —Stephen Charnock
(Charnock, Works, 2:277)
And His goodness is observed throughout Scripture, from His creation to His promise of redemption, to the unfolding of that plan, to His individual dealings with human beings, to His intimate fellowship with every believer. And because He is good, He does good. There is a personality of goodness found within the Scriptures, and because of that the psalmist desires to learn more about God through His statutes.
V. The protectiveness of God’s goodness-
V. The protectiveness of God’s goodness-
As we have seen in almost every section of the psalm so far, there is a connection between those who keep God’s law and those who do not. In general, those who do not keep God’s law are arrogant blasphemers, hostile to those who follow God. They are antagonistic, hateful, and boastful in their disregard for God and His children. But God, in His goodness, provided the protectiveness of His Word to us.
Notice the three aspects in which this protection is found. First, in relation to those proud and boastful rebels. They smear, or cover () the psalmist with lies. Our reputations are on the line when we follow Jesus Christ. But God’s Word, His good Word, protects us and changes us. He says that he keeps God’s Word with his whole heart. That is, his entire being. It protects us!
There is a second aspect that provides a protectiveness. When the psalmist continues to describe these people he says that “their heart is unfeeling like fat.” That is, they are insensitive. They lack sympathy and empathy. They do not care. But though they are insensitive, the psalmist delights in God’s Word. His values are coordinated with God’s Word, rather than being insensitive to the truth of Scripture. This idea of delight seems to give a physical expression to the inward delight. Like my son, Soren, when he gets excited he puts his hands together. Rather than indifference, the psalmist is bursting with delight over God’s Word, protecting us against apathy and disregard of God’s truth.
Finally, there is the protection against a failure to desire God’s Word. Affliction appears again, and yet rather than discourage the psalmist from God’s Word, it drives him to it. Notice his appraisal of his affliction: good. This is the same term used to describe how God dealt with him in 119:65. It is the same word used to describe God himself and His actions in 119:68. Affliction enhances our learning of God’s Word.
VI. The pricelessness of God’s goodness-
VI. The pricelessness of God’s goodness-
In his final estimation of God’s Word, the psalmist declares it to be better than thousands of gold and silver pieces. The goodness of God and His Word exceeds any material worth. It is priceless. Like the memories we have of our children, grandparents, and spouses or best friends, our time in God’s Word is priceless.
Perhaps you have reached a period in your life where you view God’s Word as less than priceless. It may be that the time you have had in God’s Word seems more like a chore than a blessing. Then use these verses from this psalm to reignite a love for the goodness of God in His Word.