Treasuring God’s Word
“The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.”
Perhaps you are familiar with these opening words of David’s 19th Psalm. The Shepherd/King David gives testimony to the reality that all creation bears witness to God’s existence, power, and glory. The universe we occupy is not the product of accident, but the large pulpit behind which God proclaims who He is. Indeed, as Jonathan Edwards once said, “Nature is God’s greatest evangelist.” The New Testament continues this same theme in Romans 1 when Paul states that God’s revelation of Himself in creation is so obvious and so plain that “man is without excuse.” This means that God’s general disclosure of Himself in nature is only sufficient to condemn, but not enough to save.
Then what is sufficient to save? To transform? To enlighten? If God has revealed himself generally in nature, where does He reveal Himself specifically? The answer the psalmist provides is profound. God reveals Himself specifically, clearly, and powerfully in the Bible. Thankfully, as Augustine noted, God gave us two books, one of His world, and the other of His Word.
“The heavens declare Thy glory, Lord, In every star Thy wisdom shines;
But when our eyes behold Thy Word, We read Thy Name in fairer lines. ”
In verses 7-11 of Psalm 19, David gives six titles and six qualities of God’s Word and then gives seven promises to those who commit their life to it. Repeatedly the Psalmist will say that each of these titles, qualities and promises are “of the Lord.” Why? Because as MacArthur notes, the Psalmist wants to remind you that the Bible is not man’s word, it’s God’s Word! (1)
Six titles for God’s Word:
Law, Testimony, Precepts, Commandments, Fear and Judgments
Although we typically employ different synonyms for The Bible (Scripture, God’s Word, etc.), the Psalmist details these different titles because it represents the exhaustive nature of God’s Word.
God’s Word is:
Law (Vs. 7): God’s Word is the instruction manual for your life.
Testimony (Vs. 7): Do you want to know what God is like? Scripture is God’s own testimony concerning Himself.
Precepts (Vs. 8): Precepts are doctrines. Meaning that Scripture is not full of suggestions to be considered, but truths to be obeyed.
Commandments (Vs. 8): God’s Word provides clear direction and order for the lives of God’s children.
Fear of the Lord (Vs. 9): Potentially you’ve never heard the Bible referred to as the “Fear of the Lord,” so what does that mean? “Fear” in verse 9 refers to the worship of God. Meaning that the Bible is God’s manual provided to God’s people on how we are to worship Him.
Judgments (Vs. 9): Scripture contains the divine verdicts by which God judges the world.
Six defining qualities of God’s Word:
Perfect, Sure, Right, Pure, Clean and True.
Perfect (Vs. 7): The perfection of God’s Word means that Scripture is complete, unscathed, uncompromised, and unblemished. Why can you trust God’s Word? Because God’s Word is perfect.
Sure (Vs. 7): The Bible is reliable, faithful, and enduring.
Right (Vs. 8): Are you unsure of which path to take in life? In a world of possibilities, God’s Word lays out for you the right path that will lead to “fullness of joy.” (2) When David says God’s Word is “right,” he is saying that God’s Word is straight. God’s Spirit will lead you as you commit your life to the Word He has inspired.
Pure (Vs. 8): When David speaks of the purity of the Word, he speaks of the Bible’s clarity. God’s Word is not an ambiguous document that needs to be deciphered by scholastic monks, it is plain, it is pure, it is clear. R.C. Sproul, in his book Knowing Scripture asked the question: “What kind of a God would reveal his love and redemption in terms so technical and concepts so profound that only an elite corps of professional scholars could understand them?” If you’re a Christian, the answer to that question is: “Not our God.”
Clean (Vs. 9): God’s Word is not only inerrant, it is without corruption. The truth of God’s Word cannot be tainted or twisted by the highest bidder, it is ethically clean.
True (Vs. 9): We live in a world that is trapped in a thick fog of lies and deception, only God’s Word offers the truth. The truth about God, the truth about man, the truth about heaven, hell, and salvation can only be found in God’s Word.
Seven promises to those who commit their lives to God’s Word:
Restores, Makes Wise, Rejoices, Enlightens, Endures, Makes Righteous, Warns/Rewards
God’s Word “Restores the soul” (Vs. 7): The Hebrew verb תְּ֭מִימָה, translated here “restores” has multiple meanings in scripture. It means to both replenish and to transform. Do you need your soul restored? Are you down? Fatigued? Do you desire to be changed? God says: “Turn to my Word, it will restore you, it will transform you.”
God’s Word “makes wise the simple” (Vs. 7): The word “simple” here refers to naivety, youth, etc. God’s Word takes uniformed, inexperienced people and makes them wise. Do you desire wisdom? Do you need discernment to navigate the future, a relationship? God says: “Scripture will give you wisdom.”
God’s Word “rejoices the heart” (Vs. 8): True joy in God’s world can only come from those who are committed to God’s Word. Do you desire true joy? Then don’t neglect the Bible. The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to provide the children of God with unassailable joy.
God’s Word “enlightens the eyes” (Vs. 8): Do you want to reject worldly thinking? The scripture “enlightens” your eyes in order that you can live a life that honors God. Your worldview is shaped when your perspective is defined by the truth in Scripture.
God’s Word “endures forever” (Vs. 9):The Psalmist says: “The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever.” Implying that in a world of pollution, corruption and decay, the Word of God is “clean” and its truth last’s forever. Opinions change, countries change, but God’s Word does not. It endures forever.
God’s Word is “righteous altogether” (Vs. 9): Do you desire righteousness? Then turn to the Word of God. God’s Word is necessary for our salvation and necessary for our sanctification. Righteous people commit themselves to the Word that is “righteous altogether.”
David continues in Psalm 19:10 by saying: “They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.” David emphatically states that the reading, study, and memorization of the Scripture is not a chore, it is a delight. It is “sweet.” David then provides a seventh promise to those who treasure God’s Word in their heart.
7. God’s Word offers warnings to the disobedient and rewards to the obedient. The Bible warns against sin’s seductive temptation (Prov. 7) and its imperceptible infiltration in our life. The Bible warns us of the dangers of being deceived by false teaching. It warns us of the consequences of forsaking the people of God (Heb. 3). But not only does God’s Word warn, it promises great reward, delight, joy and prosperity to those who obey it. True peace and true satisfaction can only be experienced by those who live in obedience to the authoritative, clear, and sufficient Word of God.
Much more could be said about this wonderful chapter in God’s Word. C.S. Lewis said of this 19th Psalm: “I take this to be the greatest poem in the psalter and the greatest lyric in the world.”
As a new year commences, will you, like David, commit your life to God’s Word? Your life is a direct reflection of the level of commitment you have to the Scripture. Of course, as we read, we pray with the Psalmist in Psalm 119: “Open my eyes that I may behold the wonderful things within your law.”
May the Spirit of God conform us into the image of the Son of God as we commit our lives to the Word of God.
Bible Reading Plan
I am frequently asked which Bible reading plan I recommend. For over a decade I followed the Horner Bible Reading Plan and would highly recommend it, but I also recommend the M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan.
The M’cheyne plan takes you through the New Testament and Psalms twice a year and the rest of the Bible once.
Follow along with my family and I this year as we study God’s Word together!
John MacArthur covers these titles, qualities and promises exhaustively in his sermon: “The Sufficient Word.” These titles, qualities and promises have been similarly noted by commentators including Kidner, Clarke and Johnston.
John 15:11
