Psalm 119 Lesson 12 - Fairhaven Baptist Church

Psalm 119

Lesson 12

Lamed Vs. 89-96

Text: Psalm 119:89-96 “ For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. 90 Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. 91 They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants. 92 Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction. 93 I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me. 94 I am thine, save me; for I have sought thy precepts. 95 The wicked have waited for me to destroy me: but I will consider thy testimonies. 96 I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad.”

Last Weeks Words,

Alef Lamed (power control) 1. God
Lamed Bet (control house) 2. Heart
Lamed Chet Mem (control fence in chaos) 3. War
Lamed Mem Dalet (control chaos door) 4. Teach/ Learn
Lamed Bet Tet (control home surrounded) 5. Afflicted

Lamed, the shepherds cane
1. Number 30,
  1. Lead, control, teach and learn,
    1. I hope as we have been going through these letters, we have noticed how they influenced modern language.
      - For instance the alphabet, is made up of the two letters :Alef Bet,
      - or how we get the modern letters from the ancient form of:
        
        Alef- A several others come form the ancient Hebrew,
        
        the Lamed in it’s original form is easy to see the modern L in it.
    2. The letter Lamed, represents the idea of lead, control, teach and learn
      - we get this idea form the fact it was drawn as a shepherds hook, or staff.
        
        It is very different form that of a goat herders prod, that would push and beat the goat’s to go, this was used to coax them forward, to lead
    3. there is an interesting concept of the letter,
      - the word Lamed- not the letter, the word Lamed Mem Dalet means
        
        teach, to give instruction, to lead in understanding,
      - it also means
        
        Learn, the exact same word,
      - now in the oral tradition they were pronounced a little different with the placements of the vowel markers,
        
        but the the word it’s self was the same.
    4. There is a concept here that is true even today,
      - the beast way to learn is to teach,
        
        anyone who has ever taught a class or a lesson, will tell you they learned more preparing for it than the student would.
    5. So the main idea of this letter is to lead in a direction,
    6. this is what we see in this section of this psalm,
      - how God sets a standard, and then teaches us to follow, as we learn it….
2. God’s Word Is Settled, Vs.89
  1. God Said it, that Settles it,
    1. God Said it, I believe it and that settles it, is a saying we use to hear a lot, but then it was amended to: God said it and that settles it,
    2. God’s word has been attacked from the very beginning,
      - it is attacked today in the News, in School, in Politics, in Society,
      - It was attacked in the garden of Eden by Satan,
      - Genesis 3:1-5 “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”
        
        First He questions if God really Said it, hath God said…
        
        Second, he questions the truth of it, You will not surely die,
        
        Third He gives an alternative view, if you do, then you will be like God…
    3. this is the same tactic that is used today,
      - first, there are many so called god’s, so your book isn’t the authority
      - Second, the thinks in your book are not true, 6 day creation, Noah’s ark, Jonah…
      - Third, if we make our own rules, we can do anything we want…
  2. It is important to use the word of God as our Authority,
    1. in every issue, in every truth that is written,
      - once we begin to write off some of it, we loose any footing to hold on to the rest…
    2. God’s Word is settled in heaven forever,
3. God Is Faithful, Vs.90&91
  1. Because His word is Settled, He is Faithful to “All Generations”
    1. What is Faithful,
      - it means to be secure, this ties into the last verse,
      - how can something be secure if there is no standard?
    2. Ephesians 4:14 “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;”
      - notice that they are cunning and crafty,
      - they are patient, and they deceive.
    3. Look at the second part of vs.90,
      - do we think it is a quiescence that people attack the origins of the earth?
        
        Why do you think this Psalmist felt the need to say, you established the earth and it remains?
    4. Vs.91 makes it clear the stand the psalmist took on creation,

“They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants”
- “they” is a reference to heaven in vs.89 and earth in 90, (they is…)
- They serve at the pleasure of the Lord, they are His servants, (bond servant)

God’s Peace is Available, Vs.92-95
1. There is Strength in the Word,
  1. Warren Weirsby said “we do not go to the bible to escape the realities of life but to be strengthened to face life and to serve God effectively”
  2. II Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”
  3. II timothy 3:16&17 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”
    - it prepares us for work and life.
  4. The word “sought” in vs.94 to consult or inquire, to beat a path
    - to tread frequently,
      - there is not place where we are told to read once and then we are done,
        
        we study, we beat a path often…
2. the Benefits of the Word,
  1. Vs.92, the learning and loving the word had saved the Psalmist,
  2. Vs.93, the word was a source of Life and refreshment to the Psalmist,
  3. Vs.94, he studied, and established he was the Lord’s and the Lord would Save,
  4. Vs.95, the word comforted the psalmist in time of turmoil.
    - As stated in II Timothy 2&3 a moment ago.
God Word is never Exhausted, Vs.96 “I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad”
1. Human ability has Limits,
  1. I have seen an end of all perfection,
    - as we close this years Olympic competition we have seen many records broken, and many have remained.
      - Some were set that may never be broken,
      - Human ability has it’s limits,
      - men and women work hours upon hours to shave 100’s of seconds off their time.
    - We can only get a knife so sharp,, after that we are just grinding the edge.
      - Our ability is the same.
        
        That is not to say we stop working on improving.
2. God’s word is an Inexhaustible Source,
  1. every time we pick up the word of God there is potential there to understand and be illuminated to something new (to us)

Next week, a review… If there is anything you would like clarification on, we will take time next week to look at that.