Internalizing the Word

Internalizing the Word

I. Introduction: How much is God’s Word part of you?
   A. Did you know the longest chapter in the Bible is about God’s Word?
         1. Why is it an acrostic? (and waw as “and,” “then,” “so”)
         2. Why so many words for God’s revelation?
   B. Have you noticed how important SPEAKING the Word is?
         1. For our understanding (v. 43)
         2. For speaking God’s will to power (v. 46)
         3. For our growth and stability, (meditate as muse/talk to self—v. 48)

II.  What value is the Word to you as a pastor?
    A. It is source of grace and salvation (v. 41)
         1. It provides answers under duress (v. 42)
         2. It is source of Truth and hope which we remind ourselves of (v. 43)
    B. It is source of a believer’s lifestyle?
         1. Maintaining God’s instructions (v. 44)
         2. Obedience to God’s directions equals liberty (v. 45)

III. You can’t share what you don’t have!
    A. It let’s us speak with authority (v. 46)
         1. Before power
         2. Without shame
    B. It gives us authentic pleasure (v. 47)
         1. To offer sound guidance
         2. To find delight in the Word which never grows old
    C. To study, reflect and struggle (v. 48)
         1. To worshipfully discover (v. 48)
         2. To muse/talk/reflect to yourself  (always growing–v. 48)

 

[Title Slide] Internalizing the Word – Psalm 119:41-48

Strangely enough for a conference of evangelical pastors, as if it isn’t strange enough for a Caucasian who doesn’t speak Chinese to be addressing Chinese pastors, I want to challenge you with a quotation from a Roman Catholic pope. Gregory I, also known as Gregory the Great, offered a marvelous metaphor on the Bible. Don’t write him off because the Catholics went through so many years forbidding lay persons to read the Bible. He was pope before that started in the 12^th century. He recommended the reading of Scripture to all persons, as do I.

[Slide 2] But where I want to start this morning is with his statement comparing the Bible “to a smooth and deep river in which [Click] a lamb could walk and [Click] an elephant could swim.” [cited in Bavinck, Hermann, Reformed Dogmatics: Prolegomena, p. 478.] Because a lamb can walk in it, we shouldn’t be afraid for anyone to read it, but because an elephant can swim in it, we shouldn’t settle for wading in the shallow water. I have invested a great deal of my life in studying, teaching, preaching, and writing about the Bible. Yet, the more time I spend in the Bible, the more God opens the depths to me.

I am firmly convinced that the more time we spend in struggling with God’s Word, the more God can bless us. I don’t believe we really make God’s Word part of us until we struggle with it. So, I want to share with you from the longest chapter in the Bible. It has been called a Torah chapter because it is about God’s Word.

[Slide 3] I believe God led me to this chapter because it illustrates the layers, waves, and facets of the way God communicates with God’s people. You may have noticed all those funny little Hebrew letters at the beginning of each section. Those are the Hebrew consonants of the alphabet in order. Why do you suppose this psalm is so long? It is because it uses the 22 Hebrew consonants [Click] to start every line of eight (8) verses for each character.

But why is the psalm written that way? One possible suggestion would be that the repeating of the consonant at the beginning of each verse makes it easier to memorize. But I believe the best idea is that it was a way for the poet to cover the subject as completely as possible. He wanted to use every letter of the alphabet to try to express the completeness of God’s Word and our experience with God through God’s Word.

It’s very difficult to do in either Hebrew, Greek, or English. Alas, with so many characters, I doubt it would be possible in Chinese. But God chose for Psalm 119 to be written in Hebrew and God inspired the poet to work under this literary constraint. And I firmly believe it was inspired in this way to show us that we are not complete until we have struggled with the whole Word of God to the fullest extent of our ability, our tools, our experience, and our time.

You may also know that these Hebrew consonants serve as [Click] numbers, as well as letters. I’m picturing some Hebrew 10-sided dice on the slide. Each letter represents a number: [Click] aleph = 1, [Click] teth =9, and our [Click] waw or vav = 6. Why did I choose to preach on six? Why not choose zayin = 7, that perfect number of God (3) and the created order (4) in right relationship?

Well, I chose it because it because the six is one less than seven, suggesting that something is still missing, something isn’t perfect. If you’ll pardon a little Hebrew gematria, the symbolic value of numbers, it’s also the product of two (2) the number for humanity (as in male and female) multiplied times three (3), the number for God as 1) He who caused to be, 2) He who continues to be, and 3) He who always will be. That’s the meaning of God’s personal name, Yahweh, by the way.

So, there are times when six, as in the 666 of Revelation, represents humans trying to be God and, of course, falling short because it is impossible. I love this “waw” or “vav” passage because it underscores our need for God’s revelation, what God has shown us in Scripture and in Christ Jesus. It demonstrates why we need the Word of God if we are to have any effective way of leading, sharing, and growing as God intends for us to grow.

This part of Psalm 119 is about how the poet needs God’s Word to be able to share his testimony and God’s Truth properly. The seventh, the zayin or “z,”  passage is about how much the poet has depended on God in time of trouble and danger. The “mem,” the “m,”  passage is the second 6, the 12^th passage and it deals with how much the poet has learned from God’s Word, but the “nun” or “n” passage is the second 7 and it is more complete because that is where the poet recommits himself to the Word, promising action. The Word moves from knowing the Word to Wisdom, acting on it. The third 6, the “resh” or “r” passage is about how terrible the poet’s situation is, yet he still depends on God’s Word. But once again, in the third 7, the “sin/shin” or “sh” passage is where the poet commits to follow-through with what he has learned.

Of course, the final passage, the “tah” passage, is a summary. It repeats the psalmist’s requests for help to God, has a central verse affirming the psalmist’s confidence in God’s Word, reminds God of the precarious situation, and concludes with confession to ensure a right relationship with God and clean channel of communication.

[Slide 4] Now, I know you’re probably getting impatient with me. You might be thinking, “I thought this fellow was supposed to be a biblical preacher and he still hasn’t taken us into the text.” You’re right. However, I think there is another question that needs to be answered before we dig down into God’s treasure-trove of the text. That question would be: “Why are there so many different words describing God’s revelation in this psalm? I see: [Click] Torah (better translated as “instruction” than “Law”), [Click] stipulations (covenant rules), [Click] “ways” (as in moral stipulations), [Click] precepts (or directions), [Click] commandments (prescriptions), [Click] commandments (instructions), [Click] word (as in God’s direct communication), and [Click] laws (a slight variant on the word I translate as prescriptions), I believe it is because the psalmist has experienced God’s Word in a variety of styles. The Holy Spirit accommodates Himself to our needs, our openness, and our limited understanding. By using all these different terms, the psalmist indicates that God speaks to us in according not only to what we need to hear, but how we need to hear.

It’s a lot like the Bible itself. Think about all of the different styles of writing that God uses to help us hear what God has to say according to our ability to hear. I like the way Herman Bavinck put it in his massive theological work. He said that the deep and abundant life experiences of the writers of the Bible: “…is so shaped and led by the Spirit of the Lord that, incorporated in Scripture, it would serve to instruct later generations. …Hence there is room in Scripture for every literary genre: for prose and poetry, [Click] ode and hymn, [Click] epic and drama, [Click] lyrical and didactic poems, [Click] psalms and letters, [Click] history and prophecy, [Click] vision and apocalyptic, [Click] parable, and fable (Judg 9:7f)…” [Bavinck, p. 434.]. To his list, we can probably add [Click] taunt songs, riddles, and liturgical ceremonies. The point is that God didn’t inspire the Bible for us to read it and say, “Been there; done that!” The message grows stronger as we grow stronger in the Word.

[Slide 5] As a former professor, I’m sure you realize I could speak a lot longer on these introductory considerations, but what God has to say is a lot more important than what I want to say. So, let me share my translation of the “waw” or “vav” passage from the Hebrew. And the fact that it is my translation does not mean that I consider myself above the committees of scholars who contributed to the King James Version, the New International Version, the Common English Bible, the New Revised Standard Bible, the Holman Christian Standard Bible, or any of the rest.

Just as I’m telling you not to be superficial in God’s Word, I’m sharing that I practice what I preach. God has given me the gift of working in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, so I take the time to translate my text every week. My people know that [PJT] stands for Pastor Johnny’s Translation. I do that to be honest and not to show off. More importantly, I do it so that the original language can correct my possible preconceptions of the text.

41) So, may Your relational [covenant] love come to me;
               Your salvation as You promised.

Just as each verse in this part of the passage begins with the waw or vav, you’ll notice that all of my verses begin with the word, “So.” This is because the waw is a conjunction that is usually translated as the connection “and” or the contradiction “but.” However, it is also translated as “Then,” and “So,” because it is connecting ideas and sequences. So, I use “So.” Of course, I’m taking a risk because every “So” can produce a “So what?”

If we read the “he” or fifth passage just before this, we find the psalmist asking for insight and God’s wisdom so that he will know what is really valuable in life. He asks God to turn his eyes away from what is worthless. But the poet is having some problems. He is facing social insults which could harm him physically and economically, as well as emotionally. So, what the poet is looking for in the waw section is some answers to this social disgrace or injustice he is facing. It rather reminds me of [Click] Job who, after that initial week where the friends did the right thing and kept their mouths shut, had to suffer judgmental accusations from his so-called comforters.

So, the poet seeks God’s “relational” or “covenant” love. This is the Hebrew word, chesed. You see it translated as steadfast love, covenant love, mercy, and maybe, as grace. It is regularly used in the Bible to indicate relationship. It is a relationship that God initiates in love, but it is a relationship where God’s people have responsibilities. A relationship means spending time with someone and not just claiming to know them. [Click] Here’s a father teaching a son to fish. It’s a precious image, but what if that son said, “No, I’d rather spend time with my friends?” It wouldn’t happen.

When the psalmist uses chesed, he is saying that he wants to be close to God. He needs God’s guidance and involvement in his life. That’s where salvation will come from. But this salvation is not just being delivered spiritually, it is also being delivered from the problem circumstance that he is in, the insult he is facing.

[Slide 6] In fact, that’s exactly what verse 42 tells us.

42) So, I can answer one who criticizes me [unfairly]
               BECAUSE I trust in Your Word. [PJT]

The psalmist needs God’s salvation so that he can have the right response to the one who is attacking him, the one who is criticizing him unfairly. Some of you have had to deal with church leaders like that. You’ve done something differently than they expected, explained something differently than they prefer it, or just upset them without realizing it. What do you do?

Well, if we’re in that covenant love relationship, we’re supposed to ask for God’s help. And where do we get it? Verse 42 tells us. The second part of the verse begins with the Hebrew word that sounds like “key.” It looks like this but sounds like the English word for “key.” And that’s helpful because a famous Bible scholar named James Muilenberg has shown that wherever we see that Hebrew word, ki, it shows the emphasis for the verse. And what is the emphasis here? It’s trusting, depending, relying upon God’s Word.

[Slide 7] Now, when we get to v. 43, I find it very interesting. Some translations read, “Don’t take away the word of truth” [Anderson, A. A., The New Century Bible Commentary: Psalms (73-150) (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 1972), p. 821.]. It can also be don’t “withhold,” as in “don’t hold it back from me, Lord.” [Allen, Leslie C., Word Biblical Commentary: Psalms 101-150 (Waco, TX: Word Books, 1983), p. 136.].

I think it’s both. Notice that the “key” clause is that the psalmist keeps on hoping in God’s requirements. He’s saying that he doesn’t want this truth removed from him because he is living like God wants him to live. His life is attempting to match the word. And, by saying that He doesn’t want God to withhold this truth, he is recognizing that he needs God to keep speaking the truth afresh. Hear my translation:

43) So, don’t remove the Word of Truth from my mouth [to the max?]
               BECAUSE I keep on hoping in Your requirements. [PJT]

We don’t have to have a sex scandal like [Click] Robert Morris in Texas or a financial scandal like [Click] James MacDonald in Illinois to risk our ministries by not being faithful to God’s requirements. If we want to be able to speak God’s Word, we have to live it.

Many interpreters take the “word of truth” to simply be the poet’s testimony of his experience with God. Yes, it is that, but coming right after the emphasis in verse 42, “BECAUSE I trust in Your Word,” I take it that the poet is talking about God’s Word. Again, I believe it’s both. We have to be hearers/students/doers of God’s Word in order to apply our experiences of life as a testimony of what God says.

My father was a pastor and one of the things he stressed when I first started preaching was that if I didn’t experience God’s Word in a fresh way myself, those that I preached to were not going to experience His Word afresh. Even though part of my sermon preparation discipline is translating the text, there are times that I finish and do my commentary work and still have to admit to God that I don’t have anything to say unless God shows me what I’m supposed to say. Sometimes, in the light of that last phrase, I have to spend some time confessing and figuring out what I need to do to get back right with those commandments before I really hear what I need to hear from God. AND, I need to hear before I can share.

I also find that Hebrew phrase that many translations don’t consider. It could be translated as “very much.” I translated it as “to the max,” meaning it’s a big deal. Having God’s Word removed from our mouths IS a big deal. But if we’re spending time in God’s Word, prayerfully studying diligently, and then living according to this book, we don’t have to worry about that removal.

[Slide 8] But let’s not think that living the way God wants us to live is a burdensome thing. Look at the next two verses.

44) So, I will uphold [lit. “keep” or “preserve”] Your guidance [“Torah”] continually,
               to the horizon and then some [“forever and ever”].

45) So, may I walk in a wide horizon [“in freedom”]
               BECAUSE Your directions [“precepts”] I searched out. [PJT]

In verse 44, the phrase usually translated forever and ever, really means “as far as I can see.” Of course, for the believer, we see our life as the horizon line, but we know that we participate in eternity beyond this life. I translated it this way to make a point. We aren’t just following God in a given circumstance and counting on salvation as “fire insurance” to get to heaven in eternity. We are to follow God all our lives and that is preparation for the glory of eternity. But I use the idea of horizon as well because v. 45 hints at wide-open spaces as well.

In verse 45, I emphasize “horizon” because the actual word used here means “wide” or “spacious” and reminds us that God’s will is not a tightrope on which we walk precariously, but a horizon of opportunity God provides for us. I don’t know if this will work for all of you, but as a native Californian, one of the special events in my childhood was going to Disneyland.

Bear with me as I share this illustration because I think it illustrates something about God’s will. One of the rides at Disneyland I looked forward to was called [Click] the Autopia. Even though I wasn’t old enough to drive, we were able to take these little cars around the track. Notice that here in 1955, the track has high curbs and big bumpers, but the cars were free to swerve and meander all over the track. Eventually, though, there were too many accidents, so they reduced the chance of accidents like in [Click] this modern photo. See that guiderail in the middle of the track? It keeps the car on the middle of the track. There is very little room to actually operate the car. I know that in my teens, my friends and I would take our hands off the wheels and let the guiderail take us around.

Even in video games, there are certain types of race games that we used to describe as “being on rails.” That meant that you didn’t have the freedom to vary from a predetermined path if you wanted to win the game. Well, God’s will doesn’t work like that. It’s a horizon, not a guiderail. Of course, the freedom depends on not being entrapped and the only way to keep from being entrapped in worldly cares and anxiety is to align our lives with God’s Word.

[Slide 9] If we are aligned with God’s Word, we get to keep on sharing. We engage in confessional preaching. We tell the congregation what is happening in our lives and what God’s Word is helping us do about it. I translated this with an extra adverb to say that the psalmist pledge to continually speak God’s testimonies strongly, vividly, and conspicuously. That’s because the verb is in an intensive tense. It’s the testimonies of what God has done in our lives and beyond. But, we don’t just share with our congregations, we are to speak the truth to power.

46) So, I will keep on [conspicuously] speaking Your testimonies,
               in the presence of kings, and I will not be ashamed. [PJT]

Speaking the truth to power reminds me of such heroes as [Click] John Knox of the Scottish Reformation. He spoke the truth so forcefully to Mary Queen of Scots that she once said, “I fear his prayers more than the combined armies of Europe.” Knox didn’t win Mary over, but because of his faithfulness, five days after Mary’s death, Knox was able to preach the coronation of James VI of Scotland, who in turn, became James I of England. You might remember this monarch. He authorized the King James Version in 1604 and it was finished in 1611. Knox didn’t get to see the full result of his preaching, but God rewarded his faithfulness in concrete results.

I also used the word “ashamed” here, even though it could be translated “humiliated” as in Mitchell Dahood’s Anchor Bible translation. I used it because I was reminded of the Apostle Paul who was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. He believed that he had legal standing to preach anywhere—to the philosophers on Mars Hill, the Areopagus in Athens, or appealing to Caesar himself in Rome.

[Slide 10] And now, I come to the portion of the passage where I am burdened that so many modern ministers fail.

47) So, I will delight [even “take sport in”] Your commandments
               which I love. [PJT]

I was already intrigued by the idea of taking delight in God’s commandments, what God has said. Yet, did you know that this verb can also mean to “take sport in?” On the slide is a soccer play diagramed. Players would look at that and know what they were supposed to do when that play is called.

But to delight in and take sport in what God has said means we have to discover what God has said. We have to look at it from many angles. When I was a young pastor, the editor-in-chief of Christianity Today wrote a horrible book called The Battle for the Bible. Why was it horrible? It was horrible because he wanted to affirm the authority of the Bible by claiming that words have only ONE meaning.

That’s naïve. [Click] Words change their meaning in the context. Words have different nuances. Even the word “day” in the Bible can mean a literal 24-hour day, it can mean any part of a day, it can mean an era, or, according to Peter’s epistles, mean 1,000 years or more. Salvation can refer to eternal rescue from hell or from a more immediate danger.

Bernard Ramm once likened translating the Bible as being similar to falling in love with a foreign woman. You might not be fluent enough in her language to translate her letters for yourself, but you get someone to translate them as soon as you get them. But then, you teach yourself as much of her language as you can so you can read them for yourself because you want to understand every word. For the Bible, we have many wonderful translations, and I use a lot of them. I compare a lot of them. But I translate because I don’t want to miss any possible nuance.

I like to read the original language out loud to listen for similar sounds that might help me find an emphasis. I look for [Click] repetition because repetition means emphasis. I look for changes in word order because those changes can show an emphasis.

Finding repetition doesn’t always require the original language. You can also look for [Click] patterns of similar phrases or ideas. Scholars speak of an inclusio where a passage starts and ends with the same idea or phrase. You can look for a series of phrases where there is an inconveniently short or long line. For example, in Philippians 2, the hymn to Christ is given in balancing rhythm, everywhere except the middle. The middle says, “Even death on a cross.” Since that hymn is all about what Christ gave up for us and what God did in lifting Him up, that centerpiece is very important. Its awkwardness reminds us that following Him may require something as radical as death on the cross for us.

We look for [Click] forms. Is this passage given in a debate structure? Is this a miracle story? Is this an entrance liturgy? Is this a hymn? Is this a prayer? It helps to understand how the author or editor of the book was trying to shape the passage. That way, we can know that we are on the right track. Examine [Click] parallels of similar situations, prayers, or promises in the whole Bible (and also outside the Bible).

But I urge you, brothers and sisters, don’t just look at the text from one angle and think you have it. We have to use all the tools God has given us. I don’t just read interpreter’s from my evangelical persuasion. I read Jewish interpreters and Catholic interpreters, as well. I don’t just read commentaries, but I read in theology, ethics, and philosophy as well. Trust God to help you discover what’s important and throw out the garbage (and even in well-meaning studies, there is sometimes material that isn’t worth it).

[Slide 11] And when we are determined to obey God with whatever we find, when we are willing to speak no matter what it costs us, and when we are willing to examine, study, and even “play with” the scripture verses until we get all we can from them, another response is necessary.

48) So, I will raise my palms as per Your commandments
               which I love and I will ponder Your prescriptions. [PJT]

 

That response is worship. I really don’t like the New International Version of this verse. “I will reach out for Your commandments, which I love.” Oh, that’s possible, but the verse literally says, “So, I will raise my palms to Your commandments or for Your commandments.”

 

Now, even in worship, there are two ways to raise your palms. You see both of them here and both are legitimate. On the left is an example of hands raised in expectation. We use this form when we need something from the Lord, when we are expressing our helplessness without God’s intervention. On the right is an example of hands raised in worship, but I doubt if many people know what it means. It is actually a priestly gesture. It is the way your hands are shaped when you are passing along a blessing. On the left, you are receiving from God to meet your need. On the right, you are receiving from God in order to reflect it and send it along to those around you.

 

As pastors and teachers, we need to pray as though in the first position to receive God’s instructions. But we need to preach and teach as though in the second position to pass along God’s instructions.

 

Yet, there is a kicker. Look and what the psalmist promises the Lord in that last phrase. “I will ponder Your prescriptions.”  I chose “pondered” rather than the standard “meditate,” so that I could emphasize the idea of going over and over something in one’s mind, as well as repeating it verbally. One meaning of the verb is “to complain.” Now, I don’t think the psalmist meant to “complain” about God’s prescriptions (I’ll explain that in a moment), but I think this verb is to remind us that we don’t read and forget, we don’t read and say, “Got that!” Rather, we are supposed to look at Scripture from every possible angle, prayerfully seeking the refreshing word God has for us. And, of course, for teachers and pastors, the refreshing word we are to deliver to our people.

 

Also in verse 48, I chose “prescriptions” instead of “commandments” or “laws.” Yes, that is the noun which would be used for “commandments” or “laws,” but it also means something “prescribed.” Don’t think I’m watering this down. If my doctor gives me a prescription, I don’t decide that I can’t afford the medicine and not take it. At least, I don’t want to if I want the best medical care I can get from my doctor. In much the same way, if we want to experience the most from the LIFE ETERNAL that Jesus made possible for us, we need to follow the prescriptions God has given from us in His Word.

I am deeply burdened that too many churches have pastors who seek what is relevant and practical before looking in the Bible for a proof text to support their ideas. Rather, we ought to be spending so much time in the Bible that we discover what is relevant and practical there. Please forgive my dependence upon English and be assured that I have unpacked this psalm to the extent God has given me the challenge to do so. May God give us all the power to “take sport in His Word” and ponder it till we know what His people need to hear.