The Word of God in Psalm 119

Koot van Wyk (DLitt et Phil, Thd) Visiting Professor, Department of Liberal Education, Kyungpook National University, Sangju Campus, South Korea, Conjoint lecturer of Avondale College, Australia

Ask anyone who has read the Bible a number of times through, and if you haven’t, start right now: what is the number one aspect that one learns in Psalm 119, and if it is a good Adventist they will say: that the Law of God is good, I want to keep it, I want to learn about it, I want to follow God’s precepts, His ordinances with understanding. And you will not be wrong. Really, the Law is never abrogated or nullified by the gospel but the gospel establish His law and precepts. So the gospel sets me free from the burdens of the law. The burdens? The law is only a burden to those who do not keep it or do not want to keep it. Charles Brooks or CDB of fame said in his sermon “Salt of the earth” that Jesus said that we are the salt of the earth and therefore we need to be daily smeared with salt over the bodies (figuratively though). He said you can only be the salt of the earth if Divine salting was smeared all over. But, he said, if there is a scratch or cut in the body, by guilt, by sin, by rebellion, by obnoxiousness, guess what? It is going to burn. The salt is going to be a living fire to the person. Torment. That, he said, is what people experience who do not want to follow the Spirit of Prophecy because they want to keep to their petty little sins. People only blame the law and legalism because they do not want to give up certain things in their lives. They search for acommodationist preachers and acommodationist churches who avoid the Law of God. They call it freedom from the Law when those preachers or churches tell them they do not have to keep the Law because the Gospel nailed it to the cross. Just like the book of Proverbs have pop-ups saying that IQ + EQ + SQ is the perfect situation, so also here in Psalm 119. The Psalm was written with every letter of the Hebrew alphabet as a guide and all the sentences in a cluster under one letter starts with the same letter as the cluster in that order until they author reached the end of the alphabet. Why? It is easier to memorize. Your brain can organize the recital better. You know where you are and what is waiting. Didactically it was thus a very handy tool. Yes, the Law is very important in Psalm 119 and what is also important in each cluster section is the Word or dabar of the Lord. Word appears 33x in this Psalm. Each time another dimension is given. In Beth section the main aspect lesson about the Word of God is that it is a standard for purity (119:9). Also in this section is the importance of having the Word of God in one’s heart (EQ). The fusion of the divine Word and human emotions is what the SQ (spiritual Q) is about (119:10). The Word of God should be remembered since the Psalmist says that he will not forget God’s Word (119:16). The IQ needs to be fused not only with human smartphone apps but also with Elijah Message apps sothat it is this fusion IQ (intellect) that evolves into a SQ (Spiritual Q). The whole book of Proverbs states that only when this happens, namely that IQ + EQ + SQ is divinely embraced, only then success will follow and salvation. Bountiful interaction between God and ourselves only happens when [he/she] lives and keeps the Word of God (119:17) in the Gimel section of the alphabet. The Word of God is able to revive us (119:25). When medical mud is smeared all over the psalmist body in those days because of some illness, he can pray to God “revive me according to Your Word”. When through the death of a loved one, the soul is grieving, then the strength is coming from the Word of God (119:28). Reverence to God is related whether the Word of God is established in the person (119:38). A person who says that the Word of God is for the old times and cannot speak to the digimodernist like us, is not established in the Word and does not have reverence. This is in the Daleth section of the Psalm. The fourth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Salvation that was promised by writers of the Word of God can be mine (119:41). If one trusts the Word of God, one learns how to answer those who keep nagging about my performance or level of performance or quality of performance (119:42). When God is in us through His Holy Spirit then He is our portion and then we make the promise that we will keep His Word (119:57). The total heart surrender leads to a proper EQ that wants to look for favor from the Lord and how and what we ask or expect from the Lord will be answered according to the guidelines supplied by the Word of God (119:58). When people are rebellious or astray from the truth it is because they are not keeping the Word of God (119:67). The Psalmist went astray but came back. 100% salvation and 100% correction. It is never too late. Only when one blows out the last breath, is it too late. Lovingkindness as described by the prophet of the Word can be mine (119:75). If one desires salvation one should focus [kalu = come to an end] for the Word of God (119:81). The Psalmist used a puzzling expression saying that his eyes “comes to its end” to the Word of God. Scholars did not know what to do with this passage as also the Rabbis tried. They thought it is one who is fatigue waiting for something that is delayed from happening. Not so, it is rather that his focus is no longer left or right of God Word but only in it. It is total dedication instead of here and there, secular literature then God’s Word then secular then religious. He ends his eyes in God’s Word. When he closes his eye in this life, the last that he wants to see is the Word of God. The Word is settled in heaven (119:89). By discernment and conscientiousness the Psalmist refrains from evil ways so that he may keep the Word of God (119:101). There is no licentiousness here about LGBTQ. Keep away from the ways of evil. The Book of Proverbs says that the way of the adulterer leads to death and Sheol. We are still trying to understand the Orlando event. Proper IQ, proper EQ and proper SQ are needed. Then the Word of God will have a sweet taste (119:103). There will be no polarization that the Bible meant something to them in the past but adapted with modern tech and science the Bible means something to me as a new-past future digimodernist. New, because 911 came and changed everything. Past, because the apocalypse scenarios that Hollywood has painted in film after film about the apocalypse all became a reality. It looks as if the Psalmist is a sick man since he knows that the Word of God can revive him and that is what he is praying in 119:107. It is the same word revive in 119:25. When trouble comes in his/her world, the psalmist is comforted that he/she can wait for the Word of God (119:114). The Time of Trouble is predicted before Jesus will come in Daniel 12:1-2 but the secret of protection lies in the Lord and to wait for the Word of God is to understand it and read it and enjoy it. Sustenance can be achieved from the Word of God and the person will live in this life and the life to come (119:116). His eyes come also to an end, just like in 119:81 to the salvation of the Lord (119:123). He does not focus on anything in this world any longer but the Salvation of the Lord, the Second Coming when all righteous will be resurrected. He also focusses on the righteous Word of God because the Righteousness of Christ will speak for the resurrection of the dead at the Second Coming (119:123). Those who are adversaries with God forget His Word (119:139). The Psalmist rises early in the morning to wait for the Word of God (119:147). In the middle of the night he/she meditates on His Word (119:148). The Advocate in the Investigative Judgment in Heaven, Christ or the Book of Hebrews is asked to plead the psalmist case in heaven since 1844 so that he/she may be revived according to the Word of God (119:184). Saints do not come in judgment for they have an Advocate in Heaven, the evil does. They will meet the Judge face to face. Before an executive judgment or when punishment is administered there has to be an investigative judgment to secure people’s innocence or guilt. In that order. To say that God’s jurisdiction of salvation does not permit an investigative judgment to precede the executive judgment in the Bible and that Adventists are wrong to suggest that theology, is someone who is not properly acquainted with the Old and New Testaments. The treacherous do not keep the Word of God (119:158). Victory from sin and sinning do not belong together. The totality of the Word of God is truth (119:160). The primary (rosh) thing of the Word of God is its truth (literally). The Psalmist rejoice in the Word of God as if he has found a diamond (119:162). Understanding comes in line with the Word of God (119:169). That means that understanding for the digimodernist is to be in line with the Word of God not against it. The Psalmist asked to be delivered [hasilenu]according to the Word of God (119:170). It means that all the eschatological promises and scenarios painted by the prophets in the Word of God should also be his/her own. He also desires to sing some songs of the Word of God (119:172). Music is not just self-orientated about my experience, my life, my headaches, my problems, my tension but about the Word of God and what understanding it brings to my problem soul in a tension world on the brink of chaos.

Dear God

When I see Your Word I have total peace in You since Your Word carries me through. Save us in Your kingdom we pray. Amen.