Psalm 119:161-168

Psalm 119:161-168

Peace & Love

I.                    We must love God’s Word to live a life of great peace; and loving God’s Word means craving God’s Word (Vv. 161-164)

a.       Throughout Psalm 119 we’ve seen prominent figures persecute the Psalmist through words, oppression, and intimidation. Now as their attacks seem to be more aggressive, the Psalmist reminds us that all their aggression has come without cause. With the presence of God’s Word comes the power of true hope, and those who aspire to manipulate and control others for personal gain will always push back and stand against the full truth of God’s Word in order to crush hope and build dependence on them. Their methodology for attacking those who follow after God and adhere to His Word is to attempt to rob their lives of peace and render them ineffective as witnesses for God. But their attacks are ineffective because the Psalmist stands in awe of God’s Word, he delights in His Word, He loves His Word, and so He cherishes it above all other things, and craves it continually with his whole heart. He stands in awe of God’s Word because God can’t be separated from His Word, and it’s through His Word which God reveals Himself to us. To gaze into God’s Word is to gaze into the eternal living God of the universe. It’s to meet the Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, and Judge of all creation, who is completely unmatched and unequaled by anything or anyone else. It’s to meet the One who alone is perfectly holy, righteous, just, merciful, gracious, and loving. Through God’s written Word and especially in Jesus Christ, His Incarnate Word, we’re shown the Infinite God who is need of nothing, but loves His precious creation, condescends to walk along with us, and die in our place to make a way to redeem us, even in our sinful rebellion against Him. Anyone who claims to meet God in His Word and isn’t left utter awe, wonder, and amazement at who He is, hasn’t met Him. These wonderful truths of who God is and His total sufficiency for all we need is the only true source of peace in life. Because the Psalmist stood in awe of who God is, he was able to rejoice and delight in God’s Word, even in the face of difficult circumstances and those who sought to rob him of peace, because through God’s Word he experienced the vast treasure of His great mercy, grace, and love. So the Psalmist craved after God’s Word like a treasure hunter craves after treasure, and sought God continually in His Word. As he sought God more in His Word, the power, peace, truth, and guidance of God continually manifested themselves more fully in his life, motivating him to praise God continually, and crave His lifegiving Word even more. (Vv. 161-164; Exod. 34:6-7; Ps. 37:4-5; 97:10; Prov. 3:1-8; Isa. 6:1-8; 55:1-2, 6-13; Jer. 29:11-13; Matt. 11:27-30; John 1:1-5, 9-18; 3:16-21, 36; 10:9-18, 27-30; 11:25-26; 17:17; Rom. 5:6-11; Eph. 1:3-14; Phil. 4:4-8; Col. 1:15-23; 2:8-15; Heb. 1:1-3)

II.                 We must love God’s Word to live a life of great peace; and loving God’s Word means obeying God’s Word (Vv. 165-168)

a.   The Psalmist declares that it’s those who love God’s Word who have great peace, or the idea of “shalom”. This doesn’t mean the elimination of difficulty in life, but that truly loving and desiring God’s Word will lead to the very presence of God permeating every area of life and bringing us peace. The idea of shalom encompasses spiritual peace with God, contentment, and satisfaction in His complete provision for all needs, as well as the complete trust, hope, and security which only comes through submitting to God’s will and walking obediently in His Word. Peacelessness in life results from the pressures of uncertainty, chaos, disorder, and even hostility which are all inextricably linked to our fallen world. God is a not a God of chaos, but is the only One who brings order from disorder. He is the God of certain promises and the only One who is all light and the giver every good and perfect gift. These gifts, promises, and provisions are given to us through His Word, unlocked for us by His grace through our faith in Christ, and experienced in our lives by hoping faithfully in Him, and seeking to walk obediently to His will in His Word. To love His Word is to faithfully seek His will in all things, trusting that even our experiences of sorrow, pain, disappointment, and failure find meaning, purpose, and growth in Him because He is faithful to keep those who truly love and seek to obey His Word from stumbling in the world because He has already overcome the world. (Vv. 165-168; Gen. 18:25; Job 5:7; Isa. 26:3-4; Matt. 26:39; John 14:27; 16:33; Rom. 5:1-5; 1 Cor. 14:33; 2 Cor. 1:20; 4:7-12, 16-18; Phil. 3:7-16; Col. 1:9-14; 2:6-7; Jas. 1:2-18; 1 John 1:5; 5:1-5)