God's Word

Today I'll have a comment on Psalm 119 (actually, it will be Luther's comment), which is a long acrostic poem, meaning that each line of each section starts with the same Hebrew letter. For example, in verses 1-8 each line begins with the letter Aleph.

Tomorrow I'll have a comment on our 1 Samuel reading. A lot has been going on there, and tomorrow we will read about the choosing of Saul to be king.

Read 1 Samuel 8

Read Psalm 119:65-72 (Teth)

"The 119th psalm is a long psalm, containing prayers, comforts, instructions, and thanks in great number. It is chiefly written to make us excited about God's Word. It praises God's Word throughout and warns us against both the false teachers and against boredom and contempt for the Word. Therefore, it is primarily to be counted among the psalms of comfort. Its primary concern is that we have God's Word in its purity and hear it gladly. From this concern, then, come powerful prayers, instructions, thanks, prophecies, worship of God, suffering, and all that pleases God and grieves the devil. But where one despises the Word and is satiated by it, there all these cease. For where the Word is not purely taught, there is truly an abundance of prayers, instructions, comforts, worship, suffering, and prophecies - but totally false and condemned! For it is then only service to the devil, who is thus impure with all his heretics." (Reading the Psalms with Luther, CPH).

What a blessing it is that God has given his Word for our correction, strengthening, even enlivening. May we always be hungry and thirsty for it, and never completely satisfied. For we know that in the sin and weakness of this life we will never be without need for it. So if we think or feel that we are finished with the Word and that it is not useful, then we are sorely deceived by the devil.

But, eager to hear God speak reconciliation to us broken sinners, we read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the Word. Yes, we are eager for it, because we know it has great value above and far beyond anything else in this world. Even as we prayed in verse 72 today, "The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces."

Indeed, many would trade the Bible for lots of money. But may we be the opposite, and be willing to surrender earthly riches and luxuries so that we might have the Word ruling over us. May it be in our hearts and in our brains. May it be evident in our lives. Amen!

Study with me tomorrow,

Pastor Jon

Soli Deo Gloria!