Communicating is what life is about. Yet how I talk to our two-year-old granddaughter, one of my middle-school students, or my wife is very different. God communicates with us even more personally through His Word. He had people filled with his spirit write it down [II Peter 1:21]. It came in human form as God’s Son, who made known his Father [John 1:14,18].
The Messiah
Our Creator wastes no time in communicating. He promised to send a savior immediately after Adam and Eve sinned, as soon as mankind needed one.
Genesis 3:15:
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy [the serpent’s] seed and her [the woman’s] seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
The “seed of the woman” is God’s anointed one, the Messiah, God’s Son. He would bruise the serpent’s head and restore man to right standing with God. Thousands of years later, Jesus Christ was born of Mary, a woman who received seed from God Almighty.
Luke 1:35; 2:6,7:
And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
Twelve years later, this young Messiah had grown to love his Father’s Word that he read in the Hebrew scriptures. He spoke with the most learned men of his time, and showed them a heart of wisdom and love for the truth.
Luke 2:47,52:
And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
The Son of David and Psalm 119
Mary was of the line of King David, and so was Jesus. He was the true Son of David spoken of in the Hebrew scriptures. So many of the Psalms are about the “true David,” the Messiah. Psalm 119 shows the love the Messiah would have for the written Word of God. Here is an overview of that Psalm.
This acrostic Psalm has 22 sections for each Hebrew letter in alphabetical order. Within each section are 8 verses that begin with the corresponding Hebrew letter. The first scripture verse in each section gives the “theme” or main point of the section. The other seven verses elaborate on that subject. The following structure indicates the overall themes and how they relate to one another. They all tell of the Messiah’s love for His Father’s Word and his commitment to “always do the will of the Father.”
(Verses 1-8) The undefiled who walk in the Lord’s law are blessed
(Verses 9-16) Young men are cleansed by taking heed to His Word
(Verses 17-24) Prayer for God’s help so he might live, serve, and keep His Word
(Verses 25-32) Prayer for God to enliven him, for his soul is near death
(Verses 33-40) Request for the Lord to teach him, and he will fully keep His statutes
(Verses 41-48) Request for the Lord’s mercy and salvation, according to His Word
(Verses 49-56) God will remember His servant, who hopes upon His Word
(Verses 57-64) The Lord is his portion, and he will keep His Word
(Verses 65-72) The Lord dealt well with His servant, according to His Word
(Verses 73-80) The Lord’s hands fashioned him, so give him understanding
(Verses 81-88) Your Word is my hope, I long for your salvation
(Verses 89-96) Your Word is settled in heaven forever
(Verses 97-104) Your law is my meditation all day long
(Verses 105-112) Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path
(Verses 113-120) I love your law, and hate thoughts of those who are vain
(Verses 121-128) I have done your judgments, save me from those who oppress
(Verses 129-136) Your testimonies are wonderful, so my soul keeps them
(Verses 137-144) Your judgments are upright, for You are righteous O Lord
(Verses 145-152) I cried for help with my whole heart, hear me O Lord
(Verses 153-160) I don’t forget your law, consider my affliction and deliver me
(Verses 161-168) I am unjustly persecuted, but my heart stands in awe of Your Word
(Verses 169-176) I cry to You O Lord, give me understanding according to Your Word
By looking at the opening verse of each section, we see that these themes fall into 11 couplets with a major emphasis as follows:
Aleph/Beth—Blessings on those made clean by obeying God’s Word. (The undefiled who walk in the Lord’s law are blessed; Young men are cleansed by taking heed to His Word).
Gimel/Daleth—We should pray for God’s help, so that we may be enlivened in order to serve and keep His Word. (Prayer for God’s help so he might live, serve, and keep His Word; Prayer for God to enliven him, for his soul is near death).
He/Vau—We should ask the Lord to teach us by His mercy and salvation, so that we can fully keep His Word. (Request for the Lord to teach him, and he will fully keep His statutes; Request for the Lord’s mercy and salvation, according to His Word).
Zain/Cheth—We should remember God, Who remembers us and gives us hope in His Word. (God will remember His servant, who hopes upon His Word; the Lord is his portion, and he will keep His Word).
Teth/Yod—The Lord has fashioned and blessed us, so we should seek to understand His Word. (The Lord dealt well with His servant, according to His Word; the Lord’s hands fashioned him, so give him understanding).
Kaph/Lamed—God’s Word is our hope and salvation, for it is settled in heaven forever. (Your Word is my hope, I long for your salvation; Your Word is settled in heaven forever).
Mem/Nun—We should meditate on God’s Word daily and allow it to light the path of our feet. (Your law is meditation all day long; Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path).
Samech/Ain—When we do God’s Word, He will save us from vain oppressors. (I love your law, and hate thoughts of those who are vain; I have done your judgments, save me from those who oppress).
Pe/Tsaddi—God’s Word is wonderful and upright, so we keep the judgments of our righteous Lord. (Your testimonies are wonderful, so my soul keeps them; Your judgments are upright, for You are righteous O Lord).
Qoph/Resh—With all our hearts, we should ask the Lord for help and deliverance, and not forget God’s Word. (I cried for help with my whole heart, hear me O Lord; I don’t forget your law, consider my affliction and deliver me).
Shin/Tau—Even though we are unjustly attacked, we should keep our hearts in awe of God’s Word and seek to understand it. (I am unjustly persecuted, but my heart stands in awe of Your Word; I cry to You O Lord, give me understanding according to Your Word).
These couplets give us the overall structure of Psalm 119—a song of thankfulness for God’s Word, as seen in the great love that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, had for His Father’s truth (John 17:17).
- God’s Word makes us clean and blesses us
- When we go to God’s Word, He will make us alive and save us from evil
- By God’s mercy and salvation, we can fully keep His Word
- We should remember God, Who gives us hope in His Word
- We should seek to understand His Word
God’s Word is our hope and salvation, for it is settled in heaven forever
- God’s Word lights the path of our feet
- When we do God’s Word, He will save us from vain oppressors
- By God’s righteousness, we can keep His judgments
- We should not forget God’s Word, for He gives help and deliverance
- We should seek to understand His Word
Think of how Jesus read this Psalm over and over again. He saw his own life in each verse. He knew that the Father had made him spiritually clean and lit each step of his path; he knew the scriptures kept him alive and delivered him from the evil one; he understood it was God’s mercy, salvation, and righteousness that allowed him to carry out His Father’s commands; he constantly remembered God’s Word, for it was his hope, help, and deliverance; He sought to fully understand who God made him to be–for God’s truth is established in heaven forever!
Our Love for the Father’s Word
Today Jesus has been raised to new life and has a spiritual body unlike any other person who ever lived. He is Lord of all and will return someday for those who have accepted God’s salvation through the Messiah. And we will have a new body like his glorious body.
We have “Christ in us,” which is that hope of future glory. May we, like our brother and savior, love the scriptures and make them our own so that our heavenly Father will also say of us that we are His beloved children in whom He is “well pleased.”
One reply on “The Word Loves the Word”
Nice!! You are a true workman of the Word! 🥰