2002-01-01
Good Morning Faithful Ones,
This morning, we look at the spiritual meaning of the fourteenth Hebrew letter, nun, as revealed in PS 119: 105-112. The word is a lamp which brings light for all occasions to pierce the darkness. We have finally reached my favorite verse in PS 119, which is 105. Let’s look at this whole passage first. “Your word is a lamp unto my feet, a light for my path. I will keep my solemn promise to obey Your just instructions. My sufferings, Lord , are terrible indeed; keep me alive, as You have promised. Accept my prayer of thanks, O Lord, and teach me Your commands. Your commandments are my eternal possession; they are the joy of my heart. I have decided to obey Your laws until the day I die.” You can’t help but love the faith our Psalmist displays. What a great example he is for us! You can feel God’s hand in the truth he utters. Now, let’s look into the verses of this passage.
It may be because I am blind at night and unable to drive an automobile after dark that I have come to appreciate just how precious light is. But, it shouldn’t take losing one’s sight to bring us to this understanding. I dare say that a spiritual man like the artist, Thomas Kinkaid (whose work and philosophy I have come to love through his book, “Lightposts For Living”) has a profound appreciation for what God’s light really means to us. We all know that there is nothing like having a map and a flashlight when you are lost in the dark. However, God takes it one step further when His light pierces the darkness of Satan’s lies and evil. From the earliest writings of the Scriptures, God wanted mankind to understand the meaning His light has for us. EX 40: 34, 38, “Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle [in the wilderness] and the dazzling light [God’s shekinah glory] of the Lord’ presence filled it.” (38) “During all their [the Jew’s] wanderings, they could see the cloud of the Lord’s presence over the Tabernacle during the day and a fire burning above it during the night.” If you go into any Jewish synagogue, you will find the ner tamid, the eternal light, which is always lit and in front of the ark that holds the Torah scrolls. God’s light is a matter of importance to any person. Job speaks of it in JOB 29: 3 in his last argument with his friends. “God was always with me then and gave me light as I walked through the darkness.” PS 27:1 is another expression of this, probably from the heart of David. “The Lord is my light and my salvation: I will fear no one. The Lord protects me from all danger; I will never be afraid.” The impact of God’s light on the future glory of Jerusalem is shown in IS 60: 19. “No longer will the sun be your light by day or the moon be your light by night; I, the Lord, will be your eternal light; the light of My glory will shine on you.” Micah writes on the Lord bringing salvation in MICAH 7:8, “Our enemies have no reason to gloat over us. We have fallen, but we will rise again. We are in darkness now, but the Lord will give us light.”
Throughout this PS 119 passage, we see our Psalmist’s love for the Lord, acknowledgment that the Source of our protection and provision is the Lord, and that joy comes from knowing the Lord’s commands and obeying them. The same attitude of faithfulness is expressed in PS 85: 9-13. “Surely He is ready to save those who honor Him, and His saving presence will remain in our land. Love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will embrace. Man’s loyalty will reach up from the earth, and God’s righteousness will look down from heaven. The Lord will make us prosperous, and our land will produce rich harvests. Righteousness will go before the Lord and prepare the path for Him.” I love these words, because they give us a reason to persist in our faith against whatever spiritual warfare the evil one has in store for us. It is wholly appropriate for me to cite RO 5: 3-4 again as a way, contrary to human nature, God gives us to view our suffering. “We also boast of our troubles, because we know that trouble produces endurance, endurance brings God’s approval, and His approval creates hope.” Paul lets us know what is in it for us to take this view in 2 COR 1: 5, “Just as we have a share in Christ’s many sufferings, so also through Christ we share in God’s great help.” More on this is revealed in 2 TIM 2: 12, “If we continue to endure, we shall also rule with Him [Jesus Christ].”
The joy that our Psalmist expresses in (111-112) can be ours too. “Your commandments are my eternal possession; they are the joy of my heart I have decided to obey Your laws until the day I die.” Paul in PHIL 2: 12-13 gives us insight into how God brings this joy about. “…..Keep on working with fear and trembling to complete your salvation, because God is always at work in you to make you willing and able to obey His own purpose.” That purpose is always righteous and in our best interests. Paul had related advice that I believe our Psalmist would have agreed with had he been able to hear it in PHIL 2: 2-4. “I urge you, then, to make me completely happy by having the same thoughts, sharing the same love, and being one in soul and mind. Do not do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble toward one another, always considering others better than yourselves. And look out for one another’s interests, not just for your own.” I believe that is what God means for us to do and is the spirit of the commandments He has given both the Psalmist and us. When we believe these things, we will be like the Psalmist, ready to give our lives for them if necessary, and equipped to deal with wicked people who lay traps for us.
PRAYER: O Lord, how blessed we are that Your light is available to us as a lamp to light our paths toward spiritual maturity and perfection. Along with the other persons of the Trinity, You provide for our salvation, guide us in dealing with the conflict between our fleshly outer selves and our spiritual inner selves, and equip us to do battle with the devil victoriously. You are our Everything, sufficient Leader and Lord of our lives. Your power is both awesome and righteously applied. Through Your Word, You lead us on the often difficult but honorable path of sanctification. Your Son, as the “First among many brothers,” grants us the hope of resurrection. Your Spirit helps us to understand the meaning to our lives of Your promise of joy and eternal life with You as joint-heirs to the Kingdom with Christ. You are always there to have compassion for us, to want us to seek You out for the help You offer, and to love us without conditions or reservations. You ask so little in return, only our repentance from sin and our faith in Christ. We adore, honor, glorify, praise, and thank You. In His name, amen.
Tomorrow, we will look into the spiritual meaning of the fifteenth Hebrew letter, samech, as revealed in PS 119: 113-120. We never need feel abandoned in the dark. God is always eager to light the way for us, through His Son, Jesus Christ. Feel loved, because you are. Peter and I send our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn