Saturday, January 13
God Is All We Need
Psalm 119:57-64
HETH
57 You are my portion, O LORD; I have said that I would keep Your words.
58 I entreated Your favor with my whole heart; Be merciful to me according to Your word.
59 I thought about my ways, And turned my feet to Your testimonies.
60 I made haste, and did not delay To keep Your commandments.
61 The cords of the wicked have bound me, But I have not forgotten Your law.
62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, Because of Your righteous judgments.
63 I am a companion of all who fear You, And of those who keep Your precepts.
64 The earth, O LORD, is full of Your mercy; Teach me Your statutes.
Psalm 119:57-64 is the eighth stanza of this psalm, and every line or verse begins with the eighth letter of the Hebrew alphabet “HETH”, in the Hebrew Bible. Whenever the people of Israel failed God and turned to idols for help, it was evidence that they did not really believe Jehovah was adequate to meet their needs. In the time of Elijah, Israel tried to remedy the drought by turning to Baal, the Canaanite storm god, but it was the Lord who sent the rain in answer to the prophet's prayer. When the enemy threatened to invade their land, the leaders of Israel often ran to Egypt for help, as though Jehovah was unconcerned and unable to deliver them. The psalmist in this section makes it clear that the Lord God Almighty is all we need.
First, He reminds us that God is our portion (vv. 57-58). This is real estate language and refers to the apportioning of the land of Canaan to the tribes of Israel (78:55; Josh. 13-21). The priests and Levites were not given an inheritance in the land because the Lord was their inheritance and their portion (Num. 18:20-24; Deut. 10:8-9; 12:12). Jeremiah, the priest called to be a prophet, called the Lord "the Portion of Jacob" (Jer. 10:16; 51:19; Lam. 3:24), and David used the same image in Psalm 16:5-6. The "lines" in 16:6 refer to the property lines of one's land, the inheritance given by God.
Believers today have a rich spiritual inheritance in the Lord Jesus Christ, for God's fullness is in Him and we are "complete in him" (Col. 2:9-10). He is our life (Col. 3:4) and our "all in all" (Col. 3:11). Because we are in Him, we have "all things that pertain to life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3). Our riches in Christ are revealed in the Word, which is our "spiritual bankbook," and His wealth can never diminish. The psalmist had made promises to obey the Lord (vv. 8, 15-16, 32-34, 47, 106, 115), but that is not how we get our wealth from the Lord. What He provides for us is a gracious gift, not a loan, and we are not required to promise to repay Him (Rom. 11:33-36). Accept the inheritance He has given you, rejoice in it, and trust Him to supply every need.
Next, we need to remember that God is our Master (vv. 59-61). The land inherited by the Israelites actually belonged to the Lord (Lev. 25:23) and He cared for it (Deut. 11:8-17). If the people obeyed the terms of the covenant, God would bless the people and their labors in the land, but if they turned to idols, He would chasten them, first in the land and then in other lands. Loving obedience was the condition for God's blessing, even as it is today. Our mind belongs to Him ("I considered my ways") and our feet belong to Him ("turned my steps"). Our time belongs to Him and we must not delay obeying His will (v. 60). In ancient days, no servant could say "No," no servant could linger or postpone doing the master's will, and no servant could give excuses or say "I forgot." The servant's responsibility is to hear the master's orders, remember them, and obey them immediately.
Finally, we should make sure that God is our greatest joy (vv. 61-64). It should be the Christian's greatest joy to know God, love Him, hear His voice, and obey His will. Praying to Him and praising Him should be more refreshing to us than sleep. Being with His people should satisfy our hearts, and we should see the love and glory of God in all of creation. Whether we are lying on our bed at midnight, meditating on His Word (vv. 55, 62, 147-148), fellowshipping with God's people, or taking a walk in God's glorious creation, we love God, listen to Him, and thank Him. "All who fear you" is a fine description (vv. 63, 74, 79, 120), for the fear of God ought to mark the people of God.
Despite the disobedience of mankind and the destruction of sin that destroy God's creation, the earth is still full of God's lovingkindness and mercy. And even though we are pilgrims and strangers on this earth, God is our home and He is our all in all (Psalm 90:1; 91), and we have nothing to fear.
God bless!