Psalm 119:97-104is the thirteenth stanza of this
psalm, and every line or verse begins with the thirteenth letter of the Hebrew
alphabet “MEM”, in the Hebrew Bible. As I read these eight verses, I couldn’t
help but see a connection between this Hebrew letter “MEM” and the main theme
found in them. Honestly, I have no evidence that the Hebrew letter has anything
to do with this, but these eight verses are a great encouragement for us to
“mem”orize and meditate daily on the Law, Commandments, Testimonies, Precepts,
Judgements, the Word of God. Did you notice everyone of these descriptions of
God’s Word are found in this stanza.
Never have there been so many tools available for serious
Bible study, and we are grateful for them. However, the Word of God is unlike
any other book: we must be on good terms with the Author if we are to learn
from what He has written. Our relationship to the Lord is determined by our
relationship to His will, and that is determined by how we relate to His Word.
Too many believers have only academic head knowledge of the Word, but they do
not know how to put this knowledge into practice in the decisions of daily
life. What we all need is a heart knowledge of the Word, and this means being
taught by God (v. 102). Here are the conditions we must meet.
We must love His Word and meditate on it (vv. 97-100). We
enjoy thinking about people and activities that we love, and meditation means
loving the Lord by pondering His Word and allowing its truths to penetrate our
hearts. (See vv. 48, 113, 127, 159, 165, 167; and 1:2.) This does not mean that
we abandon our daily responsibilities or that we constantly quote Bible verses
to ourselves and ignore our work. Rather, it means that our minds and hearts
are so yielded to the Spirit that He can remind us of the Word when we need it
and give us fresh understanding in the new challenges we face.
There are many ways to learn truth. We can learn from our
enemies in the encounters of life (v. 98), from our teachers in the
explanations of life from books and lessons (v. 99), and from the older saints
who have had the experiences of life and know the principles that work (v.
100). Joshua learned from serving with Moses, from the battles that he fought,
and from the experiences, good and bad, that came to his life. But the most
important thing he did was to meditate on the Word (Josh. 1:1-9), because his
meditation helped him to test what he had learned in the other three
"classrooms" and to put it all together into one balanced whole. God
shares His truth with babes (Luke 10:21) and those who are humble enough to
receive it (1 Cor. 1:18-2:8).
We must obey His Word (vv. 101-102). A
true student of the Word is not a person with a big head, full of all sorts of
knowledge, but one who has an obedient heart and loves to do God's will. While
God's truth is food for our souls, it is not a "buffet" from which we
select only the things we like. If the Bible tells us something is wrong, we
stay off that path. If God tells us something is right, we do not abandon it.
We must enjoy His Word (vv. 103-104).
Honey would be the sweetest thing the psalmist could taste. However, the Word
contains both sweetness and bitterness, and we must learn to receive both
(19:10; 104:34; Prov. 16:24; Ezek. 2:9-3:15; Rev. 10). God's Word is pure, not
defiled, and gives us the sweetness and energy we need to obey His commands.
The unsaved person finds the Bible boring, but the devoted child of God feeds
on the Scriptures and enjoys the sweet taste of truth.
Jesus said, “The words that I speak to you are spirit
and they are life” (John 6:63). May the LORD give us grace today to meditate
on His Word, internalize it, and in obedience take it with us wherever we go!
And then, we will be able to say with the psalmist, “For You Yourself have
taught me.”
God bless!
