Psa 119:67 Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.

This above verse in particular plainly tells us why we must have fiery trials; in order to cease from sinning as Peter said in 1 Peter 4:1. Prior to that affliction “I went astray“, telling us the word of God within us can only be kept and no longer abide in an environment that tosses it “to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Eph 4:14). Only after we go through the trying experiences of this life which make it possible for God’s word to be purified and established within us can we say “but now have I kept thy word“. Overcoming the beast and his mark is connected to the saints standing on “a sea of glass”, and that sea represents the carnal nature within us (the beast 6.6.6. Isa 43:16) which must endure ‘the process of spiritual completeness through judgment’ (3)  until the end in order to be saved in this life (Rev 15:2, Mat 24:13).

Eph 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 

Isa 43:16  Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; 

Rev 15:2  And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. 

Psa 119:68 Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.

Our witness is true when we continue to abide in God’s word (Joh 8:31), and acknowledge that He is the one doing the work both to will and to do of His good pleasure in you (Php 2:13). God is good, and we are His good workmanship being formed out of weak marred vessels of clay (Jer 18:4). The good God does is revealed through Christ and His body as explained in John 5:30-47. The psalmist is speaking of this reality of God’s goodness which he is prophesying to us when he says, “Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes (1Pe 1:12).”

Psa 119:69 The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.

Forging a lie against someone takes a lot of energy being expended, and if it were possible the devil would deceive even the very elect (Mat 24:24). However, God shows us through this section of scripture that it is not going to be possible, and in the final analysis, those who have God’s holy spirit within will be able to say “I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart” because Christ, who is our hope of glory, will be able to do just that (Col 1:27). So “The proud have forged a lie against me“, but God’s power that forges the truth in His people is far above all those powers and principalities at God’s disposal to do exactly what He has determined to do with them from the foundation of the world for our sakes (1Jn 4:4, Eph 6:12, Eph 1:21, 2Co 4:15).

2Co 4:15  For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

Psa 119:70 Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law.

Only God really knows the condition of every man’s heart, and bread, which represents the word of God, is what strengthens our hearts so we can be blessed to “delight in thy law” and come to learn of a peace that passes all understanding.

Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 

The key ingredients to help us “keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” are enumerated right after verse 7.

Php 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 
Php 4:9  Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. 
Php 4:10  But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. 

Bread that is not tried in the fire, however, will not burn away the lies of the devil or the leaven of the pharisees within us. “Their heart is as fat as grease” (Mat 16:6) that can easily stick to us if we are not diligently looking and watching our own hearts as we die daily (Exo 15:26, 1Co 15:31). When you bake bread, the leaven that is active within the loaf will cease to exist or activate by the fire of the oven that destroys and stops the leavening process. God heals us with His word He sends to us and shows us in the context of these verses where that little leaven comes from that we must avoid (1Co 5:8-10).

Exo 15:26  And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee (Psa 107:20).

1Co 5:8  Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 
1Co 5:9  I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: 
1Co 5:10  Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. 
1Co 5:11  But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. [avoid the leaven]

Psa 119:71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

This verse strikes at the heart and core of the number (9) that represents ‘judgment’ and (10) that represents the ‘completeness of the flesh’. God cannot accomplish what He intends to accomplish through our flesh unless we are “afflicted”, and it can be said a thousand different ways, but the point never changes that Christ and His body learn obedience by the things which we suffer. We “learn thy statutes” through the relationship into which we are dragged by God’s holy spirit (Joh 6:44). Though he were a son of Hebrews 5:8 and “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” are two very closely related thoughts for God’s children who have confirmation in their hearts that it is through much tribulation, chastening and scourging that we enter into the kingdom of God (Act 14:22, Heb 12:6).

Heb 5:8  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 

1Jn 3:1  Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 

Psa 119:72 The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.

How precious is this relationship and the reward God has promised to those who will be granted to endure until the end (1Co 2:9, Mat 19:27-30)! What are we commanded to do in order to assure that we can make our “election sure” (Eph 6:13, 2Pe 1:4-10)?

The “thousands of gold and silver” represents the best the flesh can offer, but God’s people are called to see that after we have done all the things God has done in our flesh, working in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure, we are to know within ourselves that we are unprofitable servants. At that very point we have only done that which was expected of us, as God had determined to do these works through us from the foundation of the world (Luk 17:10, Eph 1:4).

1Ti 6:12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life [thy crown], whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. 

Rev 3:11  Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. [eternal life]

Gal 1:8  But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 
Gal 1:9  As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. 

2Co 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 
2Co 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

Psa 119:73 JOD. Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.

God’s hands are continually fashioning His creation and demonstrating His power over the clay, as His longsuffering spirit works with all men who will be saved each one in his order (Jas 5:7-8, 1Co 15:23).

Jas 5:7  Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 
Jas 5:8  Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

We need to ask God for patience and faith (Jas 4:2) in order to possess our souls and not grow weary in well doing (Luk 21:19), for in due season we will reap if we faint not (Gal 6:9). God knows what we need before we ask Him, and He wants to “give me [us] understanding, that I [we] may learn thy commandments” (Mat 7:6-12).

Psa 119:74 They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word.

This is a prophecy of Christ and His body who will bring great joy to this world as our Lord did when He first arrived on the scene (Luk 19:36-46, Oba 1:21, 1Jn 4:17). Those who truly fear God will be glad when they see Christ in us, recognizing our hope of glory within. That initial thanks and praise for Christ waned as it became clear He was here to cleanse the temple in order to make it a house of prayer for the true worshippers, who would worship him in spirit, and in truth (“My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves”).

Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 
Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 

Psa 119:75 I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.

God is the one who is faithful to afflict His elect in this age, keeping us humbled under His mighty hand so we may be exalted in due time (1Pe 5:6). He resists the proud in spirit but gives grace to His little flock today (1Pe 5:5) to whom He looks because we are being humbled in heart through the faithful relationship to which He has called us, which was predetermined from the foundation of the world (Joh 15:16, Eph 1:4). God has been preparing a remnant He would cause to be of a humble and contrite spirit (Isa 66:2) by putting His laws into their hearts (Jer 31:33).

He brings us to know “that thy judgments are right” and this is eternal life to “know” our Father and Lord (Joh 17:3), and when we say we know Him and do not do the things He says, we are lying to ourselves (Luk 6:46). This deception of heart is for the purpose of preserving those who will be judged in the great white throne judgment (1Co 1:8-9 versus 2Pe 2:9-10). Today is the day of the Lord for His people, and we are being judged by our faithful Father who has called us to commit our ways unto Him who will finish this work within us in this age (1Pe 4:19, Php 1:6). God is causing this confirmation in our hearts to be understood through the much tribulation we must endure in order to be of the same mind as we enter into the kingdom of God.

1Co 1:4  I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; 
1Co 1:5  That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; 
1Co 1:6  Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 
1Co 1:7  So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: 
1Co 1:8  Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
1Co 1:9  God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. 
1Co 1:10  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 

2Pe 2:9  The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: 
2Pe 2:10  But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. 

Act 14:22  Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

Psa 119:76 Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.
Psa 119:77 Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight.

These next verses demonstrate for us the right spirit of wanting the Lord to deal with us now, judge us now, clean us up now, comfort us now, show mercy to us now, but as always “according to thy word unto thy servant“, and when Christ said “nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” in Luke 22:42, we were given our example of what “according to thy word unto thy servant” means. When we ask God to fulfill His will in our lives, He will always faithfully provide the means to go through to whatever end has been written in our books “according to thy word“. That is our hope of glory, that Christ in us is going to give us the power to overcome and be doers of the word and not hearers only in this age (Rom 2:13, Jas 1:22, Php 2:13).

1Co 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 

Luk 22:43  And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. 
Luk 22:44  And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 
Luk 22:45  And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, 
Luk 22:46  And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. 

Christ knew and wants us to know in our times of suffering that “God is faithful“, and He is maturing us in Christ so we will be able to faithfully carry our cross (Luk 9:23, 2Ti 2:13) and help bear the burden of others with courage and trust in him, just as Christ did Himself with the help of our faithful Father (Deu 31:6, Jas 1:12). When we put our confidence in our own flesh which thinks it may be able to contribute to our own salvation or someone else’s without Christ (Mat 26:33), we are being set up for a fall as Peter was and needed to go through to see that he added nothing to his own salvation. This is the reason Christ asks this rhetorical question to all the disciples “Why sleep ye?“, sleep being likened unto death. This negative selfish sleep of the flesh would result in the positive death of Christ (Isa 53:10), which had to happen in order for us to be able to be buried into His death (Rom 6:3) where we are now able to overcome our weak hearts and minds (1Co 15:31) which must “rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation” (Php 2:12-13). When we are given to trust in God and know that “God is faithful“, the mind of Christ will lead us into those “prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears” which will enable us to “rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation” (Heb 5:7, Ecc 12:13). Christ made three such prayers in the hour of His great temptation in the garden of Gethsemane^G1068 [means oil press] as our example of overcoming the flesh (Heb 12:4).

Luk 9:23  And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

2Ti 2:13  If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. 

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 
Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 

Heb 5:7  Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

Psa 119:78 Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause: but I will meditate in thy precepts.
Psa 119:79 Let those that fear thee turn unto me, and those that have known thy testimonies.

Pride will come before a fall, and we will “be ashamed” as our own inability to trust God and wait on Him is revealed. That sin being revealed is a blessing and revelation of God’s goodness toward those with whom he is working and teaching in this age to possess our souls in patience (Rom 2:4, Luk 21:19). Therefore we must be thankful for those difficult moments of correction (Pro 3:11, Heb 12:6) and look diligently that no root of bitterness (Heb 12:15) is formed within us as a result of that correction. It is the servant who says “My lord delayeth his coming” who demonstrates the resulting perverse spirit of hating his brother “without a cause” described with these words in the verses below.

Mat 24:48  But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 
Mat 24:49  And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 
Mat 24:50  The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 

Mat 5:22  But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 

When the Psalmist then says “Let those that fear thee turn unto me, and those that have known thy testimonies” we are reminded of Paul’s inspired words in (1Co 11:1) “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” that precede all the verses that talk about the ordinances that we are to keep, because it is only those who “have known thy testimonies” and obeyed your commandments who will understand and obey this divine order God has given for us to follow so “that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God” (1Co 11:1-16, 1Ti 3:15).

Psa 119:80 Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.

Our goal as brothers and sisters in Christ is to “press [remember the oil press Gethsemane^G1068] toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus so “that I be not ashamed“, all the while knowing that this is not possible unless the Lord will “Let my heart be sound in thy statutes” (Php 3:14).

That soundness of heart comes from not just hearing the words of Christ, but by sitting down and doing what God wants us to do, and what God wants us to do is to overcome our fleshly will (10) which is found through the judgment (9) that is upon the house of God, typified by Christ feeding us as we sit and listen to Christ in each other (Heb 10:25, Luk 10:42). 

Luk 10:41  And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 
Luk 10:42  But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

There is going to be a process involved in our maturing through the much tribulation, the waves of the sea, through this seemingly unstable process which is in God’s perfect control (Eph_1:11) (11), and all that judgment (9) upon the flesh (10) we are promised will lead to a solid foundation in Christ (12). 

The question was asked of the disciples “Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?” (Mat 15:33 “a great multitude” [Rev 7:9-14]) and the answer is given to us in the parable of the feeding of approximately four thousand and five thousand that Christ fed during His ministry (“about five thousand men” Mat 14:19-21; “four thousand men, beside women and children” Mat 15:32-38) telling us that our judgment (9) today results in our being blessed to receive God’s word and be nourished by it (Rev 1:3). It is also being received for the feeding of the masses in the future, typified by Joseph as well, who saved his brothers from the famine in the land by laying up in store for those days which were prophesied to come upon Israel, who represents all the world in this instance. God will “Make the men sit down” through the church to be nourished, each man in his order (Gen 12:10, Joh 6:10, 1Co 15:23).

Next week, Lord willing, we will look at our next two Hebrew letters “CAPH and LAMED” that are the 11th and 12th letters.