Introduction:
In His discourse on the last days recorded in the Bible in Matthew Chapter 24:12-13 the Messiah our Lord Jesus said; “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.” In this discourse He was not primarily referring to the unsaved in the world but to those who profess to be His followers. In verses 9-11 He had been speaking about how His followers would be handed over by false brethren to the secular authorities to be persecuted and put to death and that New Covenant believers would be hated by all nations because they identified themselves with Him to be His followers.
He also spoke again that, at the same time, many would turn away from their faith and betray their fellow believers. Down through history this has been happening, however, in these last of the last days these things will increase in intensity and frequency in all nations. Because of lawlessness increasing globally the love of most professing believers will grow cold. The word “lawlessness” could be translated as “Torahlessness.” The Torah, being the first five books of Moses in the Old Testament scriptures which lay out the law of God and its precepts for the benefit of His people and for all mankind. “Lawlessness” means “to be without law, to lack restraint, to violate and to show contempt and to harbour a rebellious attitude.”
This lawlessness in the world will be so prevalent and multiply in the last days that it will be the catalyst for the love of most of the Body of Messiah globally to grow cold. The word “love” is the Greek word is “agape” which is a love only capable to be experienced by those who have been born again by the Spirit and have had this supernatural love imparted to them by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). With the unsaved this love is impossible. The highest form of human love possible that an unsaved person is capable of is “storge” which, for example, would be expressed in that kind of love which a mother would have for her child and be willing to give her life to save her child. However, this is not “agape.”
Even for us as born again New Covenant believers it is possible to lose our first love for the Lord Jesus and for the Word of God, or to become lukewarm towards Him and to the Word of God (Revelation 2:4; 3:15-16). Both are forms of lawlessness and because of the increase of wickedness lawlessness has crept into the wider Body of Messiah. Not all assemblies of course are without their first love for the Lord Jesus and for His Word, primarily located in those nations where persecution is a daily reality, and where there is no room in those assemblies for those who are lukewarm.
The words of the Lord Jesus in Matthew Chapter 24 concerning the love of most believers growing cold in these days of the last days that are now upon us, is a challenge to all of us who are in fellowships in the western democracies where persecution for the most part is still to come, but it is coming and has started where we see political leaders and government legislation in the western democracies making laws that go contrary to the Bible and which will ultimately impinge on the freedoms and privileges we have as the Body of Messiah. To be honest none of us, including myself, are free from the impact of lawlessness and the nearer the Second Coming of the Messiah our Lord Jesus is, the harder it is becoming to maintain our first love for Him.
We may be actively involved in ministry and service, and so we should be as fellow members of the local assembly we attend and worship in and using the gifts God has given to us to minister within the local fellowship. However, because of the spirit of lawlessness prevailing in the world, of we could say the spirit of antichrist that is already active in the world, we too, if we do not show due diligence in spiritual matters and walk in step with the Holy Spirit, are also in danger of losing our first love. If this was not possible then the Lord Jesus would not have said what He said concerning this matter.
In His Word, the Bible, our Triune God has given us His laws and commandments to enable us, through the power and strength of the Holy Spirit to be spiritually sustained by the Word of God. As it is written; “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). There is more wisdom in the Bible than in any other book ever written in the past and that will ever be written in the future. The Word of God is the wisdom of God and the very spiritual, moral and ethical foundation for any society in any nation of the world.
When leaders of nations and those over whom they rule abandon the Word of God and reject it they inevitably come under His judgement because; “righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne” (Psalm 89:14a). As it is also written; “The LORD has made Himself known; He has executed judgment. In the work of His own hands the wicked is snared. The wicked will return to Sheol (Hell), Even all the nations who forget God” (Psalm 9:16-17). As it is also written; “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34).
If ever we need the power of God’s Word to be active in our daily lives in these last days we need to see the spiritual power available to us through His Word which is “forever settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89), and “which abides forever” (1 Peter 1:25). Regardless of how we might feel facing difficult circumstances or experiencing “a spirit of heaviness through manifold temptations” the Word of God will say the same thing tomorrow as it does today!
In looking at these verses in Psalm 19:7-11 we have God’s spiritual weapon to stave off the spiritual deception and seduction so prevalent in the world, and a growing infestation within the wider Body of Messiah and the assaults that assail us from the evil one. Also we have the LORD’s instructions as to how living by His Word we can know His blessings upon all the changing seasons or circumstances of our lives. Let’s now look at these verses…
Psalm 19:7-11 Exposition
(Psalm 19:7-11) “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward.”
“The law of the Lord is perfect,”
Here the word “perfect” can be translated as “complete, whole and sound in its entirety, healthful, wholesome, unimpaired, innocent and having integrity and that which is complete and entirely in accordance with the truth and factual.” God’s Word cannot be changed, altered or added to, or nothing taken away from it (Deuteronomy 12:32) (Revelation 22:18-19) (Proverbs 30:6) (1 Corinthians 4:6). It can bring us health (Proverbs 4:22), it is wholesome in its content and totally sufficient for everything that pertains to life and godliness through imparting to us the knowledge of the Messiah our Lord Jesus (2 Peter 1:3). It has integrity without any grey areas and always lines up with the truth of God (Psalm 119:160) (John 17:17). The law of God we have in the completed canon of scripture.
“…restoring the soul”;
Our soul is connected to our inner spirit and together are the seat of the affections and the appetites of our body. Our soul consists of our intellect, our emotions and especially our will and the vehicle through which the character of our being is expressed. If we have the Spirit of God living deep down on the inside of us, having been fused together with our spirit man through the new birth by the power of the Holy Spirit, and by this spiritual work one in spirit with the LORD, then this will be reflected in what we say and do (1 Corinthians 6:17) (2 Corinthians 5:17) (Galatians 5:22-23).
God’s Word is progressive and continuous in its work in us as New Covenant Messianic believers. The word “restoring” has the idea of “a continuous restoration, refreshing, repairing, a returning to a righteous path, to bring back, to turn away and back from a course of action, to repel that which goes contrary to God’s laws and commandments, a restoration work of a spiritual nature that refuses to give in to temptation to sin.” With man this is impossible but with God all things are possible. It is only the law of the LORD that can heal our spiritually defective soul. When we expose ourselves to the Word of God with an open heart the Spirit of God will infuse into us God’s supernatural power and strength to walk in step with e desires of the Spirit and by His power to subdue the sinful flesh with its passions and desires that run contrary to the Law of God as revealed in the entire Bible.
If we would have healthy souls that express the character of the Lord Jesus, then they must be subject to the Holy Spirit, which is not a certain feeling or emotion, but a continuous action and surrender of our will. Only the Spirit of God, using the Word of God, can restore the soul. As it is written in the New Testament; “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
Only God’s law is perfect in its power to convert the soul and the instrument the Holy Spirit uses to do this supernatural work. As the apostle James writes; “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls. Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves” (James 1:21-22). And then we read…
“The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple”;
The “testimony” of the LORD can be trusted and depended upon to sustain us spiritually in life especially in adverse circumstances. God can never deny His Word and testifies to this when He Himself has said; “God is not man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? (Numbers 23:19). As we read in Proverbs; “Every word of God proves true; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him” (Proverbs 30:5).
God’s testimony concerning His character and the infallibility of His Word is “sure” and we can always depend on Him to fulfil it as we trust in what He has said He will do if we are allowing His Spirit to do His work of spiritual restoration through His Word.
The word “sure” conveys the idea; “to support, to uphold, to nourish, to establish, to be faithful, to be made firm and capable of carrying another, to be carried by a nurse, to be established and made firm and resolute, to be a pillar of support, to be trusted, to be made an absolute certainty that can be relied upon, that can be trusted and believed.” What a tremendous source of spiritual power and nourishment we have in the Word of God. What eternal wisdom and insight it contains to save and to sanctify the soul.
Not only is His Word sure, reliable, dependable and settled forever in heaven and establishing in us perseverance in all of the changing circumstances of life but it’s a surety in “making wise the simple.” It will impart God’s wisdom to us and make us wise and it can be trusted. The phrase “making wise” conveys the idea “to become wise, to act wisely, to make one wise, to teach one wisdom, to instruct one in wisdom, to show oneself to be wise.” God’s wisdom is in His Word and like Him His Word is infallible and its content way beyond human understanding and insight unless it is imparted supernaturally to our inner spirit man by the power of the blessed Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:10b-16). When we ask God for wisdom He will give it generously and hold nothing back that we need in any circumstance we may be facing whether good or not so good, but we must ask in faith and not doubt, as this kind of faith pleases Him and He rewards it (James 1:5-6) (Hebrews 11:6).
God’s Word then is sure making wise the simple. Now the word “simple” does not mean one who is congenitally backward of intellectually disabled in some way. The word itself actually conveys the idea of “one who is foolish, silly or one who is open to wisdom and instruction.” It has nothing to do with mere human intellect. In the world there are many intellects and men and women with exceptional intellectual capacity and worldly wisdom but who are spiritually ignorant when it comes to the revelation of God’s Word and what really counts in life as far as God is concerned that prepares one for eternity.
There are two kinds of wisdom in this world. One is earthly, natural and demonic in nature and leads to bitter jealousy and selfish ambition and arrogance concerning the truth of God’s laws and an enemy of truth as we see revealed in God’s Word. For the most part those in this world who pride themselves on their own intellectual capacity may think they are wise in their own eyes and by the standards of the world, but as far as God is concerned they are the “simple” ones or “the foolish ones” who desperately need instruction in the Word of God to become truly wise. Where the wisdom of the world is concerned that leads to a rejection of God’s wisdom found in His Word there will be disorder and every evil thing.
The other kind of wisdom is that which God imparts by His Spirit and which comes down from above and is the distinguishing mark of one who is spiritually reborn from above by the Holy Spirit who has dwelling in their inner spirit man the wisdom of God. This man of woman will exhibit first of all purity of heart and life and a correct understanding of what God requires of them, it will be a peaceable wisdom, a gentle wisdom, a reasonable wisdom that is full of mercy and good fruits (life), unwavering and without hypocrisy and whose who produce in their life righteousness that is sown into their lives and into the lives of other that peace of God from above, as they themselves seek to be at peace with all men (James 3:14-18). And then we read…
“The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;”
The standards of God’s Law we are told are “right.” The word conveys the idea of “being straight, upright, fitting or proper,” correct, level, pleasing, straightforward and just,” It also conveys the idea of that which is upright and without defect or imperfection of any kind and not open to accusation. As the apostle John writes; “And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).
His precepts reflect His nature which scripture tells us concerning Him; “Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing” (Habakkuk 2:13). This is also the nature of the Messiah our Lord Jesus of whom it is written in scripture; “Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest truly befits us—One who is holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted above the heavens” (Hebrews 7:25-26).
If we have His Word hidden in our heart and have a deep desire to walk in His precepts, even though our obedience is not perfect because of our daily battle against the world, the flesh and the devil, then His Word which is upright and pure, undefiled and without any falsehood of any kind will be rejoicing the heart. Now “rejoicing” conveys the idea “to cause one to rejoice, to exult, to cheer up when despondent, to make one glad” in heart. The word “heart” is the control centre of the life, the seat of the affections or the inner spirit man where God’s Spirit resides in the one who has been spiritually reborn from above (John 3:3). There is nothing like the promises of God’s Word to sustain us in life and cause gladness and the ability to rejoice even in difficult circumstances. “The joy of the LORD is our strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).
It is that fullness of supernatural joy that is imparted to us personally by the Lord Jesus through the indwelling Spirit of God. As the Lord Jesus Himself has said; “Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete” (John 16:24). And again the apostle John writes; “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Messiah. We write these things so that our joy may be complete” (1 John 1:3-4).
Notice that true joy is based on what is written in the Word of God. Our faith is based on the Word of God, not feelings, experiences or external situations and circumstances. As John writes in his gospel; “But these are written that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:21). Our feelings, which fluctuate at the best of times, are often swayed by external situations or even mood swings, bouts of depression or anxiety, or affected by heaviness through manifold temptations, but they do not change God’s Word as it will say the same thing tomorrow as it does today! “His Word forever is settled in Heaven!” Like His Word “He never changes!” (Psalm 119:89) (Malachi 3:6).
The apostle James writes; “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow” (James 1:17). Like His Heavenly Father the Messiah our Lord Jesus the Son of God does not change either, because “He is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). This fact infused by the indwelling Spirit of God deep down on the inside of us will cause supernatural joy to spring up out of the soil of our heart and produce spiritual fruitfulness in our life and service for God. Our faith and our joy are based on the Word of God! And then we continue to read…
“The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;”
It is a king that commands and this is the sense of the word “commandment.” It is not optional but “the command of a king, of one who is absolutely sovereign who expects His word to be obeyed.” It is the obedience of faith, or a saving faith that produces obedience to the LORD and actions along the line of the faith professed (Romans 1:5; 16:26). As the apostle John writes; “He who is believing (present continuous tense) in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36).
Now the commandment of God is “pure.” It is clean, clear, and without defect. As we are also told in scripture that; “Every word of God is pure (tested and tried and proven to be without any falsehood whatsoever) and that He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. We are also admonished; “Do not add to His Words or He will reprove you, and prove you to be a liar” (Proverbs 30:5-6). His Word then is pure “enlightening the eyes.” The word “enlightening” conveys the idea “to shine with the brilliance of the sun, to become bright, to be illuminated or to become lighted up, to impart light, to kindle light such as a candle of wood flaring up in the flame, to make ones face shine and radiate light.”
This “enlightening” is a supernatural revelation imparted to the soul and the spirit of a person that is supernatural and radiant to the eyes of the heart. Figuratively speaking, it is like the radiant heat and light of the sun that explodes with revelation knowledge deep down on the inside of one who is spiritually reborn by the Spirit of God. On one occasion the Messiah our Lord Jesus asked His disciples a question as to whom they said He was and Peter responded spontaneously. “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:16-18).
The rock Jesus was referring to was not Peter himself but that huge solid rock of revelation knowledge about who the Lord Jesus really is and that the gates of hell would never prevail against this revelation of Him. Also the Lord Jesus was referring to Himself as the rock of salvation, a title we see used of God in the Old Testament. As David writes; “He alone is my rock and my salvation. He is my fortress; I will never be shaken” (Psalm 62:2). The Messiah our Lord Jesus is God the Son and that rock upon which the Body of Messiah is held together. As we read in Colossians; “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church the faithful assembly, the Body of Messiah). He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have pre-eminence. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him” (Colossians 1:17-19).
We can have an intellectual knowledge of the Lord Jesus, however, when that revelation becomes a revelation to our inner spirit man deep down on the inside of us as it enlightens the eyes of our heart, we will be changed forever! (2 Corinthians 5:17). As Rabbi the apostle Paul also wrote; “I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Messiah, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in his holy people” (Ephesians 1:16-18).
As it is also written in the Psalms; “The entrance (unfolding) of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130). And again it is written; “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to Your word. With all my heart I have sought You; do not let me stray from Your commandments” (Psalm 119:9-10). And yet again we read; “I gain understanding from Your precepts; therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). If we would know God’s will and His ways then we need to keep His Word before our eyes. It is the Street directory to find our way around the kingdom of God. And then we continue to read…
“The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;”
The word “fear” does carry the idea of “fear and terror,” “an awesome fear and terror or an object that causes fear. That is the standard word used here but in its context it denotes; “a fear, a respect, a reverence, a filial devotion to one who is to be revered.” The fear of the LORD is an awareness of His character, His laws and blessings for obedience to them, and an awareness of His character and His law and the consequences of disobedience to them. This fear of the LORD is “clean” or “pure and without spot or stain of any kind and morally pure and undefiled in every way.” The fear of the LORD gives a clean heart, one that desires to walk in holiness and righteousness and in step with the will and purposes of God. A clean heart, cleansed by the blood of Messiah, will renew a right and steadfast spirit deep down on the inside of the one being cleansed (Psalm 51:10).
God must create this clean heart in us as with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible and He will do it for us when we are hungering and thirsting after His righteousness and will fill us with His life and power and when we receive this righteousness by faith He credits it to our account spiritually. It is the very same righteousness that the Lord Jesus has Himself and although we are still not perfect, through faith in the Lord Jesus to save us God declares us to be righteous in His sight and will treat us as if we have never sinned (Matthew 5:6) (Romans 3:21-26) (Philippians 3:7-9). When God gives us a clean heart and sits at the control centre on the seat of our affections our spiritual standing and lifestyle will endure forever, even though there will be times of temptation and times when we do sin and need to confess it and be cleansed from it (1 John 1:9).
Now the word “enduring” means “to remain standing upright, to hold ones ground, to remain and to continue, to abide and to endure, to persist and to remain steadfast and to maintain that steadfastness, to ordain and to be established in that stand.” Our Lord Jesus saves to the uttermost! He is our great High Priest who sits at God’s right Hand where He ever lives to intercede with God on our behalf. As the author of Hebrews writes; “But because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able to save completely (to the uttermost) those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest truly befits us—One who is holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted above the heavens” (Hebrews 7:24-26).
The revelation knowledge of this great eternal Biblical truth will sustain us in all of the changing circumstances of life, even at those times when we pass through the deep and darkest valley. The word “forever” means to have this enduring power of God through the Holy Spirit “held in perpetuity for us forever” and that continues throughout this life and into the Millennial age to come, and then after that for all of eternity in the New Jerusalem! And then we read…
“The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.”
God is love but He is also the judge of both the living and dead. The word “judgements” contextually applies to a court of law and can be defined as “an act by a judge deciding a case, a place or court of justice, as the seat of judgement where the Judge who sits in the judge’s seat exercises a legal and lawful process, procedure or litigation before other judges that might be present. It also refers to legal proceedings where sentence is passed and there is a pronouncement of judgement.” When God judges it is always in line with absolute truth in all matters in heaven, on earth and under the earth, and especially when He looks upon the heart of a person and sees the real motives and desires that reside there. His unchanging eternal Word is the measuring line, the standard by which He executes His judgements on earth.
As the author of Hebrews also writes; “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we profess” (Hebrews 4:12-14).
The word “true” conveys the idea of “firmness, faithfulness, sureness, reliability, stability and a continuance in faithfulness.” God’s Word abides forever as He abides forever. Eons after the words of men have faded away and forgotten the Word of our God will still be and say the same and never fade but will endure throughout all of eternity. As we read; “All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the Word of the LORD endures forever” (1 Peter 1:24-25).
There is a great and eternal reward in keeping the commandments of God. Not only are His judgements according to absolute truth but also we are told that they “are righteous altogether.” When He judges His judgements are right and are a reflection of His sinless, upright and perfectly just and pure nature. He is righteous and in His righteousness He credits that righteousness to all who approach Him through faith in the mediator between God and man, our Lord Jesus, through whom we can boldly approach God’s throne of mercy and find His grace and mercy to help us in our time of need as His blood redeemed children.
As the author of Hebrews writes; “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16). God’s precepts or His Word and desired by those who have been born again by the work of the Holy Spirit. And so we read…
“They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;”
The word “desirable” conveys the idea of “coveting, taking pleasure in, delighting in, to be desired above all else, to delight and desire greatly, a desirableness, a preciousness or to be greatly loved.” When one has godliness with contentment they have great gain in life and not in money or wealth. As we read; “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:6-11). Do we desire God’s Word before anything else in life?
The entrance of His Word gives light to those who are open to its illuminating life-changing revelation and spiritual power (Psalm 119:130). If we seek to align our lives with the Word of God then our lives will be blessed or favoured by God. As we are told in scripture “The blessing of the LORD enriches, and He adds no sorrow to it” (Proverbs 10:22). Whatever we need in life our Triune God will see to it that we receive it, whether in the spiritual or temporal realm, however, it will always be according to His good, acceptable, wise, loving and perfect will. What else are we told about God’s Word?
“…sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.”
Honey is sweet to the taste. It contains a variety of nutrients that promote physical health and wellbeing. It is rich in antioxidants which can act against premature ageing, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. It is better for blood sugar levels. It can improve heart health and prevent heart disease in that it may help lower blood pressure, improve blood fat levels, regulate your heartbeat, and prevent the death of healthy cells.
It promotes healing to burns and is healing to wounds as its healing powers come from its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects as it is most effective at healing partial-thickness burns and wounds that have become infected after surgery. It may also supress coughing in children and does not have side effects as cough medicine.
If Honey has such medicinal qualities for maintaining one’s physical well-being, how much more does the Word of God have with its spiritual medicinal qualities for maintaining one’s spiritual health and vitality. As we are told in scripture; “Do not lose sight of them (God’s commandments and precepts for life and godliness); keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body. Guard your heart with all (due) diligence, for from out of it flow the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:21-23). If we desired to know God’s Word better, and make it our number one priority in life to accomplish this, then we would find the true and Biblical knowledge of God and how we should walk before Him in this life.
As King Solomon wrote concerning the Word of God that He had been given to write down for our benefit; “My son, if you will receive my words And treasure my commandments within you, Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding; For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will discern the fear of the LORD And discover the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:1-6). If honey has such medicinal value for the body then how much more does God’s Word have of spiritual medicinal value for our soul? And then we also read…
“Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward.”
Now the word “moreover” is a word that emphasises an important point that must not be overlooked. It is a word that is introducing a climax which we see following this word in our text. While all of the things mentioned before that God’s Word produces in our lives the most important thing we must keep in mind is that all of these precepts together come with a warning, not as a threat as it were, but as an admonition from the LORD to pay attention to what He has said in His Word in order that we might do well in life and fulfil all of God’s will He has planned for our lives in this world, and for the age to come in His Messianic Millennial kingdom.
Notice also that one who takes heed to what the LORD requires is His “servant.” The word conveys the idea of “a slave who is a worshipper of God” It is a voluntary slave of the LORD which is also the mark of those who follow the Messiah in the New Testament. When the apostle Paul often refers to himself as a servant it is the word used for “a voluntary slave.” One could say “a labour of love and devotion.” It is exemplified in what the Lord Jesus Himself said; “So you also, when you have done everything commanded of you, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty’” (Luke 17:10). Such a servant will be rewarded by the Lord Jesus after He has come back.
Then we read that the LORD’s servant is “warned” by the Word of God. The word “warned” conveys the idea of “being admonished, being taught, to have light that shines upon our way and illuminates our inner spirit man.” It conveys the idea; “to send out light, to be light and to have that light shine out of us.” While God’s Word is a light to our path and a lamp to our feet it is also a guard against wandering off from the path of light and stumbling in the darkness. As it is also written; “Where there is no vision (revelation) the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). It is the Word of God that illuminates our spiritually regenerated spirit man on the inside of us how to walk in the ways of God, and it is God the Holy Spirit Himself who empowers us to live in step with what the Word of God says. As we read in scripture; “Not by (human) might nor by (human) power, but by My Spirit says the LORD of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6). God’s Word then is like a lighthouse on a story dark sea and it tells us where the dangerous rocks are so that the vessel of our life will circumvent them and not be shipwrecked. And then we read…
“In keeping them there is great reward.”
The word “keeping” is a very comprehensive word. It means; “to keep, to have charge of, to guard, to keep watch and ward of those things that would cause us to stumble in spiritual matters. It also conveys the ideas of “a watchman, an observer, to treasure up in one’s memory, to keep with certain boundaries, to restrain, to celebrate, to keep a statute of law, to perform a vow to the LORD, to preserve and to protect.” Not only are we as the LORD’s slaves to keep watch and be diligent in spiritual matters, such as prayer, reading God’s Word and partaking of the LORD’s Supper with our fellow brothers and sisters in Messiah, but also to “be on our guard, to take heed to, to take care and beware of those things that will harm us spiritually, to keep oneself” from the wiles of the evil one.
As the apostle peter writes; “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Messiah, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 5:6-11).
Keeping God’s Word delights His heart and brings with it a great reward. The word “great” conveys the idea of something that “is abounding towards us, something in abundance that is great and strong and exceedingly greater” than anything this world can offer. God’s reward is a great reward and He is not stingy in rewarding His servants no matter what the circumstances may be that they are facing in life. The word “reward” is something that is exceedingly great. When God spoke to Abram (before his name became Abraham) the LORD said to him “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward” (Genesis 15:1).
As those who possess the faith that Abraham the father of faith had, the greatest reward we can have in this present life here on earth as the LORD’s servants (willing slaves) is to Have His presence with us moment by moment during the day and at night when we fall asleep and through all the ups and downs of daily life, and though every storm, every trial, every temptation Satan throws at us, and in times of adversity we face constantly every day, as we seek to walk in line with the Word of God and in step with the Holy Spirit. Abraham was called “the friend of God” and through faith in the Messiah our Lord Jesus we are the spiritual decedents of our father Abraham and God will treat us as His friends as He did Abraham when we walk by faith in His unchanging Word as Abraham the father of faith walked.
The apostle Peter put it like this when he writes; “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Messiah! By His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Messiah from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power for the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3-4).
Epilogue:
The Law of the LORD that we have in the completed Canon of scripture is the most perfect instrument God uses to save and to sanctify our soul and spirit. (2 Corinthians 7:1). The testimony of the LORD to His Word is sure, steadfast, and absolutely reliable; it can be depended upon and is the instrument the Holy Spirit uses to impart God’s wisdom to us when we exercise a child-like trust in Him (Psalm 131:2). His precepts are right and without fault, and will bring us joy deep down on the inside of us when we see this great spiritual truth through the revelation of the Holy Spirit (Psalm 119:16).
His commandments are pure, clean and without any defect at all. He is absolute perfect light and no darkness resides in Him at all (1 John 1:5). Through His Spirit He gives spiritual enlightenment to the eyes of our hearts by His law, to illuminate the path in life we are to take according to His infinitely loving, wise, sensitive and divine will (Psalm 119:105). The fear or reverence for the LORD is clean, without spiritual defilement and endures forever and if we have this reverence on the inside of us then we will endure forever in His eternal kingdom (1 Peter 1:24-25).
His judgements are true and all together are perfectly righteous in their character (Proverbs 30:5). His words are more desirable and of greater value to our soul that the finest of gold and sweeter to our spiritual tastebuds than the taste of pure nutritious honey is to the physical body (Jeremiah 15:16). His Law is the spiritual safeguard and weapon enabling us to stand our ground against the wiles of Satan and to discern when he is at work seeking to turn us aside from the path of separation to the LORD, a separation to Him we must pursue without which we will not see God (Hebrews 12:14).
Lastly, if we seek to keep the Law of the LORD then He will reward us in this life with His presence and provision for all that we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of the Messiah our Lord Jesus and ultimately through our bodily resurrection bring us into His Millennial Kingdom on earth and then carry us through into eternity!
The written Word of God in its entirety in both Testaments is all about the Lord Jesus Himself, the Living and eternal Word of God, who is God the Son within the Tri-Unity of the Godhead, who has always been God from all of eternity and face to face with God, and the one who at His incarnation took upon Himself a flesh and blood body and tabernacled among us! (John 1:1-2, 14-15). As the risen glorified Messiah our Lord Jesus said at the end of the book of Revelation He gave to His servant John; “Behold, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:12-13). He will have the final say after He has returned! The words of men like the flower and the grass of the field will fade away but the Word of our God will remain and abide forever! Amen!
