Pastor Jeon

Take the Testimonies of the Lord as Your delight and Counselors!

INTERNATIONAL THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE AND SEMINARY, CAMBODIA

Submitted by : Touch Am
Submitted to : Dr. White Jeon
Course : The book of Psalm
Yare : 4th
Date : March 5, 2015
Text: Psalm 119:17-24

Title: Take the Testimonies of the Lord as Your delight and Counselors!

Telos: You can be a blessed man by keeping and seeking God’s testimonies with your whole heart.

Introduction

When you read this chapter it starts with the word of God as Psalm 119:2 says, “Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, ​​​​​​​​who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!” Especially verse 24 says, “Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.” What is the testimony? What will guide your pilgrim path? And what does God promise for you who keep his Word?

  1. What is the meaning of testimonies?

A. According to a dictionary, the testimony is the example of spoken or written statements that to something is true, especially those given in a court of law. The others are the proof of something to be clear.

B. But what does the Word of God say?

1. In the Old Testament we can see that the testimony is a witness to prove of an agreement or a covenant. A testimony is a way to show that one is faithful to an agreement or a covenant. God gave the Ten Commandments as a way of showing His faithfulness to Israel. Israel was to give the testimony to the covenant by obeying the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments were kept in the Ark of the Covenant. So, the Ark of the Covenant was called the ark of the Testimony.

2. In the New Testament we see that Jesus Christ is the testimony, the witness of the New Covenant. He made this testimony of the love and grace of God for all people. He revealed His life, death, and resurrection. Those who receive Christ as their Savior receive Him as the testimony of God. The Holy Spirit gives us the witness of God. The Holy Spirit gives the witness to Christians that Christ is the true testimony. So, according to the Old Testament and the New Testament we can know that the testimony is referring to “the Bible” or the “gospel life.” 2 Timothy1:8 says, “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God”

  1. What shall guide you on your pilgrim path?

  1. The Word of God will guide you on your pilgrim path. For the Psalter knew the wonderful lead of the testimonies of God, verse 23 says “Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes.” So, Ps. 119:9 says, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.” And also II Timothy 3: 16-17 says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. How does the Word of God guide us? Only the Scripture guides us to the eternal house of the Father.

  1. What is the Bible? The Bible provides a reliable standard by which to measure our claims to be guided by the Holy Spirit through our thinking or feelings. “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” (Rom. 8:5-6). I Cor. 2:18 said, “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. The Holy Spirit guides us through the Scripture. John 16:13 says, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” And Luke 12:12 said, “For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” We who follow the Scripture should be peaceful in the dark world.

  1. What does God promise for us who keep his Word?

  1. God will bless those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with whole heart. Verse 2 says, “ “Through His testimonies they will be full of delight in their heart. And also they will have the wisdom of God. The wisdom of God is the eternal life in His Kingdom. (Jn17:3) Psalm 1:1-3 says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; ​​​​​​​​but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” And he enjoys the delight and the wisdom in his statutes. The writer confesses that he meditates the testimony in his suffering (v 23).

  1. God will be with him always. And also verse 20 says, “My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times.” And I John 3:22- 24 said, “And whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us. Just like such confession, to abide in his testimonies is the blessing of blessings on the earth.

Conclusion

My brothers and sisters in Christ, take the testimonies of the Lord as your delight and your counselor. Let us keep his commandments, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you the prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you shall find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.

Let your Bible be your trusted counselor. God will abide with you forever. When Christ abides with you and you will bear a lot of fruit in life. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he shall prosper.”