GOD S WORD IS ALWAYS RELEVANT

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1 GET INTO THE STUDY 5 minutes GUIDE: Direct attention to the picture on Personal Study Guide (PSG) page 60. SESSION 5 GOD S WORD IS ALWAYS RELEVANT DISCUSS: Question #1: When have you gotten swept up in a trend or fad? GUIDE: Direct attention to The Bible Meets Life on PSG page 61. Note all the different weight loss fads, and ask members if they ever tried any of them. Ask one or two volunteers to tell how well some of the diets worked for them. Stress that even though so-called experts aren t always reliable, God s Word is always true and relevant. Introduce The Point (PSG, p. 61): God s Word reflects His character and power and always will. The Point God s Word reflects His character and power and always will. The Bible Meets Life We look to doctors with our health needs. We look to the courts to give us justice. We look to family members to step in and help us with various needs. We need each other, but there is only so much any of us can do. Not so with God. He is the perfect, all-powerful Creator who gives us life. We see these very attributes in Scripture, because the Bible is His Word, it has always reflected His character and power. The Passage Psalm 119:89-96 The Setting Psalm 119:89 96 (the lamed stanza, the twelfth one) focuses on how God s Word reflects God s character and power. In these verses, the psalmist praised the eternality and power of God s Word. He remembered that in his times of persecution and affliction, it was God s Word that delivered him and gave him life. 62 Session 5

2 Psalm 119: Lamed Lord, Your word is forever; it is firmly fixed in heaven. 90 Your faithfulness is for all generations; You established the earth, and it stands firm. 91 They stand today in accordance with Your judgments, for all things are Your servants. God s Word is timeless. Verse 89. The psalmist proclaimed that God s Word is forever. God is eternal (Isa. 40:28; Rev. 1:8). He has no beginning and no end. Like God Himself, God s Word is eternal as well. The truths and principles in God s Word apply to all people in all generations. The second line of verse 89 is parallel to the first but it provides more information and completes the thought of the first line. Speaking of God s Word, it reads: it your word is firmly fixed in heaven. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus spoke similar words: Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away (Matt. 24:35). By writing God s Word is firmly fixed in heaven, the psalmist expressed God s view of His Word. The words firmly fixed mean God s Word is certain, firm, established, and can t be changed. Since God is the divine Author of the Bible, it reflects God s attributes of immutability (unchangeableness) and eternality. As God is sovereign, having authority both in heaven and on earth, so too His Word has that same authority. 1 Verse 90. In the first line of verse 90, the psalmist continued speaking of God s attributes: Your faithfulness is for all generations. In this instance, some scholars understand God s faithfulness not in terms of God Himself, but in respect to God s Word. God s faithfulness is a synonym for Scripture, meaning God is forever committed to keeping his promises through all generations. 1 In the context of Psalm 119 and particularly in these verses, this interpretation makes sense. The Hebrew word translated faithfulness refers to loyalty, fidelity, honesty, truthfulness, steadiness, and dependability. God is completely trustworthy; He always keeps His promises. God s faithfulness is great (Lam. 3:23), everlasting (Ps. 119:90), established (89:2), incomparable STUDY THE BIBLE Psalm 119: minutes SUMMARIZE: Refer to The Setting on page 62. Point out that this stanza reflects God s character and power. The psalmist remembered that during difficult times God s Word delivered him and gave him life. READ: Read or ask someone to read Psalm 119: GUIDE: Refer group members to Digging Deeper on PSG page 62 to reinforce that God s Word is forever. GUIDE: Refer group members to PSG pages to affirm the timeless nature of God s Word: Firmly fixed (trustworthy) Firmly fixed in heaven Firmly fixed forever Commentary 1 on this page and page 64 to remind group members of God s faithfulness. SUGGESTED USE WEEK OF JANUARY 1 63

3 THE POINT God s Word reflects His character and power and always will. Commentary 2 to show that God s faithfulness is revealed through nature. OPTION: Ask members to name best selling books that have stood the test of time. How do they compare with the Bible? LEADER PACK: Use Item 6: Best Sellers to compare popular books to the Bible. DISCUSS: Question #2 (PSG, p. 64): How have you experienced the trustworthiness of God s Word? (Alternate: How has your understanding of the Bible changed over the years?) TRANSITION: The Word of God stands firm as the only sure and eternal foundation upon which to build our lives. (v. 8), unfailing (v. 33), and infinite (36:5). God s faithfulness is always applicable for us because it is for all generations. 2 In keeping with his emphasis on God s faithfulness, the psalmist completed verse 90 in this way: You established the earth, and it stands firm. The fact that the visible world stands firm is evidence that God s faithfulness and God s Word are firmly established as well. As one scholar wrote: As God established the earth by his spoken word and it stood fast, even so God has spoken by his written Word, and it, too, will come to pass. 2 Just as God established the foundations of the earth, and they stand firm, so too the Word of God stands firm as the only sure and eternal foundation upon which to build our lives. As Jesus said, Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. And its collapse was great! (Matt. 7:24-27). Verse 91. On the basis of verses 89 90, some scholars suggest the word they refers to heaven (v. 89) and the earth (v. 90). Other scholars suggest the word they refers to God s Word, particularly His laws. While both suggestions have merit, the reference to God s Word seems to fit better with the second part of the first line of verse 91: in accordance with Your judgments. However, the second line of verse 91: all things are Your servants, would support the reference to heaven and earth. In either case, the psalmist referred to the consistency between God and His Word and heaven and earth. In writing all things are God s servants the psalmist pointed to God s purpose in creation. Everything you, me, all the animals, and all the land were created with the purpose of serving God. All things are His servants. The stable universe is a visible token of Yahweh s faithfulness. The results of the divine word in its creative and sustaining role are seen in the ordered world, whose order is homage to its Master Session 5

4 Psalm 119: If Your instruction had not been my delight, I would have died in my affliction. 93 I will never forget Your precepts, for You have given me life through them. God s Word is life-giving. Verse 92. Verses complement each other: both make similar statements about God s Word. The psalmist began verse 92 by declaring that God s instruction had been his delight. This is a recurring theme in the psalm (vv. 16,24,47,70,77,92,143,174). Psalm 1 opens in a similar manner. It identifies the person who is blessed as the one whose delight is in the Lord s instruction [torah], and he meditates on it day and night (1:1a,2). 3 The psalmist wrote that had God s instruction not been his delight, he would have died in his affliction. The word affliction refers to being in a condition of suffering or misery. It can also refer to one who suffers in prison or captivity. The affliction the psalmist referred to was most likely the persecution he was suffering at the hands of the wicked. The psalmist referenced this in the verses just before this section. All Your commands are true; people persecute me with lies help me! They almost ended my life on earth, but I did not abandon Your precepts. Give me life in accordance with Your faithful love, and I will obey the decree You have spoken (Ps. 119:86-88). The psalmist clung to God s Word. Because God s Word was his delight, his primary focus in life, it brought him life in the midst of the persecution he was enduring. God s Word gave the psalmist life as the Bible brings us life today. How are we saved? By trusting in God through Jesus. And how do we know that? Either we read about and believe the message of salvation through Jesus Christ in the Bible or we hear someone else read the Bible and believe the message of salvation through Jesus Christ that person relates to us. Indeed, God s Word is life-giving! 4 Verse 93. This verse begins with the psalmist s promise that he will never forget God s precepts. Perhaps a sentence such as The psalmist will never, ever forget God s precepts helps us capture the writer s emphasis. Used 9 times in Psalm 119 (vv. 16,61,83,93,109,139,141,153,176), the concept of remembering (not forgetting) is very important to the STUDY THE BIBLE Psalm 119: minutes READ: Read or ask a volunteer to read Psalm 119: Commentary 3 to explain the term affliction. GUIDE: Refer group members to PSG pages to show the progression of the relationship between affliction and God s Word in the verses that precede this passage: Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your Word. (v. 67) It was good for me to be afflicted so that I could learn Your statutes. (v. 71) I know, Lord, that Your judgments are just and that You have afflicted me fairly. (v. 75) If Your instruction had not been my delight, I would have died in my affliction. (v. 92 DISCUSS: Question #3 (PSG, p. 65): When did you first encounter the Bible in a meaningful way? 65

5 THE POINT God s Word reflects His character and power and always will. Commentary 4 on page 65 and this page to explain the idea of never forgetting and why it is such a central concept for God s people. The psalmist s promise could be stated: I will never, ever forget God s precepts. DISCUSS: Question #4 (PSG, p. 66): What are some ways God s Word has shaped your heart? (Alternate: How have you experienced life as a result of God s instruction?) TRANSITION: In difficult times, we can gain confidence and hope by looking back, knowing that no matter what happens, God loves us and will never abandon us. We are His. psalmist as well as to God (it is emphasized through the entire Bible; see for example Ex. 13:3; Num. 15:37 40). Remembering (never forgetting) is a central focus for God s people in biblical times and today. It means much more than just recalling an event, which is merely an intellectual activity. Just as hearing God means obeying God, in a similar way remembering involves a change in living based on what God has done in the past for us. As God led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and into the land of Canaan, He warned the people not to forget what He had done for them and so fall into idolatry. Be careful that you don t forget the Lord your God by failing to keep His command the ordinances and statutes... but remember that the Lord your God gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm His covenant He swore to your fathers, as it is today. If you ever forget the Lord your God and go after other gods to worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will perish. Like the nations the Lord is about to destroy before you, you will perish if you do not obey the Lord your God (Deut. 8:11,18 20). For both the Israelites and the psalmist, obedience to (remembering) God s commandments brought blessing and life. The second part of verse 93 gives the reason for the psalmist s not forgetting God s precepts had given him life. The idea of giving someone life or renewing someone s life is repeated 10 times in Psalm 119 (vv. 25,37,40,50,88,107,149,154,156,159). However, in this instance the psalmist was doing something slightly different. He was not asking God to give him life in the future; he was remembering what God had already done for him. Part of the psalmist s confidence in appealing to God to save him in the next verse came from the fact that God had given him life in the past. In the same way, our confidence in God as believers flows out of the love God has shown to us already in Jesus Christ. The depth of God s love for us is seen in His giving His Son for us, who died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. When we are in difficult times, we can gain confidence and hope by looking back at the cross, knowing that no matter what happens, God loves us and will never abandon us. We have God s promise (Heb. 13:5). 66 Session 5

6 Psalm 119: I am Yours; save me, for I have sought Your precepts. 95 The wicked hope to destroy me, but I contemplate Your decrees. 96 I have seen a limit to all perfection, but Your command is without limit. God s Word is perfect. 5 Verses In the first part of verse 94 the psalmist wrote a remarkable statement of fact: I am Yours. Reflect for a moment on the implications suggested by these three one-syllable, simple words. I am Yours means the psalmist recognized his position as a servant before God. Note he did not say, You are mine, implying his superiority over God. Rather he referred to God s ownership of his life. The psalmist s words were also a statement of allegiance, a pledge of loyalty. The servant theme runs throughout Psalm 119. The psalmist proclaims himself to be God s servant and his love and desire for God s law Your word is completely pure, and Your servant loves it (v. 140). I am Your servant; give me understanding so that I may know Your decrees (v. 125; see also v. 135). On the basis of the master/servant relationship between God and the psalmist, the psalmist had a humble prayer, a plea in the remainder of the first line of verse 94. He cried out for God to save him. The connection of the servant theme with a prayer for God s deliverance of the psalmist also appears multiple times in the psalm (vv. 17,84,176). As was noted in the previous session, in the Bible salvation may refer to God s action through Jesus to bring eternal salvation to believers. Salvation may also refer to a physical rescue from dire circumstances or from a dangerous enemy. The Hebrew term used here, while occasionally referring to deliverance from sin, guilt, and divine punishment, usually refers to physical rescue from enemies in this world. The first line of verse 95 supplies the reason the psalmist needed to be saved. He was in danger from wicked men who sought to destroy him. The wicked are those who are enemies of both God and His people. Later in the psalm, the writer would echo his words in this verse. The wicked have set a trap for me, but I have not wandered from Your precepts (v. 110). STUDY THE BIBLE Psalm 119: minutes READ: Ask a volunteer to read Psalm 119: Commentary 5 to emphasize the implications in the psalmist s statement in verse 94: I am Yours. GUIDE: Draw attention to paragraphs 2-3 on PSG page 66. God will always take care of those who belong to Him. Confident of this, the psalmist prayed: I am Yours; save me. This specific prayer for salvation was not about forgiveness of sins; it was about deliverance from affliction. If you belong to God, not only will you be with God in heaven, but God will be with you in times of trouble. The psalmist simply prayed: Save me. Authentic prayer is not how long or eloquent your words are. If your heart belongs to God, save me is enough to move the hand of God. 67

7 THE POINT God s Word reflects His character and power and always will. Commentary 6 to show how the terms sought and contemplate are synonyms for how the psalmist approached God s Word. The psalmist turned to God s Word for help, and did so intently, giving his full attention to it. He was completely focused on God s Word. SAY: As we begin a new year, let s resolve to be completely focused on God s Word. Difficulties and afflictions tend to distract us from seeking God and contemplating His Word. However, we believe that His Word is forever, faithful, and true; and we can depend on His Word no matter what circumstances we face. The term translated hope in this context has the meaning of lying in wait or looking for someone or something. It also carries the notion of eager anticipation. The danger the psalmist faced was very real and his enemies were eagerly and actively seeking his destruction. The psalmist had previously referred to his faithfulness in keeping God s precepts in spite of persecution from his enemies, persecution from which he had sought God s deliverance: How many days must Your servant wait? When will You execute judgment on my persecutors?. They almost ended my life on earth, but I did not abandon Your precepts (Ps. 119:84,87). However, this verse reveals that his persecutors were still a problem. 6 The second lines of both verses 94 and 95 are similar (or may have the same meaning). Both lines provide the basis for the psalmist s request. In Psalm 119, the Hebrew terms for precepts and decrees are used nearly interchangeably as synonyms for God s Word. Not only are these words parallel, the verbs translated sought and contemplate can refer to essentially the same action. As he had done in verses 23-24, the psalmist again responded to danger and persecution by turning to and focusing on God s Word. The term translated sought has the meaning of inquiring or consulting. When the wicked threatened, the psalmist turned to God s Word for aid. He sought the solution from God, not himself. As stated above, the term translated contemplate carries much the same meaning as the first term sought, but adds the sense of looking intently and giving full attention. Not only was the psalmist looking to God s Word for his solution, but he was completely focused on God s Word as well. Interestingly, even though the psalmist had sought God s precepts and contemplated His decrees, the psalmist also acknowledged that it is God who provided understanding so that the psalmist could truly know God s Word and thereby obey it (vv. 34,73,125). Yet, through learning God s precepts, the psalmist gained further understanding by which he rejected the ways of the wicked (v. 104). Verse 96. Whereas verses had a common theme, verse 96 refers to a different truth. Verse 96 could be an excellent summary of the Book of Ecclesiastes. Solomon (called the Preacher or the Teacher, the author of Ecclesiastes, Eccl. 1:1) examined all of life s activities without God and declared them to be futile. Absolute 68 Session 5

8 futility, says the Teacher. Absolute futility. Everything is futile. (v. 2). Yet when life is lived to the fullest, that is, in relationship with God, life can be perfect (in the sense of being complete or fulfilling). The psalmist s phrase all perfection likely refers to all of life s activities without God, in that it has a limit (the human concept of perfection that excludes God, His laws, His ways, and so forth). The second line of verse 96 contrasts God s command it is without limit with the activities of people apart from God, which are limited. In other words, the psalmist stated that God s Word is eternal. The psalmist also spoke of the permanence of God s Word earlier in this stanza. He wrote that God s Word is forever and is firmly fixed in heaven (Ps. 119:89). Life offers a multitude of things and activities on which to focus our attention. People become focused on careers, sports, travel, family, and so forth. Unfortunately, people also fall prey to the addictions of drugs, gambling, and pornography, to name a few. While the second category of addictions is obviously wrong and dangerous, the first group of activities can also become the primary focus of a person s life as well. Even good things can become obsessions, to the extent that they push out of our lives what is of primary importance God and His Word. Jesus words serve as a warning about the need to invest our lives in that which has eternal value, to live our lives focused on God and His Word. Don t collect for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matt. 6:19-21). The psalmist knew that true satisfaction and fulfillment in life flow out of a relationship with God and a life lived in obedience to His Word. When we come into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, we begin living life as God meant for us to live it. As Jesus Himself proclaimed, I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance (John 10:10). DISCUSS: Question #5 (PSG, p. 67): What does it mean in your own words to tell God, I am Yours? (Alternate: Based on Psalm 119:96, what makes God s instruction different from other wise sayings we encounter in life?) SAY: The Word of God is our anchor in the midst of the storms of life. DO: Refer members to the Storms of Change activity on PSG page 68. Ask volunteers to share responses. 1. Stephen J. Lawson, Psalms , vol. 12 in the Holman Old Testament Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2006), Ibid. 3. Leslie C. Allen, Psalms , vol. 21 in Word Biblical Commentary (Waco: Word Books, 1983), 143, 69

9 THE POINT LIVE IT OUT 5 minutes God s Word reflects His character and power and always will. LIVE IT OUT How should you respond to the truth that the word of God is always relevant? GUIDE: Emphasize The Point: God s Word reflects His character and power and always will. REVIEW: Live it Out (PSG, p. 69); see text to the right). Encourage each member to follow through this week with at least one of the applications. WRAP IT UP GUIDE: Emphasize that the beginning of a new year is a great time to make a priority commitment to focus on God s Word. God s Word is relevant to every aspect of our lives. > > Read The Bible. The Bible is firmly fixed forever and is always relevant. The ultimate news you need to know every day is in the Word of God. Read the Bible every day. Meditate on its truth. Treasure its wisdom. Open Windows is an excellent guide for daily devotions that includes a one-year daily Bible reading plan (For more information or to order Open Windows, go to or call ) > > Trust the Bible. Take your stand on the Word of God. Believe its truth and act on it. As you read Scripture this week, ask yourself, What is God calling me to do because of what I ve read? Act on what you read. > > Share the Bible. We are living in rapidly changing times. People are looking for hope, truth, and direction. Be a witness to the timeless truth of God s Word. Tell someone what God is teaching you through His Word. Always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks the reason why you have put your hope in Christ (1 Pet. 3:15). SAY: Every week we gather to study God s Word. Find some ways to make what you learn a topic of conversation in your circles of influence. PRAY: Father, thank You that You never change and that Your Word is forever. We are Yours. Help us to live our lives based on the sure foundation of Your Word. 70 Session 5

10 ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/KEN TOUCHTON (3/8/20) A rabbi prepares to read directly from the open Torah in front of the Western Wall at Jerusalem. Psalm 19:7-9 is a beautiful passage. The verses contain synthetic parallelism (lines of poetry similar in construction). There are six couplets, a couplet being two lines of poetry within the three verses. Each couplet contains a description of the revealed truth of God, such as the law of the Lord is perfect, and an effect of that revealed truth, such as reviving the soul. David began, The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul (v. 7a, NIV). The word for law is torah. It is derived from a word that means to throw, to shoot, to cast. In the Book of Proverbs, torah refers to the teaching of the wise. The law of the Lord then would be the instruction of Yahweh, specifically what was given to Moses in the Pentateuch. The New Testament writers often referred to the Pentateuch as the law (Matt. 5:17), and the Jewish classification of Scripture referred to the Pentateuch as the Torah. The Torah also represented the covenant. God s desire for Israel was that they might obey their covenant and be blessed. Thus, the law was precious because it showed the way to blessing. The Hebrew word for perfect can mean sound, complete, having integrity, entirely in accord with truth and fact. Its basic meaning is complete. God s Word is perfect, without any type of error. God s ways are also perfect (Deut. 32:4; 2 Sam. 22:31). The excerpt above is from the article Descriptions of the Word (Summer 2000), which relates to this session. More Biblical Illustrator articles are available that relate to this session. See page 7 about Biblical Illustrator. SHARING THE GOOD NEWS God s character His love and grace are clearly seen in the fact He sent His Son, Jesus, to die and take away our sins. We fully experience His love and grace when we trust Christ for salvation. Each week, make yourself available either before or after the session to speak privately with anyone in your group who wants to know more about becoming a Christian. See the article, Leading Someone to the Greatest Decision of All, on page 2 for guidance in leading a person to Christ. Remind group members that page 2 in the PSG offers guidance in how to become a Christian. Encourage believers to consider using this article as they have opportunities to lead others to Christ. Grow with other group leaders at the Groups Ministry blog. LifeWay.com/GroupMinistry 71