GOD S WORD IS TRUTH SESSION 6. The Point. The Bible Meets Life. The Passage. The Setting GET INTO THE STUDY

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1 GET INTO THE STUDY GUIDE: Direct attention to the picture on Personal Study Guide (PSG) page 70. SESSION 6 GOD S WORD IS TRUTH GUIDE: Refer group members to content in The Bible Meets Life, PSG page 71 and ask members to share other examples of changes in standards of measurements in their lifetime. DISCUSS: Question #1 (PSG, p. 70): How have you seen standards change over your lifetime? GUIDE: Introduce The Point (PSG, p. 71): I can fully rely on what the Bible teaches. SAY: As we conclude our study of Psalm 119, we know with certainty that we can rely on the truth of God s Word. The Point I can fully rely on what the Bible teaches. The Bible Meets Life The postmodern culture leaves the standard for ethics and morality up to the personal preferences of the individual. Even the definition of truth is left to the individual. Such a haphazard approach leaves society in chaos and can easily put us at odds with each other. Truth is consistent across all times, cultures, and people; if it is not consistent, it is not truth. God has not left us alone to determine truth; He has given us His Word to reveal truth. The Passage Psalm 119: The Setting The 20th stanza (the resh stanza) focuses on the truth of the reliability of God as presented in God s Word. The psalmist proclaimed that all of God s Word is truth. Because of this, we can trust God s love for us and the salvation that God provides from our trials and tribulations in this life and the salvation God provides for us in Jesus Christ from sin, judgment, and death. 72 Session 6

2 Psalm 119: Resh Consider my affliction and rescue me, for I have not forgotten Your instruction. 154 Defend my cause and redeem me; give me life as You promised. 155 Salvation is far from the wicked because they do not seek Your statutes. God s Word points to our salvation. Verses The psalmist began this section with a plea (prayer) for God to intervene in his situation. The psalmist s plea was a continuation from the previous section, where he cried out to God to be saved (vv ). The enemies he described in that section (v. 150) were still troubling him. 1 The plea of the psalmist was for God to consider his affliction. The term translated affliction refers to someone who is poor or needy, often someone of a low social standing who is impoverished. The psalmist was in desperate need of God s help. The psalmist had mentioned his affliction twice in previous verses of Psalm 119 (vv. 50,92). This third mention of his affliction was a reference to the psalmist s persecution by his enemies (see v. 157). As a result of God s considering the psalmist s afflictions, he also asked God to rescue him. The Hebrew term for rescue means to deliver. Interestingly, some of the word s other meanings are to equip for fighting (equipping for military service) and to make strong. Sometimes, God s rescue or deliverance can come in the form of providing strength to endure persecution and injustice. God is faithful and will deliver us, but His deliverance may be in ways we may not have expected. The reason for the psalmist s confident plea was that he had not forgotten God s instruction. The psalmist s appeal should not be taken to mean that since he had been obedient to God s Word in his life that God was obligated to relieve his affliction. Rather, in appealing to God for help, the psalmist was calling upon God with confidence. The psalmist knew that God delights in coming to the aid of those who do not forget His Word. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin (Ps. 1:6). STUDY THE BIBLE Psalm 119: GUIDE: Refer to the table of contents to remind group members of the titles of previous sessions. LEADER PACK: Point to the titles on Item 1: Spoken. READ: Read or ask someone to read Psalm 119: GUIDE: Refer group members to PSG page 72 to see the two requests the psalmist made: 1. Consider my affliction. 2. Rescue me. 15 minutes SUMMARIZE: Use Bible Commentary 1 to remind members the psalmist was in desperate need of God s help and asked God to rescue him. SUGGESTED USE WEEK OF JANUARY 8 73

3 THE POINT I can fully rely on what the Bible teaches. SAY: The psalmist s desperate need for God to rescue him is a continuing theme throughout Psalm 119, and it is a fitting conclusion to be reminded of these words once again. DISCUSS: Question #2 (PSG, p. 72): What do these verses teach us about the psalmist s relationship with God? GUIDE: Refer members to PSG pages Point out how the psalmist looked to God to serve as his Advocate, using terms like, defend me, redeem me. SAY: Jesus takes the role of Advocate for us. GUIDE: Ask for two volunteers to read: 1 John 2:1 Hebrews 4:16 Verse 154 parallels verse 153 and adds to its meaning. Defend my cause stands parallel to consider my affliction ; redeem me stands in parallel to rescue me. However, give me life is a central theme in this stanza. The psalmist repeated this request three times (vv. 154,156,159). Surrounded by enemies who threatened him with death, the psalmist turned to God seeking and appealing that He would give him life. That God was the source of the psalmist s life is a major theme in the psalm and he associated that life with God s faithful love (vv. 88,159), His judgments (v. 156), His promise (vv. 50,154), His justice (v. 149), His word (v. 107), His precepts (v. 93), and His righteousness (v. 40). Note that the psalmist did not seek to defend himself against his persecutors, but looked to God to defend him. The word translated defend my cause carries the meanings of both to struggle or grapple and to have or decide a legal dispute. The psalmist called on God to be his defender. The psalmist s language pictures him being in a legal dispute with his enemies. His persecutors, acting as both judge and jury, had already decided the dispute in their favor and were in the process of executing the penalty of their sentence upon the psalmist. In response, the psalmist appealed to God, the true Judge, to defend him. Only God could deliver the psalmist from his persecutors grasp, giving him life. This request for life was a consistent appeal of the psalmist throughout the psalm (vv. 37,40,88,107,149,154,156,159). The psalmist provided support for his request for God to give him life. The reason the psalmist had confidence that God would give him life was that God had promised He would do so. Hope in God s promises is a recurring theme in Psalm 119 (vv. 41,50,58,76,82,116,123,133,148,154,162,170,172). God s promises are not based on our efforts (we can t earn salvation); instead, they are based on God s character His unchanging, loving, holy, and righteous character. As we discussed in our last session, God and His Word are perfect, timeless, and unchanging. This life the psalmist sought is found in God s precepts (v. 93), which reflect the characteristics of God Himself, and is in accordance with [God s] faithful love (v. 88). The psalmist had complete confidence in God based on God s faithfulness. 74 Session 6

4 Verse 155. But what about those who don t trust God, who reject His Word? Will God save those who don t trust in Him and in His Son (1 John 5:11 12)? This verse is a continuation of the idea in the previous verse that God gives life. However, in this verse, the situation is reversed. Life comes from God, whose promises are found in His Word. Those who reject God and His Word reject life. Salvation is far from such individuals, whom the writer identified as the wicked. The wicked are those who are enemies of both God and His people (it is the same term used previously in v. 95). The Book of Psalms paints an unflattering picture of the wicked. They despise God in their arrogance, believing they will never have to given an account for their actions (Ps. 10:3 4,13; 36:1). They revel in their evil desires (10:3) and evil grows within them and comes forth like a woman giving birth to a baby (7:14). They are violent (37:35; 73:6; 140:4); relentlessly pursue the afflicted (10:2), the poor, and the needy (82:4); and wait in the shadows devising schemes and looking for opportunities to harm and/or kill the righteous (11:2; 37:14,32; 64:2). God thwarts their evil plans and actions (21:11; 146:9; 147:6) and delivers the righteous from the traps and schemes of the wicked (37:32,40). Although they seem to prosper in this life (73:3,12), their desires eventually come to nothing (1:6; 112:10) and by their own actions they bring upon themselves pain (32:10) and eventually death (34:21; 37:20). Because they reject God and His Word there is no salvation for them (119:155); God judges them with justice (9:16; 37:28) and for their evil actions they receive God s wrath (11:5-6; 75:8; 91:8) and will be destroyed (9:5; 37:28,34,38; 68:2; 75:10; 92:7; 145:20). The term used here for salvation has the meaning of being rescued from a dangerous situation by a savior. When used of God as Deliverer, it usually refers to Him rescuing someone from an external, physical danger, though it is sometimes used to refer to salvation in the sense of deliverance from sin and the punishment it brings. In this case, the danger was the psalmist s human enemies, the wicked. The psalmist identified the reason the wicked do not receive God s salvation they do not seek God s statutes. The wicked reject God s Word, which as stated previously reflects His character (who God is) and His will (what God commands). By not seeking God through His revealed will in His Word, the wicked cut themselves off from God and the promise of salvation (life, v. 154). GUIDE: Refer group members to PSG page 73. Verse 155 teaches us two things about the nature of salvation: 1. Salvation is far from the wicked. 2. Salvation is found in God s Word. DISCUSS: Question #3 (PSG, p. 73): How does God s Word help us in times of distress? (Alternate: When has God s Word redeemed a difficult season in your life?) TRANSITION: The psalmist stood in stark contrast to the wicked. He loved God s statutes and lived according to them. He appealed to the compassion of God and to His faithful love. 75

5 THE POINT I can fully rely on what the Bible teaches. STUDY THE BIBLE Psalm 119: minutes READ: Read or ask a volunteer to read Psalm 119: SUMMARIZE: Use Bible Commentary 2 to describe the compassion of God. Read Exodus 34:6-7: Yahweh Yahweh is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in faithful love and truth, maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving wrongdoing, rebellion, and sin. Point out that, according to these verses, compassion is who God is it is His nature to display this quality. DISCUSS: Question #4 (PSG, p. 75): When have you been overwhelmed by the love and mercy described in Psalm 119:156? (Alternate: What makes it hard for some to accept the reality of God s love?) Psalm 119: Your compassions are many, Lord; give me life according to Your judgments. 157 My persecutors and foes are many. I have not turned from Your decrees. 158 I have seen the disloyal and feel disgust because they do not keep Your word. 159 Consider how I love Your precepts; Lord, give me life according to Your faithful love. God s Word points to His love. Verse 156. The psalmist restated his plea (see v. 154), again asking that God would deliver him, giving him life. Like his previous plea, the psalmist based his request on God s promise, this time referencing God s judgments (another synonym for God s Word). 2 In relation to his request for life, the psalmist appealed to God s loving and merciful nature. Specifically, the psalmist addressed God s compassions, referring to them as many. The word translated compassions is usually used in relation to God and appears in Psalm 119 only here and in verse 77. Both times God s compassions are connected with an action giving life. As was previously noted, this request that God would give the psalmist life is repeated three times in this stanza (vv. 154,156,159). God s compassions refers to the qualities of God s love, pity, and His mercies (His being merciful). Perhaps the greatest explanation of God s compassions comes from the exodus account, when God passed in front of Moses and proclaimed: Yahweh Yahweh is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in faithful love and truth, maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving wrongdoing, rebellion, and sin (Ex. 34:6 7). The importance of compassion as a characteristic of God is emphasized in the Bible by how many times the above passage is referenced in both the Book of Psalms and the Old Testament as a whole (see for example Num. 14:18; Deut. 5:9 10; Ps. 86:15; 103:8; 145:8; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2; Neh. 9:17,31). 76 Session 6

6 3 Verse 157. Verses contrast the psalmist s suffering persecution at the hands of his enemies with his faithfulness in keeping God s decrees. The psalmist again referred to his persecutors, this time also identifying them as his foes. He quantified them as many. The psalmist justified his asking for help against his enemies by appealing to his obedience to ( I have not turned from ) God s decrees. The wicked do not seek God s Word, but the psalmist had faithfully stayed true to God and His Word. Again, the psalmist was not demanding that God help him based on his actions. God s love or help cannot be earned. God s relationship with His people has always been based on His grace and His provision for the forgiveness of their sins, both in the times of the Old Testament, New Testament, and for us today. Scripture is clear that salvation is by faith alone in the finished work of Jesus Christ on our behalf (Gal. 2:15-16; Eph. 2:4 9). However, Scripture also states that salvation results in the transformation of the saved individual through the work of God in the believer s life (1 Thess. 5:23; Heb. 13:20-21). Gradually, the believer will be transformed (or conformed) to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29; 12:2) and bear the fruit of the Spirit in his or her life (Phil. 1:9-11; Gal. 5:22-24). God s love stands behind the psalmist s request in this verse as well as those in the preceding and following verses. God s love is not merely an emotional feeling (as we often define love); God s love results in His action for His people (Ps. 98:3; John 3:16). As believers, our love should result in action also (Jas. 1:22-25; 1 John 3:18). 3 Verse 158. This verse expands on what the psalmist stated in the second half of the previous verse. Though the psalmist himself had not turned from God s Word, he had seen those who did. Regarding the identity of the disloyal, the most obvious and likely candidates were the psalmist s many persecutors and foes (Ps. 119:157). The term translated disloyal means to be faithless, treacherous, or to betray. The psalmist had already identified such people as those who don t seek God s Word (v. 155), have turned away from God s Word (v. 157), and now those who do not keep God s Word (v. 158). The common theme in all three descriptions is disobedience to God and His Word. In response to the wicked and their actions, the psalmist experienced the feeling of disgust. The term translated disgust is a strong one, having the meaning of detesting someone or something. This is not the only place the psalmist had been moved to strong emotion at the sight of those who rejected God s Word. Rage seizes me because of the wicked who reject Your instruction (v. 53). Nor was it SUMMARIZE: Use Bible Commentary 3 to point out the terms used to describe the enemies of the psalmist: persecutors foes disloyal The psalmist said he feels disgust for them because they do not keep God s Word. SAY: In contrast to his enemies, the psalmist did not turn from God s decrees, but rather he loved the Lord s precepts. SUMMARIZE: This passage begins and ends with the plea, give me life according to Your judgments (v. 156) according to Your faithful love (v. 159) (In verse 154 the psalmist also said, give me life as You promised. ) SUMMARIZE: Use Bible Commentary 4 on page 78 to further explain the psalmist s prayer: give me life. 77

7 THE POINT I can fully rely on what the Bible teaches. TRANSITION: After appealing to God s faithful love and expressing his love for and trust in God s precepts and decrees, the psalmist concluded by declaring that every part of God s Word is true and eternal. STUDY THE BIBLE Psalm 119: minutes READ: Read or ask a volunteer to read Psalm 119:160. GUIDE: Refer group members to Digging Deeper on PSG page 76 to reinforce that God s Word is truth and will endure forever. GUIDE: Refer group members to PSG pages to affirm the truthfulness of God s Word: Trust that the Word of God is true. Trust that the Word of God is eternal. the only time he had rejected the wicked and their actions. Depart from me, you evil ones, so that I may obey my God s commands (v. 115). Throughout the psalm, the writer s loyalty and commitment to God and His Word are very clearly expressed. Your statutes are the theme of my song during my earthly life. Yahweh, I remember Your name in the night, and I obey Your instruction. This is my practice: I obey Your precepts (vv ). 4 Verse 159. This verse focuses on the connection between the psalmist s request for life based on his love of God s precepts and God s faithful love. The psalmist s prayer was that God would continue to give him life, a prayer that the psalmist repeated now for the third time (vv. 154,156,159). This life was part of the psalmist s covenant relationship with the Lord. As has already been discussed in the previous section, the deliverance the psalmist was seeking was from his human enemies. So, the life he was referring to here was mostly likely a deliverance from the threat of death at the hands of his enemies. But even so, it should be noted that this life, lived in relationship with God, is experienced only in part during physical life on the earth (God s salvation, His other blessings, and being declared blessed ), but is experienced fully in the life to come eternal life. God offers us that same life when we trust His Son, Jesus Christ, whose mission was to offer salvation through faith in His sacrifice for us: a blessed life now and an unimaginable life life as it is meant to be in eternity (Luke 19:10; John 1:12; 10:10). The psalmist s appeal to God for life was twofold. First, he expressed his love for God s precepts. Second, he appealed to God s faithful love. As has already been noted, we cannot earn God s love. However, it is interesting to note that the psalmist s appeal was based both on God s faithfulness (His nature) and the psalmist s faithful obedience. But even the psalmist s appeal to his own faithfulness to and love of God s Word rested not on an assumption that God owed him something, but rather on the belief that God watches over and desires to help those who are His faithful servants. Psalm 119: The entirety of Your word is truth, and all Your righteous judgments endure forever. 78 Session 6

8 We can be sure God s Word is true. Verse 160. The psalmist did not merely claim that God s Word is truth. He began this verse by stating the entirety of God s Word is truth. In this context, the term translated entirety means the sum total. The sum total of the Bible, every part, every word of it, is truth. We would agree with the fact that the Bible is truth, without mixture of error. 1 What we know about God is from God since He is the divine Author of all the Bible; therefore, all of the Bible is trustworthy. If all the Bible were not true, who would be qualified to say which part was true and which part was not? What would be the criteria for making such a judgment? Certainly not human beings! In this verse God declared that the entirety of His Word is truth. Whom can we trust more than God who is truth, who is always consistent and never fails? Throughout the Bible we find similar declarations of this fact, such as Your word is truth in John 17:17). In addition, all God s Word is righteous. It perfectly reflects God s character and standard of conduct. When we follow God s Word when we act in accordance with what God commands in His Word we can be assured we are doing the right thing each and every time we obey what the Bible says. The psalmist concluded this verse by stating God s righteous judgments endure forever. God Himself is eternal, so His Word is eternal. The truths and principles in His Word are eternal, relevant for all people of every time and in every place. Concerning God s Law, Jesus said, But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter in the law to drop out (Luke 16:17). God s Word is eternal. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away (Matt. 24:35). The psalmist had both a passion for and a commitment to God s Word. He knew life and salvation are only in God s Word. The following statement serves as fitting conclusion to our study of both this session and all of our sessions from Psalm 119. The psalmist knew that if he was serious about his discipleship, he would have to immerse himself in the Bible; and he knew that if he did immerse himself in the Bible, he would have to obey it. We sometimes think of obedience as something we just have to grit our teeth and do, but the psalmist thought of it as a joyous, natural response to what he learned about God when he studied his Word. 2 May we share the psalmist s joy in obedience when we study and obey God s Word! LEADER PACK: Use Item 7: Reliable to reinforce the authenticity of God s Word. DISCUSS: Question #5 (PSG, p. 77): What is the difference between saying Scripture contains truth versus saying Scripture is entirely and totally true? (Alternate: What are some of the consequences of believing that God s Word is true?) DO: Complete Trustworthy Content on PSG page 78. Direct members to create pie charts to show how they trust what they read in newspapers/ magazines. Then instruct them to create charts that show how much they trust the Bible. Compare and ask volunteers to share responses. 1. The Baptist Faith and Message, article I, 2000 edition. Available from the Internet: 2. James Montgomery Boice, Psalms: An Expositional Commentary: Psalms , vol. 3 (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998),

9 THE POINT LIVE IT OUT 5 minutes I can fully rely on what the Bible teaches. LIVE IT OUT The Word of God is true. How will this truth affect how you respond when your life is on the line? GUIDE: Emphasize The Point: I can fully rely on what the Bible teaches. REVIEW: Live it Out (PSG, p. 79); 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 no matter who or what may come against us, or whatever troubles we may face, we can always trust in God for rescue and salvation. > > Truth to rely on. Consider the reliability and truthfulness of the Bible and choose to believe what it says. Begin with what the Bible teaches about Jesus Christ and place your faith and trust in Him. > > Truth to study. Become a life-long student of God s Word. Study its message and live in obedience to it. In addition to your Bible study group, make a commitment to study a book of the Bible you have not studied before. > > Truth to share. Tell someone why you know the Bible is true and reliable. Start a new Bible study group with people not currently studying the Bible. Through your leading and example, lead them to see the value of knowing and living God s Word. SAY: When we trust His Son, Jesus Christ, for salvation through faith, God offers us a blessed life now and an unimaginable life in eternity. PRAY: Father, thank You that You never change and that we can always trust in You and in Your Word. Help us to fully rely on what the Bible teaches. 80 Session 6

10 ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/DAVID ROGERS/METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART/NEW YORK (338/16) Silver Byzantine plate depicting David s covenant with Jonathan. Loving-kindness. Dictionaries define it as tender regard, mercy, favor; kindness arising from a deep personal love, as the active love of God for His creatures. But can any definition give you a sense of the fullness of this word? Probably not! So too is the sense of the Hebrew word chesed, from which we have the translation loving-kindness. Biblical writers used the noun form of the word 246 times! The Old Testament used chesed on two levels: (1) between human beings and (2) between God and people. Chesed entails faithfulness, loyalty, love, and kindness in human relationships. Interesting to compare is what chesed is not in biblical humanhuman relationships. Never does chesed refer to an emotion or a sentiment. Neither does it ever have a sexual connotation in human relationships. Chesed is not self-seeking and is not motivated by anything except desiring the best for another person. We hear echoes of the concept of chesed in Paul s words in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. The excerpt above is from the article Lovingkindness: A Word Study (Summer 2004), 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 Word gives a reliable testimony of the death, burial, and resurrection of the sinless Son of God. It also offers a clear invitation to turn from our sins and trust in Him. 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. Get expert insights on weekly studies through the Ministry Grid. MinistryGrid.com/web/BibleStudiesForLife 81

11 FIVE REASONS WHY THEY AREN T COMING BACK BY CHRIS SURRATT Most leaders believe they have a great group, and a few of them wonder why people won t come back after the first visit. There are a million scenarios for why some people try out a group and it doesn t work, but here are five possible reasons they may be fleeing for their lives: 82 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE

12 1. The group has been together for a while and it s hard to see a place to fit in. This is why it is so important to start new groups instead of trying to shoehorn new people into existing groups. It s kind of like when your parents moved when you were in the 10th grade and you had to show up to a new school to try to fit in. Unless you re Ferris Bueller, it s going to be a rough year. 2. There s no time invested in community. I know you have the group that loves to go deep. Last week s two-hour discussion about whether regeneration begins before salvation was probably riveting conversation, but if you re not committing group time to developing lasting relationships, you re missing a key piece to discipleship. 3. There s no time invested in study. Community is important, but when the study is an afterthought (or non-existent), you basically have a social club. Lasting discipleship needs community and foundation. 4. The leader dominates the discussion. I know a small group where the study consisted of the leader acting out a scene from The Matrix each week. That may be a bit extreme, but a lot of leaders feel like they need to be the center of the show and have all of the answers. If leaders are talking more than 30% of the time, there is a problem. Awkward silence can be your friend. 5. The leader is unprepared. I once asked a group member to lead the discussion at our small group, and he started the study with asking his wife to print out the questions because he hadn t seen them yet. A leader who is not prepared is not really leading. It doesn t have to be hours of prep, but you should always be at least one step ahead of the group. Chris Surratt manages SmallGroup.com for LifeWay Christian Resources. You can follow his blog at chrissurratt.com or follow him on BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 83