Psalm 119:105 Commentary

From Matthew Henry's Commentary:

Observe here, 1. The nature of the word of God, and the great intention of giving it to the world; it is a lamp and a light. It discovers to us, concerning God and ourselves, that which otherwise we could not have known; it shows us what is amiss, and will be dangerous; it directs us in our work and way, and a dark place indeed the world would be without it. It is a lamp which we may set up by us, and take into our hands for our own particular use, Proverbs 6:23.  The commandment is a lamp kept burning with the oil of the Spirit; it is like the lamps in the sanctuary, and the pillar of fire to Israel.  (Note:  Proverbs 6:23 says " For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life.)

2. The use we should make of it. It must be not only a light to our eyes, to gratify them, and fill our heads with speculations, but a light to our feet and to our path, to direct us in the right ordering of our conversation, both in the choice of our way in general and in the particular steps we take in that way, that we may not take a false way nor a false step in the right way. We are then truly sensible of God’s goodness to us in giving us such a lamp and light when we make it a guide to our feet, our path.

We have been singing this song in church lately.  It's a prayerful song to sing to the Lord.

The story behind the song........

"You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."  Psalm 16:11

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Week 9 - Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

This week's verse is short but powerful!

1 Peter 2:2-3 Footnotes

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.                                 1 Peter 2:2-3
Life Application Study Bible, NIV Footnotes:

One characteristic all children share is that they want to grow up -- to be like big brother or sister or like their parents.  When we are born again, we become spiritual newborn babies.  If we are healthy, we will yearn to grow.  How sad it is that some people never grow up. The need for milk is a natural instinct for a baby, and it signals the desire for nourishment that will lead to growth.  Once we see our need for God's Word and begin to find nourishment in Christ, our spiritual appetite will increase, and we will start to mature.  How strong is your desire for God's Word?

This is an excerpt from Matthew Henry's commentary.  He's speaking about verse 3.

The graciousness of our Redeemer is best discovered by an experimental taste of it. There must be an immediate application of the object to the organ of taste; we cannot taste at a distance, as we may see, and hear, and smell. To taste the graciousness of Christ experimentally supposes our being united to him by faith, and then we may taste his goodness in all his providences, in all our spiritual concerns, in all our fears and temptations, in his word and worship every day. 

There it is again!  We must be united, connected to Christ, as the branch to the vine, to taste his goodness.  We must remain in Him!

If you've been with the BC for very long, you've heard this song before -- ONE of my favorites from Selah.  Their songs just minister to my heart.  I'm having a Selah fest this week so bear with me!  

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Taste & See

Week 8 - 1 Peter 2:2-3

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Did you see Bobbye's comment on the last post?

"I didn't realize until re-reading this morning that this is the 2nd half of an instruction. Not sure I'm crazy about the first half! Lol!"

The first verse says, "Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind."  1 Peter 2:1

That's definitely a challenging verse!  Did you notice the therefore?  What's that THERE FOR?  1 Peter 1 is a great chapter too!

This is a good reminder to read in context.  If you just read the verse, you miss out on lots of important things the Lord has for you.

I've kind of been stuck on verse 3, "now that you have tasted that the Lord is good."  If we've tasted that the Lord is good, shouldn't we crave pure spiritual milk?  Why do so many Christians settle for less than the feast the Lord has for them?  I fear I am often guilty of this very thing.

May you taste and see that the Lord is good today!

Psalm 34:8, "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him."

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Week 8 - 1 Peter 2:2 & 3

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

I can't believe we're on Week 8 already!  How are you doing with the challenge?  Are you having trouble memorizing the verses or is it easier than you imagined?

Remember to continue reciting the past verses to keep them fresh.

Are you spending time with the Lord each day, meditating on God's Word?  Although it may not be as measurable as memorizing a verse, it's still a very important part of this challenge.

You don't need to strive towards some kind of "perfection," just strive to grow in the wisdom and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and in your relationship with Him!

Have a blessed week!

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Matthew 4:4

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' "  Matthew 4:4

The first time we read our memory verse this week, we asked:

1.  Who is Jesus answering?

2.  Where is it written?

In order to read in context we have to answer these questions.  We discover that this is the story of Satan tempting Jesus in the desert and that Jesus is quoting Moses from Deuteronomy 8:3 when he is speaking to the Israelites.

A couple of worthy things to note from footnotes I read:

1.  You can't show true obedience without the opportunity to disobey.  Testing will come so be alert and ready for it.

2.  Jesus wasn't tempted in the temple or at his baptism but in the desert where he was alone, tired and hungry.  Satan often tempts us when we are vulnerable.

I'd like to quote the footnote for Matthew 4:3,4 from the NIV, Life Application Study Bible.

Jesus was able to resist all of the devil's temptations because he not only knew Scripture, but he also obeyed it.  Ephesians 6:17 says that God's Word is a sword to use in spiritual combat.  Knowing Bible verses is an important step in helping us resist the devil's attacks, but we must also obey the Bible.  Note that Satan had memorized Scripture, but he failed to obey it.  Knowing and obeying the Bible helps us follow God's desires rather than the devil's.

Deuteronomy 8:3
He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

Footnote:
Many people think that life is based on satisfying their appetites.  If they can earn enough money to dress, eat, and play in high style, they think they are living "the good life."  But such things do not satisfy our deepest longings.  In the end they leave us empty and dissatisfied.  Real life, according to Moses, comes from total commitment to God, the one who created life itself.  It requires discipline, sacrifice, and hard work, and that's why most people never find it.

Lord, help us in memorizing our verses not to leave obedience out of the equation.  Let us not merely be hearers but doers of Your Word.  May we hunger and thirst for You and realize that we do not live on bread alone or any other thing this world has to offer but that our true satisfaction and life is found in You alone!  Amen!

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Week 7 - Matthew 4:4

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Matthew 4:4

God's word to us is our spiritual food.  Don't be satisfied with a snack this week -- feast on Him!

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Mealtime Scripture

We're familiar with the mealtime prayer.  How about the mealtime scripture?

One way our family is working on our scripture memory is when we sit down to our meals.  We say our prayer AND we say our scripture verse.

During our recent travels we haven't always been good about saying our verses at meals but we've had plenty of time in the car to practice reciting them.

Please share ways that you are striving to "not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth"?

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Keyword Searches

As we were working on our verse today, the children recognized the familiar phrase about meditating day and night.

Week 1:  Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.  Then you will be prosperous and successful.  Joshua 1:8

Week 6:  Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.  But his delight is in the law of the Lord and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:1&2

One of the children said, "I wonder how many times meditate is in the Bible?"  So we talked about ways to find out that information.  You can search keywords on Bible Gateway at biblegateway.com .  A search of the word meditate brought up these results:

1. Genesis 24:63
   He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching.
   Genesis 24:62-64 (in Context) Genesis 24 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
2. Joshua 1:8
   Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
   Joshua 1:7-9 (in Context) Joshua 1 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
3. Psalm 1:2
   But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
   Psalm 1:1-3 (in Context) Psalm 1 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
4. Psalm 39:3
   My heart grew hot within me, and as I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue:
   Psalm 39:2-4 (in Context) Psalm 39 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
5. Psalm 48:9
   Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love.
   Psalm 48:8-10 (in Context) Psalm 48 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
6. Psalm 77:12
   I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.
   Psalm 77:11-13 (in Context) Psalm 77 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
7. Psalm 119:15
   I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.
   Psalm 119:14-16 (in Context) Psalm 119 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
8. Psalm 119:23
   Though rulers sit together and slander me, your servant will meditate on your decrees.
   Psalm 119:22-24 (in Context) Psalm 119 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
9. Psalm 119:27
   Let me understand the teaching of your precepts; then I will meditate on your wonders.
   Psalm 119:26-28 (in Context) Psalm 119 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
10. Psalm 119:48
    I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees.
    Psalm 119:47-49 (in Context) Psalm 119 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
11. Psalm 119:78
    May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause; but I will meditateon your precepts.
    Psalm 119:77-79 (in Context) Psalm 119 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
12. Psalm 119:97
    מ Mem Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.
    Psalm 119:96-98 (in Context) Psalm 119 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
13. Psalm 119:99
    I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.
    Psalm 119:98-100 (in Context) Psalm 119 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
14. Psalm 119:148
    My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.
    Psalm 119:147-149 (in Context) Psalm 119 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
15. Psalm 143:5
    I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.
    Psalm 143:4-6 (in Context) Psalm 143 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
16. Psalm 145:5
    They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
    Psalm 145:4-6 (in Context) Psalm 145 (Whole Chapter)

Week 6 - Psalm 1:1 & 2

Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the man 

who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked 

or stand in the way of sinners 

or sit in the seat of mockers. 

 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, 

and on his law he meditates day and night.

We are continuing to meditate on and memorize scripture focusing on the Word of God, which is one of the vital ways that we maintain our personal relationship with God.

The verse to memorize this week is Psalm 1:1&2 BUT if you're up to it and want to take an extra challenge, try memorizing all of Psalm 1.  The rest of the chapter looks like this:

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, 

which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither.

Whatever he does prospers.

4 Not so the wicked!

They are like chaff 

that the wind blows away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, 

nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish.

I'm sending out this info a little early because I will be away from my computer for a few days.  Week 6 starts this Sunday, August 5, 2012.

Delight in the law of the Lord this week!

2 Timothy 3:16 & 17 Footnotes

NIV, Life Application Study Bible Footnotes for 2 Timothy 3:16 & 17

The Bible is not a collection of stories, fables, myths, or merely human ideas about God.  It is not a human book.  Through the Holy Spirit, God revealed his person and plan to certain believers, who wrote down his message for his people.  This process is known as inspiration.  The writers wrote from their own personal, historical, and cultural contexts.  Although they used their own minds, talents, language, and style, they wrote what God wanted them to write.  Scripture is completely trustworthy because God was in control of its writing.  Its words are entirely authoritative for our faith and lives.  The Bible is "God-breathed."  Read it, and use its teachings to guide your conduct.

The whole Bible is God's inspired Word.  Because it is inspired and trustworthy, we should read it and apply it to our lives.  The Bible is our standard for testing everything else that claims to be true.  It is our safeguard against false teaching and our source of guidance for how we should live.  It is our only source of knowledge about how we can be saved  God wants to show you what is true and equip you to live for him.  How much time do you spend in God's Word?  Read it regularly to discover God's truth and to become confident in your life and faith.  Develop a plan for reading the whole Bible, not just the familiar passages.

In our zeal for the truth of Scripture, we must never forget its purpose -- to equip us to do good.  We should not study God's Word simply to increase our knowledge or to prepare us to win arguments.  We should study the Bible so that we will know how to do Christ's work in the world.  Our knowledge of God's Word is not useful unless it strengthens our faith and leads us to do good.


Have you discovered anything interesting about this verse that you would like to share?


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