Psalm 119 | Part 14
In week fourteen, Holly Culhane continues the Psalms for Shepherds series with a reflection on Psalm 119:105–112 and the Hebrew letter, Nun. She highlights the psalmist’s faithfulness to his God; an example of being a faith-filled and dependable follower of Jesus. Holly encourages shepherd leaders to follow this example in dependability as they influence the sheep entrusted to their care.
Transcript
This is Holly with Presence Point and welcome back to our Psalms for Shepherds series. This is week 14 of our time in Psalm 119, and today, we’re looking at verses 105 through 112. This portion of this acrostic psalm based on the Hebrew alphabet, represents the 14th letter known as Nun [pronounced Noon].
It has often been said that “the greatest ability is dependability”. And we know this applies to our Savior as He is fully faithful to us. Of course, then, it is not unreasonable for our Savior to expect us to be faithful to Him. And this portion of Psalm 119 demonstrates exactly that: the faithfulness of the psalmist to His God and the example we are to follow as faith-filled, fully dependable followers of Jesus. Please join me in reading Psalm 119, verses 105 through 112.
Psalm 119:105-112 (Nun)
105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet
and a light for my path.106 I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again:
I will obey your righteous regulations.107 I have suffered much, O Lord;
restore my life again as you promised.
108 Lord, accept my offering of praise,
and teach me your regulations.109 My life constantly hangs in the balance,
but I will not stop obeying your instructions.110 The wicked have set their traps for me,
but I will not turn from your commandments.111 Your laws are my treasure;
they are my heart’s delight.112 I am determined to keep your decrees
to the very end.
If you have been walking the Christian life since you were a child, the first verse of this psalm, verse 105, must have sounded very familiar to you, as it is often part of childhood memorization in the church: “Your word is a lamp [or a guide] unto my feet and a light for my path.”
Bible Commentator Warren Wiersbe, a modern-day Christian pastor, Bible teacher, and conference speaker until he moved to Heaven in 2019, said of this passage, “Faithfulness is an evidence of faith, and faith comes from hearing and receiving the Word of God. In these verses, the psalmist described several areas of faithfulness in the life of the believer: faithful feet, faithful words, a faithful memory, and a faithful heart.”
I love this because it’s so true, especially of this portion of Psalm 119. The psalmist’s feet were faithful to follow God – His precepts, His statutes, and His ways. In fact, he used the Father’s Words as a light and a lamp to guide him through decisions, and life’s up and downs just as we should.
The psalmist’s words were faithful toward our God, as he declares God’s regulations righteous, The psalmist remembers God’s faithfulness in the past, as he knows how God has proven Himself faithful time and again, and he knows that even though his life hangs in the balance and the wicked have set traps for him, he asks God to continue to teach him what he needs to know and that he would not stop obeying the Father’s commands which is exactly we are to do. And the psalmist demonstrated a faith-filled heart by committing to remain faithful to God’s Word and His statutes to the very end of his life just as we should do.
When preaching on this passage, C. H. Spurgeon, a 19th Century Baptist preacher, said this of verse 105 (and I’ll add a little modern-day language to help you with this quote):
“We are walkers through the city of this world, and we are often called to go out into its darkness; let us never venture there without the light-giving word, lest we slip with our feet. Each man should use the word of God personally, practically, and habitually, that he may see his way and see what lies in it. When darkness settles down upon all around me, the word of the Lord, like a flaming torch, reveals my way. Having no fixed lamps in eastern towns, in old times each passenger carried a lantern with him that he might not fall into the open sewer, or stumble over the heaps of ordure or excrement or filth which defiled the road.
This is a true picture, Spurgeon says, of our path through this dark world: we should not know the way, or how to walk in it, if Scripture, like a blazing flambeau [or torch], did not reveal it. One of the most practical benefits of Holy Writ [or God’s Word] is guidance in the acts of daily life: it is not sent to astound us with its brilliance, but to guide us by its instruction. It is true the head needs illumination, but even more the feet need direction, else head and feet may both fall into a ditch.
Happy is the man who personally appropriates God’s word, and practically uses it as his comfort and counsellor, a lamp to his own feet.”
Spurgeon goes on to say,
“[God’s Word] is a lamp by night, a light by day, and a delight at all times. David [the psalmist] guided his own steps by it, and also saw the difficulties of his road by its beams. He who walks in darkness is sure, sooner or later, to stumble; while he who walks by the light of day, or by the lamp of night, stumbles not, but keeps his uprightness. Ignorance is painful upon practical subjects; it breeds indecision and suspense, and these are uncomfortable: the word of God, by imparting heavenly knowledge, leads to decision, and when that is followed by determined resolution, as in this case, it brings with it great restfulness of heart.”
How many of us, as shepherd leaders today, want a “great restfulness of heart”?
Well, David, the psalmist, the shepherd King Himself knew the secret: It was to remain faithful to our God in every situation, in every circumstance, in his personal life, in his reign, in his relationships. Although he often stumbled and fell, as do we, he knew where his stability was found.
And, as shepherd leaders influencing those in our homes, our work environments, our churches, our communities, we must know what source to follow for guidance, what source will keep us out of the dung and the pits of the life we lead.
Eugene Peterson, author of The Message, translated directly from the Greek and Hebrew, translates this portion of Psalm 119 like this:
By your words I can see where I’m going;
they throw a beam of light on my dark path.
I’ve committed myself and I’ll never turn back from living by your righteous order.
Everything’s falling apart on me, God;
put me together again with your Word.
Adorn me with your finest sayings, God;
teach me your holy rules.
My life is as close as my own hands,
but I don’t forget what you have revealed.
The wicked do their best to throw me off track,
but I don’t swerve an inch from your course.
I inherited your book on living; it’s mine forever—
what a gift! And how happy it makes me!
I concentrate on doing exactly what you say—
I always have and always will.
Fellow shepherd leader, may this be our refrain:
“I inherited your book on living; it’s mine forever – what a gift! And how happy it makes me! I concentrate on doing exactly what you say – I always have and always will.”
For this is the only way we will properly influence the sheep God has entrusted to our care, with His provision, His protection, and His presence, as He demonstrates, teaches, and outlines in the Word He has given to us to guide our feet and light our path.
Thank you for joining me.
DIGGING DEEPER QUESTIONS:
- Are you looking for an astonishing revelation each time you study God’s Word or meditating on His daily instruction?
- Is there an area of leading you need to bring God’s Word into, to light the way like a blazing torch?
- When you stumble and fall, as David did, how do you stand back up on the stable ground of God’s Word and His promises?
