Today we come to Psalm 119:97-104. This Psalm is about meditating on the precepts of God’s Word. Here, we find several different specific expressions that describe the Word of God, including law, commands, statutes, precepts, and words. The Word of God is compared to insight, understanding, the right path, and the sweetness of honey. Also, the Psalmist informs and calls us to love the Word of God, meditate upon it, obey it, keep it, adhere to it, taste it, and grow from it. In verses 99 and 100, we find two curious statements – that the Psalmist has “more insights that all his teachers” and “more understanding than the elders.” What does he mean by that? Is he boasting of his knowledge and disparaging his teachers and elders? Clearly, the simple and short answer is no. He is saying that – merely by possessing, studying, and meditating upon God’s Word – he has access to more knowledge and insight than all the wisdom and learning possessed by his teachers and the elders. In the natural course of study, we gain new knowledge and add it to the knowledge base which subsequently grows to surpass that of our teachers and elders. Moreover, by his meditations, he is being taught by the Holy Spirit – Whose wisdom transcends that of all men. Daily, we should pray that God would bless us and all our loved ones with what I call the Hierarchy of Truth – specifically – God's truth, wisdom, understanding, insight, knowledge, discernment, and discretion, so that we may face the epistemological challenges of the day. The Word of God contains these resources, and they are more precious than silver or gold. Indeed, they constitute the elements of life itself, and they become our only security in an uncertain world. I thank God that He has given us His Word to lead us home to Him.
In Jeremiah 51:17-64, we continue to read about God’s past and forthcoming judgment on Babylon. We say “past,” because God dealt historically with Babylon when the Medes came in and conquered the nation and the city (cf., Daniel 5). Jeremiah says, “I will dry up her sea and make her springs dry … Babylon will be a heap of ruins” (verses 36-37). This happened on the night of King Belshazzar’s feast (cf., Daniel 5:30). We also say “forthcoming” because we recognize that the mysterious “Babylon the Great who sits on many waters – the mother of prostitutes and of the abominations of the earth” (cf., Revelation 17-18) – who will appear in all her sins during the great tribulation … [she will] fall and to be consumed by fire” (cf., Revelation 18:1-8). Historically and biblically, Babylon is an evil empire and a city that represents the arch-enemy of God in all its human and demonic forms. Although Babylon was formerly a “war club” in God’s hands - to be used by God for His will and to fulfill His purposes, God would “stretch out His hand against her, and make her desolate forever” (verses 25-26). As we have seen in the past, God turns the tables.
2 Timothy 4 reveals Paul’s tender and compassionate heart as he completes his ministry and is about to depart for glory. Departures, for me – no matter how temporary they may be – are always heart-wrenching because, potentially, they represent something uncertain, final, and eternal. As missionaries, we constantly lived with departures – always having to say “Good-bye” – and then wondering, “Will we see each other again … ever?” Personally for me, the absolute worst thing about life is having to say “Good-bye.” Here, we see how hard this must have been for Paul. “Only Luke is with me,” he writes (verse 11). To the end, Luke was faithful to Paul when so many others were – for various reasons – no longer present. Good-byes are painful; I know of nothing else that hurts so much.
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