“A WELL ORDERED LIFE” (Ps 119:133)
January 21st, 2001
Notice David’s directness....”Look Thou upon me.” (Vr. 132) We cannot worship an abstraction.
1. (Judg 6:26) INSTRUCTIONS TO GIDEON---- "And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down."
a. "While his heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord."
1. (2 Chr 17:6) "And his (Jehoshaphat’s) heart was lifted up in the ways of the LORD: moreover he took away the high places and groves out of Judah."
2. (2 Sam 23:5) “Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.”
3. (Psa 37:23) "The steps[1] of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way."
a. "The “Stops” and the “Steps” of good men are ordered of the Lord."
b. (Acts 16:6) "Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,"
I. NOTICE THE PETITION OF DAVID’S PRAYER.....(Vr. 133)
Int. The proper attitude...(Vr. 132) “Look Thou upon me.”
A. THE PETITION OF DAVID: ”ORDER MY STEPS”
1. (Gen 22:9) "And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood."
2. (Exo 40:4) "And thou shalt bring in the table, and set in order the things that are to be set in order upon it; and thou shalt bring in the candlestick, and light the lamps thereof."
3. (Judg 13:12) "And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?"
4. (2 Sam 17:23) “.......Ahithophel.....put his household in order, and hanged himself,...”
5. It is said of Solomon that he, “set in order many proverbs.”(Ecc 12:9)
6. (Isa 38:1) “.......Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.”
7. (1 Cor 14:40) "Let all things be done decently and in order."
8. Six times the Bible says: “......after the order of Melchisedec:”
B. THE PATH OF DAVID’S REQUEST: (Holiness) ( “IN THY WORD”
1. Adam Clark says:: "Have dominion over me. — . Let me have no governor but God, let the throne of my heart be filled by him, and none other."
a. Ezekiel Hopkins said: "The Bible contains the perfect rules of a holy life, and the sure promises of a glorious one."
2. Matthew Henry says: "David prays earnestly that God himself would be his teacher; he had prophets, and wise men, and priests, about him, and was himself well instructed in the law of God, yet he begs to be taught of God, as knowing that none teaches like him."
3. (Job 36:22) "Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him?"
4. David desired “Not just the language of God's statutes, but the way of them.”
a. Horatius Bonar’s sermon: “Follow The Lamb” says: The understanding of doctrine
is one thing, and intimacy with God is another. They ought always to go together;
but they
are often seen asunder; and, when there is the former without the latter, there is a
hard, proud, hollow religion. Beware of mere opinions and speculations. They
become idols. They nourish pride of intellect. They furnish no food to the soul. They
make you sapless and heartless. Intimacy with God is the very essence of
religion.
5. (Isa 30:21) "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left."
6. (John 6:45) "It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me."
7. (1 John 5:20) "And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life."
8. David prays for understanding. (Vr. 123).
a. (Ps. 111:10). “.... a good understanding have all they that do his commandments:” (that is, that obey Him.)
9. David prays for deliverance..(Vr 134).
9. David promises to be a good student. (Vr. 123). “I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
C. NOTICE THE USE OF THE BIBLE IN OUR WELL ORDERED WALK.
1. It is our mirror, to dress by (James 1);
2. It is our rule to walk and work by (Gal. 6:16);
3. It is our water, to wash us (Ps. 119:9);
4. It is our fire to warm us (Luke 24);
5. It is our food to nourish us (Job 23:12);
6. It is our sword to fight with (Eph. 6);
7. It is our counselor, in all our doubts (Ps. 119:24);
8. It is our cordial, to comfort us; as our heritage, to enrich us.
D. DAVID’S PERSISTENCE IN THE MATTER. (Ps. 119:135) “Make me to go in the path of Thy commandments; ”
1. (Prov 4:26) "Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established."
2. Some path’s are overgrown with weeds...what kind of a path are you following?
3. (Psa 27:11) "Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies."
4. (Psa 119:105) "NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."
“When Israel knew not where to go
God made the fiery pillar glow;
By night, by day, above the camp
It led the waytheir guiding lamp:
Such is Thy holy Word to me
In day of dark perplexity.
When devious paths before me spread,
And all invite my foot to tread,
I hear Thy voice behind me say
Believing soul, this is the way; “
5. Trapp says: “David was saying, let not iniquity reign over me, though it may rebel.” (Vr. 133)
6. David was saying: “Let these oppressors (Vr. 134) be like the Lions in the den with Daniel; do a lot of roaring, but not be able to bite.”
7. David was faced with not only iniquity within, but oppressors without.
E. DAVID WANTED THE LORD TO PICK OUT HIS PATHS.
Ill. You would laugh me to scorn if I told you that I was going to Washington, D. C. by way of Wilmington, N. C.
1. (Job 8:13) "So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish:"
2. (Ps 23:3). “......He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.”
3. (Psa 25:4) "Show me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths."
4. J. F. & B. says: “Order my steps — “Make firm, so that there be no halting.”
5. (Psa 40:2) “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
6. (Prov 4:18) “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.”
a. What kind of a path are you traveling on today?
7. McClintock & Strong says: "The course of a man’s conduct and general behavior is called the path in which he walks,.."
II. NOTICE THE PURPOSE OF DAVID’S PRAYER.. (Vr. 133-b) “let not any iniquity have dominion over me.
A. NOTICE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE WORD IN THIS PETITION. “IN THY WORD” (Vr. 133-b)
1. (Psa 119:11) "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."
I'll read it; I'll heed it;
I love it, ev'ry part.
I'll hear it, revere it,
And hide it in my heart,
Its pages through ages
Have brought salvation free.
Receive it; believe it--
The B-I-B-L-E.
2. (Psa 119:114) "Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word."
3. I hope (Trust) in Thy Word...Luther said as he stood before the Emperor at Worms: "I do not trust either Pope or Councils, since it is manifest that they have often erred and contradicted themselves. My conscience is held by the Word of God. I cannot, and will not, retract anything, for to act against conscience is unsafe and unholy. So help me God."
B. NOTICE HOW WE SHOULD USE THE WORD OF GOD IN OUR DAILY LIVES.
1. The Word of God is the anchor to keep us steady in the storm of temptation. (1 Jn 2:14).
a. Paul and Silas made a dungeon ring with holy melodies.
2. The bolt to fix us to the Rock of Ages in the hour of trial. (1 Thess 1:6).
3. The nail to keep us firm in the time of persecution. (Rev. 3:8).
4. The pivot to keep us true in the day of witness-bearing. (Acts 4:31).
5. The pin to hold us steady in the aggressive warfare of the Gospel. (Acts 17:17).
6. The howser to keep us to the moorings of God's Holiness. (Jn 17:17).
7. The staple to hold us fast to the Lord. (Ps 119:67).
8. Conclusion: The unseen is the seen to faith. (Heb 11:1-13)., for it has confidence in the Unseen, love to the Unseen, and joy from the Unseen. (1 Pet 1:8).
III. NOTICE THE PLAN OF DAVID... (Vr. 135) (The Smile of God’s face)
A. ONE MUST DESIRE TO PLEASE THE LORD IN HIS LIFE.
1. (Psa 27:4) "One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple."
2, Richard Sibbes said: "THERE is nothing that characteriseth and sets a stamp upon a Christian so much as desires. All other things may be counterfeit. Words and actions may be counterfeit, but the desires and affections cannot. because they are the immediate issues and products of the soul; they are that, that comes immediately from the soul; as fire cannot be counterfeit. A man may ask his desires what he is. According to the pulse of the desires, so is the temper of the man. Desires are better than actions a great deal; for a man may do a good action that he doth not love, and he may abstain from an ill action, that he hates not. But God is a Spirit and looks to the spirit especially. It is a good character of a Christian,, that his desire, for the most part, is to good; the tenor and sway and bent of his desire is to good. "One thing have I desired." The Spirit of God is effectual in stirring up these desires."
3. It is said of Herod that “he desired to see Jesus.”
4. Many desire to see miracles, but do not desire to serve the Lord.
5. The Greeks in (Jn 12:21) desired him, saying to Phillip, “Sir, we would see Jesus.”