Sermon
It Is Well With My Soul
August 31, 2003
Pastor Donald Sheley

Turn in your Bible to Psalm 119. We selected Psalm 119 to be our Psalm for the month of August, and we did this because the Psalm has 176 verses and we knew we couldn't cover those all in one day's exposition. And it was to our benefit to learn that it's divided into 22 stanzas. We all know that there are 22 letters to the Hebrew language, and this Psalm was written as an acrostic. So as each stanza begins you'll notice it's identified with one of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Like such: above 1 is Aleph, and over verse 9 is Beth, and over verses 17 is Gimel, and then you have Daleth; and now we have arrived at verse 65. That particular letter is Teth, and it's the equivalent of our English 't'. So if we're reading that in the original text the words in this particular stanza would begin -- the first word would begin with 't'.

Now we're going to enjoy something that I think you'll appreciate. I love books, as you know. I have a large library of about 16,000 volumes. I collect older books as well. I have a great number of books way back in the 1800s. The one next to this one was 1869, and you can see it's had many years of use. Many of the older books, you know, you can't pick them up and handle them like this because they're so fragile. And when I went through to find the printing year on this somewhere in the text I found it at 1849. So the Bible I hold in my hands is 150 years old. He references the fact that the publisher has only further to add that he has made the following impressions from the Oxford edition of 1784, and from the Cambridge edition of 1668, and from the Edinburgh edition of 1775, and from the London edition of 1772.

So this is an ancient book. And what I thought we would do today is we would read the text from this old Bible, and I want you to see if there is any difference. The reason why I'm doing this is because the entire psalm 119 is David's expression of his love for the word of God. And out of the 176 verses, over 170 of them he has a direct reference to God's word. So let me read the text and then we'll get to our notes.

Verse 65; you follow along and see if there's any difference:
Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O LORD, according unto thy word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments. Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.
Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.
The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.
Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.
The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver. Now I think your text says coins in there. And this one does not have the coins it says: The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver. So that's the stanza in his song. Remember this was an ancient hymn and it was 22 stanzas, and it would take probably an hour to sing this song if we sang all the verses.

Now as I was going through my archives, I'm back there looking at some of the Bibles, I found another old book and it was written in 1889. Its author was Dr. Rudolph Foster who was the bishop of the Episcopal Methodist church, and he's having a national conclave in 1880 and his subject is the Bible, the supernatural book. This is what he's going to teach about to his congregation at that big conclave. Later it develops into a massive manuscript of over 700 pages and it's a marvelous text on the supernaturalness of the Bible.

It's not in your notes but I picked out his opening words. He's going to talk about the Bible, his love for the Scriptures, and his reverence for the Scriptures. And this is the way he begins his conclave: The Bible, it is not a dead letter. It has not left the race as it found it. It is certain that no greater power ever entered this world. It has turned and overturned; it has grapple with and overthrown superstitions. It has eradicated huge and monstrous evils. It has ennobled manhood. It has elevated womanhood. It has weakened and discomfited oppression. It has melted the chains of slavery. It has given sacredness to human life. It has imparted sanctity to the marriage.

It has created the idea of a home. It has begotten the feeling of human brotherhood. It has elevated the aims and the pursuits of men and women. It has diffused education and culture. It has developed a benign and human civilization. It has been elaborated at the church altars and on its Sabbath sermons and by such, it has built the noblest and purest and broadest and deepest and grandest types of human excellence. It has visited no nation to whom it did not bring blessing. It has gone into no home to which it did not give peace and well-being. It has visited no heart into which it did not introduce healing.

The Bible. No man can point to one of its teachings or requirements or influences that has harmed human welfare or diminished individual worth or well-being. Were it accepted universally and its true spirit in practice, according to its divine teaching, it would diffuse happiness over the whole world. It would make an end of war, oppression, domestic strifes, the devices which degrade and destroy the souls of bodies and of men. It would give all lands a day of worship to almighty God, and every child a church and a school. And to the sick and poor, tender mercies of love. It would soon make the desert waste of heathenism blossom as a rose, and the abject and the miserable abodes of ignorance and superstition would become radiant with the light of life. That's the influence of the Bible. And to that I say amen.

Now let's take our notes just for a few moments today. And I begin our notes by suggesting that the writer of our Psalm really is in love with God's Word. Over 170 times in this passage, He refers to the Word of God as the law, as precepts, testimonies, statutes, commandments, ordinances and the Word. Now in a previous lesson I talk to you about the characteristics of those words. David selects these various words to define a certain quality, a certain characteristic of the Bible, the Word of God. So let's, again, go over those one more time. And the reason why I do this is because it appears 170 times in one chapter. And I think it is important that we understand with the writer is talking about.

So, when the psalmist uses the word law to describe the Word of God, he is referring to God's law in general, whether it is that universal rule called the law of nature, or that which was revealed to His Church by Moses, and perfected by Christ. In strictness, the law means a plain rule of conduct, rather placed clearly in man's sight. It reminds us that revelation is not simply for interest but for obedience. So when David uses the term to describe the Word of God, and he uses the word law, he is thinking of God's directions for life and for blessing, and the emphasis is obedience. God didn't just say it to be saying it. What He has written to us in His Word, if we will follow it, it will bring blessing to our lives. And so when he uses the term 'law' he's thinking that it's something -- it's a directive given by almighty God which requires of us obedience.

Let's go to the next one. The word testimonies is derived from a word which signifies to bear witness, to testify. The ark of the tabernacle is so called as the tabernacle of witness, as are the two tablets of stone, and the tabernacle; the earnests and witness of God's inhabitation among His people. Testimonies are more than particularly God's revealed law. They are the witnesses and the confirmation of His promises made to His people -- pause.

Let me explain, oft times when you have the usage of this word, testimonies, it's used in relationship to the ark of the covenant. Now in the ancient worship place there was this small building that was used for worship. The outside was called the holiest place and inside in a small cubicle was called the holiest of holies. Into that small cubicle the priest would go only once a year. But in that little cubicle was a box and that's what it was; it was only about 4 1/2 feet long and so wide. But in that box were three very important items. There was the rod that Aaron used, the rod of Aaron. There were the two tablets of stone, and there was the pot of manna. And they were forever there for the purpose and the reason that they would remind the people of God's faithfulness.

When Moses brings them to the Red Sea, it's the rod that he throws across the water and the seas separate and so that rod is placed in the ark of the covenant as a constant and continual reminder of God's power and God's delivering grace to the nation of Israel. Now they're out in the wilderness and they have nothing to eat so they're crying out for food, and what does God do? He bakes the manna in heaven and it's delivered at their doorstep every morning. And so to remind them as a forever reminder, as a testimony to the power of God to provide for the needs of man, that pot of manna sits there as the constant testimony of God's faithfulness.

And then there's the law, reminding man that God has in His graciousness given us the directives for a life that results in blessing and in joy and in purpose. They are the testimonies left for man of God's involvement in our journey that proved His faithfulness and His concern and His love for His people. So when David uses that word testimonies to describe the Bible, he's thinking of the multitudinous number of times where God has made a promise, God has intervened, God has done something supernatural, God has done the spectacular, that God has cared for His people. They are the testimonies to His faithfulness. Okay?

Let's go to the next one -- precepts. Precepts comes from a word which means to place in trust, something entrusted to man, the appointments of God, which consequently have to do with the conscience for which man is responsible as an intelligent being. Now this is a word which is drawn from the sphere of an officer or of an overseer, a man who is responsible to look closely into the situation and take action. The word points to the particular instructions of the Lord, as one who cares about detail. Now let's pause there.

Precepts -- what David thinks about when he writes that word down, he's thinking about the intricate detail that God gave in His directives for life and what He wanted. It's an amazing thing. When you go through the book of Leviticus and through those ancient books of the law, God is very specific as to how it was to be done, how you were to proceed. When it came to the giving Moses the instructions for building the tabernacle, He said it will be this many inches long, and it'll be this many inches wide and deep, and the curtain will have this many rods in it, and it'll be made of this kind of wood. It's amazing the instructions given by God in very specific detail. Man was never left to guess. And so when David writes precepts, he is amazed at the preciseness of God. In His directives to man as to how to live, what to do to enjoy God's blessings. And it's intimated that when we do what He tells us to do and we follow in accordance with His law, with His words, He's going to bless. So precepts has to do with the precision and the intricacies of divine law and they are there.

Let's go to page 2. Another word used by the psalmist to designate the character of the Word of God is statutes. Now it's a verb which comes from the word formed which means to engrave or to inscribe. The word means a definite, prescribed, written law. But in this Psalm which we are studying, it has a more internal meaning -- that moral law of God which is engraven on fleshly tables of the heart; the inmost and spiritual apprehension of His will; not so obvious as the law and testimonies, but it's a matter of more direct spiritual communication than His precepts.

And the reason why I wrote it that way is when he calls them statutes, he's thinking of the way when God created us in His likeness; He wrote across our conscience the dos and don'ts of life. That conscience is there. Now we can so act against the conscience that in time we can silence the conscience, but originally it's there and there are certain things that are inscribed in our fleshly hearts that nothing changes. And it doesn't take a Christian to understand it's there.

Let me illustrate. When somebody lies -- you take a politician that lies -- I mean, it takes all the media to tell him how bad he is for lying. Right? Because everybody knows you don't lie because it's wrong. And even the world knows that. It is one of those statutes written across our hearts by almighty God. And there are those laws that God has placed within us that will be there for as long as we live -- statutes, the law of the will of God written in the heart and in the conscience. Statutes.

Now let's go to the next one. The next one is Commandments. The word emphasizes the straight authority of what is said; not merely the power to convince or persuade, but the right to give orders. Now here's what's in his mind when he writes down commandments, this is what's in his head, he realizes that whatever is written there is the directive from the highest authority in the universe! Almighty God! And what God says there is no rebuttal, there is nothing that can be changed. God has said it; He's the highest authority of the universe; so when he says commandments he is thinking of the source of authority. When it comes down from the top, you do it. Those are the commandments and when he reads the word of God he sees them as the thoughts and the directives given to us from the supreme God of the universe. That's His authority; you don't question it --commandments.

Let's go to the next one. He uses the word ordinances and judgments. Remember, as we went through the Psalm you'll find these always interwoven throughout all the verses, these various designations. So when he uses ordinances or judgments of this word is used to describe the decisions of the all-wise Judge about the common human situations. Scripture is given as the standard for fair dealing between man and man. It is the word derived of a verb signifying to judge or to determine. So when he uses the word ordinances or judgments this is what's in David's mind, he says the word of God is the standard by which everything else is judged.

That's really not true today. We live in a world where the Bible is pretty well set aside. It's the opinions of man, it's the consensus of the majority that rules and sets the standards as far as society is concerned. And oft times they are in total violation to the standards of the Scriptures. And when he thinks of judgments or ordinances, he's thinking that here is God's instructions for right and for wrong, it's the standard by which you hold yourself accountable. And just because the world thinks another way doesn't change the standards of God. When God said it's wrong, it's wrong. He set the standard. And God says it's right, it's right. Because He sets the standard. If we would only live by His standards what a different world we would live in, if this was the standard we followed and judged ourselves.

And then there's one more I think. Lastly, another designation of the character of God's word is 'word'. It's a term which in the most divine sense, refers to the Word of God -- the announcement of God concerning His divine will; His command; His oracle; God's revealed promise of certain blessings to the righteous. So when he uses the term 'word' he is thinking as the word of God the collective mind of God. Here we have all that God wanted to say to us, right here (the Bible) -- we don't need to go any further. God's will, God's nature, God's purpose, God's plan, God's character -- God's plan for us, that's the word. So he thinks of the word as the collective identification for this precious book.

Now I've gone over this with you now as you read the book, the chapter 119 in Psalm, you'll see that what is in his mind. He's not just using different words to be using different words, but he uses these words to designate a certain characteristic or quality of God's word that he wants to stress in that particular setting. And I felt it was very important that we go over that one more time so that when you read the text again you'll understand those words.

I'd like for you just to take the text now and I want to talk to you about what he's talking about in our text. Psalm 119 beginning at verse 65, it says, You have dealt well with Your servant, O LORD, according to Your word. Teach me good judgment and knowledge, For I believe Your commandments. Before I was afflicted I went astray. Now he's opening up his heart and this is going to be the subject of this stanza, the matter of God's discipline for a wayward lad. You know it's true because look you get to verse 71, It was good for me that I have been afflicted. So what he's talking about is this, David is reminded of those times in his life when we went wayward from God. And I mean sometimes it was a tragic waywardness.

David is thinking about his proneness, which is a quality of all of us as human beings, we don't always walk the straight and narrow. There are times we deviate in disobedience, and as a result, we are just as guilty of our waywardness as David was. But in Jewish writing David does something; it's always there, he always starts with a summation. He says, Thou has dealt good or well or bountifully with Thy servant. But he is saying this in the context of knowing that God had every right in the world to treat him differently because of his waywardness. Waywardness is a part of our journey and he is saying before I was afflicted, so now he's talking about when God gets out the rod to discipline us for our waywardness.

The writer of Hebrews brings this out very clearly, he says, that in life a father that doesn't discipline his children is one who doesn't love his children. Now I know that violates some of the philosophy of Spock, and I never agree with him, and he proved he was wrong. But he just simply said let the kids do what they want to do. You don't do that! You don't do that because you raise a generation of wayward kids who are rebellious and do anything they want to, and as the result, we have on our hands what we have on our hands. The Bible makes it very clear love towards your children is demonstrated in guiding them and leading them and at times disciplining them to bring him back into the steps of obedience. It might sound old-fashioned to you, but that's what the Bible teaches.

And David realized that when he went wayward from the spiritual path of duty and he found himself in sin, he had a loving God that was going to deal with him. He was going to deal with him in justice, but He was going to afflict him. And God did. When David made that terrible sin with Bathsheba, boy I mean the afflictions were terrible. When he comes to Nathan and the admittance is made, and he's already laid down the penalty, he said, you tell the man whoever took that little lamb he's to repay it four times -- he set his own judgment. And old Nathan said, and you'll have the same judgment. And when you go through his life he loses his first child, there is pain in his home, one son kills another son. You have a son who tries to steal his throne. I mean, the affliction for his waywardness is very obvious.

There's something very beautiful about David's attitude. David didn't get angry at God for spanking him. That's amazing. He said God, You have dealt fair with me and You are a good God.

You know, old Jonah could have said the same thing. He's going to run away from God. You talk about rebellion and waywardness; he's heading for Tarshish. And finally God causes a storm to upset the sea and the sailors throw old Jonah overboard, and the result is that he begins to pray. I mean, you know, if God wasn't good He could just let that fish have a good meal. That would have been the end of the story, but He didn't. Here is Jonah down there crying out and finally God causes the fish to throw up Jonah and he is on his way to obedience. He's a different man now. He's been afflicted, and in his affliction he's a changed man. But God preserved his life, God preserved his life. So he can say like David, God I went astray. I really purposely tried to go my own way, but You have dealt bountifully with me.

Think of Peter. Old Peter promises Jesus I'll never, never forsake You. What does he do? He finds himself sitting with the enemies of Jesus in the courtyard warming his feet by their fire. I mean that's waywardness. He's identified with the enemies of Christ. Then what happens, he realizes what he's done after Jesus is walked out of the room and looked at him. He goes out and he weeps. But look how graciously God deals with Peter. When the angel is giving everybody an invitation to join them at the resurrection party up in Galilee, he said, you tell Peter and the disciples.

Now that's amazing to me. He includes Peter by personal identification in the invitation list. So when he arrives at the lake and they're having this wonderful celebration and Jesus is feeding them breakfast, he gives Peter the opportunity to redeem himself. Peter do you really love Me? Peter do you really love Me? Peter are you sure you really love Me? Peter denied Him three times. Jesus gave him three opportunities to correct his denial. He said, you know I love You. And Peter could have said the same thing, Jesus, I was wayward but even in my waywardness You dealt with me in justice and kindness.

The Bible tells us that God is a good God. Notice here I think is the heart of the stanza. Notice verse 68: You are good, and You do good. Here is the wonder -- even in the pain and the tears of his discipline he never changes his perception of God. We often do. As soon as God begins to chastise us and to try to bring us back in line, we get mad at God and we blame Him for everything. God what are You doing? And all of a sudden our mind, because our anger towards God gets twisted and thus our perception of God gets totally tainted and unbiblical, now we don't like Him.

I remember as a daddy taking my boys to the ice cream shop on one day and I was a great dad. The next day I'm disciplining and they look at me and say, daddy, you're not a good dad; I don't like you anymore. That's crazy. The perception of the goodness of their dad changed just because daddy had to do some disciplining. And we're the same way with God. God wants for our goodness because His very nature is goodness. And when you study the goodness of God, all the He wants for us is our best. He has no ill against us. He wants the best for us and in His goodness, whatever it takes to get us to that point, it's always good.

And David could go through that deep moment of discipline and still look God in the face and say, God, You are good -- You are good. Most of us don't do that. You know, speaking of discipline, I had an experience as a dad I've never forgotten. I had one boy who needed a little discipline so I...I really didn't spank I just hit him three times. That little boy went into his bedroom and started crying. Now I knew I didn't hurt him that hard. And a few hours later he was still crying. And the next day he was still crying. And every time I looked at him he'd start crying. Finally I took him and set at him on my lap and said, son, daddy didn't hurt you that much, did he?

No, he said, daddy, the reason why I'm crying is that I would do something that would make you have to discipline me. I'll tell you, that was a tender moment. O if we could look at God when He's trying to bring us back into correction and to obedience, and know that His discipline is for our good. To be able to say, God, You really are good. And just because You've taken this time to discipline me, doesn't change Your character; doesn't change the attributes of God, He's still good.

And you know, ladies and gentlemen, if you in the time of discipline can look God in the face and say, God, I know what You're doing, You're correcting me. And I want to learn from this because David said when I was afflicted then I began to learn. That's interesting. Sometimes the greatest lessons are taught in the deepest moments of discipline. He said, God I want to thank you.

But I'll tell you this, when you know that the God who's disciplining You is a good God, and He's only doing it for your benefit, then your soul can be at peace with God. Otherwise, your soul is filled with turbulence and sometimes resentment and sometimes pain. And the lesson I want you to learn today is if you're going through discipline -- sometimes our discipline comes, we violated good laws of logic, good business laws, spiritual laws; we ventured away from God. But if you can know that whatever efforts and whatever way that God is bringing you back in to obedience, He is doing it for your good. And with that truth it can be well with your soul. Amen?

I want you to stand and we're going to close our day. And I want you to sing this hymn 'It Is Well with My Soul' in this context: if today you feel that because of God's disciplines you have had a wrong attitude towards God, you've been angry at God, disappointed with God, I want you to see it as David sees it. God is a good God and if He has to bring us to the lowest level in life to correct us, He'll do that, but just remember He's a good God and He's going to do it for our benefit. Let's sing it.

-- the song is sung --

Lord Jesus, maybe there are those with us today who are in their journey being disciplined by You for waywardness and disobedience. May we join our testimony with David who through his tears and through his pain of discipline could lift his eyes to You and say, God, You are good and You always do good. Your character never changes. And because You are good I can trust You and be at peace that when this is all finished and the test is over and the discipline has come to an end, it all will work out in accordance with Your divine plan because You are good and You always do good. Thank you dear God. Amen. God bless you all.