Today, as we look into Psalm 119, both the longest psalm and the longest chapter in the Bible, there are two points I would like to consider. The first is to avoid having a covetous and acquisitive nature. The second is how laws, specifically God’s laws, give us freedom, a seeming contradiction. Let’s look into this passage of Scripture.
As we look around and observe people in our neighborhoods, across our country, and around the world, we see one thing in common with so many, and that is their desire to get rich. They are not just satisfied with enough to live comfortably, but they have a greedy desire to be rich, wanting more luxurious homes and cars, bigger TVs, the latest computers and cell phones, etc. However, what does God’s Word say about desiring earthly wealth? In our psalm for today, the writer prays that his desire would not be to covet or desire more possessions, but instead desire God’s Word (vs. 36-37). He doesn’t want his eyes to linger on things he doesn’t have and doesn’t need, calling them worthless. Slick advertising is big business, and companies vie with each other to hire the best advertising agencies, knowing that the best ones can bring in the most sales.
Jesus gave us a word about desiring more wealth and treasures. In His Sermon on the Mount, He warned us against laying up treasures here on earth, as they will only wear out, get broken, or get stolen (Matthew 6:19-21). Instead Jesus told us to make our treasures things in heaven, where they are eternally safe. Obedience to God’s Word is more valuable than wealth, as it is a heavenly treasure, not an earthly one. Our hearts should be turned towards God, and not in pursuing earthly wealth.
All of our earthly possessions will prove to be worthless on the judgment day of Christ. For those who are saved, earthly possessions will not bring more rewards from God. For the unsaved, possessions will mean nothing, and cannot save them. Our salvation and eternal life are of more value. As Jesus told us, we cannot serve God and money (Matthew 6:24). When it comes to pursuing wealth, Christians should be seeking to store up treasures in heaven, not here on earth.
A second important point in this passage from Psalm 119 is something that might seem like a contradiction, and this is that the psalmist says he walks in liberty, with freedom, when he follows God’s Laws (vs. 45). Many people think of rules and laws as restrictions, something that takes away freedom, rather than promoting it. That is often a reason some people give for not wanting to be a Christian. They do not want to be told what to do and what not to do, and they look at the Bible as being a big book of “Don’t do this! Don’t do that! You’d better do this!”
As parents, we put restrictions on our children to keep them safe. We won’t let them play in the street, or go into the deep end of the swimming pool unattended for their safety, no matter how much they might fuss to do so. People who seek to live any way they wish will often get caught up in drugs, alcohol, adultery, gambling, and other disastrous activities. What is the end result? Ruined health, destroyed families, loss of money. Following God’s laws are there to protect us from such things. Obeying God’s laws don’t inhibit us. Instead, they give us freedom from sin and oppressive guilt. Following God’s instructions allow us to escape the consequences that might come from any wrong choices we might otherwise make. God’s laws show us that He loves us. We are free within the loving boundaries He sets.
When out hiking, it is never wise to try to see how close we can get to the edge of a precipice before falling in. Wandering off the marked path, getting too close to the edge, and a tragic fall can happen. In the same way, the further we stray from the Bible, the closer to the edge of dangerous sin we get, and we can find ourselves in danger of a tragic fall. We get close to the edge when we get into sinful past-times and activities, when we get too busy for God in our lives, or are discontent with what we have in life. As we see, it is best to stay within the safety of God’s Word.
No comments:
Post a Comment