Text:
Psalms 119:11:
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Theme:
On The Inside
Introduction:
- The Book of Psalms is the 19th book of the Old Testament and 2nd of the books of poetry. It is distinguished as the longest book of the Bible with 150 chapters and also contains the longest chapter of the bible, the 119th division of Psalms. Psalms is also organized in 5 divisions.
- The author is David, the God-Appointed King and originator of the Davidic line of Kingship and rule in Israel.
- Psalms is a book of praise and song consisting of verses that were rhythmically relayed in song as in poetry.
- Psalms can be divided into 6 classes based on their content:
- Hymns of praise to Jehovah
- Temple hymns
- Religious and moral songs of a general character
- Elegiac psalms, that is, lamentations, psalms of complaint, generally united with prayer for help
- Messianic psalms
- Historical psalms
- The theme of HELP pervades the Book of Psalms
- We need HELP!
- Psalms 22:11 Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
- Psalms 60:11 & Psalms 108:12, “Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.”
- God is our HELP!
- Psalms 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
- We need HELP!
- We often seek external manifestations of God to HELP us
- Friends, job, family, church folk, preacher, counselor, lover, spouse, children
- God can use anyone or anything to get the Word to His child
- 2 Corinthians 4:3, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:”
- Revelation 14:6, “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,”
- BUT, we cannot dictate HOW and WHEN God is to move and work around us!
- Romans 10:2-3, “For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”
- HOWEVER, it is critical to the believer to have an INTERNAL resource of HELP!
- Our text gives David’s testimony
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
- David had hidden (stored deep within) the Word of God in his heart to give him the HELP that he needed!
- We can only survive with this kind of help that is ON THE INSIDE!
Body:
- The text tells us that David hid the Word of God IN HIS HEART – What is our heart?
- The HEART = the CONSCIENCE
- No word in Hebrew for CONSCIENCE…HEART takes the place.
- Romans 2:15, “Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)”
- “In particular the heart is the place in which the process of self-consciousness is carried out” (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
- The heart itself identifies and/or condemns the man
- Matthew 15:11, “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.”
- Luke 6:45, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”
- No word in Hebrew for CONSCIENCE…HEART takes the place.
- Center of all moral, spiritual, and intellectual life
- Proverbs 4:23, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
- The old hymn, “Lord, I Want To Be A Christian” says it plainly
- The HEART = the CONSCIENCE
Lord, I want to be a Christian
In my heart, in my heart,
Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart.
- Remember, even with the heart it is what’s ON THE INSIDE!
- It does not matter what the person may say, how they may look, or how they may act –> it is what is ON THE INSIDE of their heart that matters
- We can’t see on the inside of the heart…only God can!
- 1 Samuel 16:7, “…for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”
- The Old Testament has the greatest example of what is ON THE INSIDE – The Ark Of The Covenant
- The Ark of the Covenant was kept at the center of the camp of the Israelites as they wandered through the wilderness.
- A wooden box (4 ft. x 2.5 ft. x 2.5 ft.) made of acacia wood (shittim, KJV) and covered with gold inside and out.
- The Ark was believed to be God’s Throne
- Top was known as the “Mercy Seat”
- Two golden cherubims or Angelic statues stood on opposite ends of the Ark facing the mercy seat
- The Ark Of The Covenant is a symbol of the covenant between God and man, not a magic charm!
- Although other Arabian tribes carried similar arks into battle as a “good luck charm”, the Ark of the Covenant merely represented the fact that God was protecting his people and would ensure their victory.
- Jeremiah 31:33, “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
- Just like David, Jeremiah writes also of God’s Law or God’s Word being ON THE INSIDE of the heart of man.
- In this way, the ARK symbolized their HEART
- Ever wonder what was ON THE INSIDE of the Ark Of The Covenant??
- What was ON THE INSIDE of the Ark served as a REMINDER for the people of God’s WORD, WILL, and WAY!
- The tablets given to Moses that had the Ten Commandments written on them
- Reminder of God’s WORD
- As the text says, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
- Reminder of God’s WORD
- A pot of manna
- Reminder of God’s WILL
- Luke 12:31, “But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
- Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
- Reminder of God’s WILL
- Aaron’s rod
- Reminder of God’s WAY
- Psalms 5:8, “Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.”
- Reminder of God’s WAY
- Jeremiah 31:33, “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
- We need REMINDERs today!!!
- Deuteronomy 8:11, “Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:”
- Luther Vandross immortalized the song, “Superstar”, with three introductory words to his lyrical masterpiece – “Do you Remember….”
- DO WE REMEMBER…
- When God saved our soul
- When God made a way out of no way
- When God picked us up out of the mired clay
- When God touched us with the finger of Love to wake us up
- When I think of the goodness of God and all that He has done for me, my soul cries out, “Hallelujah!”
- DO WE REMEMBER…
- Although other Arabian tribes carried similar arks into battle as a “good luck charm”, the Ark of the Covenant merely represented the fact that God was protecting his people and would ensure their victory.
Conclusion:
- You see, if we have God’s Word ON THE INSIDE, the “B” clause of our text acknowledges the support that we need
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
- With God’s Word ON THE INSIDE, we MIGHT not sin.
- We need Jesus to HELP us to not sin!
- With Jesus ON THE INSIDE, instead I have
- LOVE on the inside
- JOY on the inside
- PEACE on the inside
- LONGSUFFERING on the inside
- GENTLENESS on the inside
- GOODNESS on the inside
- FAITH on the inside
- MEEKNESS on the inside
- TEMPERANCE on the inside
- What makes a difference in your life is what is ON THE INSIDE!
- Now I’ve got Jesus on the inside!
- He walks with me
- He talks with me
- He tells me I am His own
- As the song says, “I’ve got Jesus and that’s enough!!!”
- Now I’ve got Jesus on the inside!
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