Text: Psalm 119:97-104
Key Verse: “Your words are so sweet to me, like the taste of honey! I gain understanding from your instructions, so I hate anything that leads people the wrong way” vs 103-104.
The Psalmist, though not perfect, is a model of a God lover, seeker and follower. “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day” vs 97 is a standard many are desiring to attain. Many still struggle to keep a focus on the Word for a brief time-Quiet time; not to mention the whole day. To the Psalmist and anybody, who wants to experience what puts a person above, what distinguishes a person, one must learn to deeply love and take pleasure in the word of God.
Th Psalmist is not just a model par excellence, he did excel in every dimension. Let us briefly highlight the areas that the Psalmist became distinguished because of his love for and obedience to the word:
- He became wiser than his enemies vs 98
- He had more understanding than his teachers vs 99
- He had more understanding than the aged vs 100
- He avoided every path that led to evil vs 101
From these, we see a picture of a man who was excellent and holy. Put in the technological context of today, the Psalmist will pass for an Elon Musk or any of those tech gurus or industrialists. Yet, he didn’t have to seek evil ways to attain to such knowledge. We sometimes think that the tech gurus and wealthy industrialists of this world have some evil alliances, why? Many of them are not holy- they are evil in conduct, deceitful and inhuman. But the Psalmist here did not only show excellence in knowledge and industry, he modelled holiness as the distinguishing character of his success. He showed that holiness is not always against excellence and excellence not against holiness- it doesn’t have to be a trade-off.
Jesus Christ was described as follows; “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” Col 2:3 yet he is not corrupted by much wisdom and knowledge. He is also described thus, “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;” Heb 7:26. Praise the LORD, we don’t have to pursue excellence at the expense of holiness- we can have both when we make the Word of God our delight and joy, meditating all day in it and obeying it at all times with joy.
Prayer– LORD, make me a shining light in wisdom and holiness. Amen.