Read Psalm 119:97–104
Questions from the Scripture text: What does the psalmist love (Psalm 119:97a)? What does he do with it (verse 97b)? Who makes him wiser than whom (Psalm 119:98a)? Using what? With what result (verse 98b)? What does he have (Psalm 119:99a)? More than whom? How (verse 99b)? Whom does he understand more than (Psalm 119:100a)? How (verse 100b)? What has he done to his feet (Psalm 119:101a)? From what? In order to do what (verse 101b)? What hasn’t he done (Psalm 119:102a)? Why not (verse 102b)? What is his experience of God’s words like (Psalm 119:103)? What does he get, how (Psalm 119:104a)? Therefore, what does he hate (verse 104b)?
What is the best? Psalm 119:97–104 looks forward to opening portion of morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these eight verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God’s Word, by which God works, is the best.
In this stanza, there are only two different ways that the verses begin: either with a word that means “How much!” (Psalm 119:97, Psalm 119:103) or a prepositional prefix that can mean “from” but in some cases, here, is being used comparatively (“more than!,” Psalm 119:98, Psalm 119:99, Psalm 119:100). So, whether saying, “how much!” or “more than!”, this is a stanza of great exuberance about God’s law.
Sweetness. The two “how much” verses (Psalm 119:97, Psalm 119:103) express delight and enjoyment of the law and the words. But this is personal delight, not merely intellectual or moral: “Your” law; “Your” words. The joy is in meditating and tasting.
Superiority. The psalmist has more wisdom than enemies (Psalm 119:98), teachers (Psalm 119:99), or the aged (Psalm 119:100). That which is ultimately needed is not found in earthly resources, experience, or the passage of time, but in the Lord Himself. Although the means are emphasized in Psalm 119:99-100, Psalm 119:98 points us to the fact that it is the Lord Himself Who employs them. It is the Lord Himself Who has taught him (Psalm 119:102). And to the Lord goes all the glory for any superiority.
Success. Since it is the Lord Who is teaching, it must be successful. But it still requires resolve and application. We must hate the false way (resolve) in order to get understanding through His precepts (Psalm 119:104). We must restrain our feet from evil (self-discipline) in order to keep God’s Word. This is the manner by which the Lord gives success.
What is your habit of meditation upon Scripture like? How does it taste to you? What false ways are you putting away?
Sample prayer: Lord, give us to love and delight in Your law as Yours. Teach us by Your own Spirit, and give us a life of devotion to Yourself, that we might be wiser than any mere man, we ask, through Christ, AMEN!
Suggested songs: ARP119M “O How I Love Your Law!” or TPH119M “O How I Love Your Holy Law”
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