Daily Bible Nugget #281, Psalm 119:76

Posted on June 7, 2014 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Psalm 119:76 Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.

My Comment:

Saints plead the promises of the Scriptures in prayer (The New Topical Textbook, subheading under the main heading “The Scriptures,” page 240).

Saints are ordinary Bible-believing individuals who have a personal relationship with God the Father, and now since Christ has come, with His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. “Saints” in the Biblical sense are not created or made so by the declaration of any church. I repeat this because many people are innocently misinformed about this issue by what they hear in the mass media or even from a church that thinks it has the authority to canonize saints. There is no such authority mentioned or granted to anyone by anything that is stated in the Bible.

People are often looking for comfort in the wrong places. Those mistaken places or sources of comfort or relief lead only to despair and ruin, not the comfort promised in the Bible.

I believe the Psalmist, the author of Psalm 119, is David. If I am correct, then David is grounding his request for comfort from God upon what are elsewhere called “the sure mercies of David” (Isaiah 55:3), a most important verse in our Bible.

The next time a representative of the Watchtower Society knocks at your door, answer it. Talk with them. Let them get a word in edgewise, too. Then pop them this question at the end of the conversation: “I have a Bible question, and maybe you could answer it for me, or find the answer for me: What is meant by ‘the sure mercies of David’?”

Probably almost no person you will ever meet from any religious organization or anyone who claims to be from a “One True Church” will know anything about this important Bible passage. Such organizations and churches or denominations do not understand this verse because they cannot harmonize the teaching it represents with their false theological system.

The Psalmist is grounding his prayer on this verse (Isaiah 55:3). He is pleading on the basis of God’s unfailing promise found in His written Word, the Bible. He is praying for comfort–and he knows he can trust God’s mercy and loving kindness–because God has made an irrevocable promise (Romans 11:29) to him in the unconditional Davidic Covenant, and that is the secure source of his comfort. We would do well to learn this great lesson about prayer for ourselves: learn to base our prayer requests on the promises found in God’s Word, the Bible, properly claimed and applied.

Where can you find genuine, lasting comfort? Only in the Bible. The Bible was written for that very purpose (Romans 15:4).

How can you find the comfort of the Scriptures for yourself? One place to start would be to read the cross references given for Romans 15:4. Another place to start would be to read Psalm 34. Or, try Psalm 37. Another place to start would be to read John 14. There are many more helpful cross references to be found and enjoyed on the subject of comfort given at 2 Corinthians 1:3, 4.

You can make a good start on studying the subject of comfort by carefully reviewing the cross references I share below.

For those who desire to DIG DEEPER into this subject:

(1) Consult the cross references given in Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible on page 630 for Psalm 119:76.

(2) Consult the cross references given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on page 674 or in Logos 5 Bible software for Psalm 119:76.

(3) Lacking access to those two resources, consult the cross references for this passage as I have developed them as given below:

Psalm 119:76. merciful. ver. Ps 119:41, 58, +Ps 119:88, 124, 159. Ps 25:10. 33:22. 57:1. *Ps 86:5. 106:4, 5. *2 Cor 1:3-5. for my comfort. Heb. to comfort me. ver. +*Ps 119:50, +Ps 119:82. Ge 37:35. 2 S 10:2. Is 40:1. *Is 66:13. +*Ro 15:4. +**2 Cor 1:3. according. ver. +Ps 119:25, 28, +Ps 119:41, 58. +**Is 55:3. to thy word. ver. +Ps 119:11, 25, 50. thy servant. ver. +*Ps 119:17, 140. Ps 19:11. 89:39. 116:16n.

Isaiah 55:3. Incline. Is 51:1. Ps 78:1. 119:112. Pr 4:20. 15:31. 22:17. Zc 7:7. come. *Mt 11:28. **Jn 6:37, 44, 45. 7:37. He 11:6. 1 P 2:4. hear. Is 44:1. 48:12. 49:1. Dt 28:1. 30:10. 2 Ch 24:19. Ps 81:8. *Ps 95:7. Pr 1:33. 2:2. +**Pr 18:17. Mt 13:16. 15:10. 17:5. +**Mk 4:24. Lk 6:47. +**Lk 8:18. *Lk 9:35. **Jn 5:24, 25. 8:47. **Jn 10:27. Ac 3:22. He 3:7. 5:9. soul. Heb. nephesh, +Ge 12:13. +**Mt 10:28. shall live. +*Ge 15:6. 19:20. +*Le 18:5. Pr 4:4. 7:2. Je 38:20. Am 5:4. +*Hab 2:4. **Jn 10:27, 28. and I will make. Is 54:8. 61:8. Ge 17:7. 2 Sam 23:5. Je 31:33, 34. 32:40. *Je 50:5. Ezk 16:60. 34:25. 37:26. x Da 9:27. *He 13:20. everlasting. Heb. olam, +Ge 17:7. +Ge 9:16. +Is 44:7n. covenant. Is 54:10. 56:4. 59:21. Ge 15:18. Ex 6:4. Le 26:9. Dt 28:1. Jg 2:1. ** 2 Sam 7:10-16. 1 Ch 16:17. +*Ps 74:20. **Ps 89:34. 111:9. Ro 11:27. He 8:8. 12:24. the sure mercies. +*Is 41:9. +*Is 54:8-10. +*Is 59:21. +** 2 Sam 7:10n, 2 Sam 7:15. 23:5. 1 Ch 17:13. 2 Ch 1:8. 6:42. +*Ps 89:3, 28, 33, 35-37. 119:76. +*Ps 132:11. +*Je 33:20, 21n, Je 33:25, 26. **Ezk 37:24, 25. +**>Ac 13:34. of David. FS181E, +Ge 3:24. Is 38:5. 1 K 11:34. 2 K 20:5. +*Ps 89:49. Je 30:9. Ezk 34:23. 37:24. Ho 3:5. $+*Ac 13:23.

Romans 15:4. whatsoever. +*Ro 4:23, 24. *1 Cor 9:9, 10. *1 Cor 10:11. +**2 Tim 3:16, 17. *2 P 1:19-21. written. +Ro 3:10. *Ps 102:18. Je 30:2. Da 7:1. *Mt 4:4. Jn 19:35. 20:30, **Jn 20:31. aforetime. Jb 8:8. Ga 3:1. Ep 3:3g. Jude 1:4. for our learning. or, teaching. Note: Rather, “for our instruction.” T#1030. Ro 2:18. 12:7. +*Ps 119:130. +*Is 8:20. Mt 13:44. Mk 1:44. +*Mk 12:24. +*Jn 5:39. **Jn 20:31. 1 Cor 1:5. *1 Cor 10:6, 11. Col 2:17. 1 Tim 1:16. +**2 Tim 3:16. He 10:1. 2 P 1:19. **1 J 5:13. patience. or, patient endurance. FS134, +Mt 3:9. In Hebrew the words “patience” and “hope” would be sabbar and subar, thus exhibiting the figure Parechesis, or Foreign Paronomasia. +*Ro 2:7. *Ro 5:3-5. 8:24, 25. *Ro 12:12. Ps 119:81-83. +*Lk 8:15. 21:19. *1 Cor 13:4, 5. 2 Cor 6:4-6. 12:12. 1 Th 1:3. 2 Th 1:4. *He 6:10-19. +*He 10:35, 36. *He 13:5, 6. James 1:3. *James 5:7-11. 1 P 1:13. 2:19-23. 2 P 1:6. Re 2:3. 14:12. and comfort. FS93A, Ge +1:26. T#1051. Ro 8:28. 2 Ch 31:4. 35:2. Jb 5:19. 6:10. 11:16. Ps 27:5. 30:5. 42:5. 103:13. +*Ps 119:50, **Ps 119:52, 76, +**Ps 119:82, 92, 143. 138:7. Is 46:4. 61:3. 63:9. +*Mt 5:4. Jn 14:1-3. Ac 4:36. 15:30, 31. +1 Cor 14:3. 2 Cor 1:3, 4. 1 Th 3:7. 4:13. James 5:7-11. 1 P 4:12, 13. Re 2:10. 3:10. 7:14-17. 14:13. the scriptures. +Ro 1:2. 16:26. Ps 19:7. +Mt 21:42. 22:29. +*Mk 12:24. +**2 Tim 3:15-17. hope. T#1042. Ro 4:18. 5:2, 4-6. 8:24. 12:12. +*Ps 34:4. *Ps 71:14. +*Ps 119:49, 74, 81, 114, 116. 130:5. +*Pr 3:5. 14:32. Jn 15:16. Ac 23:6. 26:6. 1 Cor 9:10. 13:13. 2 Cor 3:12. Ga 5:5. Ep 1:18. +**Ep 2:12. 4:4. Col 1:5, 23, 27. 1 Th 1:3. 2:19. *1 Th 5:8. +*2 Th 2:16. 1 Tim 1:1. *Titus 1:2. *Titus 2:13. 3:7. *He 3:6. +*He 6:11, 18. 7:19. +*1 P 1:3, 4. +*1 P 3:15. **1 J 3:3.

2 Corinthians 1:3. Blessed. 2 Cor 11:31. Ge 14:20. 1 Ch 29:10. Ne 9:5. Jb 1:21. Ps 18:46. 72:19. 135:19, 20. Da 4:34. Mk 14:61. Lk 1:68. Ro 1:25. +*Ro 9:5. *Ep 1:3. *1 P 1:3. God. FS132G, +Ge 3:19. FS68, +Ge 10:1. even. or, and. Ep 1:3. 1 P 1:3. the Father of our. 2 Cor 11:31. Jn 5:22, 23. +*Jn 10:30. *Jn 20:17. *+Ro 15:6. Ep 1:3, 17. Phil 2:11. 2 P 1:17. 2 J 1:4, 9. the Father of mercies. FS96F2, +Ge 4:10. *Ge 19:16. +**Ex 34:6. Ps 25:6. 59:10. *Ps 86:5, 15. +*Ps 119:76. Da 9:9. +*Mi 7:18. +Ro 12:1. Ep 1:17. +James 5:11. the God. Ro 15:5. all comfort. Gr. paraklēsis (S#3874g, +1 Cor 14:3). T#850. 2 Cor 7:6. +*Dt 33:27. Jg 15:19n. Jb 15:11. 29:25. +Ps 23:4 (T#6). Ps 71:21. +*Ps 90:15. +*Ps 119:76. Pr 14:14. *Is 12:1. +Is 41:13 (T#955). *Is 49:13. 51:3, +Is 51:12 (T#956). *Is 54:7, 8. 57:18. 61:1-3. *Is 66:11, 13. *Je 6:16. +*Je 29:11. +**Mt 5:4. Lk 2:25. *Jn 14:18. 16:33. Ac 4:36. 9:31. +1 Cor 14:3. Phil 1:14. *2 Th 2:16, 17. He 6:18.

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Daily Bible Nugget #280, Psalm 119:41

Posted on June 6, 2014 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Psalm 119:41 Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, even thy salvation, according to thy word.

My Comment:

Saints plead the promises of the Scriptures in prayer (The New Topical Textbook, subheading under the main topic “The Scriptures,” page 240).

The Psalmist in this prayer for God’s lovingkindness or mercies to reach him, even God’s salvation or deliverance, claims the promises found in God’s Word.

The Bible, therefore, is a suitable guidebook to our prayer life. God reveals His will in His written word found in the Bible, nowhere else. We are told (1 John 5:14) that if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us. Does God always give us what we ask for? Only if our request is according to God’s will, or as the Psalmist prayed, “according to your word.”

If we would base our prayer requests on God’s promises as those promises are revealed in His written Word, our prayers might indeed be more fruitful. But to base our prayers on God’s promises, we would be helped much by doing some Real Bible Study on the subject of God’s promises. One listing of “Promises of God, The” can be found on pages 209-210 of The New Topical Textbook. Another extensive listing of Bible promises may be found in both the Subject Index and the Topic Number Index of The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. I once had a Bible Promise Box filled with little cards on which were printed Bible promises on one side and Bible commands on the other. I still have the little box–but the cards it once contained have been lost. In any case, there are sources available to help you find the promises contained in the Bible.

Once you locate a promise that seems to address your need, you can make a further study of that promise in the Bible by using the cross references which have been collected for that verse. The cross references will guide you to what the rest of the Bible has to say about the promise you found. That can often be of great encouragement when you discover the Bible repeats and further explains a particular promise of interest to you.

For those who desire to DIG DEEPER into this subject:

(1) Consult the cross references given in Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible on page 629 for Psalm 119:41.

(2) Consult the cross references given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on page 673 or in Logos 5 Bible software for Psalm 119:41.

(3) Lacking access to those two resources, consult the cross references for this passage as I have developed them as given below:

Psalm 119:41. Let thy mercies. ver. Ps 119:58, 76, 77, +Ps 119:88, 124, 132, 159. Ps 6:4. 25:6. 35:3. 69:16. *Ps 106:4, 5. Ge 43:14. +**Is 55:3. *Lk 2:28-32. **Lk 18:13. James 1:21. thy salvation. ver. Ps 119:123, 166, 170. Ps 118:15. Ge 49:18. He 9:28n. according. ver. +Ps 119:25, 28, 58, 65, 76, 116, 154, 170. thy word. ver. +Ps 119:11, 49, 50, 82, 123, 170.

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Daily Bible Nugget #279, Psalm 119:28

Posted on June 5, 2014 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Psalm 119:28 My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.

My Comment:

Saints plead the promises of the Scriptures in prayer (The New Topical Textbook, subtopic under the main topic “The Scriptures,” page 240).

Once again, the KJV’s “My soul melteth for heaviness” is a bit obscure to readers of modern English. This clause is translated to read “My soul melts away for sorrow” (ESV); “My soul drops with grief” (Literal translation of the Bible); “My soul hath dropped from affliction” (Young’s Literal Translation); “My soul weepeth itself away for grief” (Rotherham); “My soul is wasted with sorrow” (Basic English); “I collapse from grief” (NET Bible); “I am overcome with sorrow” (CEV, Contemporary English Version).

It should be clearer that the Psalmist is saying that he has been overcome with grief, sorrow, or affliction. He turns to God in prayer, claiming God’s promise to strengthen, sustain, establish, confirm, and encourage him according to God’s Word. Thus, the Psalmist is indeed pleading or claiming the promises of God in Scripture in his prayer. The repeated example of the Psalmist encourages us to do the same.

For those who desire to DIG DEEPER into this subject:

(1) Consult the cross references given in Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible on page 628 for Psalm 119:28.

(2) Consult the cross references given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on page 673 or in Logos 5 Bible software for Psalm 119:28.

(3) Lacking access to those two resources, consult the cross references for this passage as I have developed them as given below:

Psalm 119:28. soul. Heb. nephesh, +Ge 34:3. melteth. Heb. droppeth. T#1404. ver. Ps 119:25. *Ps 22:14. 107:26-28. %+Ex 15:15. Jsh 2:11, 24. Jb 16:20h. Pr 12:25. Ec 10:18h. for heaviness. or, from sorrow. “Weariness,” “despondency” (Kay). or, affliction (Young). ver. Ps 119:25, 50, +*Ps 119:67, 71, 75, 92, 107, 143, 153. Ps 6:7. 116:3. +**Ru 1:13. Pr 10:1. 14:13. 17:21. Is 51:11. Je 45:3. 1 P 1:6. strengthen. Ps 18:1. *Ps 27:14. 29:11. *Ps 68:28. Dt 33:25. 2 S 22:40. Is 28:5, 6. *Is 40:29, 31. *Is 41:10. Da 11:32. Zc 10:12. *Ep 3:16. **Phil 4:13. +**Col 1:10, 11. 1 J 2:14. according. ver. Ps 119:9, 25, 41, 76, 169. +**1 Th 2:13. +*2 P 3:18. thy word. ver. +Ps 119:9.

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Daily Bible Nugget #278, Psalm 119:25

Posted on June 4, 2014 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Psalm 119:25 My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.

My Comment:

Saints plead the promises of the Scriptures in prayer (The New Topical Textbook subtopic under main topic “The Scriptures,” page 240).

This verse is hard to make sense of in the King James Version, at least for me. To get some added insight into what the Psalmist is saying, looking at another English translation might be helpful. The first clause, “My soul cleaveth to the dust” is translated to read “I collapse in the dirt” by the NET Bible; “I am at the point of death” in the CEV (Common English Version); “I lie in the dust” in the NLT (New Living Translation); “I am completely discouraged–I lie in the dust (Taylor, The Living Bible paraphrase). I think that in this passage the paraphrase by Kenneth Taylor is most helpful as it explains the figure used here by the Psalmist.

The second and final clause, “quicken thou me according to thy word” (KJV) is translated to read “Revive me with your word!” by the NET Bible; “Let your teachings breathe new life into me” in the CEV; “revive me by your word” (NLT); “preserve my life according to your word” (NIV).

It appears, then, that the Psalmist seeks relief from discouragement by praying to God for relief in accordance with the promises God gives of new life or revival in His written Word.

For those who desire to DIG DEEPER into this subject:

(1) Consult the cross references given in Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible on page 628 for Psalm 119:25.

(2) Consult the cross references given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on page 673 or in Logos 5 Bible software for Psalm 119:25.

(3) Lacking access to those two resources, consult the cross references for this passage as I have developed them as given below:

Psalm 119:25. soul. Heb. nephesh, +Ge 34:3. Ps 22:15. 44:25. Ge 3:19. Is 47:1. 52:2. *Is 65:25. Mt 16:23. *Ro 7:22-24. Phil 3:19. Col 3:2. cleaveth. ver. +*Ps 119:28, 31n. Ps 44:25. 63:8. +**Ru 1:13. unto the dust. From the weight of his grief (Ps 44:25) [Kay]. FS121N1, Ge +31:54. Dust put by the Figure Metonymy (of Adjunct) for the dead, as in Ps 30:9; Ec 12:7. Ps 7:5. 44:25. Jb 16:15. 30:19. Ro 7:14. Ga 5:17. quicken. ver. Ps 119:37, 40, 50, 88, 93, 107, 149, 154, 156, 159. **Ps 71:20. 80:18. +*Ps 85:6. 143:11. *Is 40:31. Hab 3:2mg. *Jn 10:10. Ro 8:2, 3. according. T#1098. ver. Ps 119:9, 28, +Ps 119:41, 58, 65, 76, 107, 154, 156, 169, 170. Dt 30:6. 2 S 7:27-29. thy word. ver. +Ps 119:9, 169.

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Daily Bible Nugget #277, Psalm 119:133

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Psalm 119:133 Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.

My Comment:

Saints pray to be conformed to the Scriptures (The New Topical Textbook, subtopic under the main heading “The Scriptures,” page 240).

The Psalmist prayed that his steps would be directed by God’s Word. He likewise prayed for God not to let any iniquity or sin have dominion over him. If a person reads and studies the Bible prefaced by a prayer such as this, God will indeed answer and provide direction for life and spiritual strength to defeat temptations to sin (Psalm 119:11).

How needful or practical is this information for the lives of believers today?

There is evidence in Scripture that we might be falling short of the glorious privileges God through our Lord Jesus Christ and His Sacrificial-Priestly Atonement has provided for us in this life, in the here and now.

Is the sacrifice of Christ, and the shedding of His blood on the cross, of any greater value and effect for believers in this life than the animal sacrifices of the Levitical order of the past?

Scripture tells us quite bluntly that the Levitical sacrifices of the blood of animals “can never take away sin” (Hebrews 10:4, 11).

Is the blood of Christ any more efficacious?

Man-made theologies (particularly Calvinism and the Penal Satisfaction Theory of the Atonement) tell us that it is impossible to live above sin, to experience holiness, in this life. Calvinists, and no doubt others, place holiness into the future, something to be experienced after death in the next life.

But that is not what Paul taught in 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

Calvinists (and many others) teach the doctrine of imputed righteousness. In my further study of the Bible, I am coming to believe that the doctrine of imputation is a false doctrine, even heresy. Like the idea of propitiation, it has no proper place in the Bible. This mistaken salvation vocabulary or terminology crept into our Bible translations at the time of the Protestant Reformation. The Protestant Reformers were surely used of God to start the Reformation. But the Reformation is not over yet. The Protestant Reformers did much good, but they unwittingly accepted the salvation vocabulary of the Roman Catholic Church and left it in our Protestant Bible translations. The Protestant Reformers were likewise not well-informed or well-taught about Bible prophecy. In other words, much has been learned since the time of the Protestant Reformation about these Bible subjects.

It is time to call a spade a spade. It is time to stop accepting error as if it were the truth. It is time to challenge blatant heresy, and label it for what it is.

The Psalmist prayed that his steps would be ordered or directed by God’s Word. He further prayed, “let not any iniquity have dominion over me” (Psalm 119:133).

Was the Psalmist mistaken in his prayer? Or are some of us mistaken in our theology such that we could not pray such a prayer in the light of what Christ has accomplished for us by means of His shed blood?

The Greek text of the New Testament verse, Ephesians 1:7, expresses not only the idea that we have forgiveness of sins through His blood, but the actual removal of sin–a fact consistently hidden in most English translations, perhaps in support of a very popular but mistaken theory of the Atonement.

For those who desire to DIG DEEPER into this subject:

(1) Consult the cross references given in Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible on page 633 for Psalm 119:133.

(2) Consult the cross references given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on page 677 or in Logos 5 Bible software for Psalm 119:133.

(3) Lacking access to those two resources, consult the cross references for this passage as I have developed them as given below:

Psalm 119:133. Order. T#1097, T#1713. ver. +Ps 119:5, 9, 45, 116. Ps 17:5. +*Ps 32:8. *Ps 37:23. 40:2. *1 S 2:9. Pr 16:29. 20:24. Je 10:23. Da 5:23. my steps. ver. Ps 119:45. Ps 17:5. 121:3. in thy word. ver. +Ps 119:10, 11, 50, 116. let not. ver. Ps 119:10, 11. *Ps 19:13. 51:12. Lk 22:40. +*Ro 6:12-14. 7:23, 24. have dominion. Jn 8:36. Ro 7:21. Ga 5:17.

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Daily Bible Nugget #276, Psalm 119:66

Posted on June 2, 2014 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Psalm 119:66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments.

My Comment:

Saints pray to be taught the Scriptures (The New Topical Textbook, subheading under the main heading “The Scriptures,” page 240).

Saints are ordinary Bible believers. A true believer in the Bible will indeed pray to be taught the Scriptures. Anyone who does not have a desire to increase in their knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures might well be spiritually dead!

Who would not want to increase their fund of good judgment and knowledge? Good judgment or discernment and greater knowledge would surely come in handy at times. The Psalmist prayed for these to the One who is best able to supply them. The Psalmist expresses his full trust in God’s Word, stating “for I have believed thy commandments.”

God’s Word in the Bible is the source of good judgment and knowledge. I believe if more people, especially young people, had this kind of hunger for God’s Word in their lives, they would be equipped with the judgment or discernment and knowledge they need to wisely direct their lives. This is the answer to the declining morality that we see and hear about every day–but few are doing anything about. The solution is obvious. And the solution works.

For those who desire to DIG DEEPER into this subject:

(1) Consult the cross references given in Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible on page 630 for Psalm 119:66.

(2) Consult the cross references given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on page 674 or in Logos 5 Bible software for Psalm 119:66.

(3) Lacking access to those two resources, consult the cross references for this passage as I have developed them as given below:

Psalm 119:66. Teach me. ver. +Ps 119:12, 18, 33, 125, 144. Ps 25:5. 94:10. good judgment. Note: Rather, “Teach me (to have) good taste (Heb. taam) and discernment;” that faculty of the mind by which I may discern, distinguish, judge rightly, and relish things moral and spiritual. ver *Ps 119:34, 125. Ps 25:9. 72:1, 2. *1 K 3:9, 28. *Pr 2:1-9. 8:20. *Is 11:2-4. *Je 3:15. Mt 13:11. **Phil 1:9, 10. **Phil 4:8, 9. *James 1:5. *James 3:13-18. I have believed. ver. Ps 119:89, *Ps 119:128, *Ps 119:160, 172. %Dt 9:23. Ne 9:13, 14. 1 Cor 13:7. thy commandments. ver. +Ps 119:6, 172.

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Daily Bible Nugget #275, Psalm 119:33

Posted on June 1, 2014 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Psa 119:33 Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.

My Comment:

Saints pray to be taught the Scriptures (The New Topical Textbook, subheading under main heading “The Scriptures,” page 240).

The Psalmist prayed for the Lord to teach him the Scriptures, specifically, “the way of thy statutes.” The Bible does commend a particular way of living. That way is not the way of the world. Psalm 15:1, 2-3, 4, 5, provides a good summary statement of just what that way is. The principles given in Psalm 15 are as valid for us today as they were valid for the readers and singers in the time of David. The principles named in Psalm 15 are given as a statement about what kind of lifestyle or “way” is required to qualify to enter God’s heaven.

When it came to arriving at an understanding of God’s Word, the Bible, note carefully that the Psalmist did not seek the official teaching authority of his day. The Psalmist appealed directly to the Lord Himself for assistance in understanding His written word in the Bible. We should too. We can make Psalm 119:18 our own prayer.

It is most important to come to a correct understanding of God’s Word. We can only do that by taking the time to read the Bible, study the Bible, and pray for God’s help in understanding it.

For those who desire to DIG DEEPER into this subject:

(1) Consult the cross references given in Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible on page 628 for Psalm 119:33.

(2) Consult the cross references given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on page 673 or in Logos 5 Bible software for Psalm 119:33.

(3) Lacking access to those two resources, consult the cross references for this passage as I have developed them as given below:

Psalm 119:33. Teach me. ver. Ps 119:7, 12, 18, 26, 27. Ps 25:5. *Ps 86:11. Ex 33:13. 1 K 8:36. 2 Ch 6:27. Is 54:13. Jn 6:45. the way. ver. +Ps 119:1, 37. of thy statutes. ver. +Ps 119:5, +Ps 119:6, 7, +*Ps 119:71. I shall keep. ver. Ps 119:8, 10, 44, 112, 145. 1 Ch 28:8. *Je 32:40. Mt 10:22. 24:13. 1 Cor 1:7, 8. Phil 1:6. 1 J 2:19, 20, 27. *Re 2:26. the end. or, to the uttermost. ver. Ps 119:44, 112. Da 12:12, 13. +*Mt 10:22. Mk 13:13. He 3:6. Re 2:26.

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Daily Bible Nugget #274, Psalm 119:18

Posted on May 31, 2014 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Psalm 119:18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

My Comment:

Saints pray to be taught the Scriptures (The New Topical Textbook, subtopic under the main topic “The Scriptures,” page 240).

The Psalmist prayed that God would open his eyes. The Psalmist wanted to behold wondrous things out of God’s law. God’s word, the Bible, is indeed full of wondrous things. One life is not long enough–even if you start in childhood–to learn all that is in the Bible. The more you do learn, the more interesting and exciting it gets. God will open our eyes too, if we ask Him to do so, so that we will understand the Scriptures.

I suggest that we start with a plain-text Bible first. The idea is to let the Bible speak for itself. Start by reading straight through the New Testament. Some chapters you will like so well you may wish to read them over again several times. Once you have read through the New Testament once or twice, focus on reading and rereading a particular book of the New Testament. For example, if you happen to choose the Gospel of John, reading three chapters a day will let you finish it once a week. Doing this for a month will help you get much better acquainted with that Gospel. As you notice verses that are particularly meaningful to you, or verses you want to understand better, look up the cross references for those verses. You will be amazed, enlightened, and encouraged to find how the whole Bible ties together when you study cross references.

Once you have gotten as much as you can by your own independent Bible study of a particular passage or Bible book, you can consult some study Bibles if you have access to them and learn more things that you may have missed on your own.

Now, just what should you do with the knowledge and insight God enables you to gain from your study of His Word? You may be in the position to teach the truths you learn to your own children. Even if your children attend public school, it would be a good idea to home school your children in the Bible. They won’t learn much Bible in public school, most likely. They can learn much about the Bible in Sunday school, and some churches employ catechism classes to that end quite successfully–except I have noticed that sometimes the intensive instruction comes to a close at just the point more and deeper instruction would be spiritually beneficial. That additional, continuing instruction could well take place in the home as parents teach their children. You may also use your new-found knowledge of the Bible as preparation and background for teaching a Sunday school class yourself. You would find that the discipline of preparing weekly Sunday school lessons is a good way to learn more yourself. We always learn more when we teach what we know to others. All this could lead to the opportunity to teach and guide young people in a church youth group.

The main thing is to get into the Bible for yourself. Like the Psalmist, ask God to open your eyes to the wonderful truth it contains.

For those who desire to DIG DEEPER into this subject:

(1) Consult the cross references given in Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible on page 627 for Psalm 119:18.

(2) Consult the cross references given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on page 672 or in Logos 5 Bible software for Psalm 119:18.

(3) Lacking access to those two resources, consult the cross references for this passage as I have developed them as given below:

Psalm 119:18. Open. Heb. Reveal. Or “uncover:”—remove the veil from them (Kay). T#1482. ver. Ps 119:27, 125. Ps 146:8. +Ge 3:7. 2 K 6:15-17, 20. Is 29:10-12, *Is 29:18. 32:3. 35:5. 42:7. 43:8. Mt 13:13. 16:17. 20:30-34. Lk 11:34. +Lk 24:16, *Lk 24:45. Jn 9:30, 39. Ac 26:18. 1 Cor 2:9-16. 2 Cor 2:11, 14. *2 Cor 3:14-18. 4:4-6. *Ep 1:17, 18. Re 3:18. that I. ver. Ps 119:7, 10, 125. Pr 14:6. 20:12. Da 9:13. Mt 11:25. Jn 3:27. 6:45. wondrous things. Heb. Niflaoth;—the wondrous, spiritual, truths that lie hid beneath the letter. Compare ver. Ps 119:27, 129 (Kay). ver. Ps 119:7, 96, 129. *Ho 8:12. 2 Cor 3:13. He 8:5. 10:1. thy law. ver. +Ps 119:1, 96.

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Daily Bible Nugget #273, Psalm 119:12

Posted on May 30, 2014 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Psalm 119:12 Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.

My Comment:

Saints pray to be taught the Scriptures (The New Topical Textbook, subtopic under the main heading “The Scriptures,” page 240).

Notice that the Psalmist prays to God to teach him the Scriptures. God welcomes us to do the same. I find a model prayer to this end just a few verses later at Psalm 119:18, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” The teaching provided by our pastors and Sunday school teachers is certainly of great help to our understanding of the Bible, and we should pray for and thank God for these teachers in our life. But God has privileged us in this day and age to be in a position to study and learn from the Bible for ourselves. Don’t miss the benefits of taking advantage of the privilege God has given us to learn more from and about the Scriptures.

For those who desire to DIG DEEPER into this subject:

(1) Consult the cross references given in Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible on page 627 for Psalm 119:12.

(2) Consult the cross references given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on page 672 or in Logos 5 Bible software for Psalm 119:12.

(3) Lacking access to those two resources, consult the cross references for this passage as I have developed them as given below:

Psalm 119:12. Blessed. Ps 28:6. Mk 14:61. 1 Tim 1:11. 6:15. teach me. T#1096. ver. Ps 119:7, 18, 26, 27, 33, 64, 66, 68, 71, 72, 108, 124, 125, 135, 171. *Ps 25:4, 5. *Ps 86:11. 94:12. 143:10. Jb 34:32. Is 2:3. 54:13. Mic 4:2. Mt 7:7. +*Lk 11:9. **Lk 24:45. Jn 6:45. 7:17. *Jn 14:26. *1 J 2:27. thy statutes. ver. +Ps 119:5, 26, 68. Ps 19:8. Ge 47:26. Ex 15:26. Dt 4:1n.

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Daily Bible Nugget #272, Psalm 119:105

Posted on May 29, 2014 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

My Comment:

Saints esteem the Scriptures as a light (The New Topical Textbook, subtopic under the main heading “The Scriptures,” page 240).

Have you ever been left in the dark at night during a thunderstorm when the power went out? It can get really dark with no lights. If you are in your own home when this happens you probably know where everything is and can get around without too much trouble. If you live far enough out in the countryside being without power can also mean you are without water or anything else powered by electricity. In such deep darkness, about the first thing you reach for is a flashlight. By its light you can see where you are going and walk about much more safely–if the batteries are not dead!

So the Bible, God’s Word, is a light to our path. It can keep us on the right path if we take the time to read and study it. If God’s Word is a light to our path, that means the Bible teaches it is understandable. There are those who would argue that because no two individuals, and especially no two different denominations, agree on what appear to be even the basics taught in the Bible, the Bible clearly is not understandable by itself. Therefore, the Bible needs an official interpreter, which they like to claim is their one true church. But in the case of the most prominent of these “one true church” claimants, the one true church has only officially pronounced a required-to-be-believed interpretation of between seven and nine verses! That would not seem to be much official guidance from that source, even if that source could be trusted to be correct. But the Bible does not require an official teaching authority to tell us what it means. The Bible is a light to our path. It won’t lead us into darkness!

Of course, if you are not reading, studying, and believing the Bible yourself, you are in the dark in the midst of the storms of life. Get into the Bible for yourself and let it shed God’s light on your daily path.

For those who desire to DIG DEEPER into this subject:

(1) Consult the cross references given in Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible on page 632 for Psalm 119:105.

(2) Consult the cross references given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on page 676 or in Logos 5 Bible software for Psalm 119:105.

(3) Lacking access to those two resources, consult the cross references for this passage as I have developed them as given below:

Psalm 119:105. Thy word. ver. +Ps 119:9, +Ps 119:11, 24, 98, 101, 140. Ps 19:7, 8. *Ps 43:3. 102:18. 1 K 12:7n. 13:9n. Jb 6:24. *Pr 6:23. Je 14:14n. Mt 6:22. Lk 11:28. Ac 8:30. +*Ac 17:11. Ro 2:18. **Ro 10:17. Ep 5:13. **2 P 1:19. Re 1:3. is a lamp. or, candle. I have not read or heard any Roman Catholics emphasizing such things as are taught about the Bible by this verse, or this chapter, not even once. God’s Word was clearly written to give us direction. It is a lamp; it is a light. God’s written Word does not lead us into darkness, but into light, and it does so without the assistance of man-made authority. FS22K2, +2 S 22:29. +Ps 18:28mg. 132:17mg. +Ex 25:37. *Jb 29:3mg. 2 Ch 29:7. Pr 20:27mg. a light. His lamp by night, his sun by day. Compare Pr 6:23 (Kay). T#1095. ver. Ps 119:98, +**Ps 119:130. Ps 4:6. 27:1. 36:9. 37:6. 38:10. +*Ex 13:21. 25:37. 27:20. 40:24. Le 24:2. Nu 4:9. 8:2. **Dt 30:11-14. Jb 24:16. +*Pr 4:18. **Pr 8:9. Ec 2:13. **Is 8:20. 51:4. Mt 5:14. %+**Mt 6:23. Jn 1:9. 3:21. 1 J 1:5. my path. Bible believing Christians live in a spiritual world that is altogether different than the false spiritual world inhabited by followers of so-called “One True Churches.” The difference can be compared to living in the light of God’s Word, compared to living in the darkness of uncertain man-made religion. ver. Ps 119:9, 24. *Ps 17:4. 142:3. Jg 5:6. 6:40n. 1 S 2:9. Jb 19:8. 24:13. Pr 2:9.

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