I've long thought that Psalm 119:18 was one of the greatest verses in the Bible for a believer in Christ!

It records one of the most powerful prayers of Scripture. Let's look at it today in some detail.

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

Of course the "law" is the dear Word of God.  David is hungry to learn from the Scripture ... and He asks for the Lord's help!

In a way this prayer is identical to simply asking God for wisdom.  For the Bible indeed is the Book of Wisdom.

The verb "open" is written in a Hebrew form that shows INTENSE DESIRE!  The Psalmist here is diligent with his request.  Also I noticed that the verb is in the imperative mood.  While this is "hard-to-explain" for  Bible teachers ... we must accept it as written!  An imperative verb expresses a command!  (You can't COMMAND God and tell Him what to do!)  I believe what is being shown us here is that David is so earnest in wanting to understand Scripture that he strongly urges the Lord to  freely reveal Truth to him!  In its most precise sense the verb means "to uncover!"  When used in its basic meaning of "uncover" or "reveal" (or that general thought) the verb appears about 109 times. 

But here's something unusual, the verb is also translated "carry away" or "captive" or "captivity" another 61 times!  (This is so dramatic that some Bible scholars believe these vastly different definitions must indicate somehow 2 different words!)  But clearly in the "spelling" at least, they are NOT different words --- just very different definitions for the same word!  But, wait a minute, let's not wrestle with our human logic ... let's just "plug in" the definitions the Holy Spirit uses to our verb and see what happens!

"Open" would also mean "take me away captive!"   (Is that not exactly what happens when we get "into" the Word of God and really begin to enjoy its truths?  We are so delighted and consumed by the Scriptures that we seem to be spiritually "captivated" by it!  I'm telling you right now --- the Word of God is gloriously addictive.  (I've never had any booze or any cocaine or even marijuana --- but NOTHING could possibly make me "feel" and "delight" and "thrill" to reality itself as can the Word of God!  You fall in love with it ... and that relationship will last for a lifetime! 

The secondary verb "behold" means "to scan" then "to look at intently" with the implication of "regarding with favor, pleasure or care!"  (Exactly!)  It's used 95 times in the Old Testament, beginning in Genesis 15:5 where God told Abraham to go outside and LOOK at the stars and count them ... for his seed would would be innumerable (like those stars)!  The Hiphil stem means there's a "cause" that propels the looking!  The cause is undoubtedly the magnetic drawing power that the Word of God has in the lives of real Christians!  It's translated:  "look, behold, consider, regard, see and respect!" 

"Wondrous" is a Hebrew adjective.  It is first used in Scripture in Genesis 18:14 where it is translated "too hard!"  (Is anything "too hard for the Lord?)  In its literal "root" meaning the word derives from a verbal form:  "to separate, to distinguish!"  (To be different!)  That just may be the idea here:  God's Word is DIFFERENT (marvelously so) from any other writing ever!  It is a living Book!  ("Quick, powerful!  Hebrews 4:12)  In Psalm 131:1 it's "things too high!"  The Psalmist well may be asking the Lord to reveal to him the "hard things" of Scripture! 

I have known of a number of preachers of the past who ... before opening their Bible to study, worship or prepare sermons ... would ALWAYS bow their heads, close their eyes, and ask the Lord God Almighty to open their eyes to the beauty and truth of the Bible ... and cause them to "see" wondrous things therein!

That's a pretty good idea!

The Holy Spirit" still does "wondrously!"

That's today's "nugget."

                                                     --- Dr. Mike Bagwell 

PSALM 119, VERSE 148 ...

Yesterday we looked at Psalm 119:147 --- "I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried:  I hoped in Thy Word."

Today I've found a "nugget" in the very next verse, Psalm 119:148 --- "Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word."

You see the antithetical thoughts don't you?  At first he's up early in the morning to hope in God's Word!  Then ... he's up in the middle of the night meditating on Scripture!  (When does he sleep?  He's ALWAYS "in" the Bible!)

Let's examine verse 148 a bit (with verse 147 handy also).  Both verses use the same word for "prevent."  It just means to "go before."  He was hoping in God's Word BEFORE dawn and meditating in it AFTER midnight!

"Night watches" is an interesting Hebrew term.  It's spelled "ashmurah" and means (only found 7 times in the Bible) "watch --- as a period of time in which to guard something."  Five times it is translated "watch" and twice "night watch."  It comes from a root verb that means "to hedge about!'  (To guard, to protect, to tend to!) Lesson:  In the "night" seasons of life (like the one in which we're now living spiritually) we should be especially vigilant to guard the things that are precious!  But the Psalmist's point is that he's found something so great ... that he just can't sleep. He believes it (God's Word) is more important that that night watchman's sword or spear or bow and arrow, etc.!

What's he doing with the Bible this hour of the night?  He is "meditating" in the truths of Scripture!  Our verb here is a different Hebrew verb altogether from the word for "meditate" in Psalm one!  (Or Psalms 63, 77, or 143!)  It is used in Psalm 119 five times as a verb and twice more as a noun!  ("siyach") What does it mean?  The root idea is "to ponder."  (From a Latin verb that means "to weigh!"  It also gives us the word "pendant" --- something heavy that hangs around a person's neck and goes with them everywhere)  I guess we had better PONDER God's Word!

But the verb comes to mean (after "pondering") "to converse or to talk."  The Psalmist is apparently speaking God's Word out loud through the dark hours of the night!  Of the 20 times the verb is used in Scripture, it is translated:  "talk" (5 times), and "speak" (4 times) ... and "meditate" (5 times), even "complain" (2 times) and once each for "Pray, commune, muse, and declare."  (Deep thought that becomes deep speech!) The "root" (also called a "radical") of our word is also used a number of times in Scripture for a "bush, shrub, or plant!"  (Can God be saying that each time we "meditate" in His Word we are planting a spiritual shrub ... no doubt an "evergreen" ... in our lives that can grow and refresh our us day by day?)  It is also translated "pray," as if our very prayers are to consist of Scripture!  (Glory!)  But ... 9 times in the various forms of our "root" word it is translated "complaint or complain!"  (Are our very "complaints" to God to be housed in Scripture!  If you don't believe me, check the word as it's used in Job and Psalms especially!)

But here's maybe the most "beautiful" point of all!  In Proverbs 6:22 the Wisdom (Word) from God can "talk" (siyach) to us!  See this:  We are to "talk, meditate, utter the Word of God through our lips ... AND IT TALKS RIGHT BACK TO US WITH WISDOM, STRENGTH, LOVE, ETC!  (We talk it ... it talks back to us!)

Enough said.

I have found some "nuggets" today!  Have you?

                                                                            --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

Today I've just got to talk with you about Psalm 119:133!  It has taken hold of my heart this morning as I write.  It is a prayer the Psalmist prays for himself unto the Lord!

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

(Again we see the "link" between purity and being "in" the Word of God!)  You can't have one without the other!

The first "surprise" of the verse is found in the opening verb.  "Order" is in the imperative mood!  David (or the "Psalmist" if he isn't specifically David) is here TELLING the Lord what to do!  (Imperative mood equals a command!) That's pretty strong!  It is not written disrespectfully ... but confidently!  You can approach God BOLDLY even in our age of Grace!  (Hebrews 4:16)  Also I remind you that in Old Testament terminology God clearly says in Isaiah 45:11 --- "Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me." (Wow!)

The verb "order" means to confirm or to set up (root verb = to be erect).  It's translated: "established" (58 times), "prepared" (85 times), "fixed" (5 times), "firm" (2 times) and "confirmed" (2 times).  Being firmly established, firmly anchored!  It's in the Hebrew Hiphil stem ... indicating "causative" action.  There is a "cause" or a reason or a drive behind God's doing this for the Psalmist!  In the context of our lone verse the CAUSE is victory over sin!  (Our method of victory over sin to this very day remains the Word of God as empowered by the Spirit of God!)  "IT IS WRITTEN" Jesus repeatedly said!

"Steps" is a noun that's rendered "feet" more times than "steps" in the King James Version.  It comes from a root verb that means "to tap!"  It's the sound of one's feet hitting the ground again and again as they walk across the path.  (The main idea:  the ways of life!  Our habitual actions!)  It's translated "goings" in Psalm 140:4.  I've just noticed something else about this word.  The first time it's used in Scripture (Genesis 2:23) it is translated "now!"  (It has a TIME element in it!)  I've just  further discovered that it's translated "once" 14 times!  And expressed as "time or times" on 58 different occasions in Scripture!  So the Psalmist is really asking God to order his TIME in the Word of God!  (Wow!)

We additionally have a different noun for WORD here!  It is "imrah" and means something said.  (It's a synonym for the Scriptures of Truth!)  This particular word is only found 37 times in all the Bible.

"Dominion" (or to have dominion) is Hebrew "shalat," implying rule or power --- to "dominate" or to "govern"!   (only 8 uses in the whole Old Testament)  It's another causative active (Hiphil imperfect) verb, the second in our verse.  What's the "cause" that allows sins to rule over us?  The lack of being in God's Word!  (When pointed differently ... same spelling but different vowel marks, the word means "shields" and is so used seven times in the King James Old Testament.  Once sin is embedded within someone, does it have "shield" capability that can only be overcome and uprooted by the power of the Word of God?)

Lastly, the word "iniquity" must be studied.  "Aven" (Hebrew) means empty or nothingness!  The verbal background means "to pant," to breath heavily as in hard labor ... accomplishing nothing!  (That's a GOOD picture of sin!  Big cost ... little return!)  It's found about 78 times in the Bible.  (Another lexicon says it can also mean "to be strong."  Sin certainly can become stronger and stronger in one's life ... especially IF the Word of God is not applied daily in mega-doses!)  It is not extremely unusual to find different lexicons or dictionaries giving different etymologies on a word.  Words go through developmental histories just as people do. 

I hope today's "nugget" is not too long for you.  I think you will find it's worth the time (and effort) to "dig it out" on this Friday after Christmas.

                                                                             --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

PSALM 119, VERSE 101 ...

I believe there is a direct link between the purity of our lives and how well we learn Scripture.  (I don't believe the HOLY Spirit will teach a filthy vessel much of the Word of God!)

In Peter's "pattern" of spiritual growth (2 Peter 1:5-8), he tells us that first comes FAITH!  Next comes VIRTUE (moral purity and cleanness) ... and only then comes KNOWLEDGE (being taught by God)!!!  (Of course five other things follow knowledge before "maturity" arrives!) See what I mean!  Purity precedes knowledge.

That leads me to our "Nugget" verse for today!

Psalm 119: 101 says:  "I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep Thy Word."  The Psalmist apparently knew well that the Word of God would never properly impact his life ... unless he refrained himself from sin!  (Of course, it is also true that the MORE we're "in" God's Word ... the MORE victory over sin we will enjoy!  Jesus Himself said, "Now ye are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you."  John 15:3)

Let's examine the Psalm 119 verse. 

PSALM 119, VERSE 80 ...

Glance with me today at Psalm 119:80.  It is a powerful verse.  Also it is a prayer to the Lord God! It says: 

"Let my heart be sound in Thy Statutes; that I be not ashamed."

Let's examine the words of this short verse carefully.

The Hebrew word for "statutes" (meaning the Word of God) is "choq."  It's root meaning is "to cut, to hack, or to engrave!"  God's statutes are those sayings of His that He wishes to "cut" into our very hearts.  (Just as He engraved in stone the very Ten Commandments!)

The Psalmist's desire is that his heart be "sound" in God's Word!  That adjective "sound" (tamiym) means "complete or entire!"  (It is exactly the opposite of our expression "half-hearted!")  It means "with my WHOLE heart!"  Even Christmas would not have removed this Psalmist's heart from the Word of God!  In the King James Bible this word "sound" is translated:  "without blemish" (44 times), "perfect" (18 times), "upright" (8 times), "without spot" (6 times), "whole" (4 times) and once each "complete" and "full."  You get the idea.  (The English word "integrity" carries this idea of wholeness too!)

And what is the result of a person being whole-heartedly in the Word of God?  Well, one result is that he will not be "ashamed!"  It is the continual state of being unashamed (Qal imperfect verb) that is happening here.  The root verb means "to pale" and from that it came to mean "be ashamed."  One source says that the word has overtones of "feeling worthless!"  (It's interesting that with all today's religious "psycho-babble," it's really the Bible that furnishes us all the self-esteem we can possibly handle!)  In our Bibles the word also is translated "confounded" (21 times)! God can keep us from being confused!  It's even translated "dry" one time (in Hosea 13:15)!    The word picture there is a dry river bed!  The Word of God can even keep us from becoming dry!

Maybe today our verse should have been about the Virgin Birth or some other Christmas event.  But somehow this morning I feel that the Word of God is ALWAYS an appropriate subject for his children.

That's today's "nugget."

(I personally got more than one "nugget" out of today's passage!)

                                                                          --- Dr. Mike Bagwell