We Will Find Deliverance Today

Deliverance is what I need. Deliverance from those who don’t like me; from myself when I don’t like me; from staleness; and from general malaise. That deliverance will come when I grasp hold of God’s precepts.

Precepts are codes of wisdom or principles to guide our lives. We’ve been studying them in Ps. 119, as they are mentioned 21 times in this chapter. We are looking at the last five of them today.

I just finished looking at them and comparing them with other verses to help me apply them. I use two free Bible programs to find verses: www.e-sword.net and www.biblegateway.com/  (though I have installed the Online Bible on my computer). If you don’t have either of these programs, consider adding them to your Bible tool belt.

Now, let’s learn about deliverance and God’s precepts.

Psalms 119:134 ¶ Deliver me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts.	In this case, the Psalmist requests deliverance from oppression (injury or cruelty) of man first. Then he will keep God’s precepts. A similar thought is spoken by John the Baptist’s father Zacharias in Luke 1:74-75  That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,  (75)  In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. Enemies can be a powerful force, affecting our walk with God.
Psalms 119:141 ¶ I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts.	I may be insignificant, and even disliked, yet in spite of what others think about me, or what I think about me, I’m not going to forget God’s principles to live by.  The Psalmist comforts himself in God by remembering his precepts. I should learn to turn to God as readily when I feel small and despised. Here’s one to think on: The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? (Psalms 118:6)
Psalms 119:159 ¶ Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O LORD, according to thy lovingkindness.	If I love God’s wisdom and principles, it will occur to me to ask God to enliven me by his lovingkindness, that is, his acts and words of love that he does for me, not because I deserve it, but because he is a kind God. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,  Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, (Ex. 34:6-7a)
Psalms 119:168  I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies: for all my ways are before thee.	Before I’ll keep God’s precepts or principles, I have to have them before me. How to do that. Putting them to music is a good way. Writing them on 3x5 cards and keeping them with me and referring to them is another way. For sure, the only way I’ll keep his precepts is if they are before me. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. (Psalms 119:11)
Psalms 119:173 ¶ Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts.	I’ll turn to God for help (rather than to others or the TV, books, magazines, the internet, etc.) when I’ve chosen God’s precepts or principles. It would be great if his word was so ingrained in my heart that my automatic response would be to turn to God for help. Here’s one to turn to: Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (Isaiah 26:3)

Let’s Start Our Day Together With Aha Moments

Parents guide their children toward independence.  God guides his children toward dependence… on him and his word. His precepts are one of the things we depend on.

We are studying the word precepts in Ps. 119. Remember that precepts are codes of wisdom or principles to guide our lives.

Just 2 minutes ago, I finished looking at and meditating on the verses on the left below, and wrote down my thoughts and responses on the right. I encourage you to do the same with the five remaining verses in Ps. 119 with the word precepts in them. The blank chart is at the bottom of this post. Copy and paste, work on them, and join me tomorrow for a look at them together.

Psalms 119:100  I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.	Practicing precepts (Bible codes of wisdom and principles) gives me more understanding than my ancestors. Here’s one that most of my predecessors probably didn’t get: The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. (Psalms 34:10) The precept of seeking the Lord to have my needs met is one to remember today and always.
Psalms 119:104  Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.	By meditating on his precepts, I get understanding, or “aha” moments, and it makes me hate every false way. Here’s one: Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. (Prov. 31:30)  The false way that I hate is the emphasis on fashion and sex appeal. They are vain. Fear of the Lord provides  satisfying internal beauty that no one can resist.
Psalms 119:110  The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts.	The wicked are not my friends, and they want to trap me in their wickedness. (This can happen via TV or the internet as easily as anywhere else.) Yet, I haven’t tripped up from God’s precepts. Here’s a precept, or code of wisdom, to help with that: I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me. (Psalms 101:3)
Psalms 119:128  Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way.	When I look at God’s precepts regarding any area of life, I have no doubt that they are right. I start with that assumption, and so, in comparison, I hate every false way. Here’s a precept I will assume is right and ponder today: The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. (Prov. 13:4) I want a plump soul, so I know it’s right that I be diligent in studying God’s word vs. being a sluggard, and wishing I was God-fulfilled, but doing nothing about it.

Study with me for tomorrow morning. As I think through the verses on the left, I think of precepts that come to mind that I can apply. At the top of your chart for tomorrow, copy and paste this statement: Precepts are codes of wisdom or principles to guide our lives.

Psalms 119:134 ¶ Deliver me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts.
Psalms 119:141 ¶ I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts.
Psalms 119:159 ¶ Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O LORD, according to thy lovingkindness.
Psalms 119:168  I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies: for all my ways are before thee.
Psalms 119:173 ¶ Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts.

Let's Go Diamond Hunting Today

The Bible is like a multi-faceted diamond. Altogether, it is sparkly and beautiful, but it is more intricately beautiful when you turn it in the sunlight and capture all the different hues. There are names for all the different sparkly hues of the Bible highlighted in Ps. 119: the commandment, law, statutes, precepts, testimonies, word and judgments of the Lord. Notice, there are seven words for the word. It’s the number of perfection. And God’s word is perfect.

We are turning the diamond in the sunlight today and looking at the word precepts in Ps. 119, as we have for the past few days. We have discovered that precepts are codes of wisdom or principles to guide our lives.

On the left, I have four verses in Ps. 119 that mention God’s precepts. On the right, I’m paraphrasing or responding to the verses and finding precepts that apply to the thoughts. Follow along with me. Several posts back, I have a chart of verses in Ps. 119 with the word precepts. Copy and paste that chart into a Word document and add your comments, thoughts and prayers.

Psalms 119:78 ¶ Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause: but I will meditate in thy precepts.	Others may be proud rascals who act perversely toward me with no reason, but I will ponder God’s precepts. In this case, an appropriate precept to meditate on might be Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:  He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. (Luke 6:47-48)
Psalms 119:87  They had almost consumed me upon earth; but I forsook not thy precepts.	There are wicked people out there who seem bent on making my life miserable and eating me alive. But rather than focus on that and complain to others and wilt in anguish, my testimony will be that I hung on to God’s precepts.  Here’s one to hang on to: Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (Isaiah 26:3)
Psalms 119:93 ¶ I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me.	Because God has enlivened me with his precepts when I needed them, I won’t forget them. For me, the precepts God quickened me with that are branded into my soul are For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.  For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. (1 Peter 2:19-20)
Psalms 119:94 ¶ I am thine, save me; for I have sought thy precepts.	Save or deliver me, your child, right now, because I’ve sought and clung to your precepts, like this one: For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. (Isaiah 57:15)

I'm Going For Peace Today

Let’s see, what is a precept? I’m in Ps. 119, and I’m trying to grasp the word precept—which is one of the words the Psalmist uses to describe the word of God in this chapter. In fact, precepts is only used in 29 verses in the Bible and 21 of those times are in Ps. 119.

I’ve already discovered that precepts are codes of wisdom or principles to guide our lives. Before I go further looking at each verse in Ps. 119 that uses precepts, I want to have some precepts in mind. I’m going to find some to ponder:

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (Isaiah 26:3)

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? (Romans 6:16)

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. (1 Corinthians 10:23)

Now that my mind is primed with a few precepts or principles—statements of truth to guide my life… I’ll go on down the list of verses in Ps. 119 with precepts and better be able to interact with them.

Psalms 119:45 ¶ And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.	I’ll have freedom as I go through this day, because my mind and my heart are going after his precepts. Here’s one to seek today: But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)
Psalms 119:56  This I had, because I kept thy precepts.	This goes back to vs. 55 I have remembered thy name, O Lord, in the night and have kept thy law. I remember his name in the night because I keep his precepts.
Psalms 119:63 ¶ I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.	Lord, help me to find companions who value and keep your precepts or principles. This reminds me of a Proverbs precept: He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. (Proverbs 13:20)
Psalms 119:69 ¶ The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.	Face it. Not everyone is my friend. There are backstabbers and critical, condemning people out there. But I won’t repay them evil for evil. Instead, I’ll keep God’s precepts. For this one, how about Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (Isaiah 26:3)

Learn to Meditate on Precepts

Nearly all the verses in Ps. 119 talk about the word of God in one form or another: law, testimonies, precepts, statutes, commandments, judgments. We are taking the intriguing word precepts and examining it further. Precepts are codes of wisdom or principles to guide our lives.

I encourage you to copy and paste the chart in my last post that lists all the verses in Ps. 119 with the word precepts in them. I’m just going to write my thoughts, observations and prayers in the box next to each. You can do the same. Here are my first two:

Psalms 119:4 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.	Precepts are good to know, but I must go beyond knowing them and keep or apply them diligently.
Psalms 119:15  I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.	To really get a precept, I must meditate on it. For example, God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Meditate on that precept with me. 1Pe 5:5 …”Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.”

The best meditation would be to find other verses that amplify that thought. Remember, precept upon precept in Isa. 28:10. I use my Treasury of Scripture Knowledge in my e-sword Bible program (download it for free www.e-sword.net.)

Jas 4:6  But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Job 22:29  When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.

Isa 57:15  For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Isa 66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

            Wow. I feel like I’m tiptoeing through a forest of the awesomeness of God—and it’s just a single precept. God responds positively to the humble person. Does my meditation stop there? It could, but remember, precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little.

            Let’s see, who in the Old Testament wasn’t very humble, and God brought them down? There are many. But here are two for further examination:

In Daniel 4, king Nebuchadnezzar thought he was the hottest thing going. And then he had a dream that he didn’t understand. Daniel eventually stood before him to interpret the dream, and it wasn’t good. The king could have corrected his life and avoided the prescribed judgment, but humility wasn’t a trait of his. Read what happened.

Dan 4:30-33  The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?  (31)  While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.  (32)  And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.  (33)  The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.

In Esther 3, king Ahasuerus promoted Haman above all the other princes—to the point that everyone was told to bow down to him, but Esther’s uncle Mordecai wouldn’t comply. What? Not worship Haman? He was furious and devised a plan to kill Mordecai. That involved hanging him on gallows that Haman had built. Haman was too proud, and it came back to bite him. Read what happened.

Est 7:6-10  And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.  (7)  And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king.  (8)  Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face.  (9)  And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon.  (10)  So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.

 The outcome is never good when we are proud. Remember our precept: God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Back to our first two precept verses from Ps. 119. Aren’t they so much richer?

Psalms 119:4 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.

Psalms 119:15  I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.

Jody

Master the Truth of Precepts

We’re just starting a journey to understand the idea of precepts in the Bible. Using my Bible program, I see that precepts is used in 29 verses, and 21 of them are in Ps. 119. However, the most intriguing use of the word is in Isaiah, where we read, Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.  (10)  For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: (Isa. 28:9-10)

Here I’d like to give a shout out to Kay Arthur and her Precepts Ministries (visit precept.org). No doubt these verses in Isaiah led to the naming of her Bible study series. When we compare scripture with scripture (line upon line, here a little, there a little) we’re on the path to the inductive Bible study method. I’ve been through a study using Kay Arthur’s inductive Bible study material, and it really does make you look closely and deeply into the very words of the Bible, comparing verses. I encourage others to check out her website. She offers a good, free succinct summary of the inductive Bible study method on this webpage:  http://bit.ly/UFNfFl

At any rate, we’re looking at precepts, and my aim is to follow the Psalmist through precepts in Ps. 119, and also take a few precepts and interact with them, line upon line, looking up testimonies in the Bible of precepts in action and gathering an understanding of exactly how they apply.

Below is a table with all the verses in Ps. 119 with the word precepts. I have a Word file of this on my computer, and I’m going to fill in all the spaces to the right of the verses with observations, insights and prayers. See if you can copy and paste the chart into a Word file and do the same.

And our journey begins. Jody

Psalms 119:4 ¶ Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.
Psalms 119:15  I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.
Psalms 119:27  Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.
Psalms 119:40 ¶ Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness.
Psalms 119:45 ¶ And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.
Psalms 119:56  This I had, because I kept thy precepts.
Psalms 119:63 ¶ I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.
Psalms 119:69 ¶ The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.
Psalms 119:78 ¶ Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause: but I will meditate in thy precepts.
Psalms 119:87  They had almost consumed me upon earth; but I forsook not thy precepts.
Psalms 119:93 ¶ I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me.
Psalms 119:94 ¶ I am thine, save me; for I have sought thy precepts.
Psalms 119:100  I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.
Psalms 119:104  Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.
Psalms 119:110  The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts.
Psalms 119:128  Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way.
Psalms 119:134 ¶ Deliver me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts.
Psalms 119:141 ¶ I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts.
Psalms 119:159 ¶ Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O LORD, according to thy lovingkindness.
Psalms 119:168  I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies: for all my ways are before thee.
Psalms 119:173 ¶ Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts.