Psa 119:11 | KingComments | STEP | The second letter, beth , means “house”. Associated with this is the idea that God has household members. These house members are those who are characterized by seeking, clinging to, longing for the LORD with all their heart ( ), with praising the LORD as a result ( ). This beth stanza begins with the question how a young man can keep his way pure ( ). The question is posed to the LORD and comes from the awareness of a young man who longs to walk with the LORD ( ) in a world that is full of impurity, or uncleanness. The psalmist is teaching here. The young man is the student who listens. He represents the faithful remnant (cf. ). He wants to teach them the fear of the LORD, knowledge and thoughtfulness (cf. ). The young man is in great danger of being sucked along by the lure of sin. He who does not know this question does not realize this and will certainly not keep his path pure. The psalmist himself gives the answer to Him to Whom He has asked the question. He says to Him: “By keeping [it] according to Your word”, which is the Word of God in its most comprehensive sense. ‘Keep’ means that the Word of God is not just a dogma that we need to know, but that it permeates every fiber of our being, governs every aspect of our lives, filling all our heart, all our mind, and all our feelings. Then he will experience the effect of the Word of God in his heart, namely its cleansing effect (cf. ). It is also emphatically “Your” word. This includes the acknowledgment that we receive the teaching of the Word not from a man, but from God Himself (cf. ). The whole Word has a cleansing effect. Obedience to the Word in all its aspects and its application to all areas of life preserve from uncleanness. The Word that commands is also the Word that enables one to do what it commands. The psalmist, and with him the remnant, can say to the LORD: “With all my heart I have sought You” ( ; cf. ). Contemplating and feeding on the Word of God had the effect that the psalmist sought the LORD with all his heart. The effect of the Word in our lives is that our heart is strengthened to be dedicated to the Lord with resolute heart and with all our heart. Seeking the LORD to know Him and His will is a way of life. The psalmist’s heart goes out undivided to Him, to His Person. There is no other object to which his heart goes out. It is not possible to enter into a marriage part-time and with a divided heart. Likewise, it is not possible to seek the LORD with a divided heart. He does not boast of this. Just because all his heart goes out to the LORD – meaning that he takes time to be busy with the Word – he sees that he is dependent on Him not to wander from His commandments. Therefore, he asks Him not to let him wander from His commandments, but to be led by them in his way. Here we see that Word and prayer go together. One cannot do without the other. In the aleph stanza, we saw in the psalmist’s acknowledgment that he is weak and longs to stand firm. We find the same thing here in this beth stanza. Here we have the acknowledgment that his heart is capable of wandering and his desire that the LORD will keep him from doing so. The Word is a telescope through which we see Who God is; the Word is also a mirror in which we see who we are. The Word teaches us that we possess this treasure in an earthen vessel, which portrays our weakness, “so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves” ( ). Practically, it means that we consciously take enough time each day for the Word through which our heart is cleansed ( ) and strengthened ( ) to be devoted to Him. Once more the psalmist tells the LORD that his heart goes out to Him. For he has treasured His word in his heart ( ). Now that the psalmist has come to know the working of the Word, he resolves to treasure the Word in the depths of his inner being, namely in his heart. This goes much further and deeper than knowing the Word with the mind. It is useful to study and memorize the Word. However, it must not stop there. The Word must be ruminated on, as it were; it must descend deeper into the inner self, into the heart, and be kept there like a precious treasure that you love. The purpose of treasuring the Word is, he tells the LORD “that I may not sin against You”. As long as the believer lives on earth, the possibility of sinning remains open. God gives His Word, so there is no excuse to sin. Those who treasures God’s Word in their heart are able to answer the fiery arrows of the enemy with “it is written” (cf. ). The psalmist is aware that man was created for the glory of God and that therefore any sin in his life is sinning against God. The word “sin” means “to miss the mark”, that is, to miss the purpose the Creator has for our life, which is that we glorify God ( ). If the Word of God is in the heart, to govern life from there, it refrains the righteous from sin. If sin is present in the heart, the opposite happens, sin refrains the righteous from the Word of God. A person, including a believer, sins most quickly and easily with words ( ). With a word salted with the spoilage repelling words of God ( ), we can give each the right answer and speak words of grace without missing the mark. Thanks to the Word of God that is in the believer, he can also be himself a spoilage repelling salt in this world ( ). When God’s Word is in the heart, when it is abundantly present there, the God-fearing, instead of sinning, will bless the LORD ( ; ). To do this, he turns directly to Him and says: “Blessed are You, O LORD” (cf. ). Even for the writers of this commentary, it is not possible to ponder the Word and make comments without our heart becoming full of praise for our blessed Lord. Such expressions are especially pleasing to Him. From that attitude of praise, the question to the LORD sounds: “Teach me Your statutes.” The psalmist longs to learn God’s statutes in such a way that His will is engraved on his heart, so that he will not depart from them. The love of the psalmist and of the remnant for God’s Word is evident in the ordinances he told with his lips ( ). What he heard he did not keep to himself, but passed on to others in a public testimony. What the heart is full of, the mouth overflows with (cf. ). To him the Word of God does not consist merely of words, truths he has learned by heart. To him the Word of God is “all the ordinances of Your mouth”. Each ordinance has touched his heart because God’s mouth has spoken it. The voice of the Beloved resounds in his heart and his lips speak of it. This verse begins with “my lips” and ends with “Your mouth”. The psalmist speaks only what he has heard from God. Thus the Lord Jesus can testify: “The things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world” ( ) and: “The things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me” ( ). Peter says something similar to us in his first letter ( ). The joy he has over the Word of God is much greater than “all riches” ( ) [according to Dutch Translation]. He says to the LORD that the joy that all the riches of the world could give does not outweigh for him going “in the way of Your testimonies”. Joy in riches is by definition temporary and limited and never gives full satisfaction to the heart (cf. ). Whoever goes in the way of the testimonies of God, whoever let himself be led by them in his life’s journey, experiences its imperishable value. The believer who has an eye for this is meditating on God’s “precepts” ( ; cf. ). Meditating on the Word of God, examining it, gives deep satisfaction. As a result, the believer gains an eye for God’s ways. Meditating on God’s Word is never just intellectual activity, but opens one’s eyes to the practice of life. It brings to doing what the Word says. Being engaged with God’s Word in this way gives delight in God’s “statutes”, which are the inscribed, indelible words of God ( ; cf. ). It gives stability to the life of faith, for nothing in it is uncertain. Those who rejoice in God’s decrees can say with boldness: “I shall not forget Your word.” After all, it is chiseled into the heart.

‏ Psalms 119:11

/beth/ Dwelling With the LORD

The second letter, beth, means “house”. Associated with this is the idea that God has household members. These house members are those who are characterized by seeking, clinging to, longing for the LORD with all their heart (Psa 119:10), with praising the LORD as a result (Psa 119:12).

This beth stanza begins with the question how a young man can keep his way pure (Psa 119:9). The question is posed to the LORD and comes from the awareness of a young man who longs to walk with the LORD (Psa 119:7-8) in a world that is full of impurity, or uncleanness. The psalmist is teaching here. The young man is the student who listens. He represents the faithful remnant (cf. Pro 1:4). He wants to teach them the fear of the LORD, knowledge and thoughtfulness (cf. Psa 34:11).

The young man is in great danger of being sucked along by the lure of sin. He who does not know this question does not realize this and will certainly not keep his path pure.

The psalmist himself gives the answer to Him to Whom He has asked the question. He says to Him: “By keeping [it] according to Your word”, which is the Word of God in its most comprehensive sense. ‘Keep’ means that the Word of God is not just a dogma that we need to know, but that it permeates every fiber of our being, governs every aspect of our lives, filling all our heart, all our mind, and all our feelings.

Then he will experience the effect of the Word of God in his heart, namely its cleansing effect (cf. Eph 5:25 ; 26). It is also emphatically “Your” word. This includes the acknowledgment that we receive the teaching of the Word not from a man, but from God Himself (cf. 1Thes 2:13).

The whole Word has a cleansing effect. Obedience to the Word in all its aspects and its application to all areas of life preserve from uncleanness. The Word that commands is also the Word that enables one to do what it commands.

The psalmist, and with him the remnant, can say to the LORD: “With all my heart I have sought You” (Psa 119:10; cf. Psa 119:2). Contemplating and feeding on the Word of God had the effect that the psalmist sought the LORD with all his heart. The effect of the Word in our lives is that our heart is strengthened to be dedicated to the Lord with resolute heart and with all our heart.

Seeking the LORD to know Him and His will is a way of life. The psalmist’s heart goes out undivided to Him, to His Person. There is no other object to which his heart goes out. It is not possible to enter into a marriage part-time and with a divided heart. Likewise, it is not possible to seek the LORD with a divided heart.

He does not boast of this. Just because all his heart goes out to the LORD – meaning that he takes time to be busy with the Word – he sees that he is dependent on Him not to wander from His commandments. Therefore, he asks Him not to let him wander from His commandments, but to be led by them in his way. Here we see that Word and prayer go together. One cannot do without the other.

In the aleph stanza, we saw in Psa 119:5 the psalmist’s acknowledgment that he is weak and longs to stand firm. We find the same thing here in this beth stanza. Here we have the acknowledgment that his heart is capable of wandering and his desire that the LORD will keep him from doing so.

The Word is a telescope through which we see Who God is; the Word is also a mirror in which we see who we are. The Word teaches us that we possess this treasure in an earthen vessel, which portrays our weakness, “so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves” (2Cor 4:7). Practically, it means that we consciously take enough time each day for the Word through which our heart is cleansed (Psa 119:9) and strengthened (Psa 119:10) to be devoted to Him.

Once more the psalmist tells the LORD that his heart goes out to Him. For he has treasured His word in his heart (Psa 119:11). Now that the psalmist has come to know the working of the Word, he resolves to treasure the Word in the depths of his inner being, namely in his heart.

This goes much further and deeper than knowing the Word with the mind. It is useful to study and memorize the Word. However, it must not stop there. The Word must be ruminated on, as it were; it must descend deeper into the inner self, into the heart, and be kept there like a precious treasure that you love.

The purpose of treasuring the Word is, he tells the LORD “that I may not sin against You”. As long as the believer lives on earth, the possibility of sinning remains open. God gives His Word, so there is no excuse to sin. Those who treasures God’s Word in their heart are able to answer the fiery arrows of the enemy with “it is written” (cf. Mt 4:1-11).

The psalmist is aware that man was created for the glory of God and that therefore any sin in his life is sinning against God. The word “sin” means “to miss the mark”, that is, to miss the purpose the Creator has for our life, which is that we glorify God (Rom 3:23).

If the Word of God is in the heart, to govern life from there, it refrains the righteous from sin. If sin is present in the heart, the opposite happens, sin refrains the righteous from the Word of God.

A person, including a believer, sins most quickly and easily with words (Jam 3:1-2). With a word salted with the spoilage repelling words of God (Col 4:6), we can give each the right answer and speak words of grace without missing the mark. Thanks to the Word of God that is in the believer, he can also be himself a spoilage repelling salt in this world (Mt 5:13).

When God’s Word is in the heart, when it is abundantly present there, the God-fearing, instead of sinning, will bless the LORD (Psa 119:12; Col 3:16). To do this, he turns directly to Him and says: “Blessed are You, O LORD” (cf. 1Pet 1:3). Even for the writers of this commentary, it is not possible to ponder the Word and make comments without our heart becoming full of praise for our blessed Lord.

Such expressions are especially pleasing to Him. From that attitude of praise, the question to the LORD sounds: “Teach me Your statutes.” The psalmist longs to learn God’s statutes in such a way that His will is engraved on his heart, so that he will not depart from them.

The love of the psalmist and of the remnant for God’s Word is evident in the ordinances he told with his lips (Psa 119:13). What he heard he did not keep to himself, but passed on to others in a public testimony. What the heart is full of, the mouth overflows with (cf. Psa 116:10).

To him the Word of God does not consist merely of words, truths he has learned by heart. To him the Word of God is “all the ordinances of Your mouth”. Each ordinance has touched his heart because God’s mouth has spoken it. The voice of the Beloved resounds in his heart and his lips speak of it.

This verse begins with “my lips” and ends with “Your mouth”. The psalmist speaks only what he has heard from God. Thus the Lord Jesus can testify: “The things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world” (Jn 8:26b) and: “The things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me” (Jn 12:50b). Peter says something similar to us in his first letter (1Pet 4:11a).

The joy he has over the Word of God is much greater than “all riches” (Psa 119:14) [according to Dutch Translation]. He says to the LORD that the joy that all the riches of the world could give does not outweigh for him going “in the way of Your testimonies”. Joy in riches is by definition temporary and limited and never gives full satisfaction to the heart (cf. Psa 4:7). Whoever goes in the way of the testimonies of God, whoever let himself be led by them in his life’s journey, experiences its imperishable value.

The believer who has an eye for this is meditating on God’s “precepts” (Psa 119:15; cf. Psa 1:2). Meditating on the Word of God, examining it, gives deep satisfaction. As a result, the believer gains an eye for God’s ways. Meditating on God’s Word is never just intellectual activity, but opens one’s eyes to the practice of life. It brings to doing what the Word says.

Being engaged with God’s Word in this way gives delight in God’s “statutes”, which are the inscribed, indelible words of God (Psa 119:16; cf. Jer 15:16). It gives stability to the life of faith, for nothing in it is uncertain. Those who rejoice in God’s decrees can say with boldness: “I shall not forget Your word.” After all, it is chiseled into the heart.