Sermon Cloud

God’s Word reflects God’s righteous character and produces righteousness in His people. 

 God’s Righteous Word is the food and joy of His servants.

(1) God’s Word Reflects God’s Righteous Character

(2) God’s Word Produces Righteousness in His Servants. 

READ: Psalm 119:137-144. 

137 “Righteous are You, O YHWH” - clear statement of the character and nature of God.

qyDIåc; “Righteous” - this term is used 4x in these 8 verses and comprise the main theme of the psalmists praise.

 “The root basically connotes conformity to an ethical or moral standard.” Used (first) in relation to the judges who were to deal with equity (Lev. 19:15); distinguished by the one who either serves or does not serve God (Mal. 3:18); was righteous acts of those who knew God (Job 29:12-20 [*14]). 

Common theme of praise among OT saints (Ps. 145:17) and even the incarnate Lord Himself (John 17:25), and of the angel worshipping in heaven (Rev. 16:5). God is righteous, and in His Self-revelation through the word, His servants in heaven and on earth, and His own lips He has declared His righteousness as an attribute essential to His nature and worthy of praise. 

Deut. 32:4 Whenever He acts, it is a righteous act. Whenever He speaks it is a “right” word (Is. 45:19.  It is God’s righteous nature that is the trust of His people in face of rebellion of the unrighteous (**Jer. 12:1). 

He can do not wrong (1 John 1:5), for sin is by its very nature that which fails to conform to the perfect holiness (and righteousness) of God. 

“That which comes from the righteous God is itself righteous. Jehovah both saith and doth that which is right, and that alone. This is a great stay to the soul in time of trouble. When we are most sorely afflicted, and cannot see the reason for the dispensation, we may fall back upon this most sure and certain fact, that God is righteous, and his dealigns with us are righteous too. It should be our glory to sing this brave confession when all things around us appear to suggest the contrary. This is the riches adoration-this which rises from the lips of faith when carnal reason mutters about undue severity, and the like.” (Spurgeon). 

In relation to men, righteousness is in reference to those acts that are in accord with God’s standard. This is not simply in deed but includes, even begins with, the heart (Deut. 6; Ps. 51) - includes the imageo deo: we were created in His image (righteousness) and the moral and spiritual capacity and responsibility to reflect and act according to that image of God in us. 

Since “from Him, through Him, and to Him are all things,” the universe exist because He exist and willed His creation into existence, and therefore all that is, all that we are designed to be is defined by Him.

Since the Fall it is impossible for any man to be, think, or do righteousness of their own accord. Therefore all men are unrighteous (since the Fall) because they have “fallen short of the glory of God” and broken His Law (James 2:10; 1 John 3:4).

This is why acceptance before God is always based on faith in Him; trust in His promises (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:1ff). Righteousness that God communicates to us, founded on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:25), and communicated through the God given vehicle of faith. (2 Cor. 5:21). 

Essentially, the righteous are those who have been made righteous on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ, and who then act in accordance to that faith and so reflect the character of God (2 Cor. 3; Rom. 8:29; Col. 3). 

142 “Your righteousness is to eternity” - God is righteous, therefore righteousness exist to the extent that God exist, which is eternally (Ex. 3 “I AM”). God is eternal therefore His attributes are eternal - this is no less so with His righteousness as with His faithfulness, love, holiness, truth, etc. 

This further emphasizes that righteousness is not a quality attributed to Him (as though righteous were an entity autonomous and outside of God), but is an expression of what He is in Himself. In others words, there is no concept of, or reality to the idea of righteous outside of God.

*God’s Righteousness is reflected in His Word: 

138 “You command Your testimonies in righteousness” - All that comes from God can only be righteous. It is most natural, and necessary that since God is righteous, His Word is righteous, 

This speaks of God’s authority in His Word. He is not to be questioned, nor argued with, but merely obeyed, followed, and trusted. 

Unlike men, even good men, who can have wrong motives and intentions, who act out of deceit, and self-interest - yet all of God’s commandments are right, true, just, and trustworthy. (Heb. 12:10 - even rightly motivated discipline of fathers can be in error, yet God is never in error). 

“It is not left to our choice whether we will accept them or no; they are issued by royal command, and are not to be questioned. Their characteristic is that they are like the Lord who has proclaimed them, they are the essence of justice and the soul of truth. God’s word Is righteous and cannot be impeached; it is faithful and cannot be questioned; it is true from the beginning, and it will be true unto the end.” (Spurgeon). 

Job 40:1-2 Job’s questioning of God illustrates this truth well. 

 142 “Your Law is  truth.” Eternal, holy, faithful, perfect truth. His Law accords with what really is - there is no error, or unrighteousness in it (John 17:17).  

Ps. 145:13 & Jer. 31:3 could also be added to this list, as could all of God’s attributes. 

God’s Word is true. It defines what is true. We do not know truth apart from God’s Word. This means that all our knowledge of God, morality, salvation, eternity, etc. Must be derived from God’s word. To come from any other source is folly, error, and deception.

In a world so full of lies and deception, where is the one place we can go where we will always hear the absolute truth, with no misinformation, and with perfect, eternal, omniscient knowledge and sovereign power? Only God’s Word. It can be trusted absolutely b/c He can be trusted absolutely. 

144 “Righteous are Your testimonies to eternity” - As God is, so is His Word.

140  “Your Word is very pure” - the idea is that of having been tried, tested, and proven to be right. 

“tested, refined, pure” - like gold or silver that has been refined and purified in the smelters furnace, so God’s Word is very absolutely pure (*Ps. 12:6; 18:30). 

God’s word always prevails over the accusations of men (Rom. 3:4 [Ps. 51:4]).

God’s Word is eternal and true, therefore no matter the assaults of men God’s Word still stands. In our own day God’s word is attacked through psychology, evolution, philosophy, etc.; it is ridiculed, mocked, ignored, and constantly maligned and yet is stands, it will stand, and it is the standard by which all men will be judged (Is. 40; John 5). 

Because it is tested, because it is trustworthy, because it never fails to do all that God has sent it out to do, when responded to in faith, then it is the joy and delight of God’s servants. It is a secret comfort and resource of strength to His servants. 

However, it requires faith on our part, just to know the promises of God without ever leaning on them in faith won’t produce the joy and confidence of the psalmist. We will only become bitter, or distrustful of their truth, or say things like, “I tried it and it didn’t work.” This is not the heart of faith but pride that we should merely think of God’s truth as a magic spell that we apply at our own whim, to meet our own expectations, while neglecting the yielded trust and humility in the sovereign One whose Word it is. 

“Before I knew the word of God in spirit and in truth, for its great antiquity, its interesting narratives, its impartial biography, its pure morality, its sublime poetry, in a word, for its beautiful and wonderful variety, I preferred it to all other books; but sine I have entered into its spirit, like the Psalmist, I love it above all things for its purity; and desire, whatever else I read, it amy tend to increase my knowledge of the Bible, and strengthen my affection for its divine and holy truths.” (Sir William Jones/Spurgeon). 

(2) God’s Word Produces Righteousness in His Servants (Righteous character). 

139 (cf. 136) “There is no end to my zeal”  -  Produces a Righteous Zeal.  

Contemplation of the God’s righteousness and His righteous word had the affect of producing zeal in the  heart of the Psalmist (cf. 69:9). This is a reflection of the righteous character of God (Is. *9:7; 37:32; 42:13). It is not surprising, therefore, that the Lord Himself possessed this trait (John 2:17). This zeal includes the thought of His wrath (Zeph. 1:18; 3:8; Zech. 1:14; 8:2). 

 “because my enemies forget Your words” - the cause of the zeal in the psalmist was the rebellion of his enemies, which are those who do not have the same devotion to God, indeed they are opposed to Him. Opposition to the Word of God, is opposition to God (cf. Rom. 8:7); and for those who love God it is grievous and only increases their zeal for truth and righteousness. 

This can be seen in our own hearts. What does it do inside us when we see God’s Name blasphemed and the wickedness of men increase - it pumps up a righteous anger and zeal for truth. 

Zeal is a natural human emotion, it is part of being made in the image of God; the quality of zeal is determined by its object. 

“Zeal is a passion, whose real character must be determined by the objects on which it is employed, and the principle by which it is directed. There is a true and a false zeal, differing as widely from each other, as a n heavenly flame form the infernal fire.” (Bridges)  It is either God-centered, or man-centered (i.e. Self-centered). 

Men can be passionately zealous to wicked and futile ends. Radical environmentalists are zealous in their worship of the creation and are even willing to sacrifice their lives and take the lives of others to save whales, cats, and dogs. Sign, “Save the whales, kill the people.” 

Must be sure it is a God-centered zeal held in balance by Scripture and right placed graciousness: 

“Often also do we see a distempered, counterfeit zeal, disproportion in its exercise, wasting its strength upon the subordinate parts of the system, and comparatively feeble in its maintenance of the vital doctrines of Christ … Thus it disunites the Church by adherence to points of difference, instead of compacting the Church together by strengthening the more important points of agreement. Often again, by the same process in practical religion, are the ‘mini, anise, and cumin,’ vehemently contended for; ‘while the weightier matters of the law’ … are little regarded.” (Bridges)

141  “I am insignificant and despised” - Produces righteous humility: natural response of faith to the one who captures the meaning and significance God’s Self-revelation in His Word. 

 “insignificant” - most often (especially in the historical books) translated as “younger” and refers to the diminutive position within birth order. In Jer. 49:20; 50:45. It references “little ones,” the smallest and weakest from the flock and within a family. 

The psalmist meaning is that he is of little rank. When compared against the infinite glory of God it the degree of separation is magnified to its furthest extent, so that He sees himself, properly, as “insignificant.” The degree of littleness is determined by the standard we are compared against. 

 “despised” - to esteem something, or someone as of little value. 1 Sam 12:10 it is how God views man’s heart toward Him when they disobey. It is how God will esteem men in judgment who have neglected His Word (Mal. 1:6-7). Here it is how the psalmist esteems himself in the light of God’s holy revelation. 

Note: men have the choice to rightly humble themselves here before a holy God, or be humbled by Him in the day of judgment. 

143 “trouble and affliction … Your commandments are my delight” - Produces a righteous endurance. 

Though for the righteous their trouble is often the consequence of their faithfulness to God’s righteous commandments, yet those commandments - because they are righteous - are the joy of God’s servants. (cf. Acts 4:19-20; 5:41).

144 “Give me understanding and I will live” - Produces Righteous Dependence. 

“Thought he does not yet see the outcome of his present troubles, the psalmist knows his God to be ‘righteous,’ his word to be ‘righteous’ and ‘faithful,’ and his promises to have been tested over and over again in redemptive history. He knows in whom he has put his trust. Therefore, he does not challenge the Lord’s integrity but prays humbly that he may ‘understand’ … so that he may be revived in his inner being.” (EBC). 

This is the fruit of and corollary to the previous strophe: “Your testimonies are wonderful … I longed for Your commandments” (129, 131). He found strength in God’s character as he knew it through His word. 

Also, he knew that God’s Word came with the same authority, sufficiency, and trustability as God Himself. The two are inextricable.