6/8/2024
Elijah McSwain, Sr.
Psalm 119:9-11 NKJV — How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.
The nature of this passage from the book of Psalms focuses on a person’s lifestyle. The basis of this written composition involves the psalmist’s engagement on how to live in a godly manner. In Psalm 119, the psalmist asked an intriguing question in verse nine. The question lifts the inquiry “how can a young man cleanse his way?”
H.B. Charles, Jr. voiced that “this question has led some to speculate the author of Psalm 119 was a young man. But the tone, content, and structure of this psalm point to one who has length of days, depth of maturity, and breadth of experience with God. Most likely, the author was an older man who wrote this psalm to teach young men to trust and obey God’s word. Verse 9 asks a relevant question for the young and old.” 1
The question posed here in Psalm 119:9 is a critical question for everyone to consider. It should cause us to ponder, “how should we live our lives”. It should also cause us to give thought to the repercussions or the blessings that are associated with the way in which we live. The writer of Proverbs 4:26-27 calls his audience to ponder the path of their feet and let all their ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil. As we give thought to this, let us contemplate on our path and lifestyle.
Live According to the Word of God
The word "cleanse" in verse nine is a word that indicates purity and moral or spiritual cleansing through God’s prevailing standard. The writer of this psalm lays forth the standard to maintaining a pure life by living according to the Word of God. Verse nine implies that a young man can cleanse his way by taking heed according to God’s Word.
The Word of the Lord is the sanctifying agent that purifies a person from sin.
John 17:17 (NKJV) stresses this notion “sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” Warren Wiersbe noted “if we are to experience true sanctification, a sanctification that touches every part of our inner person, we learn God’s truth through the Word with our mind. With the heart, we love God’s truth, His Son. With the will, we yield to the Spirit and live God’s truth day by day.” 2 The Bible provides principles that should be lived out. Of course, these principles are not a set of legalistic practices to just be acted out without a relationship with God. However, the Bible reveals God’s relational means of revealing Himself to humanity and humanity's relational engagement of God through the saving relationship that we have with Him. In simplicity, we heed to the Word of God due to our relationship with Him and out of our relationship with Him, we desire to obey Him. Strict adherence to God’s Word without a saving relationship is simply religious practice to the letter which is absent from saving faith and grace.
Thus, it is important to live by the Bible because we know the God of the Bible.
We live by the written Word since we know the Living Word, Jesus. As we trust God, we trust His Word to direct us throughout our lifetime. Psalm 119:105 (NKJV) records “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Charles Spurgeon wrote “young man, the Bible must be your chart, and you must exercise great watchfulness that your way may be according to its directions. You must take heed to your daily life, as well as study your Bible, and you must study your Bible that you may take heed to your daily life. With the greatest care a man will go astray if his man misleads him; but with the most accurate map he will still lose his road if he does not take heed to it.” 3
A desire to live by the Word is a desire to grow closer to Him. A desire to grow closer to Him is a desire to walk in His way. A desire to walk in His way is a desire to reflect Him in every aspect of one’s life.
The Word of God shapes the mind as it orders our steps. The Word of God steers our steps away from anything that will lead to sin. The Word of God when applied will keep its readers and doers in a purified state. The premise of heeding to the God's Word will keep watch over our way. It will help us to stay on the right path. It is help you to avoid leaning to your own understanding. It will help you to pursue holiness and righteousness.
James Montgomery Boice wrote: “Remember that the Bible is God’s cleansing agent for sin and that without it you will never live a holy life.” 1
The Word of God is the standard and pathway to purity. Live in holiness by the Book, the Bible, that is holy. In doing so, the Holy Spirit will lead you and guide you into all truth (cf. John 16:13).
Persistently Pursue God with Your Whole Heart
We live in a culture and society that wants us to constantly seek after everything else but God. The cultural mentality is predicated on seeking after fame, fortune, material possessions, elaborate jobs, extravagant houses, entertainment, thrilled lives of adventure, drug usage, a party filled life, and other worldly passions. Hollywood, the entertainment industry, social media and many companies paint a false narrative about life. They are very persuasive in what humanity should pursue or seek after. The culture has a motto that they live by, “follow your heart”. This expression is a means to give into whatever a person's heart desires which is a very dangerous notion.
In biblical terms, the heart speaks of our mind. It is the consciousness of mankind. The way that we think and where our thoughts, desires, and passions stem from. The nature of this portion of the psalm helps us to focus on who our hearts should seek after. In verse ten the psalmist underlines a divine principle that God is to be sought with our whole heart. This is a radical reversal of the world’s view. The world promotes seeking after temporal things. However, the writer of this psalm promotes pursing God’s divinity above all else.
In a person’s pursuit of God, he or she should inquire of Him with their whole heart. Wholehearted devotion to God is the basis of coming into greater fellowship with Him. To wholeheartedly pursue God is a means of being sincere about communing with Him as we focus on Him, listen to His Word, live within the parameters of His Word, and pray fervently to Him.
Charles Spurgeon penned this about the young man spoken in this psalm, “his heart had gone after God Himself: he had not only desired to obey His laws, but to commune with His Person. This is a right royal search and pursuit, and well may it be followed with the whole heart. The surest mode of cleansing the way of our life is to seek after God Himself, and to endeavor to abide in fellowship with Him.” 3
Jeremiah 29:13 (NKJV) adds “and you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” One writer implied that “God can always be sought and found by those who seek Him wholeheartedly.” 4 Acts 17:27 (ESV) proclaims that everyone “should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him. Yet He is actually not far from each one of us.” The penman of this psalm connected the human will and God’s divine enablement in helping the young man persistently pursue God. The psalmist revealed that he sought God with his whole heart, and he did not want to wander from God's commandments.
William MacDonald affirmed “in the matter of holiness, there is a curious merging of human desire (with my whole heart I have sought You) and divine empowering (Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments).”5
Our desire to know God is connected to His divine empowerment to help us get to know Him. Our desire of pursuit toward God gives way for Him to aid us in knowing more about Him. As we get closer to Him in our constant pursuit, we seek to stay on the right path and not wander from His commandments. The psalmist understood that God appoints the way that we are to go in life and to abandon God’s way is to detach oneself from truly finding God.
Here in the opening of the psalm, the writer acknowledged that those who walk according to God’s ways are blessed. Psalm 119:1-2 denotes “blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD! Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart!” Psalm 1:1-2 (ESV) provides further evidence that “blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” We need to cleave to God’s Word by seeking after Him fully and completely. In doing so, we will be taught of Him, understand more about Him, and live according to His purpose for our lives.
In this psalm we need to recall the words of Psalm 119:33-35 (NKJV), "teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, and I shall keep it to the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it.”
When we delight in the Lord, He delights in us.
Psalm 147:11 (NKJV) iterates “the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy.” He delights in those who are obedient to His Word.
Guard Your Heart By Resisting Sin
Lastly, the writer addressed how the way of a young man can be kept pure. The way is kept pure by hiding God’s Word in his heart that he may not sin against the Lord as indicated in verse eleven. The notion of hiding God’s Word in His heart was not a ploy to ignore it and live as he pleased. It would not be hidden or buried and never put to use. The psalmist described the Word being stored in the heart so that it could be retrieved and put into practice. The young man would be guarded by the Word because it guarded His heart. The voice of God as written on the canvas of Scripture as well as its audible sound was stored up for present and future use to serve as his guide.
It has been wisely said, “the best book in the world is the Bible. The best place to put it is in the heart. The best reason for putting it there is that it saves us from sinning against God.” 5
Psalm 119:133 (NKJV) correlates to this truth “direct my steps by Your word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me.” It is profoundly stated in the earlier verses in the opening of this psalm, Psalm 119:2-5 (NKJV) “blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart! They also do no iniquity; they walk in His ways. You have commanded us to keep Your precepts diligently. Oh, that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes!” The objective here is to keep the statutes and commands of God to avoid the traps and enticements of sin. According to Proverbs 4:23 (NLT), Scripture informs us to “guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”
The heart of our minds will lead us down the wrong path if it is left unguarded. It was cause us to follow ill-advised thoughts, engage in inappropriate behavior, and use corrupt speech. The heart cannot be trusted apart from God.
Jeremiah 17:9 (NKJV) warns that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” We are incapable of knowing our own hearts. Therefore, it needs to be governed by the protection of God’s Word.
The Bible will protect our hearts from evil. The Bible will guide our minds away from deceit. The Bible will cause us to reverence God. The Bible will empowers us to respect authority figures. The Bible will help us to denounce any form of wickedness when it is hidden in our hearts.
When the Bible is used as our road map in life, it will help us to avoid pitfalls. Knowing the way that we should walk will aid us to stay on the beaten path while keeping us from stumbling. Hiding the Word in our hearts will help grant us victory over sin. This is not suggesting "sinless perfection" but victory over sin helps us to sin less frequently. Mother Theresa stated “to be pure, to remain pure, can only come at a price, the price of knowing God and loving Him enough to do His will. He will always give us the strength we need to keep purity as something as beautiful for Him.” 6 Seek the pure way by gravitating to His Word that is able to keep all of us from sinning against God.
References
https://hbcharlesjr.com/resource-library/sermon-outlines/how-to-clean-up-your-life-psalm-1199-16/
The Wiersbe Study Bible
The Treasury of David Volume 5
The Life Application Study Bible
The Believer’s Bible Commentary
https://www.azquotes.com/author/14530-Mother_Teresa/tag/purity