THE WASHING OF GOD’S WORD

INTRODUCTION

In the Tabernacle, the first piece of furniture is the Brazen Altar. It is an altar where sin and trespass offerings were offered to God for the sins, trespasses, and iniquities of individuals as well as the nation. This was but a shadow of the real, as told by the author of Hebrews. So the real was fulfilled in Christ Jesus when he gave his life as a sacrifice on the Cross for the sin of mankind.

And the second furniture is the Laver; the priest washes their hands and their feet before they enter the holy place. The Laver in the Tabernacle of the Old Testament is the type of Jesus Christ the WORD (logos) washing us so that we have clean hands and a pure heart before we approach the presence of God.  

In Ephesians 5:25-26 Paul wrote that Christ sanctifies us by the washing of God’s Word. The Word of God washes us and makes us whole, holy and pure before the Father. The WORD (Jesus) now lives in us and the WORD (the sacred Scriptures) which is God-breathed and inspired by the Holy Spirit is ever before us and in our hands. We need to live by the written Word through faith in the Word, Jesus Christ.

Psalm 119:9-16 - 9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! 11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. 12 Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes! 13 With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. 14 In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. 16 I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.

SEVEN ACTION VERBS

In Psalms 119:9-16 we will study SEVEN action verbs in relation to the Word of God -

GUARDING    : in order NOT to be defiled by sinful desires

“...by guarding it according to your word...”

Let the Word of God guard our mind against the philosophy & ideas of the world. Instead, we need a biblical worldview on the purpose of life - work, leisure and beauty. There are many ideas floating around today and they are conspicuously trying to influence our way of thinking. We need God’s Word daily to help us sort through the truth of God from the pernicious lies of Satan. The most basic of the biblical view is to know succinctly the four major grid that holds the God’s grand Story - the creation narrative, the fall of man to sin, the redemption of man through Christ Jesus and the summation of this world with the second coming of Christ to establish a new heaven and a new earth.

Some of the common mantras or philosophies of the world are – (1) Possession satisfy, supply yourself (Materialism); (2) life is a ball, enjoy yourself (Hedonism); (3) humanity is glorious, exalt yourself (Humanism); (4) the game is fixed, resign yourself (Fatalism).

Let the Word of God guard our heart and soul against the lure and temptation of worldly desires. Instead, we need a biblical worldview on right behaviors – our conduct, attitude, and communication. There are always the three “gods of temptation” – gold, glory, and girls. We need to be mindful of our attitude, our conduct, and our communication.

We need to use the Word of God to counteract the effect of temptations of the evil one – the fiery darts of the devil by having these ever before us; be careful of the lure to have a “Me Attitude,” instead we need to exercise “Be Attitude” of Matthew 5; be careful of the lure to grasp all we can through self-centeredness, instead we need to give out of a generous heart that is other-centered. In fact Ephesians 4:28 exhorts us to work hard with our hands so that we have enough to give away; be careful of the lure to utter impurity, to coarse jesting, and hurting words, instead we need to impart grace to the hearers in our conversation – speaking blessings and not curses, speaking encouragement and not condemnation, and speaking affirmation instead of judgment!

Let the Word of God guard our will against independence, rebellion, and rejection. There is such a strong pull towards independence in our lives. If we are not careful, if we do not let the Word of God guard us, we might end up running our own lives, doing our own things, and still expecting God to bless us, to lead us and guide us. There is a need for us to have a long obedience in the same direction. We need to watch out for rebelliousness in our heart. We need to watch out for the propensity or the bend towards rebellion against God’s precepts. We must also be careful to allow rejection to set into our hearts - hurt over every implications and assumption.

The daily feeding of fresh bread of the Word of God will help us to focus on the Living Bread and find our sustenance through Hm. If not, we will lean towards independence, rebellion, and rejection. All of these three negatives listed will come a calling at all times. We need God’s Word to help us make sense of His love, His ways, and His plans for us. We need so much of God’s Word in our daily lives to help us make right decisions, to help us cope with hurts and insults (the fiery darts of the devil), and to cope with the propensity to retaliate, to make judgments, and to condemn others.

SEEKING        : in order NOT to wander away from God’s commandments

“...with my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments...”

Let us seek God DEVOTIONALLY so that we will walk in the ways of God in intimacy. I reckon that to be reflective thinking on Scriptures, meditating on the text and drawing spiritual lessons out of it. Intimacy with Christ comes from being devoted to Him and His Word. Devotion carries with it, affection, care, and dedication. So, to seek God devotionally is to be dedicated, to be affectionate towards Him. What better place to be in than to meditate on God’s Word devotionally so that we can walk in intimacy, in deeper understanding, in greater confidence, and in a closer relationship with Christ.

The profundity of the experiential grace of God is ever-present in the banality of our existential living. This grace is truly available in a daily walk with Christ; in His presence, in His love, under His watchful embrace. The mystery of the working of grace in all its complexity and intensity is seen in our mundane everyday living. What might be passed off as trivial and petty may actually be the working of the grace of God in our lives? The grace of God is not the glossing over of our sins, failure, and bad decisions by God but a gracious and compassionate heart of God that is big enough to pick us up and to brush off the “dirt” off us and to bandage up the “wounds” we have inflicted upon ourselves. It is like a father who said to his child who runs and fell and hurt himself just minutes after a firm instruction not to run around in a particularly dangerous area: “It’s okay. Let me clean you up. There, you’re alright. Get going but remember not to run there again!” This happens to those who are constantly seeking intimacy with the Father in their daily devotion to obedience and submission.

This grace of God can also be seen in the quiet confidence within us as we come face to face with situations in our daily lives – a kind of calmness and peace that defies understanding as we put our trust in Him. We may not always see the results we expected but certainly, we still sense that quiet confidence of restfulness in His presence. In walking in intimacy and right relationship with the Trinity, my personal experience was the fact that out of the ash heap of calamity came the voice of God assuring my heart that He is here with my family as He always has been. That’s the power of the grace of God. It was not some kind of supernatural, heaven-open, earth-shattering divine manifestation that zapped away my calamity. Strangely, it was the quiet confidence that came over me as I rested in His presence and listened closely to His soothing voice: “I am here with you, by you, and for you!” That, to me, is the profundity of the experiential grace of God manifested in the banality, the ordinariness, of everyday life on this earth!

Let us seek God DEEPLY so that we will walk in the ways of God in uprightness. We cannot seek God deeply unless we are also prepared to give enough time to study and to understand all of the ways of God. The goal is so that we can walk in integrity, in honesty, and in uprightness. There are many who wants to know God deeply, to understand the ways of God fully but unwilling to spend time studying the Scriptures, spending time thinking through the tough questions regarding God, His Word, and His work. There is no substitute for spending time studying – plowing through the Word of God and drawing out spiritual truths. We need to know what the Bible has to say about life and living, about how we conduct our affairs on earth, and also who God is and what He is about concerning His world, His creation, and His kingdom. We are called to adorn the doctrine of God. We are called to exhibit the principle of life in Christ by our living. And if we do not know the doctrine of God we cannot walk in it, we cannot exhibit it. If we do not have the conviction of heart about the truths of God for a right living we cannot walk uprightly and honestly with integrity. 

Let us seek God DIRECTIONALLY so that we will walk in the ways of God with purposefulness. Our life has meaning when it hinges on the life of Christ. Our life has a purpose when it is attached to the purposes of God for us. We have a personal and a purposeful calling from God. We need to seek God directionally – with the goal of knowing the will of God and to follow it through to the end. Those who come to God on their own terms will not last for the long haul. Those who come to Him with a sense of destiny will come away with an eternal purpose and fulfillment. God has called each one of us to seek Him diligently so that we will with certainty find Him. So seeking God must have a purpose, a direction, a focus, and a movement towards a particular goal.

STORING       : in order NOT to sin against God

“...I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you...”

The storing of the Word of God in our lives is like this: Our heart and mind is the storehouse where God can fill with His Word – His wisdom, His truths, His thoughts, and His plans. We allow Him to store within us all of His Word by our careful, intentional, and disciplined study of His Word. The most pivotal point of such spiritual exercise is the erection of a wall of defense against the fiery darts of the enemies. It is to guard us from sinning against God.

Careful study of God’s Word is the pathway to understanding the Holy One of Israel. To store up the Word of God in our lives requires careful study of God’s Word. And a careful study of God’s Word requires diligent, requires circumspection in our studying – line upon line, precept upon precept. It also requires honesty in our attitude towards His Word – obedience, and submission.

Intentional study of God’s Word is the foundation of holy living. Intentional study of God’s Word requires understanding and proficiency in the systematic theology of God, of Christ, of the Holy Spirit, of the church, salvation, man, and the last days. We have to be intentional in order to establish a firm foundation. We need to build right – right beliefs, right theology, and right principles for living in Christ.

Disciplined study of God’s Word is the beach-head for the defense of Christian faith. Studying of God’s Word is a disciplined exercise. We cannot achieve an understanding of God’s Word by rushing through in our reading of God’s Word, by just some devotional reading exercise, or by reading commentaries or Christian books. We need to discipline our lives in studying the Word of God – giving our time, effort, and right heart attitude.

LEARNING     : in order NOT to be ignorant of the truth

“O Lord; teach me your statutes...”

Learning the Truth is needed for the development of godly wisdom. We can make our own choice who to marry, who we will go into business with, or how we want to live our lives. We can make our own choice what to believe, what to accept, who to trust, etc. These are personal choices we can make because we are free moral beings with a free will given by the Lord. The question is not about whether there is freedom in our choice but whether there is seen in it godly wisdom. When we choose to learn the truth from the very Truth, Jesus Christ who is the Living Word we enter into godly wisdom and not earthly wisdom which is sensual and from below. Jesus declared that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man can come to the Father except through Him. We need the Word of God, the Word of Truth so that we will develop wisdom from above – wisdom that is peaceable, virtuous, and godly!

Learning the Truth is needed for spiritual freedom. In John 8:32 Jesus said that “...you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” So, knowing the truth will set us free, will give us spiritual freedom. There are so many people living in blindness, in utter darkness, and in absolute ignorance that there is freedom of heart, soul, and spirit in Christ Jesus. He has come to set us free from the curse of the Law, from the curse of sin and death. Where do we go to find the truth? We go to Jesus the very Truth and to His Word that He has left with us. In the Word of God, we will find the treasure trove of truth for a right living – a guide to living without condemnation, shame and guilt. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who believe in Christ Jesus. That’s what Paul said in Romans 8. These very words set us free from ever again coming under the yoke of the evil one. We can now walk in freedom – walk in love, walk in truth, walk in the fear of the Lord, and walk circumspectly as wise people and not as fools.

DECLARING  : in order NOT to be trapped in corrupt communication

“With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches.

First: knowing the Word of God aids us in declaring our testimony to the unbelieving world. In Romans 10:14-15 Paul said that for the good news of the Gospel to be declared there needs to be people who are willing to go and preach it. But we cannot preach unless we are also sent by the Lord. We are well aware of the fact that we are all called to share the gospel with every man from here to the ends of the earth. The question that pops up would be this: do you think we need to be prepared in order to be able to share. And the preparation is not just any preparation but training in how to handle the Word of God – the Word of life. We need to know the Word of God in order to declare the message of the Kingdom! We must be ready to give an answer of the hope we have in Christ. We need to be able to share our faith in a reasonable fashion to appeal to the seeking heart.

Second, knowing the Word of God prepares us in declaring God’s grace to the poor and the needy. It is in understanding the Word of God and its commandments that we will find enough grace to do all that is required of the Lord. What does the Lord require of us? Micah said that God requires us “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8). It is in understanding the Word of God that we understand the demands of God.

Third, knowing the Word of God assists us in declaring God’s truth faithfully and reasonably. It is through the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels, the teachings of Paul in his letters, and ministry of the other apostles that we can formulate, systematize, and laid out a faithful and reasonable defense of our faith in Christ. We are not beating in the air with our much speaking and rattling out speculations and philosophies of man but we can engage with the heathen with the reasonableness of why we believe what we believe and able to declare the truth of God to them. We have the truth but we need to know the Word of God by studying, meditating, and applying it in our lives. We can live out the truth of God in our daily life. 

MEDITATING            : in order NOT to be distracted by the things of the world

“...I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways...”

Meditation on God’s Word will give us STRENGTH in times of weariness. I cannot remember how many times the strengthening and comforting Word of God come to me in my times of depression, despair, and perplexity. It is at these troubling times that the Word that resides in me through much meditation of it begins to wells up from within giving me the strength and the comfort. Jesus is the Rock in the weary land. When our heart is overwhelmed lead us to the Rock who is higher and bigger than us. It is the Word of God that we have constantly and consistently meditate upon that will find a deep lodging place in our hearts. At the time of need God, the Holy Spirit will help us recall the Word from within us and we will find rest in Him.

Meditation on God’s Word will give us FOCUS on the love of the Godhead. God’s Word reveals the love of the Father, the compassion of Christ, and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Taking time to meditate on His Word helps us focus on who God is and what He is about. We must take time to come away with Him in His sanctuary and meditate on His goodness and mercy. It is in the very presence of God that we experience the love of the Father – His drawing presence, His drawing power of love!

Psalm 1:2 - But his delight [is] in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.

Blessed are those who meditate on the Word of God day and night for they will be able to focus on the right thing – the love of God. He will be able to draw all the spiritual goodness from the very source of life – God Himself.

Meditation on God’s Word will give us DISCERNMENT of the will of God. It is in giving time to meditate on God’s word that we discover the will of God for our lives, the purpose and plan of God for the days ahead of us, and the strength to carry it out. Romans 12:2 - And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what [is] that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Paul said that we need to renew our mind so that we may come into the acceptable and perfect will of God for our lives. The way to renew our mind is to meditate on God’s word. Start today!

Meditation on God’s Word will give us SUBMISSION to the leading of the Holy Spirit. For the word of God [is] living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). Here the author of the book of Hebrews suggested that the word of God is living, powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. It is the Word of God that will cut through all our pretenses, hypocrisy and play-acting and confronts us with the truth bringing us into submission to the leading of the Holy Spirit. The Word of God can expose every fiber of our being; every thought of the mind and every intention of the heart. The Word of God is needed in our lives in order for us to walk in submission to the will of the Father who has every intention of good – one who has our best interest in His heart.

DELIGHTING : in order NOT to forget God’s word

“...I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.”

Delighting in God’s Word is akin to REMEMBERING the goodness of God. Eph. 2:11 – “Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh--who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands...” We were once Gentiles – in darkness, receive no mercies, and not a people of God (1 Pet. 2:10) but because of the goodness of God we are now sons of God – accepted in the Beloved (Eph. 1:5-6). It is “the goodness of God leads you to repentance” (Romans 2:4). Delighting in God’s Word is akin to remembering the goodness of God; His salvation, His forgiveness, and His acceptance!

Delighting in God’s Word is akin to WORSHIPPING His Majesty. I delight myself in His Word because in it are treasures forevermore. The Word of God contains the very description of the beauty of God, the great worth of the Father, and the unconditional love of the Son, and the patient endurance of the Spirit of God. When we gaze into the face of Jesus, the Living Word we are forever changed. When we gaze into the written Word of God which is inspired by the Holy Spirit and God-breathed we gaze as into the mirror and it shows unto us the image of the child of God and we are forever grateful and forever change!

See how the Word of God encourages us in our worship of His majesty! Let us be like King Solomon who found his delight in the love of God: “Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; Let us delight ourselves with love (Prov. 7:18). And again in his love songs to the Lord he sang on behalf of the Shulamite girl of her love for her beloved: “Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods, so [is] my beloved among the sons. I sat down in his shade with great delight, and his fruit [was] sweet to my taste (Songs 2:3).

Delighting in God’s Word is akin to cherishing the Word, the works, and the ways of God. To cherish is to attach importance to, to take pleasure in (delighting), to treasure, to value, to esteem greatly, and to relish in it. We need to cherish the Word of God. We need to take pleasure in the works of God in our lives. We need to attach the importance of the ways of God. We can do all that by delighting in God’s Word. Jesus said that “man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” We need so much to know Him through the revelations of His Word to us. From there on, we cherish what God has spoken in these last days – spoken explicitly through His Son Jesus Christ.

SUMMARY

1.      We need to GUARD the Word of God in order NOT to be defiled by sinful desires.

2.      We need to SEEK the Word of God in order NOT to wander away from God’s commandments.

3.      We need to STORE the Word of God in order NOT to sin against God.

4.      We need to LEARN the Word of God in order NOT to be ignorance of the truth.

5.      We need to DECLARE the Word of God in order NOT to be trapped in corrupt communication.

6.      We need to MEDITATE the Word of God in order NOT to be distracted by the things of the world.

7.      We need to DELIGHT in the Word of God in order NOT to forget God’s word.