Weekly Sermon
This sermon is a companion to five previous sermons: In the Way of This Life - Psalm 119:1
In the Ways of Our Lord (Part 1) - Psalm 119:3
In the Ways of Our Lord (Part 2) - Psalm 119:3
In the Ways of Our Lord (Part 3) - Psalm 119:3
In the Ways of Our Lord (Part 4) - Psalm 119:3
Psalm 119:1-3 reads, “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.” To this Psalm 119:29-30 adds, “Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously. I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.”
In Psalm 119 we encounter the words “way” and “ways” eighteen times and the word “path” two times, indicating that the pathway of our lives is an important subject of this psalm. With the phrase “in the way,” Psalm 119:1 introduces us to the first category of truth concerning this subject matter – the way of this life. Thereby we learn that we all must travel along the pathway of this life, and that we all must deal with the matter of challenges, choices, and consequences in the way of this life. With the phrase “in his way,” Psalm 119:3 introduces us to the second category of truth concerning our walk along the pathway of life – the way of our Lord. Even so, the intention of this psalm is to exhort us and encourage us to choose the way of our Lord as the direction of our daily walk. Yet this psalm also employs the word “way” in relation to a third category of truth – the way of sin’s lies. Even as the psalm exhorts us and encourages us to walk faithfully in the way of our Lord, it also exhorts us and encourages us to depart away from the way of sin’s lies.
Already in our study concerning the ways of our Lord, we have learned that there is a need for rejection, that is – for rejection of the ways of sinful iniquity. Even so, Psalm 119:1 declares, “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.” Herein we find that those “who walk in the law of the LORD” are also those who walk “undefiled in the way.” In like manner, verse 3 declares, “They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.” Indeed, those who walk in our Lord’s ways are also those who do not involve themselves in sinful iniquity. Thus in verses 29-30 the psalmist made his request and expressed his commitment, saying, “Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously. I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.” The psalmist had made his determined choice to walk in the way of truth as revealed in the Lord’s Holy Word. In union with this choice, he also desired to be kept away from “the way of lying.” Now, in this context this phrase, “the way of lying,” is not referring to the personal practice of speaking lies. Rather, this phrase is referring to the way of sin’s lies and falsehood. Even so, in verse 101 this way is described with the phrase, “every evil way;” and in verses 104 & 128 this way is described with the phrase, “every false way.” So then, what is involved for us to depart away from the ways sin’s lies even as we walk in the ways of our Lord?
This sermon is a companion to five previous sermons: In the Way of This Life - Psalm 119:1
In the Ways of Our Lord (Part 1) - Psalm 119:3
In the Ways of Our Lord (Part 2) - Psalm 119:3
In the Ways of Our Lord (Part 3) - Psalm 119:3
In the Ways of Our Lord (Part 4) - Psalm 119:3
Psalm 119:1-3 reads, “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.” To this Psalm 119:29-30 adds, “Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously. I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.”
In Psalm 119 we encounter the words “way” and “ways” eighteen times and the word “path” two times, indicating that the pathway of our lives is an important subject of this psalm. With the phrase “in the way,” Psalm 119:1 introduces us to the first category of truth concerning this subject matter – the way of this life. Thereby we learn that we all must travel along the pathway of this life, and that we all must deal with the matter of challenges, choices, and consequences in the way of this life. With the phrase “in his way,” Psalm 119:3 introduces us to the second category of truth concerning our walk along the pathway of life – the way of our Lord. Even so, the intention of this psalm is to exhort us and encourage us to choose the way of our Lord as the direction of our daily walk. Yet this psalm also employs the word “way” in relation to a third category of truth – the way of sin’s lies. Even as the psalm exhorts us and encourages us to walk faithfully in the way of our Lord, it also exhorts us and encourages us to depart away from the way of sin’s lies.
Already in our study concerning the ways of our Lord, we have learned that there is a need for rejection, that is – for rejection of the ways of sinful iniquity. Even so, Psalm 119:1 declares, “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.” Herein we find that those “who walk in the law of the LORD” are also those who walk “undefiled in the way.” In like manner, verse 3 declares, “They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.” Indeed, those who walk in our Lord’s ways are also those who do not involve themselves in sinful iniquity. Thus in verses 29-30 the psalmist made his request and expressed his commitment, saying, “Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously. I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.” The psalmist had made his determined choice to walk in the way of truth as revealed in the Lord’s Holy Word. In union with this choice, he also desired to be kept away from “the way of lying.” Now, in this context this phrase, “the way of lying,” is not referring to the personal practice of speaking lies. Rather, this phrase is referring to the way of sin’s lies and falsehood. Even so, in verse 101 this way is described with the phrase, “every evil way;” and in verses 104 & 128 this way is described with the phrase, “every false way.” So then, what is involved for us to depart away from the ways sin’s lies even as we walk in the ways of our Lord?
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