My tongue shall speak of thy word:
For all thy commandments are righteousness (Psa 119.172).

When was the last time you had a conversation with anyone, a real exchange of ideas with thoughtful reflection, upon any particular passage of Scripture? I am not asking when you last heard someone else present a Scripture text with an interpretation, but when you and a friend sat for more than one minute and turned a text over and over to examine it this way and that, and to help each other come to a better understanding of it, with its application to life.

I suspect that very many professing Christians have rarely if ever engaged in this kind of edifying talk, though it is part and parcel of spiritual intimacy with another Christian soul. Yes, we talk about “spiritual things” with one another, but is it not true that most of the time the actual words of Scripture are altogether absent? How profitable can such conversation be if it is completely devoid of God’s own words?

I imagine that if someone were to try this on some of my readers you might freeze like a deer in headlights. “Say, Jim, I was just thinking about that passage in the gospels that says, ‘Zeal for thine house hath eaten me up,’ and it seems to me that we could learn a lot from that verse. What do you think about it?” And Jim stares back, speechless. He has a ready tongue and a sharp wit for just about any other topic, but he is wholly out of his league for discoursing on biblical texts like this. Sure, he may like to listen to his pastor explain Scripture in a sermon while the congregation is silent and no audible response is expected from him, but ask for an edifying contribution from Jim and he can only pull his pockets inside out, as one spiritually poor.

How can we be satisfied to go without personal dialogue about Scripture if our hearts really believe and love this Holy Book? Is it possible with anything else? Think about several things in which you take the most pleasure. Maybe it is your kids. Can you go a whole day without talking about them to someone? Are you very interested in politics? If so, then how often that subject is heard from your lips! You do speak often with others about something, don’t you? TV programs, hunting, music, books, food, relationships, home improvement, your pets—what is it? No doubt, it is something that occupies much of your attention, and likely is precious or important to you. So then, why not Scripture—not as a general notion, but specific texts which you have lately read or heard preached, or passages that have captured your special interest because they are wonderful or difficult or distinctive in some other way?

This kind of conversation about the particulars of God’s Word seems to have been much more common in generations long ago. The Puritans and their successors have called it “holy conference.” They spoke of it as a regular part of daily Christian living. For example,

Strive to make prayer and reading and holy company and holy conference your delight; and when delight comes in, you shall by little and little smell the sweetness of Christ, till at length your soul be over head and ears in Christ’s sweetness.¹

How does grace flourish by holy conference! A Christian by good discourse drops that oil upon another, which makes the lamp of his faith burn the brighter.²

We ought always to have a reverent awe of God upon our hearts at what time soever we think of, or hear his name, but most of all, when we ourselves do take his holy and fearful name into our mouths, especially in a religious manner, that is, in preaching, praying, or holy conference.³

This kind of thing seems to have been in mind by the Psalmist in the text before us now. “The man of God had spoken in the former verse how his lips should praise God; here is his second promise that he maketh, of holy conference with others.”⁴

RESOLVE TO SPEAK OF SCRIPTURE

“My tongue shall speak of thy word.” Singing praise is a good and may be included here, but it is only part of the means of spiritual growth. Edifying dialogue about the meaning of any given text could hardly occur if it were restrained to an exalted poetic form. We must be free to ask questions, test ideas, bring in other biblical texts that have a bearing on the main one, and use all manner of prose to explore the true sense of Scripture. Freely speaking of God’s Word to one another is critically important for God’s people.

The statement here has the deliberateness of a purposeful resolution. “I shall do this.” Comparing other English translations suggests that it is at least a hearty prayer or wish. “May my tongue recite your promise” (NJB).

Genuinely spiritual talk about biblical texts is not natural to us, sinners that we are by nature. It only comes as the fruit of God’s grace working in us with our holy resolve to practice this important spiritual discipline. A comfortable place to start may be with your loved ones in family worship. Maybe you could meet for coffee with a Christian friend and let “holy conference” be your main agenda. Surely this ought to be going on in the church after lessons and sermons presenting Scripture. What could better occupy the conversation around dining hall tables at a fellowship lunch after the morning service? Watson also wrote,

If you would have the Word work effectually to your salvation, make it familiar to you. Discourse of what you have heard when you come home. “My tongue shall speak of thy word” (Psa 119.172). One reason why some people get no more good by what they hear, is that they never speak to one another of what they have heard; as if sermons were such secrets that they must not be spoken of again; or as if it were a shame to speak of matters of salvation.⁵

Full of pastoral love for the sheep, Mr. Spurgeon mildly reproves us:

The worst of it is that for the most part we are full of our own words, and speak but little of God’s Word. Oh, that we could come to the same resolve as this godly man, and say henceforth, “My tongue shall speak of thy word.” Then should we break through our sinful silence; we should no more be cowardly and halfhearted, but should be true witnesses for Jesus. It is not only of God’s works that we are to speak, but of his Word. We may extol its truth, its wisdom, its preciousness, its grace, its power; and then we may tell of all it has revealed, all it has promised, all it has commanded, all it has effected. The subject gives us plenty of sea room; we may speak on forever: the tale is forever telling, yet untold.⁶

REASON TO SPEAK OF SCRIPTURE

David often, as here, rationally explains his actions: “for all thy commandments are righteousness.” He designates Scripture comprehensively in the phrase, “all thy commandments,” using synecdoche. Scripture derives its holy excellence from its identity as the very Word of the Most Holy and supremely-exalted God. People who sincerely worship the true and living God also heartily approve of his Word, so the critic of Scripture always belongs to the rabble of those who are spiritually rotten.

Scripture is the epitome of “righteousness,” the moral and ethical standard by which all else is tested and measured. True Christians know this deep down by faith. As our confession says,

By this [saving] faith a Christian believes to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word for the authority of God himself, and also apprehends an excellency therein above all other writings and all things in the world, as it bears forth the glory of God in his attributes, the excellency of Christ in his nature and offices, and the power and fullness of the Holy Spirit in his workings and operations.

That is all the reason we need to be “speaking of Scripture” along with other legitimate topics of daily conversation. The Lord help us do so. Amen.

Notes:

1 Samuel Rutherford, Letters of Spiritual Counsel, p. 91.
2 Thomas Watson, A Divine Cordial, p. 17 (Cornerstone Publishing edition, 1975)
3 “A Treatise of the Fear of God,” The Works of John Bunyan, I.441
4 Thomas Manton, sermon on this verse.
5 The Ten Commandments, p. 216.
6 Charles Spurgeon, Treasury of David, in loc.

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