Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage forever:
For they are the rejoicing of my heart (Psa 119.111).
Many people are involved with the Bible, but few are committed to it. The difference between involvement and commitment is illustrated by a plate of bacon and eggs. The chicken was involved; the pig was committed.
Even before testings and temptations come, we must be settled in our commitment to believe and obey Scripture or we will waver in the hour of decision. We must have our minds made up beforehand—once and for all—that we are determined to follow God’s Word no matter what.
Such was the psalmist’s resolve. Here he expresses his faith with a metaphor from life in this world, and explains the rationale for such faith.
THIS BIBLE IS MINE FOREVER
In view is God’s Word written, now known as the Bible. There is no doubt about that, as it is the psalm’s entire theme. The particular word designating Scripture here is “testimonies,” “what God solemnly testifies to be his will.” Though coming through prophets like Moses, these testimonies are the truthful words of God himself. Later, the apostle Paul would write, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Tim 3.16), so that the Bibles we have today possess the very same divine authorship and authority as the Scriptures of 3,000 years ago.
The metaphor of this verse is in the word “heritage.” The first line’s verb is a word which means “to take possession of an inheritance.” It was used in a literal way when one “received a transfer of property from a deceased parent or a living authorized source, implying possession is legitimate according to proper standards,” as in Prov 13.22: “A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.” From this verse the fact appears that the word “inheritance” implied something of great value, a treasure, just as it does today. As a rule, people inherit fortunes, not pittances.
So the psalmist’s use of this word testifies to his high estimation of Holy Scripture. This he makes explicit elsewhere in the psalm. “I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches” (v. 14). “The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver” (v. 72). “I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold” (v. 127). “I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil” (v. 162). When one realizes the Bible’s infinite worth, his strong desire for it is inevitably aroused. Likewise, the unbeliever’s disdain for Scripture is folly, for he thinks the Bible is at best fool’s gold, a relatively worthless thing that might be neglected with impunity. When he is a pauper declaring spiritual bankruptcy on Judgment Day, then he will rue his gross accounting error, but it will be too late, for he will inhabit an eternal debtor’s prison.
The form of the first line’s declaration is very forceful and assertive. “I have taken as an heritage thy testimonies.” In this life people can discover they have come into a great inheritance while they themselves did nothing to gain it. They may have been completely passive about the matter until the news came to them that they are suddenly rich as heirs of another’s wealth. The psalmist, by contrast, had exercised faith and seized the valuable treasure as his very own. On this account the analogy with Canaan is good. It was theirs by divine right, but still they had to go boldly and wrench it out of the hands of the heathen.
The first line concludes with the Hebrew word for eternity which properly means “concealed,” alluding to a vanishing point. It pertains to an unlimited duration of time, usually with a focus on the future. This expresses his permanent and irrevocable resolve. He had not embraced Scripture conditionally and on probation, depending upon whether he would keep finding it sufficiently desirable or useful to his purposes. He had such confidence in its goodness, reliability, and glory, that his decision to embrace it was final.
How did such a settled commitment change his life? What were the evidences of his sincerity in this? We might compile a long list, but the first few effects are obvious. He maintained regular and even daily contact with Scripture when possible. He read and reread its blessed lines with ever-increasing wonder and admiration. He prayed for light in his life through the Word, and light upon the meaning of the Word for his life. He strove constantly to possess the virtues it commended, and to avoid the sins it condemned, and to practice the good works it commanded.
The very same effects are seen in people today of comparable commitment to the Bible. It is readily apparent to all that real Christians are people of the Book. They eat and drink Scripture. Bible verses fly through their minds in one situation after another because of the countless hours they have spent devouring it and meditating upon it, lingering long sometimes on a single sentence or word, savoring its wise implications and enjoying its sweetness. Oh professing Christian, is this a fair description of your relationship to Scripture? Is it more precious to you than some vast earthly inheritance? Your actions show, not only others, but even yourself the value you really place upon the message of the Bible. Our generation has a few who really love God’s Word like the psalmist, but as a percentage, not many—not even within the visible church.
Further, let some of us who do sincerely love the inspired text be rebuked at our relative lack of fervency in this love. Great misers greedily handle their gold coins, counting them, delighting in the sounds they make against one another. Great saints pore over Scripture with even greater pleasure.
THIS BIBLE DELIGHTS ME LIKE NOTHING ELSE
This spiritual delight in the Word of God is one rationale upon which an eternal commitment to it is founded. “Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage forever: FOR they are the rejoicing of my heart” (emphasis mine). It is as if the psalmist is saying to the Lord, “I have known by experience the great happiness which comes by grace through Scripture, and therefore I have made my fixed choice that these testimonies will be my eternal inheritance. You, Lord, give clear and abundant testimony to your real existence and glory in them. Your holy attributes are all on display there, more spectacular than any earthly wonder. A thousand promises cheer my heart. Profound precepts guide my steps. Glorious prophecies inspire my hope. Comforting assurances calm my anxieties. The justice of your ways, the power of your will, and the certainty of your redemptive purposes all have their incontrovertible evidences in your Word.”
Let us conclude with a lengthy quotation of that great Puritan Thomas Boston. This is found in his treatise entitled, “The Young Man’s Duty and Excellency.” In chapter seven, Boston enlarges on the things a young man must diligently practice to become truly good, and the first of four things he urges is to strive for a close acquaintance with the Scriptures. This passage is slightly paraphrased.
The whole Scripture is but one entire love letter, dispatched from the Lord Christ to his beloved spouse; and who then would not continue reading this love letter? We should be like Cecilia, a Roman maiden of noble parentage, who always carried the New Testament with her so she could always be reading Christ’s love letter, and beholding the sweet workings of his love and heart towards his dear and precious ones.
Luther found so much sweetness in the Word, in Christ’s love letter, that it made him say he would not live in paradise, if he might, without the word; but with the word he could live in hell itself.
The martyrs found the Bible so precious that they were willing to give a load of hay for a few leaves of the Bible in English. Augustine professes that the sacred Scriptures were his whole delight.
Oh! The mysteries, the excellencies, the glories that are in the word! Ah, no book can be compared to this book; none so useful, none so needful, none so delightful, none so necessary to make you happy and keep you happy as this.
Ah! Young men, young men! The word of the Lord is a light to guide you, a counsellor to counsel you, a comforter to comfort you, a staff to support you, a sword to defend you, and a physician to cure you. The word is a mine to enrich you, a robe to clothe you, and a crown to crown you. It is bread to strengthen you, and wine to cheer you, and a honeycomb to feast you, and music to delight you, and a paradise to entertain you.
Oh! Therefore, before all and above all, search the Scripture, study the Scripture, dwell on the Scripture, delight in the Scripture, treasure up the Scripture; no wisdom is comparable to Scripture wisdom, no knowledge to Scripture knowledge, no experience to Scripture experience, no comforts to Scripture comforts, no delights to Scripture delights, no convictions to Scripture convictions, nor no conversion to Scripture conversion.