With the close of the last stanza, the psalmist has turned a corner. Where there was bleak despair just a few verses before, now there is complete joy and love for God’s Word. It is an incredibly uplifting passage. Take a look at it in Psalm 119:97-100:

With such a change in tone, you might wonder if this is even the same person writing these words about God’s Word, but there is no doubt that it is. And the reason for his confidence is the topic of this stanza. The psalmist has identified the source of such joy and wonderment to be the very words of God.

Although the psalmist has written of God’s love before this, such as he did in verses 47 and 48, this is his most eloquent expression of it yet. In this stanza, he gives five different reasons that he loves God’s Word as much as he does, and communicates that to his readers in such a way that we are encouraged to love it deeply as well. Four of these are listed in the second half of this stanza, and we will not deal with them yet, saving them for next week.

But the first reason is repeated three times in the first half of the stanza, emphasizing its importance, and is worth examining a bit closer.

The first reason the writer loves the Word of God so much is that it is the source of all true wisdom. In the three parallel statements he makes, there are three sets of ideas that he lays out.

First of all, the writer refers to God’s Words in three different ways, as God’s commands, his statutes, and his precepts. Second, he lists three descriptions of wisdom, describing himself as being wiser, as having more insight, and more understanding. And third, he compares his wisdom to that of others, his enemies, his teachers, and the elders.

At first glance, this seems to be an arrogant set of statements, but that is not the case. He can make such boasts because he is comparing the wisdom that comes from God with the world’s standard of wisdom. But such wisdom is not really wisdom, true wisdom comes from above, and the author of these words has recognized that fact clearly.

It’s easy to see how he has more wisdom than his enemies, because they have set themselves against God’s ways. The writer has superior wisdom, because he submits to the God of all wisdom. But the matter is a bit more confusing when he views his wisdom as greater than his teachers and the elders. Again, this is not arrogance, but a simple statement of fact. He has access to greater wisdom, because it comes from God, than do his instructors and the elders who have only worldly wisdom and experience.

Worldly wisdom is fleeting. It will pass away. In fact, in our culture, the knowledge we have is constantly being outdated and tossed aside. What is current today will probably be considered old and dated tomorrow. But wisdom from the Word of God is eternal, it is unchanging, and it is universal. It is truth for all people, at all times, and in all places.

What is remarkable is that the source of such wisdom is often overlooked. In James 1:5, we read:

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

What’s so remarkable about this is that the answer has already been given to us, at least in part. So many of us have multiple copies of God’s wisdom sitting on a shelf gathering dust. He has granted the answer to that prayer by giving us the Bible. From it, we can gain a much truer perspective on wisdom, and so much more, than we ever can on our own.

So what are you waiting for? If you want to experience such wisdom, pick up your Bible and read it. It can… and will… change your life.

Question: In what areas of your life do you need God’s wisdom right now? Be specific. Ask him for that wisdom. And then read his Word. You can leave a comment by clicking here.