Psalm 119/ Revelation 17:5
Seek And Obey God’s Word Fully To The End, Destroy The Mystery Of The Prostitute!
Psalm 119/ Revelation 17:5
The whole world is under the control of the evil one. (1 John 5: 19) The power of sins is polluting the whole world. Sins, the mother of the abominations is the prostitute. She is our enemy. How wicked and how evil she is. How many saints who love God and have been used by God have died from her seductions and persecutions. Only if we truly do exactly as the teachings in Psalm 119, we can overcome the mystery of the prostitute. We will not be hurt by her, but will accomplish God’s plan. Psalm 119 teaches us many important secrets of victory in Jesus. First, be humble, thirst and hunger for God’s Word. Second, be perfect. Third, seek to obey God’s Word every moment and keep it to the very end. Let us follow the example of Paul, as he followed the example of Christ.
V. 1-8 Blessed are they who walk according to God’s Word and seek Him with all their hearts. Oh, I will obey God’s words and consider all His commands and walk in His ways. (Know, do, seek) (Do, practice)
V. 9-16 Do not go astray from God’s words. Hide them in our hearts. Rejoice in them. Meditate on it, and ask God to teach us.
V. 17-24 Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in God’s words. I was suffered by the people’s scorn but God’s words are my delight and counselors.
V. 25-32 My soul is weary with sorrow. Strengthen me with God’s words. I chose the way of truth. I hold fast to God’s words, and run in the path of God’s commands.
V. 33-40 Teach me, to follow God’s words, I will keep them to the end. Turn my heart toward God’s words and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes from worthless things. Fulfill Lord’s promise to me.
Here I would like to share with you about “selfish gain” in v. 36.
When I studied in the university, I had attended many meetings for spiritual revival. But I had never gained anything from these meetings. I remained the same. There was only once I benefited from a meeting. An unknown sister came to speak in our youth fellowship. I could never forget her message. It helped me to have a direct fellowship with the Lord. She told us how she had been deceived by the devil once. At first, she left a foothole for the devil. Then, the devil moved from an inch to a yard, and finally entered into her heart completely. The devil completely destroyed her sweet fellowship with the Lord. Her vineyard was destroyed. She lost the presence of God. She suffered so much in the spirit that she had to get up in the middle of night and plead for God’s mercy. Then, she found her Lord again.
I had some struggles in my heart at that time. Therefore, when I heard that she was released and belssed by “praying to God in the middle of night,” I decided to do the same. During that time, whenever I woke up in the middle of night, I went to my study room, knelt down and prayed to God. At first, I did not know what to pray. There were many times, I felt so sleepy that I wanted to stop praying and went back to sleep. But when I decided to continue to pray, I was blessed. God’s love came on me when I was praying. I tasted the sweetness of God’s presence.
Just when I was advancing in the spirit, I met a brother on an occasion of fellowship at church. His father died for Jesus Christ. His whole family loved the Lord. He was such a fine young man and loved Jesus very much. He was a leader of a student fellowship of another university. Everyone respected him. I respected him and admired him a lot. He also treated me in a special way. I was trapped by the mystery of the prostitute. It was just at that time God called me to follow Him to take the narrow way of cross. But I was indulging in a noble and sweet emotions with this brother. I told the Lord, “I will obey your will to be a missionary, but one thing I ask you: let me marry this brother so that we can serve you together.” But this is not the will of God. It was my selfish desire. Pretty soon, the war broke out in China. God used war to separate us. He could not find me bacause of the war, and I could not contact him. Hallelujah! God wants all of me to serve Him, my heart and my whole body. He has given me the better blessing, to be single for Him. He has spared me many troubles in this life.
Another point I want to share with you is about “worthless things” in verse 37. God had blessed me a very good co-worker when I was in China. She was few years younger than me. Two of us worked closely to serve the Lord in hardships and persecutions. We preached the gospel with one heart and one spirit. Later, I came to America, she remained in China. When I heard that her life was in danger of gospel preaching, I prayed earnestly for her deliverance. I even told the Lord that I was willing to take her place of suffering in China, so that she could come out to America to expand God’s works. It is because she has so many spiritual gifts and I always think she is much better than I am in many ways. I think she is more useful for God’s works in America. Thank God, pretty soon God took her out of China by His great power.
But when two of us worked together again in America, I experienced some serious struggle. When I saw some believers admired her so much and regarded her as an angle, but regarded me as nothing. I almost fell into the mystery of the prostitute again. The evil one kept on telling me, “Look, how people like her, how they look down on you. You see, God doesn’t love you either. He has blessed her so many spiritual gifts. But He has given you nothing…” A power of sin, a kind of jealousy and discouragement was running after me, on and on. I escaped to my Lord, I told God, “O Lord, I, one heart, your child, do not want to be jealous of anyone. I am so afraid to sin against you. But, Lord, the enemy keeps on attacking me. Please come and save me quickly. Turn my eyes away from gaining people’s admiration or respect. They are nothing but worthless things. O Lord, help me not to fall into darkness.” Then, the Lord taught me how to overcome this trap of sin from Psalm 125: That is to trust in God and keep my heart right and do good to the end. God will protect me from the hand of my enemies. God will destroy all of the enemies. From then on, God has restored our partnership in preaching the gospel, even stronger than before.
V. 49-56 O Lord, your promise preserves my life. I have suffered from the most painful illness for more than two years. At first, I prayed to God to let me die. Later on, God’s promise gave me strength to live. Now, I live by depending on God’s promise day by day.
V. 57-64 You are my portion, I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands. As soon as I know that I am wrong, I turn to God and run to obey His words..
V. 65-72 It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your words. The word from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of gold and silver.
V. 73-80 In faithfulness God has afflicted me. May God’s unfailing love be my comfort. Let God’s compassion come to me that I may live. May my heart be blameless toward God’s words.
V. 81-88 When will the Lord comfort me? How long must your servant wait? Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke, I do not forget your words. Jesus said, “Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”
V. 89-96 Your word stands firm in the heavens. Your faithfulness continues through all generations. To all perfection I see a limit, but your commands are boundless.
V. 97-104 I love your words and meditate on them all day long. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, even than all my teachers. I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your Word. I hate every wrong path.
V. 105-112 God’s word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. The wicked have set a snare for me, but I have not strayed from God’s word. My heart is set on keeping God’s Word to the very end.
V. 113-120 I hate double-minded men. I love God’s word. Away from me, you evildoers that I may keep the commands of my God. My flesh trembles in fear of you. I stand in awe of your words.
V. 121-128 My eyes fail, looking for your salvation and your righteous promise. Deal with me according to your love and teach me your words.
V. 129-136 I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands. Make your face shine upon me and teach me your words. Strems of tears flow from my eyes, for your Word is not obeyed.
V. 137-144 God’s words are righteous and true. Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands are my delight.
V. 145-152 I call with all my heart, save me and I will keep your words.
V. 153-160 Look upon my suffering and deliver me, for I have not forgotten your words. All your words are true and eternal.
V. 161-168 Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous words. Great peace have they who love your words. I wait for your salvation and I obey your words for I love them greatly.
V. 169-176 May my cry come before you. O Lord, deliver me according to your promise. I have gone astrayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.
How wicked and evil the mystery of the prostitute is. How she sows dissention within best co-workers, friends, families and churches. How she can start unholy emotions or relationships within the saints to make them unholy before the Lord. How mysterious her plan is to make us sin and offend God.
I pray that God will help us to follow the example of the writer of Psalm 119: Pray to God at all times, keep His Word by trusting in God, and live in God to the ends of our days. Never stop seeking God, be watchful all the time and completely obey God’s commands. If we can always carefully follow the teachings in Psalm 119, we will accomplish God’s plan without being hurt or killed by the mystery of the prostitute. We will be a blessing for all generations and for all the people.