Well, they were strong words, weren't they, to sing? Is it true of us? In full and glad surrender, I give myself to thee, thine utterly and only and evermore to be. May it be so for each and every one of us in this coming week, and as the Lord gives us breath. Again, if you'd like to turn to Psalm 119 and 12, Consider that portion we read together again tonight. Psalm 119, verse 73. We continue our study in this wonderful psalm, the longest psalm in the Book of Psalms. We're in stanza 10, and particularly in stanza 11 tonight. And just to remind you of where we've reached in our studies of this glorious psalm, the 10th stanza is the yod. Jesus spoke about that as every jot and tittle. This is the jot section. It's a very small Hebrew word. As I reminded you last week, these are not small things that we are considering again tonight. He's spoken there, David has. I believe it's David who wrote this psalm. I think there's lots of indication that he was the author of this book. And he declares there quite clearly that God had made him, God had formed him, God had fashioned him, God is that great potter, and we are the clay, and he forms us to vessels for honor and for dishonor. And God has fashioned him, fashioned him in his likeness. And David prays there, verse 70, that God would give him understanding, particularly that he may learn God's commandment, may learn God's law. This is his meditation. This is what he delights in. He reminds us there in verse 74, they that fear me will be glad when they see me. He's referring to the persecution that he's endured and is enduring and is suffering. And as an example to the godly, they look upon him and say, this is how a godly man or woman acts and lives under afflictions. under great trials. He's not a man who is withering. He's not a man who's losing his faith. He's not in despair. And as a fact, others come to say, I want to be like him. I want to be like her. They are a godly example of how a Christian should live and behave in what they say and in their attitude. So they that fear thee will be glad when they see me, says David. Why? Because I've hoped in thy word. This is David's touchstone every time. It's the word of God. This is what his hope is based on. Because I've hoped in thy word. It's a living hope. It's not dead, it's alive, it's active. It's a hope that has hope in it. As we considered last week, he says in verse 75, he's talking to the Lord now. I know, through personal experience, I've walked this path. I know. I've seen it. I've felt it. Oh Lord, Yahweh, Jehovah, that my judgments are right. All his judgments are right. Whatever befalls us is right for our soul, for our eternal good. and that vow in faithfulness has afflicted me. Brother Connor reminded us of that this morning. David's afflictions were self-made and afflictions from without and from within. But, he says, they were good. These afflictions were positively in his nature, worked positively in a sense that it drew him nearer to God. It didn't push him away, which afflictions can do. They can drive us away from God, or they can draw us to him. And for David, these faithful afflictions, these just judgments, which were right, were good for his personal holiness and for his walk with his God. He prays in the midst of his afflictions. Let I pray thee, my merciful kindness, be my comfort according to thy word unto thy servant. He is seeking comfort. Verse 82, he says, mine eyes fell for thy word, saying, when wilt thou comfort me? And we can be like that, can't we, in the midst of our affliction? We can pray such prayers. Let my merciful kindness be for my comfort according to thy word unto thy servant. He's not coming demanding. He's not bringing dictates to the Lord. He comes reverently unto thy servant. He has a humble heart as he approaches Yahweh, Jehovah, the Lord God Almighty. And to be considered, verse 77, last week, let my tender mercies come unto me that I may live, for thy law is my delight. And just remind you what those tender mercies are. The Hebrew scholar suggested that this word racham, the Hebrew word, which has come from Amharic roots, speaks of the womb. of a woman's womb. It represents the love of a mother has for her child while in the womb, a love that has yet to be challenged by rebellion and defiance. David is asking God to remember the love he had for him before he ever sinned or committed adultery or murder. Remember how I was before I was born. Tender mercies. What a wonderful thought that is. What a wonderful thought. That God's tender mercies. Even before I rebelled, God had tender mercies toward me. He had love toward me. And he's saying, Lord, look upon me like that today. Even though I have sinned and rebelled, my transgression, Lord, remember me with such love. And dear friends, he does. He does, that's how he looks upon us, with tender mercies. Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto us. Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live, for thy law is my delight. David speaks in verse 70 of the proud, those who are against him. proud, they are arrogant people. Verse 17, their heart is as fat as grease. I'm speaking there of their luxuries, their possessions, they're in comfort, they have no need. We live in a land, if you look around us, this is described as the people we live amongst and work with. They're self-sufficient, I need nothing, I don't need God. I was talking to a friend on Friday night, it's a street evangelist up in London, and people say, I don't need your God, I've got everything, I don't need God, what can God give to me? He can give you so much, give you peace of heart and minds, forgiveness of our sin, but the world doesn't see it. David describes the proud, let the proud be ashamed for they dealt perversely with me without a cause. Christian, the world will hate you and do all it can to bring you down. He says here in verse 69, describing the proud again, the proud have forged a lie against me. Thomas Manton has a quite sweet little thought on that verse. The proud have forged a lie against me. He said their brain is red hot in the forge of producing lies and rumors and innuendo against the servants of God. Satan raises up those who are proud to attack the servants of God and they forge lies. They forged a lie against the Lord Jesus. He said, destroy this temple in three days, rebuild it. Nothing new, is there? This is why this book is so relevant for our day and for our society. The proud have forged a lie against me. But, says David, I will keep my precepts with my whole heart. With my whole heart. It gives more of a description of the proud. These arrogant people. They're proud to dig pits for me, which are not after my law. They're seeking to entrap David. These are men who do not conform to the divine law of God. They're doing their own thing, doing their own way. There was laws about digging a pit. If you dug a pit, you had to ensure that your neighbor's ox or cattle didn't fall into it. If they fell into it, you're responsible. You had to reimburse. But these people, stiff-necked people, they dug pits for me, which are not after my law. They sought to entrap David with his words and his deeds and his actions. And the world would do the same for the Christian. They tried to entrap us. They tried to trip us up, to ensnare us with our words, with our attitude. and with our actions, we're to be so careful, we're to walk circumspectly before our God and before this world. I have dealt perversely with me without a cause. They hate Christ, they hate his people, and they hate his church. But he says, despite all that the proud seek to do to overthrow me, I will meditate in my precepts. This is going to be my comfort, this is going to be my help, this is going to be my direction, this is going to be my guide as I meditate in my precepts. It would appear, verse 79, that some had been taken in by these proud lies and these proud men. Let those that fear thee, as to God fearer, Those that fear, return unto me. It appears that friends have left David. They've sided with those who turned against him. And he prays for them, let those that fear return unto me, and those that have known my testimonies. Let there be a turning, Lord. Those who have been deceived through deception of lies, let them return unto me. and they'll be glad when they see me because of my stance, my position upon the testimonies of your word. He says, let my heart be sound in our statutes, but I be not ashamed. I be not ashamed. Then stanza 11 speaks, as interpreted from Fersi, the prayer meeting The dark night of the soul, in a sense. This is the 11th stanza. It's the middle of the psalm. In the Hebrew, there are 22 letters. This is the 11th letter. And in a sense, David is pouring out his heart before the Lord and what he wants the Lord to do on his behalf. In verse 81, he says, my soul fainteth for my salvation. This is how it is for David. My soul fainted for a deliverer. Someone's going to come in for me. Someone's going to stand and bring me help and succor in my infirmities. My soul fainted. He's longing, as a psalmist, longing to be in the courts of the Lord, his God. So David here, fainted for God's salvation. And he's asking the Lord in verse 82 to come in on his behalf. He says, mine eyes fell for thy words, saying, when wilt thou comfort me? This is what David is seeking. He's seeking the God of all comfort. His eyes are failing, his flesh is weak, his spirit is downcast. Mine eyes fell for thy words, saying, when wilt thou comfort me? Is that a prayer you've prayed? It's a prayer I've prayed. It's a prayer we should pray. When will thou comfort me? He's seeking God to come in for him. David is being honest before his God. He's telling him how things are and he's asking the Lord to come in for his help and for his aid. He says, this is how I feel, verse 83. I've become like a bottle in the smoke, yet I do not forget my statutes. I feel like a bottle in the smoke. It's a strange expression, not something we speak about or quite understand. We need to go back in time when the ancients made bottles that actually wind skins from a from a goat or from a sheep, even from a pig. They even used the bladders to hold liquid in and had a treatment for it. They would pull the skin off the beast and then turn it inside out and rub salt and water and buckwheat to dry out the skin. And then they would tie the legs up and then they would blow into it and leave it in the sun to dry. And then they would have a vessel for holding wine, water, oil, et cetera. But David's speaking of here of a wineskin that has been hung up to one side next to a fire in the rafters of a building, and the smoke has affected it. And David says, that's how I feel, for I have become like a bottle in the smoke. Psalm 102. Verse 3 gives us an indication of what David is thinking of. Psalm 102 verse 3. So David's given us an indication of how he feels. This is how I feel. I feel like a bottle in the smoke. He says, my days are consumed like smoke and my bones are burned as a half. Psalm 32, four. Another indication of how David's feeling. Psalm 32 and verse four, you read these words. For day and night, my hand was heavy upon me. My moisture is turned into the drought of summer. He feels withered. He feels exhausted. His moisture is turned into a drought of summer. He feels like he's dry as a bone. And then just another quick reference in Job 30 and verse 30. He says, Job says about his situation, my skin is black upon me and my bones are burned with heat. What a miserable condition to be in. And David is feeling the heavy affliction that God has brought to him. And yet he declares, before I was afflicted, in verse 67, I went astray, but now I have kept thy word. Verse 71, he says, it is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn thy statutes. And this affliction is heavy upon him. He's described it, I become like a bottle in the smoke. He had Hard, heavy, long trials. And as that bottle there in the smoke starts to dry out, it starts to wrinkle, to shrivel up. It becomes useless. And this is what David explained to us. This is how I feel. This is how my body looks. It's blackened. His beauty's been wasted. Not only beauty on the outward, but all his strength. He was black with extreme misery. I've been there. You've been there. This is David's description of himself. And other scriptures are so honest. They tell it as it is. They don't gloss over, do they? This is David's description. Do you see yourself in this? Have you seen yourself in this? And David suffers great sorrows, and these great sorrows altered his appearance. His afflictions caused his beauty to fade away as a flower of the field. God's rod, which was laid upon him, left marks. sad marks, prints upon his body, which not only wasted his strength, but defaced his beauty. And that's because of his life choices, his adultery, his murder, the rebellion of his family, of Saul pursuing him, So much was against him and all these combined wear a man down. So David describes himself here. They come like a bottle in the smoke. But notice this. All is not lost for David. Yet do I not forget my statutes. Yet do I not forget by statues. The beauty of the soul groweth fairer, says Manton, by afflictions, where that of the body is blasted. It's all designed for his soul's eternal good. The outward perish, but for David, graces abound. And for the Christian, through our afflictions, grace should abound. David's beauty, he was described as fair and ruddy. Now he described himself as a bottle, all withered and shriveled, black in the smoke. But his grace, grace of God. He was committed to the word of God. Yet do I not forget my statutes. Despite his afflictions, He still kept to the duty and commitments he had for the Word of God. Simply, he still went to the temple. He still met with the people of God for prayer and Bible study. He still had fellowship with the people of God. He still loved the people of God. He still good works, caring for the widow, for the orphan, for those who've been oppressed. Yet do I not forget thy statutes. So afflictions can either drive us from the Lord or drive us to him. And God laid these afflictions upon his beloved servant, David. This bottle, it appears, is cast out. It's good for nothing. It's dried up, and as Jesus said there in Mark 9, 17, you don't put new wine into old bottles. You're just gonna waste a bottle and you're gonna waste your wine. It's not a done thing. It's dried, it's cast aside. It's no longer of any use. It will soon break. The Christians often cast aside. Do you know that? I can speak. Of many people I've met in Sri Lanka who've become Christians have been cast aside. Why? Because they named Christ. Because they've deserted mother Hinduism. They've gone away. As far as the family concerned, they're dead. Until they repent and come back to mother Hindu, they're cast out. They're dead. You're not invited to parties, weddings, celebrations, funerals, until you repent and come back. They're cast out. They're worthless. In some cultures, they would even try to kill the converted person. They're cast to one side. What does the scripture say? And we are made as the filth of the world and of the Oscurgeon of all things, says 1 Corinthians 4, 13. Hebrews 13, 13 says, so let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. If they rejected Christ, they can reject you. They can reject me. This is the way it is. But yet despite that rejection, despite all that hurt and all that trouble, David and the true believer says, yet do I not forget my statutes. Again, as we go through his afflictions, we can murmur, we can complain. Complain about God, his providential dealings with us. Why this? Why now? Why me? As I said to you before, why not you? Why not? Do not murmur God's providential dealings with you and your loved ones. Do not become despondent or distrustful of God. Claim the promises of God. Remind God of his promises. This is what David's doing here. This is how it is, my soul fainteth, he says, for salvation. I become like a bottle in the smoke. He tells God as it is. Verse 85, the proud have digged pits for me. This is how it is. Verse 87, they'd almost consume me upon the earth, but I forsook not my precepts. This is how it is. Remind God how it is for us. The difficulties and the pain and the hurts we're suffering because we own the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. Don't become despondent. He will, it's a good time, send help and bring deliverance. Do not foster despair and thoughts. He will never cast us off. He will never say, you're no longer my child. And all this, the purpose being holiness, holiness, to make us holy, to make us more Christ-like, to conform us to the image of his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. We should be growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This is the reason for our affliction. draw us nearer and closer to him, and to be like him, and to pray like him for the world and for those around us. So friends, do not be weary in well-doing, in your duty. I know duties are not a nice word in this day and generation, but we have a duty to conform to his image as we live through the scriptures. God will send a help. and a deliverer. Again, David says here in our stanza tonight. For I become like a bottle in the smoke, yet do I not forget my statutes. How many of the days of my servant? When will they execute judgment on them that persecute me? the proud have digged pits for me, which are not after thy law. All thy commandments are faithful. They persecute me wrongfully. Help thou me. And that's the prayer we should be praying in our afflictions. Help thou me. Lord, be my help, be my comfort, be all that I need to praise the glory of your name. He says there in 87, they had almost consumed me upon the earth. That's referring back to 85. They dug pits, and their intent was to actually bury him alive. They had almost consumed me upon the earth. But again, you see, I forsook not my precepts. This is my rock. This is my place where I stand. This is my fortress. This is my buckler and shield, the precepts, the Torah, the commandments, the judgments of the Lord his God. And then finally, in verse 88, he says, quicken me after my loving kindness, and so shall I keep a testimony of my mouth. Quicken me. enliven me, enliven me to the things of God, enliven me to the prayers of God, quicken me, revive me. That's the need of the hour, the need of a church of the Lord Jesus Christ right now at this time in our nation. All our schemes, all our committees, all our plans, all our evangelistic campaigns, what have they produced? Not a lot. It's only when the Spirit of God comes and owns the Word of God and quickens the people of God that we see the world looking upon us in wonder and we see the fear of God to be amongst us. Quicken me. Quicken me. That's your prayer I trust. You need to be quickened. I need to be quickened. in the things of God. Quicken me after my loving kindness, and so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth. May the Lord bless those for us tonight. We close our worship together by singing hymn number 786, again based on Psalm 119. Teach me, O Lord, the perfect way of thy precepts divine, to observe it to the end, and shall my heart incline. Hymn 786. Teach me, O Lord, thy perfect way, ♪ Of thy presence divine ♪ ♪ And to observe it to the end ♪ ♪ I shall my heart incline ♪ ♪ Give understanding unto me ♪ So keeping, or shall I? Yea, even with my whole heart joined, Observe me carefully. If I woke up in you, ♪ For our delight to carry ♪ ♪ Thy heart of death, my death's promise ♪ ♪ And walk to win in Thy ♪ ♪ Turn thou away, my sight and eyes ♪ Father, that's our heart's desire, that you'll be pleased to quicken me, to revive me, to give me a greater love for the Word of God, for the Son of God, and for the glory of God. Now the Lord bless thee and keep thee. The Lord make his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace. Amen.