God’s Word Quickens

2020-04-12

The Word of God gives hope to those who are in pain, saves the lives of the downtrodden, and quickens the dead, both metaphorically and literally. We glean much from the use of the word quicken in Psalm 119:

• DALETH. My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word. (Psalms 119:25)
• My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word. (Psalms 119:28)
• Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way. (Psalms 119:37)
• Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness. (Psalms 119:40)
• This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me. (Psalms 119:50)
• Quicken me after thy lovingkindness; so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth. (Psalms 119:88)
• I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me. (Psalms 119:93)
• I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O LORD, according unto thy word. (Psalms 119:107)
• Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope. (Psalms 119:116)
• Mine eyes fail for thy salvation, and for the word of thy righteousness. (Psalms 119:123)
• I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts. (Psalms 119:141)
• Hear my voice according unto thy lovingkindness: O LORD, quicken me according to thy judgment. (Psalms 119:149)
• Plead my cause, and deliver me: quicken me according to thy word. (Psalms 119:154)
• Salvation is far from the wicked: for they seek not thy statutes. (Psalms 119:155)
• Great are thy tender mercies, O LORD: quicken me according to thy judgments. (Psalms 119:156)
• Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O LORD, according to thy lovingkindness. (Psalms 119:159)
• Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word. (Psalms 119:170)
• Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me. (Psalms 119:175)

Here is a summary:

1. The Word gives hope when all is hopeless. This gives a picture of a person who has despaired of life. The Word brings hope. Psalm 119:25, 141
2. The Word encourages the downhearted. There is no consolation in this life. There are a lot of worries in this world. God’s Word lifts us up. Psalm 119:28
3. The Word refreshes when living in a sinful society. It is a sin-cursed world, and we have our own sin also. The Lord’s Word delivers us from these things. Psalm 119:37
4. The Word relieves the afflicted. In hard times, the Lord relieves us by His Word. Psalm 119:50, 107, 141
5. The Word sustains our hope. We cannot maintain our own lives. We also cannot maintain the Christian life He requires. He holds us up by His Word, even when we cannot see it. Psalm 119:88, 116, 123
6. The Word is salvation. When we call on the Lord, He saves us, whether it be in a salvific sense, or from circumstances. Psalm 119:123, 154, 155, 170, 175
7. The Word is the strength of the weak. Psalm 119:141
8. The Word does not fail. The use of the word “lovingkindness” is a word referring to God’s loyal covenantal love. He keeps His promises. His Word does not change. Psalm 119:149, 156, 159
9. The Word gives life to the dying or the dead. The common definition of quicken is to make alive, so the definition applies here. Being quickened by the Lord’s righteousness reminds us of Romans 3:21-22. This has an everlasting effect on us. Psalm 119:40, 93, 175

This final point is among the most important points. Proclamation of the Word of God brought us eternal life. When we share the Gospel, that is how others can be saved also:

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1)

The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, (2) And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. (3) And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. (4) Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. (5) Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: (6) And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. (7) So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. (8) And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. (9) Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. (10) So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. (11) Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. (12) Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. (13) And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, (14) And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD. (Ezekiel 37:1-14)




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