The Heart’s Role in Holding God’s Word

Psalm 119:11 NKJV

Your word I have treasured in my heart,

That I may not sin against You.

My Thoughts

Beth ב: Purity of life and meditation on God’s word.

In Matthew 6:25, Jesus, talking to His disciples, said, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” Then in Matthew 6:33, He said, “ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” For myself, this verse is the meaning of what Jesus was saying, that we should seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and treasure the Word in our hearts, putting it where it needs to be, first and foremost in our heart. Then, when the times of doubt and worry come against us with the sinful ideas of the flesh, the Word will rise up from within us so that we may not sin against Him.

This verse highlights the significance of treasuring God’s word in one’s heart to avoid sin. It emphasizes the teachings from Psalm 119:11, where David stresses the importance of internalizing divine guidance. By memorizing and meditating on God’s words, believers can strengthen their spiritual defenses against temptation and maintain a pure life. The reflections point out that true possession of God’s word requires it to be deeply ingrained in the heart, which serves as an antidote against moral failings.

Note: Psalm 119 is an acrostic pattern. There are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet; each of the 22 sections is given a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and each line in that section begins with that letter. Today, we’re looking at verse 11, which is in the 2nd section, which is called Beth ב, which also means “a house.” Some have suggested that this section tells us how to make our heart a home for the word of God.

……Bill

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Commentaries:

Charles Spurgeon

When a godly man sues for a favor from God, he should carefully use every means for obtaining it, and accordingly, as the Psalmist had asked to be preserved from wandering, he here shows us the holy precaution which he had taken to prevent his falling into sin.

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart.” His heart would be kept by the word because he kept the word in his heart. All that he had of the word written, and all that had been revealed to him by the voice of God,—all, without exception, he had stored away in his affections, as a treasure to be preserved in a casket, or as a choice seed to be buried in a fruitful soil: what soil more fruitful than a renewed heart, wholly seeking the Lord? The word was God’s own, and therefore precious to God’s servant. He did not wear a text on his heart as a charm, but he hid it in his heart as a rule. He laid it up in the place of love and life, and it filled the chamber with sweetness and light. We must in this imitate David, copying his heart work as well as his outward character. First, we must mind that what we believe is truly God’s word; that being done, we must hide or treasure it each man for himself; and we must see that this is done, not as a mere feat of the memory, but as the joyful act of the affections.

“That I might not sin against thee.” Here was the object aimed at. As one has well said,—Here is the best thing—“thy word;” hidden in the best place,—“in my heart;” for the best of purposes,—“that I might not sin against thee.” This was done by the Psalmist with personal care, as a man carefully hides away his money when he fears thieves, in this case, the thief dreaded was sin. Sinning “against God“ is the believer’s view of moral evil; other men care only when they offend against men. God’s word is the best preventive against offending God, for it tells us his mind and will, and tends to bring our spirit into conformity with the divine Spirit. No cure for sin in life is equal to the word in the seat of life, which is the heart. There is no hiding from sin unless we hide the truth in our souls.

A very pleasant variety of meaning is obtained by laying stress upon the words “thy” and “thee.” He speaks to God, he loves the word because it is God’s word, and he hates sin because it is sin against God himself. If he vexed others, he minded not so long as he did not offend his God. If we would not cause God’s displeasure, we must treasure up his own word.

The personal way in which the man of God did this is also noteworthy: “With my whole heart have I sought thee.” Whatever others might choose to do, he had already made his choice and placed the Word in his innermost soul as his dearest delight, and however others might transgress, his aim was after holiness: “That I might not sin against thee.” This was not what he purposed to do, but what he had already done: many are great at promising, but the Psalmist had been true in performing; hence he hoped to see a sure result. When the word is hidden in the heart, the life shall be hidden from sin.

The parallelism between the second octave and the first is still continued. Psa 119:3 speaks of doing no iniquity, while this verse treats of the method of not sinning. When we form an idea of a blessedly holy man (Psa 119:3), it becomes us to make an earnest effort to attain unto the same sacred innocence and divine happiness, and this can only be through heart piety founded on the Scriptures.

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Enduring Word

Your word I have hidden in my heart: The psalmist knew the value of taking God’s word and hiding it in his heart. It is hidden in the sense that it is on the inside, where no one can see it, and it is safe so that no one can take it away. (Guzik)

i. We can be assured that before this word was hidden in his heart, it was received in his mind. The psalmist heard and read the word of God and thought about it continually, until it became ingrained in both his mind and his heart. (Guzik)

ii. “Memorizing is precisely what is called for, since it is only when the Word of God is readily available in our minds that we are able to recall it in moments of need and profit by it.” (Boice)

That I might not sin against You: Here, the psalmist states one benefit from having God’s word hidden in his heart. It is a defense against sin, for all the reasons discussed above and more. (Guzik)

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Albert Barnes

Thy word have I hid in mine heart – Compare the notes at Psalms 37:31. The word rendered “hid” means properly to conceal, so that a thing may be secret, private, inaccessible; then, to lay up in private, to treasure up. to hoard – as money or jewels – commonly “hidden” from public view. Job 20:26; Psalms 17:14. Then it means to lay up in one’s heart, as a secret, inaccessible place; to hide one’s thoughts; purposes, designs; or to lay up knowledge or wisdom in the heart as a treasure, Job 10:13; Proverbs 2:1; Proverbs 7:1. The meaning here is, that he had “treasured” up the word of God, as the most valuable thing, in his heart; it was “there,” though unseen; it constituted the secret power by which he was governed; it was permanently deposited there, as the most valuable of his treasures.

That I might not sin against thee – That it might protect me from sinning against thee. That I might be continually guided by its precepts; that I might be admonished of duty; that I might be deterred from going astray.

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John Gill

Thy word have I hid in mine heart,…. Not only heard and read it, but received it into his affections; mixed it with faith, laid it up in his mind and memory for future use; preserved it in his heart as a choice treasure, where it might dwell richly, and be of service to him on many occasions; and particularly be of the following use:

that I might not sin against thee; the word of God is a most powerful antidote against sin, when it has a place in the heart; not only the precepts of it forbid sin, but the promises of it influence and engage to purity of heart and life, and to the perfecting of holiness in the fear of the Lord; and all the doctrines of grace in it effectually teach the saints to deny all sin and worldly lusts, and to live a holy life and conversation; see 2 Corinthians 7:1.

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Matthew Henry

Here is,

1. The close application which David made of the word of God to himself: He hid it in his heart, laid it up there, that it might be ready to him whenever he had occasion to use it; he laid it up as that which he valued highly, and had a warm regard for, and which he was afraid of losing and being robbed of. God’s word is a treasure worth laying up, and there is no laying it up safely but in our hearts; if we have it only in our houses and hands, enemies may take it from us; if only in our heads, our memories may fail us: but if our hearts be delivered into the mould of it, and the impressions of it remain on our souls, it is safe.

2. The good uses he designed to make of it: That I might not sin against thee. Good men are afraid of sin, and are in care to prevent it; and the most effectual way to prevent is to hide God’s word in our hearts, that we may answer every temptation, as our Master did, with, It is written, may oppose God’s precepts to the dominion of sin, his promises to its allurements, and his threatenings to its menaces.

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Adam Clarke

Thy word have I hid in my heart —

He must treasure up those portions of God’s word in his mind and heart which speak against uncleanness of every kind, and that recommend purity, chastity, and holiness. The word of Christ should dwell richly in him. If God’s word be only in his Bible, and not also in his heart, he may soon and easily be surprised into his besetting sin.

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The Pulpit Commentaries

“WORD.” (Psalms 119:9, Psalms 119:11, Psalms 119:17, etc.) This answers to that sacred name of Christ, who is the Word of God. It tells not of a written letter, a series of documents drawn up by men; but it is that inner word of God which the spirit of man hears—it may be through the written or spoken Word, but it may be also independently of either. It is that Word which, if not heard, no preaching or teaching of man is of any avail. This is the Word we need to hear.

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Miscellaneous Quotes

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” In proportion as the word of the King is present in the heart, “there is power” against sin (Ecc 8:4). Let us use this means of absolute power more, and more life and more holiness will be ours

—Frances Ridley Havergal, 1836-1879.

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart.” There is great difference between Christians and worldlings. The worldling hath his treasures in jewels without him; the Christian hath them within. Neither indeed is there any receptacle wherein to receive and keep the word of consolation but the heart only. If thou have it in thy mouth only, it shall be taken from thee; if thou have it in thy book only, thou shalt miss it when thou hast most to do with it; but if thou lay it up in thy heart, as Mary did the words of the angel, no enemy shall ever be able to take it from thee, and thou shalt find it’s comfortable treasure in time of thy need.

—William Cowper.

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart.” This saying, to hide, imports that David studied not to be ambitious to set forth himself and to make a glorious show before men, but that he had God for a witness of that secret desire which was within him. He never looked to worldly creatures; but being content that he had so great a treasure, he knew full well that God, who had given it him, would so surely and safely guard it, as that it should not be laid open to Satan to be taken away. Saint Paul also declareth unto us (1Ti 1:19) that the chest wherein this treasure must be hid is a good conscience. For it is said that many being void of this good conscience have lost also their faith, and have been robbed thereof. As if a man should forsake his goods and put them in hazard, without shutting a door, it were an easy matter for thieves to come in and to rob and spoil him of all; even so, if we leave at random to Satan the treasures which God hath given us in his word, without it be hidden in this good conscience, and in the very bottom of, our heart as David here speaketh, we shall be spoiled thereof.

—John Calvin.

“In my heart,” Bernard observes, bodily bread in the cupboard may he eaten of mice, or moulder and waste, but when it is taken down into the body, it is free from such danger. If God enable thee to take thy soul food into thine heart, it is free from all hazards.

—George Swinnock, 1627-1673.

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Cross-References

Psalm 37:31 (KJV 1900)

³¹ The law of his God is in his heart;

None of his steps shall slide.

Luke 2:19 (KJV 1900)

¹⁹But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

Psalm 40:8 (KJV 1900)

⁸ I delight to do thy will, O my God:

Yea, thy law is within my heart.

Colossians 3:15–16 (KJV 1900)

¹⁵And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Psalm 119:133 (KJV 1900)

¹³³ Order my steps in thy word:

And let not any iniquity have dominion over me.

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Closing Thoughts

Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. Psalm 119:105 NKJV

How can a young man keep his way pure?

By keeping it according to Your word.

With all my heart I have sought You;

Do not let me wander from Your commandments.

Your word I have treasured in my heart,

That I may not sin against You.

Blessed are You, O Lord;

Teach me Your statutes.

With my lips I have told of

All the ordinances of Your mouth.

I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,

As much as in all riches.

I will meditate on Your precepts

And regard Your ways.

I shall delight in Your statutes;

I shall not forget Your word.