Psalm 119.25 – 7.15.08

Psalm 119:25 My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.

There are 3 powerful and blessed truths we can learn from this short, but loaded verse.

1. Sin has physical, temporal consequences – cleaveth unto the dust

Genesis 3:19 says that because of man's sin, he shall…return unto the ground; for out of it was thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. This final aspect of the curse on the human race due to Adam's sin was in keeping with God's warning in Genesis 2:17, for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

• Romans 5:12 – so then death passed upon all men for that all have sinned
  
• Romans 6:23 – the wages of sin is death
  
• Job 34:15 – man shall return again unto dust
  
• Psalm 104:29 – they die, and return to their dust
  
• Ecclesiastes 3:20 – all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again
  
• Ecclesiastes 12:7 – then shall the dust return to the earth as it was
  
• Daniel 12:2 – them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake
  

2. Sin has spiritual, eternal consequences – MY SOUL cleaveth unto the dust

There is an eternal judgment (Hebrews 6:2), an everlasting destruction (2 Thessalonians 1:19) awaiting those sinners who stand before God on the day of judgment in their sinful condition (Hebrews 9:27). This is known as the second death (Revelation 20:11-15; Revelation 21:8).

• Ezekiel 18:4,20 – the soul that sinneth, it shall die
  
• Job 17:16 – they shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust
  

3. Eternal life is made available through Jesus Christ – quicken THOU me according to thy word

Man has no hope of saving himself from his sinful condition. Psalm 22:29 says…all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul. But those who are dead in trespasses and sins can be quickened (made alive so as to never die again) by the grace of God through the cross work of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:1-9; Colossians 2:13-14). God has promised to grant eternal life to all who would call on His name (Romans 10:13; 1 John 2:25-26), and He cannot lie (Titus 1:2).

Psalm 22:29 says…all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him. Philippians 2:10-11 says, That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

A man would be wise to bow and make such a confession on this side of eternity, thus receiving God's deliverance from an eternal death.

An application for those who are saved – my soul cleaveth unto the dust. Do you place more emphasis on your outer man or your inner man? Do you spend more time on the physical or the spiritual? Do you spend more time catering to the needs of your vile body or your regenerated spirit?

Set your affection on things above!