GOD’S WORD EXALTED

Verse 2 gives us a somewhat startling declaration concerning God’s Word, “thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name”. Is this possible? Derek Kidner, quite rightly, points out that, although the Scriptures make high claims concerning themselves, they do not encourage bibliolatry. When reference is made to the divine Name, it normally speaks of God’s perfections—His justice, majesty, greatness, glory, love. Can anything be exalted above these?

In 1664, a Hebrew scholar gave an alternative rendering, which may well deal with our problem, “Thou hast magnified Thy Name above all things, in Thy Word”. This is something that our minds can grasp. If this rendering is right, the psalmist is declaring that God has revealed Himself in His Word in a way that He never could have done in His universe. In this Word are found truths concerning God that science can throw no light upon, that cannot be discovered in the schools of human philosophy. This Word tells of an atonement being made by God, of men’s sins being pardoned, of souls being saved, of men being brought into the family of God, of believing men and women being made heirs of heaven. These things magnify the Name of God beyond anything in the material world around us. And these things are found only in His Word.

As the psalmist meditates along these lines, he says, “I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for the truth”, v. 2. This surely must be our response as we contemplate the God revealed in the Word. In the N.T., we read, “these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name”, John 20. 31. This purpose of God is found only in His Word. Colossians 1. 5 speaks of “the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye have heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel”. This revelation of God’s purpose is declared only in the Bible. So all the grand foundation truths in which we rejoice, and which magnify the Name of the Lord, did not come to us by the skill of men, using microscope and telescope with human wisdom; they were revealed only through the Word.