They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. Psalm 19:10,11

            As David considers the impact of God’s written word in Psalm 19, he’s prompted to appraise the value of Scripture and he uses two illustrations for the purpose of comparison:

            1. Gold . . . fine gold. As the king of Israel, David knew the value of gold. He had plenty of it! And, like today, it was considered among the most precious of possessions. In those days, a king’s power – his ability to rule and to get things done – was partly measured by the amount of gold in his treasury. The phrase “fine gold” refers to purified gold as opposed to random pieces of jewelry, coins, or powder. Throughout history, this precious metal has been melted down to remove any impurities, including other metals. The result was concentrated, unadulterated wealth and power in the form of gold bullion.

            2. Honey and the honeycomb. David declares God’s Word to be sweeter than the most mouthwatering of foods. Note that it is not just honey, but honey flowing from the combs. For much of his early life, David lived in the wilderness and learned how to live off the land. If you were to ask most any survival expert today, they’d tell you that finding a honeycomb is like finding treasure. Pure calories in the most enjoyable form. Even more interesting are some of the metaphors that come to mind:

            It’s provided through the work of someone other than ourselves; the bee gives it to us.

           It’s a natural food that doesn’t need a long time to digest before it goes to work. Honey provides instant 

                        energy.

            It’s a flavor like no other. Nothing has sweetness like the rich taste of honey.

If we read those three things again with God’s Word in mind, we find that we have truth through the efforts of another, we have His Word. It goes to work immediately, as soon as it enters into our spiritual system. And no other piece of literature can even compare with its uniqueness – it’s sweetness and it’s power.

            The person who really knows (and applies!) their Bible is kept from falling into temptation and sin simply because they believe God’s warning signals. Then too, biblical truths assure us of personal reward – “great reward” (vs. 11). And, even beyond that, they provide us with discernment – the ability to know right from wrong.  Even though that sounds very simple, it’s one of the most reliable signs of maturity, according to Hebrews 5:14. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

            Peter also tells us in 2 Peter 1, that we can know God’s grace and peace and His power through the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

            If it’s not already our habit, let’s make the reading and applying of God’s Word a priority for our lives from this point forward.