Psalms 19:10: “More to be desired are they than gold, more than fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.”
David is speaking here of the Word of God both the written Word of God and that which is revealed in his heart. He has found the Word of God, both written and that revealed in his heart to be more desirable than gold or fine gold. David mentions two types of gold, one is referring to refined gold (fine gold) verses gold that has not been refined. What is curious is that there are two words in the Hebrew for gold. The most commonly used word is zahav. This word comes from a Semitic root which means to be poured out. The second, less commonly used word is pazaz. The root meaning of this word is to be brilliant or bright. The first word for gold used in Psalms 19:10 is zahav and the word that is rendered as fine gold is pazaz. The difference lies in gold that has been refined with it’s impurities removed and gold which has not only been refined but also polished to show it’s brilliance and beauty. The first refining process is obtained for it’s monetary value. The second process is to obtained it’s beauty. It was pazaz gold that is was used in the tabernacle and later in the temple. The poured out gold, the gold used for currency is zahav. David seems to be telling us that the Word of God is more desirable than money zahav and more desirable than what money can purchase pazaz. It is more desirable than what it can bring you personally in wealth and pleasure. I find too many Christians, especially those within full Gospel circles do not seek the entire Word of God. They seek only that portion that brings them pleasure and meets their personal needs Nothing wrong with that, except David is saying there is something even better , much more to his Word that is revealed in Scripture and in your heart if you are willing to take your mind off yourself for a moment.
It is sweeter than honey or the drops of a honeycomb. The word honeycomb is suph. This has the idea of overflowing. David is referring to honey that has been removed from the comb and placed in jars as opposed to honey which comes straight from the comb. Yet, is not the Word of God sweet? Indeed it is, but there is another aspect to the revealed Word of God that is even sweeter.
Honey right from the comb is much sweeter than honey which has been processed out of the comb. My grandfather, an old country boy, loved to eat honey right from the comb. He would actually reach into a nest of bees and rob the nest of the honey to eat it. One time on a hunting trip he came across a bee’s nest in a tree. He reached in and grabbed the honey combs. It was warm and sweet and he ate and ate to his fill. He later became so sick grandma thought he was going to die. Too much sweetness can make you sick, but if grandpa had brought that honey home and shared it with His family he may not have overindulged and got so sick.
You know worshipping and praising God can be very sweet. Sometimes we just feast and feast on praise and worship. We do all the talking, all the singing and then the next morning we come off the high and feel depressed. Yet, David tells us there is something even better, even sweeter than that. It is the Word of God. It is just not talking to God which is sweet in itself, but even sweeter is hearing from God. If you have a season of praise and worship, it does not have to be followed by a big downer. You are just primed and ready for something even sweeter and that is to actually hear God speak to you. When we do all the talking to God our relationship becomes one sided. It is wonderful to tell Him how much we love Him, but sweeter still to listen to Him tell us how much He loves us through His Word, both his written word and that which he reveals in our hearts.
I relate that there are times I enter God’s heart and feast on his joy and happiness. But sometimes like grandpa I overindulge, get drunk on His Word and I wake up the next morning with a big hangover of depression. I have learned in my search for the heart of God that there is something more to the heart of God . There is something more than dancing and rejoicing when I enter God’s heart in praise and worship. There is another room to His heart that He will invite you into. Sometimes we are just so wrapped up in ourselves getting all that joy and pleasure of His presence for ourselves that we do not see the door to this special room. I call it God’s weeping room. There is more to the or hear all the God is speaking to us. There is also a part of God’s heart that is broken, weeping and yearning for those who are outside His heart.
Sometimes in the midst of all that dancing and singing I hear Jesus whisper to me to join Him in His weeping room. Sometimes I respond by saying, “Oh, no this is too much fun I am going to get drunk on your Word and your presence.” He allows that but next morning I wake up with a hangover because I was just too self-absorbed. Yet, when I do follow Him into His weeping room I see Him pick up a cold, barren heart and weep over it. I reach out and touch His nailed pierced hand and suddenly my joy and happiness turns to feeling His broken heart, his pain and sorrow over those he yearns to comfort but refuse His attentions. When I enter His weeping room, I do not wake up with a hangover the next morning, I wake up energized to seek and find those that Jesus was weeping over and to let them know that there is a Savior who weeps for them, whose heart is broken over their pain and suffering. To let them know how He longs to break through that cold harden shell of their heart and bring warmth and healing.
Those moments in His weeping room, those moments of being allowed to share in His suffering may be painful but it is sweeter than honey straight from the comb, it is more desirable than wealth or the beauty things that wealth can bring. To enter into His revealed Word both with its joy and its sorrow is more precious than gold and sweeter than honey.
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