The Result of Illumination
The most significant contribution to the doctrine of illumination that is found in Psalm 119 focuses on the result of illumination. The psalmist has clearly demonstrated man’s need, the Spirit’s power, and the scripture’s role in illumination. But he does not stop at this. The psalmist also details the result of illumination. Or to put it another way, the psalmist reveals how illumination affects the child of God. In this respect, there are really two separate results that the psalmist speaks of.
The first result of illumination is that the child of God will be able to understand the word of God. In verse 73 the psalmist prays that this would be the result of illumination in his life when he says,
Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.
This was the result that the psalmist was looking for. He wanted God to give him understanding so that he would be able to learn the commandments of God’s word. This however, was not the only result that the psalmist was expecting.
The second result of illumination is that the child of God will be able to appropriate the word of God. This second result was absolutely crucial to the psalmist. For, to understand the facts of scripture without being able to appropriate those facts into everyday life is useless. This is why the psalmist consistently prays that he would be able to understand God’s word and then apply it to his own life. For example, in verse 34 the psalmist writes,
Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law And keep it with all my heart.
Clearly there is a connection between understanding God’s word and appropriating it. Thus, illumination does not result in just a cold understanding of the facts of Scripture. As the Spirit of God continually enables the child of God through illumination it is life changing. Or as the psalmist put it in verse 130,
The unfolding of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.
With respective to the doctrine of illumination, the psalmist makes it clear that illumination results in the child of God being able to understand and appropriate God’s word. This process is a life changing process that takes the simple and makes them wise. It allows God’s children to faithfully live by the precepts of His word.
This final point is an often overlooked point in discussions on the doctrine of illumination. In fact, it is an often overlooked point for many people in their own bible study. It is not enough to simply know the facts aobut a passage. We must understand the spiritual truths about a passage (which are based on a proper understanding of the facts about a passage), and then we must live those truths out. If we miss out on these final steps in the process of bible study then we miss the purpose of bible study.
Today we are going get back into the our study on the doctrine of illumination. Here are the links to the previous posts:
The Content of Illumination
In addition to revealing the source of illumination, Psalm 119 also reveals the content of illumination. Or to put it another way, in this psalm we see what the Spirit uses to empower the child of God. The Spirit of God uses the Word of God in the life of the child of God. The psalmist is clear on this. In verse 18 he prays that God would “open [his] eyes, that [he] may behold Wonderful things from [God’s] law.” Here the psalmist is praying for illumination, and the content that he desires to understand is God’s word. Verse 71 reveals that even in the midst of trails the psalmist understood that the end goal was a better understanding of God’s word. Thus, the truth of God’s word is what the Spirit uses to illumine the minds of God’s children. On this point Carl Henry’s clarification is very helpful:
The Spirit illumines the truth, not by unveiling some hidden inner mystical content behind the revelation, but by focusing on the truth of revelation as it is. The Spirit illumines and interprets by repeating the grammatical sense of Scripture; in doing so he in no way alters or expands the truth of revelation.[1]
The psalmist echoes this point in verse 130. There it says,
The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.
Again, it is God’s word—not some form of new revelation—that the Spirit of God uses in the lives of the children of God.
With respective to the doctrine of illumination, the psalmist teaches that the Spirit of God uses the word of God. Thus, the child of God should not be looking for some new form of revelation. Instead, the child of God should be looking to the word of God, and depending on the Spirit of God to illumine it.
This is an immensely practical point because it means that we as Christians should be looking to the Bible to answer the questions of life. Thus, when someone says that they feel God leading them in a specific direction we need to be careful. If they feel that way because it is consistent with God’s word, then great. If they inexplicably feel this way then it is not the result of the Spirit’s illumination–most likely it is just what they really want to do.
[1] Carl Ferdinand Howard Henry, God, Revelation, and Authority, Originally Published: Waco, TX: Word Books, c1976-c1983. (Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books, 1999), 4:283.
This weekend we will be celebrating our country’s independence. As a wise fellow once said, “what better way to celebrate your country’s freedom than to blow part of it up.” And this is exactly what many will be doing with all kinds of cool fireworks at pool parties, BBQs, and community events. But with all of this let us not forget that our independence came at a price–a continued price. Many have shed blood for the opportunities we posses in the U.S. And many continue to do so.
As you celebrate this weekend keep in mind that there are soldiers who cannot be home for the big BBQ because they are overseas making your BBQ possible. As you remember these brave soldiers pray for them. Pray especially for one soldier who has been taken prisoner in Afghanistan. Right now the Military is protecting this soldier’s family by keeping his name a secret. But they have confirmed that someone has been capture. Here is the AP release:
KABUL (AP) — US military spokeswoman says insurgents have captured an American soldier in eastern Afghanistan.
Capt. Elizabeth Mathias said the soldier has been missing since Tuesday. She said she could not provide further information.
Mathias said the military was using “all our resources to find him and provide for his safe return.”
The soldier was not taking part in the major military operation launched in the southern Taliban stronghold of Helmand early Thursday.
I cannot imagine what this soldier is going through right now, but I know that he needs our prayers.
The Source of Illumination
If the starting point of the doctrine of illumination is man’s desperate need (see yesterday’s post), then the second point has to be that God is the source of illumination. In Psalm 119 the psalmist consistently recognizes this point. For instance, the psalmist consistently highlights God’s role as the teacher of man. For instance, in verse 12, the psalmist says,
Blessed are You, O LORD: Teach me Your statutes.
This is the psalmist repeated plea, and it makes it clear that God is the source of illumination. He is the answer to man’s desperate need. Although it is not unfolded in this chapter, the rest of Scripture teaches that illumination is specifically the role of the Holy Spirit. As 1 Corinthians 2:12 puts its,
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God.
Furthermore, in Psalm119:102 the psalmist emphatically identifies God as the source of illumination when he says,
You Yourself have taught me.
With this verse the psalmist makes it absolutely clear that God is the illuminator. In fact, the psalmist uses language that is similar to the language of Exodus 4:12. There YHWH says to Moses,
Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to say.
In this passage we see God as the divine teacher and the illuminator to Moses.
With respect to the doctrine of illumination, God is the source of illumination. Time after time in Psalm 119 the psalmist turns to God and prays for understanding, and prays to be taught by God. This point of emphasis is completely consistent with what the rest of Scripture teaches about illumination, and it should compel all of God’s people to turn to God for understanding.
As I mentioned yesterday we will be looking at the doctrine of illumination for a few post. When it comes to illumination there may be no richer material on the subject than Psalm 119. The information provided in Psalm 119 on the doctrine of illumination is significant to say the least. Just a sampling of this data reveals the psalmist’s profound understanding of this doctrine. The information provided by the psalmist is significant to a biblical understanding of illumination and it synthesizes perfectly with what the rest of the bible teaches about this doctrine. As was stated yesterday, illumination is the work of the Spirit of God empowering the people of God to understand and appropriate the word of God. This definition includes the need for illumination, the source of illumination, the content of illumination, and the result of illumination. Each one of these aspects is also developed by the psalmist in Psalm 119. Beginning today we will take some time to look at each one of these aspects of the doctrine of illumination.
The Need for Illumination
In Psalm 119 the psalmist clearly recognizes his need for divine enablement, particularly when it comes to the word of God. For example, in verse 18 the psalmist prayed for God to open his eyes, and allow him to see the word of God. This was only necessary because the psalmist’s eyes, just like all men, were closed to spiritual truth. This is why the psalmist prayed for enablement. He knew that apart form divine enablement the psalmist would have been blind to God’s truth, and incapable of following God’s word as a child of God. Or, as Paul put it in 1 Corinthians 2:14,
A natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.
The psalmist was not only blind to the truth apart from divine illumination, but he was also inclined toward the vanity of rebellious ways. Verse 37 makes this clear when it says,
Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, and revive me in Your ways.
Here the psalmist recognizes his natural inclination away from God’s word, and thus his need for illumination. Romans 3:11 similarly states,
There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God….
With respective to the doctrine of illumination, the starting point for the psalmist was his desperate need for divine enablement. This starting point is totally consistent with what the rest of Scripture teaches on this issue, and it is the first point of emphasis of the doctrine of illumination. We need God’s help in order to understand His word. Sure, we may be able to understand some facts about a passage or remember stories from the bible. However, because of our utter inability we cannot fully grasp and apply the spiritual truths of Scripture without the help of God (i.e. illumination).
