The entrance of your words gives light

Enduring Word by David Guzik - Apple podcast audio

Here we go, Psalm 119 verses 130 - 131, where we read this:

"The entrance of your words gives light, it gives understanding to the simple.
I opened my mouth and panted for I longed for your commandments."

It's a theme mentioned before in Psalm 119, but in these two verses, the author of the great Psalm repeated the theme, he says, "the entrance of your words gives light."
The idea is simple.
God's word brought light to the psalmist. The Word of God makes things clearer, not cloudier. When the word came in, light and clarity also came.

African tent - Image by vwalakte on Freepik

The Hebrew word that's translated 'entrance' here can have two meanings, depending on how it's pronounced.
With one sound, the word means 'door', and with another pronunciation, it means 'revelation'..
Now, according to one commentator, James Montgomery Boyce, the reason for this double meaning was that for centuries, the Jewish people lived in tents, and when the door to the tent was opened, light came in, and the light revealed everything in the tent.
Martin Luther translated this phrase as this, "when your word is revealed".
With the word of God, the door has to be opened, then the light of God can come. Sometimes the door to our understanding is blocked by pride, or by prejudice, or maybe by apathy. But when those obstacles are removed and we give proper attention to God and His word, then light enters. That's why the psalmist could write, "it gives understanding to the simple".
Now the idea of the simple here, it doesn't mean someone who's stupid, but really it has in mind just an everyday person, and perhaps someone who doesn't have much life experience.
You see, the word of God is so clear and light giving that even simple people gain understanding from it.
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Now it's beautiful to see God's concern for the simple, and His word is for them. You see, this is a blessing for the simple.
Hey, God doesn't forget regular everyday people like us. God has not made salvation or growth in Godliness primarily a matter of the intellect. It's not only a blessing, it's also a promise for the simple. You see, they can approach God's word with confidence, expecting God to give them understanding when they read it.
It's not only a blessing, it's not only a promise, but it's also a responsibility for the simple. ... They are still responsible for seeking God in His word. That's why the psalmist wanted God's truth so much. As it says here in our verses, I opened my mouth and panted for I longed for your commandments.
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