Mensa Otabil - God's Word is Better Than Gold
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We’re continuing our study of God’s Word and its importance in our lives from Psalm 19, and this is verse number 10: «More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.» Psalm 19 begins by celebrating the awesomeness of God’s creation, the splendor and majesty of it. Then it shifts to talk about the power of God’s Word and its value to us. In doing that, the Psalm is saying that as much as creation is great, the Word of God is greater than creation. We are now in a place where the Psalm is telling us the real importance of the Word of God to us, using two images to convey this message.
First, it states that the Word of God is more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. Gold here represents wealth, meaning that the Psalm is asserting the Word of God is more valuable than all the wealth in the entire world. Can you imagine being given the option between all the money stored in the vault of the richest economy in the world and the Word of God on the side? If you were asked to choose one, which one would you choose? Well, the Psalm says the Word of God is more precious than all the gold you could ever imagine.
Not only is the Word of God more precious than gold, but it also tells us something else: that it is sweeter than honey and the honeycomb. Here, honey symbolizes all the pleasures of life. Consider all the things you believe make the world sweet and life enjoyable, all the pleasurable things you can think of. The Bible states that the Word of God is sweeter and provides far more pleasure than anything we would pursue for enjoyment.
Thus, two things about the Word of God stand out: it is more valuable than all the gold and money we could accumulate and sweeter and more pleasurable than any satisfaction we can attain. This indicates that when we give attention to the Word of God, we lead wealthier lives—not because we possess money, but because the Word of God enriches our lives and makes them sweeter or more pleasurable. There are people with a lot of money who feel poor due to their misery, and there are those who chase after so much pleasure that they seem to have fun, yet they are very unhappy when alone.
However, when we take in the Word of God, it is better than gold; it grants us the greatest wealth and the greatest pleasure. Can you imagine how our lives would be as Christians if we truly regarded the Word of God as more valuable than gold and sweeter than honey? It would mean we would spend more time in the Word of God. We would study it and read it, deriving pleasure from engaging with it. It would make us feel wealthy, even in the absence of physical money, and that is how God wants us to approach His Word.
I know all of us fall short because we sometimes believe pleasure is more significant than God’s Word and that money holds more value. But don’t you think it’s time for us to place God’s Word where it belongs—as our greatest pleasure and our greatest treasure? We should look at the Bible and declare it our greatest possession, recognizing it as the greatest joy of our lives. May God’s Word be sweeter than honey and far more precious than gold for us. Let’s pray.
Say with me: «Heavenly Father, I know I have fallen short in my love for Your Word. Help me to develop a renewed love for Your Word. In Jesus' name, Amen.» It’s better than gold, sweeter than honey. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.