Discover the keys to good success that will unlock divine health in your body and emotions, fulfilling relationships with your loved ones, results and growth in your career and ministry, and much more! In this practical message by Joseph Prince, learn the power of seeking God’s wisdom and meditating on His Word. You’ll see how you can:
Your Old Testament is
written in Hebrew.
Your New Testament is
written in Greek.
But there is a Greek version
of the Old Testament
called the Septuagint.
So sometimes it’s good for us
to look at what the Greek says.
Because in that way, you will
know what Greek word
corresponds to the
same Hebrew word here.
And therefore, it is
the same truth. Amen.
You will see more as I go along.
So here, the word “gives light”
in the Septuagint, in the Greek,
is actually “photizo”,
the very same word
we saw just now
in Ephesians 1:18.
“The eyes of your heart,
your understanding being”
“‘photizo’ or being enlightened.”
Here, it is the same word.
Amen.
“The entrance of Your words
gives light.”
“It gives understanding
to the simple.”
That tells us that this Spirit of
wisdom and revelation
operates with the Word of God.
It is not apart from the Word of God.
It is with the Word of God.
Do you remember Joshua
in Joshua 1:8?
God says: “This Book of the Law
shall not depart out of your mouth,”
“but thou shall meditate
therein day and night,”
“that you may observe to do,
according to all that is written in it.”
“For then you will make
your way prosperous”
“and then you will
have good success.”
Notice that when God said this
to Joshua, obviously he was
reading the Book of the Law.
And what they had back then,
the Bible they had back then
is the Torah,
the first 5 books of Moses.
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
That’s what Joshua was
meditating on and reading
when the Lord says:
“This Book.”
Notice the word “this.”
“zeh.”
In the Hebrew, “zeh” or “this.”
He was reading it!
Obviously, for God to say:
“This Book of the Law that
you are reading.”
“This Book specifically.
This Book of the Law”
“shall not depart from your mouth,
but you shall meditate therein”
It is not enough just to read.
God says: “You must meditate
therein day and night.”
But remember this, friend.
The Bible says that at this point,
Moses has just died.
And before Moses died,
Moses laid his hands on Joshua
and Joshua was full of the
spirit of wisdom for
Moses had laid his hands on him.
Remember Moses laid
his hands on Joshua?
And now when Moses is dead,
the Bible says:
“Joshua was full of the
spirit of wisdom, for Moses”
“laid his hands on him.”
And that was the closing
chapters of Deuteronomy.
When that was mentioned,
the very next book is
this Chapter 1 of Joshua.
And here’s where we are.
It’s not enough just to have
the spirit of wisdom.
We need to open up the Book.
Amen.
God operates with these 2 means
of bringing wisdom into our lives,
bringing hazon vision
into our lives.
Amen.
Praise the Lord.
“For then you will make your
way prosperous, and then”
“you will have good success.”
Hallelujah.
So back to this verse
in Psalms 119, it says:
“The entrance of Your words,”
The word “entrance”
in the Hebrew is “pethach.”
“Pethach” actually means
to open the door.
Today, they will say:
“‘pethach’ or open the door.”
So in the other versions like ESV,
it says:
“The unfolding of Your words
gives light.”
In the Youngs translation, it says:
“The opening of Your words”
which is more accurate.
“The ‘pethach’, the opening
of Your words enlighteneth,”
“instructing the simple.”
So every time you hear the
Word of God,
as I open the Word of God,
I’m doing that right now,
I’m opening the
Word of God to you.
So that you won’t be
carnally minded.
But be spiritually minded.
Every time your mind is set
on the Word of God,
you’re meditating
on God’s Word. Amen.
You are actually setting
your mind on the Spirit.
“And to be spiritually minded
is life and peace, shalom.”
Wellbeing, health, wholeness
is all in that word “shalom.”
Amen. Praise God.
So we see that even though
Joshua was full of the spirit of wisdom,
he did not neglect the Bible.
He did not neglect the Word of God.
Amen.
He opened it when God spoke
to him and said:
“This Book of the Law”
Obviously, he was reading it then!
“shall not depart from your mouth,
Joshua. But you shall meditate”
“therein day and night.”
Notice: “day and night.”
“That you may
observe to do according”
Now, watch that!
“That you may observe to do.”
“That you may observe to do.”
God could have said:
“You shall meditate on it”
“day and night that you may do
all that is written therein.”
You don’t need to say:
“observe to do.”
Right? But God says here:
“that you may observe.”
In Hebrew, “shamar.”
Observe, watch, see.
Watch to do.
In other words, when you
meditate on God’s Word,
take a passage of Scripture
or take a verse,
and you meditate on it,
sooner or later,
you will see how to apply it.
Amen.
“Then you shall make your way
prosperous and then you”
“shall have good success.”
Notice—you meditate
on God’s Word.
Actually, “meditation” here,
is the word “hagah” in Hebrew,
which means to
mutter with your mouth.
I mean, the first line of Joshua 1:8
tells you that!
“This Book of the Law shall not
depart from your mouth.”
Amen.
Not just from your mind.
We think of meditation only
in the area of the mind,
but your mouth. Amen.
Biblical meditation is not
shutting your mouth and
just being in your mind
or blanking your mind out.
Alright? It is actually filling
your mouth with God’s Word
and thinking about
what you are muttering.
“Hagah” means muttering.
Even in the wee hours of the night,
if you can’t sleep, it is the best time.
I love to—if I can’t sleep,
whether it is the devil causing it
or whether it’s stress
or whatever it is.
If I can’t sleep, I’ll tell you this.
I just meditate on the Word of God.
Amen.
As I meditate, I mutter
those verses that come up.
You can memorize Joshua 1:8
if you want.
You can memorize Psalms 1
about the man who meditates.
“His delight is in
the law of the Lord”
“and in his law
does he meditate.”
Again, the word there is
“hagah”.
Day and night.
And as you meditate, you will
observe, you will see the
wisdom in that passage.
You will see them
come in a picture form.
You will be able to see it.
How?
With the eyes of your heart.
So it’s not enough just to
ask God for the
Spirit of wisdom and revelation
because Joshua had that after
Moses laid his hands on him.
Yet, he had to be
in the Word of God.
Amen.
Alright.
So now you see this
word for “meditate” in Hebrew
is “hagah”, but the word
“meditate” in the Septuagint,
the Greek version of
this verse is “meletao”
Now, why do I say that?
Because there is a counterpart
in the writings of Paul
in the New Testament.
In the New Testament,
in 1 Timothy 4, it says here
in verse 15:
“Meditate upon these things.”
“Give thyself wholly to them that
thy profiting may appear to all.”
“Meditate upon these things,
give yourself wholly to them that”
“thy profiting may appear to all.”
The word “meditate” here
is the word “meletao”.
Obviously, this is the
New Testament and it’s in Greek
but the reason I’m showing
both verses from the
Old and New Testament
is to show you
that this verse here is actually
“hagah” in Hebrew.
It will be “hagah” or to mutter
upon these things.
And what are these things?
The context tells you it
is the Word of God.
“Till I come, give attendance to
reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.”
The Word of God.
Listen to preaching,
listen to teaching.
“Neglect not the gift
that is in thee,”
which is the gift of teaching
for Timothy.
Paul was telling him.
It was given to him when
the elders laid hands on him
and by prophecy.
“Meditate upon these things.”
God’s Word.
“Give yourself wholly to them that
thy profiting may appear to all.”
Church, listen.
I find that every time God’s Word
talks about meditation,
there’s always a benefit.
There’s always a blessing.
And in Joshua 1:8, the blessing is
“For then you shall make
your way prosperous.”
“You will make your
way prosperous.”
When you meditate on God’s Word
day and night, you will
make your way prosperous
and you shall have good success.
Wow. What about Psalms 1?
It says in Psalms 1:
“But his delight is in the
law of the Lord and in His law,”
“he meditates day and night.”
The law of the Lord
is not just specifically referring to
the 10 Commandments.
Amen.
“The” here is a definite article.
The law refers to the entire—
In this context here,
the 5 books of Moses,
the Law of the Lord. Amen.
The instruction, the Word of God. Amen.
So you meditate on
the Word of God
and your delight is in
the Word of God
and you “hagah” on it
day and night.
And what’s going to happen?
“He shall be like a tree
planted by the rivers of water.”
If 1 river is running low,
there are rivers, my friend!
Rivers of water!
How refreshing, how verdant!
Amen.
How luscious this tree is,
that brings forth its fruit
in its season, whose leaf
also shall not wither.
And here it says:
“Whatever he does shall prosper.”
Just like Joshua 1:8.
Amen.
“You shall make your way
prosperous and you shall”
“have good success.”
And when you meditate on God’s Word,
whatever you do prospers.
It doesn’t matter what
your occupation is.
Whether you’re a doctor,
a teacher, a homemaker. Amen.
Whatever you do prospers.
You know, one of the biggest cries
that people have today,
I hear it in the spirit and
I hear it also, physically
in the people around me.
“I don’t know what to do.”
They have a situation.
“I don’t know what to do.”
“I just don’t know what to do.”
Perhaps they are in
this predicament.
“I don’t know what to do.”
Perhaps it is
a financial predicament.
“I do not know what to do.”
Or they are in a marital problem.
“I do not know what to do.”
And really, friend.
The answer is the wisdom of God.
Amen.
Christ is made unto you wisdom. Amen.
And the way it manifests is
pray to God.
And ask God for the Spirit of
wisdom and revelation,
the eyes of your heart to be enlightened.
We need to see, observe,
meditate on God’s Word.
And the other way that
God has just shown us here
is to meditate on His Word.
Take a verse of Scripture.
If you’re believing God for
health or healing,
you’re believing God for a
breakthrough in your addictions.
You are believing God to
restore your marriage.
Whatever it is.
Take a verse of Scripture.
It can be a verse of Scripture
like what we read just now
in Psalms 1:3.
“He shall be like a tree
planted by the rivers of water”
“that brings forth its
fruit in its season.”
Can you see it?
Has this portion of God’s Word
given you a hazon vision?
Can you see yourself like
a tree planted?
Evergreen, ever healthy,
ever strong, forever young.
Whatever you do, prospers.
Amen.
Can you see yourself in that way?
If you can, if you
have eyes to see,
that is the hazon vision,
my friend.
That’s the purest kind of
hazon vision because
it came from God’s Word and
God’s Word is full of hazon visions.
And you know, I feel like
this is a storehouse!
It is a storehouse!
God wants you to break it open.
Break the shell, the
unfolding of His words,
the opening of His words
give you light. Amen.
It gives you wisdom,
gives you length of days.
Hallelujah.
When the wisdom comes,
it gives you riches, honor,
pleasure, and peace.
Hallelujah! Amen.
Sometimes I feel like David
in Psalms 119:162,
where he says:
“I rejoice at your word as
one that finds great spoil.”
And in those days, they’ll go
into battle and their reward
will be the spoils of war,
where they get the sheep,
the cattle, the gold, the silver,
the weapons.
“And I rejoice at your word
as one that finds great spoil.”
Do you feel the same way?
“Happy is the man
that finds wisdom.”
Amen.
Her merchandise is
better than silver and
her gain thereof
better than gold.
Hallelujah.
Amen.
The same excitement you feel
when there’s a new kid in town
in the stock market,
a company that’s unknown,
but you invested in it.
And the next thing you know,
it is the biggest thing.
It’s the biggest thing to ever hit
the market. Amen.
But you just found great spoil.
The same feeling you have.
Amen.
You ought to have it even more
for God’s Word,
because down here,
the gain thereof is
better than gold and the
merchandise of it is
better than silver.
All the things you could even desire
cannot be compared with her.
Amen.
Her price is far above rubies.
Hallelujah. Amen.