from Pastor Dan Parton | Timberline Baptist Church | Originally presented January 30, 2011 |

Psalm 118:1-9

Introduction:  What could I possibly mean by “the apple of the Bible’s eye”?  The Word of God refers to the apple of the eye only five times:

 

– Deuteronomy 32:10, “He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.”

– Psalm 17:8, “Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings.”

– Proverbs 7:2, “Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.”

– Lamentations 2:18, “Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease.”

– Zechariah 2:8, “For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.”

 

The “apple of the eye” is the centermost part of it.  To be the apple of God’s eye, we must be the centermost focus of His eye.  Along those same lines, we know that the central theme of God’s Word is Jesus.  But what is the apple of the Bible’s eye, the centermost focus of His Word?

 

Psalm 118:8-9 are said to be the centermost verses in the Bible and contain the centermost focus of the 66 books of the Bible, “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.” (Psalm 118:8-9)

 

It is also said that the two centermost words in the Bible are the seventh and eighth words of Psalm 118:8, “the LORD.”  All these statistics are up for grabs as there are many opinions surrounding them.  Nevertheless, it makes an interesting study!

 

Please note that “LORD” is all capital letters in your Bible in these verses.  It is the Hebrew word “Jehovah,” God’s personal name describing His power to save.

 

– “Jehovah” is the Old Testament descriptive of Jesus.

– What DOES this verse tell us we are to do with Jesus?  TRUST HIM!

 

What can the central theme of the centermost verse in the Bible teach us?

 

1.            It tells of the only two religions in the world.

 

– Do, works and confidence in man; and done, faith, trusting in the Lord plus and minus nothing.

– How to get to Heaven is only taught two ways:

 

* It is either dependent on what YOU do.

* Or it is dependent on what Jesus has done.

 

– It can’t be both!  Romans 11:6 makes it even clearer, “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”

– Jesus made it abundantly clear in John 14:6 that there is only one way to Heaven when He clearly said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

– Psalm 118:8-9 say it all, “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man [any man including yourself]. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.”

 

2.            What you believe about Jesus determines many things.

 

– It determines what and how you believe about the rest of the Bible.  This is very important!

– Either Jesus is the Saviour of the world, or He is not.

– You can be totally wrong about many subjects in the Word of God and still be saved and get to Heaven.

– If you are wrong about Jesus, you miss Heaven altogether!

 

  • It is not your Bible knowledge.
  • It is not your church membership.
  • It is not your church name.
  • It is not your good works.
  • It is not your baptism.
  • It is not your communion.
  • It is not your good feeling.
  • It is not your anything.

 

– In order to get to Heaven, you cannot trust in the Lord plus or minus anything.  It is Jesus alone, or nothing at all!

– I have grown to love Acts 4:12 so much over the years, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

 

3.            Everything in Psalm 118:8-9 point to Jesus!

– Trust in the Lord!

– Religious groups today point to everything BUT Jesus:

 

  • The Holy Ghost and the gifts of the Spirit.
  • Healing.
  • The church.
  • Baptism.
  • Numerology.
  • Bible codes and hidden messages.
  • Prophecy and prosperity.
  • The virgin Mary.
  • Saints and sacraments.

 

– All these things should point to Jesus, but not be a substitute for Him!

 

Conclusion:  What is the apple of the Bible’s eye, that is, the centermost focus of His Word?

 

Psalm 118:8-9 are said to be the centermost verses in the Bible and contain the centermost focus of the 66 books of the Bible, “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.” (Psalm 118:8-9)

 

It is also said that the two centermost words in the Bible are the seventh and eighth words of Psalm 118:8, “the LORD.”  “LORD” is all capital letters in your Bible and is the Hebrew word “Jehovah,” God’s personal name describing His power to save. “Jehovah” is the Old Testament descriptive of Jesus.  What can the central theme of the centermost verse in the Bible teach us?

 

– It tells of the only two religions in the world:  do and done.

– What you believe about Jesus determines what and how you believe about the rest of the Bible.

– Everything in Psalm 118:8-9 point to Jesus.

 

What are you trusting right now?  Are you trusting in Jesus alone to save you and take you to Heaven when you die, or is your confidence in man?