Meditation: Duty, Definition

In this part of the sermon: The sermon expands the biblical foundation for meditation, examining Colossians 3:16, Luke 9:44, and multiple verses from Psalm 119. These passages demonstrate meditation as a…

The Greek word for 'dwell' (oikeo) is contrasted with a temporary stay (like at a Howard Johnson's) to illustrate the permanent, settled nature of the Word of Christ dwelling richly in a believer, akin to owning a house rather than renting.

But in either case, we don't need to resolve that problem, because our concern is with the imperative, let the word of Christ dwell in you. And this word dwell is the word found in such passages as Romans chapter 8 and verse 11, speaking of the indwelling of the Spirit, if the Spirit of Him who raised up Christ from the dead dwell in you. And for you fellows that are taking your Greek classes, it's a little preposition, N, attached to the word which means to dwell. Oikos is one of your first vocabulary words.

4:57 - 5:41 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin delves into the two primary Hebrew words for meditation found in Psalm 143:5: 'mutter' (conveying focused mental and verbal engagement) and 'bow down' (conveying the weight…

Students mumbling vocabulary words to fix them in their minds is used to illustrate the Hebrew word for meditation ('mutter'), showing how the mind engages with and turns over a thought, even involving speech.

Blessed is the man who mutters in the law of God day and night. But what happens when you see someone mumbling something? You guys, again, I'm going to pick on you because you meet in the hour before and this is very real. When you're learning vocabulary words, do you make out your little vocabulary cards?

15:27 - 15:41 Read in full sermon

The point: Spend more time alone waiting upon God and gathering spiritual strength through meditation on His word for service.

Truth is compared to a cluster of grapes that must be bruised, pressed, and squeezed through meditation to extract the 'wine of consolation,' emphasizing the effort required to gain spiritual nourishment.

We should be better Christians if we were more alone waiting upon God and gathering through meditation on His word spiritual strength for labor in His service. We ought to muse upon the things of God because we thus get the real nutriment out of them. Truth is something like the cluster of the vine. If we would have wine from it, we must bruise it.

19:14 - 19:37 Read in full sermon

The point: Inwardly digest divine truth through meditation to complete the usefulness of hearing, reading, listening, marking, and learning.

The process of physical digestion, where food is assimilated to nourish the body, is used to illustrate how meditation is the 'inward digesting' of divine truth, making it useful for the soul's nourishment.

Our bodies are not supported merely by taking food into the mouth, but the process which really supplies the muscle and the nerve and the sinew and the bone is the process of digestion. It is by digestion that the outward food becomes assimilated with the inner life. Our souls are not nourished merely by listening a while to this and then to that and then to the other part of divine truth. Hearing, reading, listening, marking and learning all require inwardly digesting to complete their usefulness.

20:08 - 20:42 Read in full sermon

The point: Consciously recall and bring back passages from memory to think about them and go over them repeatedly, as a volitional spiritual discipline.

A cow instinctively chewing its cud under a tree is used as an analogy for conscious recall in meditation, highlighting that while a cow acts by instinct, believers must volitionally bring up and ruminate on spiritual truth.

Is that what you're saying? Mm-hmm. Now, a cow, she goes by instinct. When she gets under a tree and then...

27:50 - 27:57 Read in full sermon

The point: Maintain an awareness of the presence of God as an inseparable ingredient of true biblical meditation, applying God's word in the context of dealing with Him.

Mary 'pondering these things in her heart' (Luke 2:19) is explained as literally 'casting them together' or 'counseling together within her own heart,' illustrating an internal, reflective form of meditation.

I, where's my other little sheet? My little, yeah, here it is. I did some word studies and that word, Mary pondered these things in her heart is an interesting word. She literally cast them together in her heart and it's the word used for conferring with reference to a group.

30:19 - 30:37 Read in full sermon

The point: Maintain an awareness of the presence of God as an inseparable ingredient of true biblical meditation, applying God's word in the context of dealing with Him.

Life's fragmented experiences and God's truths often seem isolated, but meditation is presented as the discipline that reveals a pattern of meaning, fusion, and interrelatedness, bringing symmetry to understanding.

from the scriptures that all that these circles represent events and circumstances in our lives. We know that they are all ordered by a loving, wise God who has distinct purposes for us, namely to conform us to the image of His Son. Likewise, His truth all has a wonderful interrelatedness with God. But now, as we're actually living amidst our experiences and circumstances, many times, these things seem to be utterly fragmented and isolated.

34:18 - 34:53 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin addresses whether meditation is exclusively a Christian activity, concluding that it is a general human phenomenon that grace lays hold of and directs towards God's…

The process of plotting a murder, where anger brews and ingenuity is focused on a distinct end, is used as an example of meditation in a sinful context, demonstrating that meditation is a human activity not exclusive to Christians.

All right, what about the person who plots a murder? How does he plot his murder? He's got a grudge against someone. And what happens?

37:45 - 37:57 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin addresses whether meditation is exclusively a Christian activity, concluding that it is a general human phenomenon that grace lays hold of and directs towards God's…

Breathing, a physical phenomenon, is used to illustrate how meditation, a human phenomenon, is laid hold of by God's grace after conversion, so that it is now done with a different, God-glorifying end in view.

You breathe before you were a Christian. You breathe after you're a Christian. Breathing is a purely physical phenomena of human beings and also of dogs and cats and mice and cows chewing their cud under a tree. But now, the grace of God lays hold of a man so that now he breathes with a different end in view.

39:51 - 40:12 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Meditation is that duty or exercise of religion whereby the mind is applied to the solemn contemplation of revealed realities for practical uses and purposes.

Bishop Horne's definition of meditation uses the metaphor of a cow recalling and ruminating on food until its nutritious parts are abstracted and fitted for life's purposes, emphasizing the process of extracting spiritual nourishment.

I found that definition with a little alteration helpful. Then there is another definition that I came across. Quote, Meditation is that exercise of the mind whereby it recalls a known truth as some kinds of creatures do their food there's the cow again under the tree we can't escape her this morning to be ruminated upon until the nutritious parts are abstracted and fitted for the purposes of life. That's what we might call a pictorial definition as opposed to a logical analytical one.

42:44 - 43:20 Read in full sermon