Psalm 119:33-40

 Psalm 119:33-40

He 

In the Word of God we find preservation of life.

Finding our way through this life is like wandering through a massive city, a swamp, dark woods, or a wilderness without any guidance or direction.  Without a trustworthy guide, we are bound to end up in places we do not want to be.  However, in this passage the psalmist tells us that there is just such a trustworthy guide.

There are plenty of distractions along this journey we call life.  Some are subtle; some are blatant.  Depending on our own personality and tendency, we are attracted to different detours.  But whatever the challenge, the Word of God is sufficient to safely lead us through. 

In the first 7 verses, the poet submits to the Lord to make changes in his life.  “Teach me,” “Give me,” “Make me,” “Incline my heart,” “Turn away my eyes,” “Establish Thy Word,” “Turn away my reproach.”  In each case, the request is related to or is a result of the Word of God.  As the poet asked for the Lord to be at work in his life, he anticipates that he will have changes to accept.  It is unreasonable for a disciple to ask the Lord for guidance or direction without the assumption that the disciple will change or commit their life to the Lord’s leading. Verse 33 serves as a perfect example.  “Teach me, O Lord, the way of Thy statutes,” is the disciple’s request.  The response from the disciple follows: “And I will observe it to the end.”  Why would a disciple ask for teaching and then not follow that teaching all the way to the end?  Often we ask the Lord for guidance, but do so with a heart reservation that if we don’t like it, we can somehow opt out.  With each request or life submission, there is presumed obedience.  All these requests build toward a powerful and dynamic climax in the last verse (40).  The poet longs for the Lord’s precepts, but interestingly, the Word is actually a means to the end of renewal or revival of life found in the Lord’s righteousness.  

To return to our opening analogy, the end goal of our journey in life is the Lord, but He is also the one who makes the path or the way for us and then places the road signs along the way directing us. 

“Thank You, Lord, that You want to be found by me. AMEN”

Psalm 119:25-32

Psalm 119:25-32 

Daleth

Praying for the grace of enlightenment in the midst of internal struggles. 

In this passage the Psalmist is addressing troubles, but he doesn’t refer to troubles from others, at least not in this case; but rather, some undisclosed, internal battle.  As disciples we will have resistance and opposition from other people.  That, however, is not the only source of trouble.  The enemy within our own skin is a formidable foe.  Whether the enemy is without or within the Word of God is a great help.  When it is the inward enemy His Word gives us great enlightenment and there-by strength.  This eight-verse section of the Psalm is beautifully and wonderfully arranged.  Verses 25-27 have a parallel in verses 28-30 with verses 31-32 offering a conclusion.  

In verses 25 and its parallel verse 28 we see the desperate situation of the Psalmist.  He is in real trouble.  He describes himself as being flattened out in the dust; he is too exhausted to move, unable to pick himself up.  He also describes his soul as weary or weeping.  The Hebrew carries the idea of his soul melting away, running out in tears.   He will cry till there is nothing left inside.  In both cases, he knows of one prescription for his recovery, the Word of God.  When he is too weak to get up, the Word of God revives or renews him.  When his life or soul is melting away the Word of God gives him strength.  

The couplets of verse 26-27 and 29-30 give us the answer of how the Word of God gives this strength.  In the case of being flattened out in the dust the Psalmist takes time to reflect on his life in light of the Word of God.  This self-reflection is a sincere self-evaluation, a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves in view of God’s Word.   In what the Psalmist sees that God has done and in God’s past faithfulness we can all find confidence for the future.  As the poet has grieved with so many tears, so he pleads for God to take from him any falsehood.  Enlightenment is not just the discovery of new truth to be acquired, it is also the discovery of our own internal falsehood that we have accepted and in which we live.  If the meta-narrative (a way of thinking that explains everything) of our lives is false then ultimately everything in our lives will eventually go off the rails.  Before we can truly engage in the truth about our lives we must reject the false assumptions on which we have built our lives.  Then we can as the poet says in verse 30, “Place Thine ordinances before me.”  

The last two verses of this section are parallels of each other developing results of living with a new enlightenment.  The first lines of both 31 and 32 reveal a solid commitment to the Word of God.  In verse 31, the word used to describe the poet’s attachment to the Lord’s testimony is the same word to describe the sexual union of a husband and wife.  This is no casual-skimming-a-Bible-verse kind of thing.  In verse 32, the theme of life as a “way” comes up again.  The road signs of life for the disciple are the commandments of God.  The result of this commitment is expressed both negatively and positively.  The Psalmist pleads in verse 31, with confidence, that he will not be put to shame.  Being so intimately associated with the Lord’s testimony means that the Lord will not be ashamed of the disciple.  Verse 32 is even more beautiful.  Living the life of a disciple in the Lord’s commands results in having a heart that is enlarged.  What is the point of a bigger heart?  It gives the disciple a greater capacity to love God, His Word, and His way.  Which is, after all, what a disciple most wants.

“Lord, in my struggles enlighten me by Your word. AMEN  

Psalm 119:17-24

Psalm 119:17-24 

Gimel

Dedicated to the Word of God

It is worth noting the motivation of the Psalmist.  He asked that God deal bountifully with him for a very specific purpose, that he may live and keep His word.  Why we ask for a blessing is, in fact, more important than the blessing for which we ask.  The greatest blessing is to be able to see correctly. In verse 18, the picture is of one who has a covering over their eyes.  Since our first parents sinned, we have all struggled with a sort of spiritual blindness.  We have not been at home in the fallen world (v. 19), and we are broken and crushed by a haunting that we need a trustworthy guide. (v. 20) We instinctively know something is not right. There are those who, rather than have the veil of their spiritual blindness lifted, in their arrogance try to find their own way.  They are arrogant or presumptuous.  They would presume that they have the answers themselves, would walk away from what they do know about God, and would oppress any who would follow God.  These people struggle through life under God’s rebuke.  (v. 21)

One can assume that faithfulness to God will always result in opposition from those in positions of power that are opposed to God’s law and way. (v. 22) How do we respond to the oppression and opposition of those who are opposed to the Word of God?  Typically, we respond with the use of political power by rallying like-minded citizens and forming a coalition to exert power.  We often try to use, in the name of God, the things the enemies of God have been using.  But the Psalmist does something different, something that is highly counter intuitive.  Rather than fighting power used for oppression with power for liberation, he turns to the Word of God and the testimonies and allows them to be his counselors, his cabinet, and his guide. (v. 23-24) 

“Lord, help me to rely on your Word to give me direction. AMEN”

Psalm 119:9-16

Psalm 119:9-16

Beth

The Word is the virtue of all virtues, which can be of service to the disciple.

The Word of God is profoundly practical.  If we would avoid the life of personal ruin that is associated with sin and vice, how do we do that?  Verse 9 both asks and answers that question.  If our life is a path or a way, it is best lived according to the Word of God.  The life of a disciple is lived out according to the Word of God, not in legalistic, Pharisaic righteousness, but with an internal commitment of their heart.  

What does it mean to “treasure up” (NASB) or have God’s Word “hidden” in our hearts?  It is much more than Bible memorization, valuable as that may be.  It is that the practice of living according to God’s Word is the default setting of our conduct.  In the same way that we build muscle memory by a repeated action, by living according to God’s Word, we build a sort of spiritual muscle memory.  When we practice righteousness, it can become a habit, in which case many of the decisions of life become righteous not out of thoughtful contemplation of the moment, but faithful practice.  We don’t have to think, “Should I cheat, lie, or steal?”  The choice in such matters is our “spiritual muscle memory” response. 

In verse 13, the Psalmist says that he will “recount” (NIV) or has “told of” the law of God.  This is more than a simple list produced from memory.  The ancient Hebrew word used here has descended into contemporary times to mean “digital.”  While the analogy is far from perfect, we might get a picture if we said that the Word of God is the operating software for our lives.  We have taken the software code in the Word of God and have installed it on our operating system.  Clearly, the author had no idea of software, but he did understand going over, line by line, the Word of God to discover how to operate in life.  

Verse 14 sets the tone for the rest of the Psalm.  There is great joy in the Word of God as when there are great riches.  We may need to adjust the understanding of riches here.  Try not to think of the hoarded wealth on which a dragon might rest.  Wealth was far too practical and useful to be stockpiled away, never to be used.  Rather, having great treasure means daily, practical benefit.  Wealth is meant to be used to benefit others, not stored and kept to oneself.  Having great wealth ensures the joy of giving and the well-being of those dear to us.  Imagine a bonus from work that will enable you to take your family on vacation.  

To return to our previous analogy, the Word of God gives us the operating software, which ensures that we get the right answers, and because it is free from glitches and “bugs,” we are protected from hackers and viruses of our souls. 

“Thank You, Lord, that Your word is so practical. AMEN”

Psalm 119.1-8

Psalm 119.1-8

Aleph 

There is a double blessing for us out of God’s Word.  Walking in the law of the Lord means that first our way is blameless and second we are seeking God with all our hearts.  Seeking God is the end, the ultimate goal, and not the means to some other purpose.  Study of the Word of God is not so we can know some trivial bit of information, but rather so that we can know God.  Part of this blessed life is that the disciple does not do unrighteousness.  Like Job, who was described by God as blameless, the disciple is habitual in his right living.  This is not teaching that we can obtain personal, moral perfection, but rather, we can have a consistent life of obedience.  Like a clearly marked road is easy to follow, the disciple who keeps God’s Word will find that moral choices are clear.

One of the great blessings of faithfulness to God’s Word is that we are protected from embarrassment as we learn, at a deeper level, God’s commandments or expectations (v. 6).  This is more than the shame of being caught in overt sin.  It also includes the shame of not knowing what should have been known.  An example might be a student who doesn’t know their lesson even though the lesson is simple and he has been taught repeatedly. In fact, the disciple can give wholehearted thanks to God for His righteous judgments or laws.  The word translated “judgments” or “laws” is not so much God’s judicial judgments or the written law.  This carries the idea of “right” or perhaps “the ways.” There is an order to the universe that can be hard to understand.  But the disciple, because of his study of the Word of God, is able to see God’s way more clearly.  This section ends with a promise and a plea.  The disciple promises or is committed to living up to what he finds is the word, and in so doing, pleads that he will be in God’s company. 

“I praise You Lord for the double blessing of Your word. AMEN”

The Psalm of the Word of God

The Psalm of the Word of God 

We are now ready for the great Psalm 119.  This is the longest chapter in the Bible and deserves dedicated and careful study.  This Psalm is what we might call an alphabet Psalm.  In the original text there is an eight-verse section for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  In each section every sentence begins with that specific letter.  This is a work of remarkable creativity and beauty. 

The theme of the whole Psalm is the unparalleled value and beauty of the Word of God. For 176 verses the poet praises the wonder of God’s Word as it is applied to life’s challenges.  The person who lives with, indeed, who makes the Word a part of their very selves will enjoy numerous benefits.

I didn’t want to begin Psalm 119 and then take my usual end of the month break so I am going to wait until the first of the month to begin this study.  I have provided a summation of the Psalm and an outline for you to review as we get ready for this wonderful “Poem of the Word of God”.

After the poet has praised the virtue of fidelity to the word of God he then describes it as the virtue of all virtues. This virtue is of great service to the young man.  The poet will devote himself to this virtue. He prays for the grace of enlightenment in the midst of internal struggles. He also asked to have the grace of strengthening and of preservation so he can have a suitable and joyful confession. God's word is in all his thoughts and pursuits, so that he joins himself to those who fear God. The poet recognizes the beneficial element of His suffering, but in this suffering he still needs comfort. In his trouble the disciple sighs, "How long!"  Without the eternal, sure, mighty word of God, he would despair. But the word of God provides him wisdom greater than the difficult circumstances, and he has sworn faithfulness to the word even in his persecution. The poet abhors and despises the apostates. He is oppressed, but God will not allow him to be crushed. He pleads for protection from the ungodly while shedding floods of tears for them. All the while God rules righteously and faithfully according to His word, for which the poet remains zealous. He pleads that God would hear his crying by day and by night. Because God will not allow those who are faithful to His word to succumb to their troubles the poet begs for helpful pity. Even when the poet is being persecuted by princes he clings fast to the Lord. The poet begs and pleads that God would seek him, the isolated and endangered sheep! 

Psalm 119:1-8 ( Aleph ), After the poet has praised fidelity to the word of God 

Psalm 119:9-16 ( Beth ), and described it as the virtue of all virtues which is of service to the young man and to which he devotes himself 

Psalm 119:17-24 ( Gimel ), Praying for the grace of enlightenment, in the midst of internal struggles 

Psalm 119:25-32 ( Daleth ), of strengthening 

Psalm 119:33-40 ( He ), of preservation 

Psalm 119:41-48 ( Vav ); of suitable and joyful confession 

Psalm 119:49- 56 ( Zajin ) God's word is all his thought and pursuit, 

Psalm 119:57-64  (Heth) he cleaves to those who fear God, 

Psalm 119:65-72 (Ṭeth)  the poet recognizes the beneficial element of His suffering, 

Psalm 119: 73-80 ( Jod ) in suffering the poet is in need of comfort 

Psalm 119:81-88 (Kaph) In his trouble the disciple sighs: how long! 

Psalm 119:89-96 (Lamed); Without the eternal, sure, mighty word of God he would despair 

Psalm 119:97-104 (Mem); the word of God provides him wisdom greater than the difficult circumstances 

Psalm 119:105-112 (Nun), he has sworn faithfulness to the word in his persecution 

Psalm 119:113-120 (Samech)  The poet abhors and despises the apostates 

Psalm 119:121-128 ( Ajin ); He is oppressed, but God will not allow him to be crushed 

Psalm 119:129-136 ( Phe ) He pleads for protection for the ungodly, while sheading floods of tears for them 

Psalm 119:137-144 ( Tsade ) God rules righteously and faithfully according to His word, for which the poet is zealous, 

Psalm 119:145-152 (Qoph) Oh that God would hear his crying by day and by night  

Psalm 119:153-160 ( Resh ) Because God cannot suffer those who are faithful to His word to succumb, he poet/disciple begs for helpful pity 

Psalm 119:161-168, (Shin) the poet/disciple being persecuted by princes clings fast to Him 

Psalm 119:169-176 ( Tav ). The poet/disciple pleads that God would seek him the isolated and endangered sheep! 

Psalm 118

Psalm 118

Some scholars believe that this magnificent Psalm was originally written to be a sort of stage play, with different speakers representing different roles, groups, or characters. Some playwright ought to develop this for our time.

There is no doubt a Messianic theme in this Psalm, which Jesus applies to Himself in Matthew 21:42. We briefly see in verses 18-23 the passion, the victory, and the vindication of Jesus. In verse 18 we see His punishment: the fair, righteous, and just discipline we deserve falling on the Messiah. But death was not the end; He was not abandoned to death. In verses 19-21 we see that the punishment that fell on Jesus is the ‘gateway’ through which the righteous pass and how ‘thou hast become my salvation’ (verse 21b). In verses 22-23 we see the keystone, the most important part, of God's glorious plan. Jesus the Messiah was rejected by men but became the Chief Cornerstone, and when we realize the greatness of God's plan, we are struck by how marvelous it is. If we don't marvel, that indicates our defectiveness, not the wonder of the story.

“Thank you, Lord Jesus, that you are the Messiah and our hope. AMEN.”