Psalm 119:81-88

Psalm 119:81-88 

Kaph 

In his trouble the disciple sighs, "How long!" 

With eternity in his heart, the disciple is nevertheless faced with the struggles of the temporal.  The first four verses of this section all begin with a question or a statement about the duration of his suffering.  We must never lose sight of the fact that God not only has control of the nature of our hardships but also their depth and duration. As poet is asking about that duration; he feels that he is nearing the end of his strength.

In the first four verses there is a line that is out of our experience. In verse 83, he writes, “…I have become like a wineskin in the smoke…” The ancient practice of using leather skins as bottles is what is suggested here.  When out of use, the skin would be hung from some high point in the tent or house.  With no chimney, the rising smoke would blacken, dry, and shrivel the bottle. The wineskin that hung in the smoke was out of use and irrelevant, and if left long enough, it would begin to crack and become useless.  Those who persecute the poet would like to set him aside to become an irrelevance to society and community.  The very existence of a disciple, then and now, is apt to be a bother to those who oppose God’s law.  He upsets their conscience and in one way or another makes them uncomfortable.  They would rather the disciple be set aside, forgotten, and made useless. 

It is worth noting a connection in verse 86 that at first may seem to be a departure or a disconnect but is consistent throughout history.  How does the faithfulness of God’s commands have anything to do with a persecution with a lie?  Because God’s commands are faithful, consistent, forever trustworthy, and true, there is no doubt that those opposed to them will always resort to falsehood.  The faithfulness of God’s Word and the faithful adherence of the disciple to that Word will always cause those who are opposed to God’s Word to oppose the faithful disciple.  Sometimes those who follow God act surprised that they experience oppression.  Rather than reacting with surprise, we ought to follow the pattern of the poet.  

He responds by pleading for help, revival or renewal, and mercy.  He does this for the reason that he can keep the testimony of Thy mouth.  It is one thing to suffer; it is another thing to ask for strength to endure so that we can, at some point in the future, be comforted by the Word.  But here the poet asked for help so that he can be faithful to God’s Word.  It is not self-interest that motivates him, but rather, the love for the Word of God.

“Lord, help me to hang on. AMEN”

Psalm 119:73-80

Psalm 119:73-80 

Jod

In suffering, the poet is in need of comfort. 

The poet wants to be an encouragement to those who fear God.  The poet’s well-being is going to be a point of confusion for those who oppose him.  The poet is confident that God will never forsake His creatures nor withhold from them what will make them truly happy, namely an understanding of His Word. To this purpose the poet prays for understanding and that all who fear God will see him as an example of what happens in the lives of those who trust in God’s Word.

There is no doubt that God’s judgments are pure and righteous, but they are nevertheless an affliction.  It is because God is faithful to His holiness and to our well-being that He, at times, afflicts us.  It is important to note that when we are under the affliction of God, we are still under His care.  That doesn’t mean that it isn’t painful.  That is why the poet, at the same time as being under God’s affliction, asked for the comfort of the Lord’s loving kindness or mercy.

The term "ashamed" comes up a couple of times.  It is a pretty typical term for shame, embarrassment, or disgrace, but it can have a temporal element to it.  Part of the shame is that the hope for a result is delayed.  It is like a sports fan that is always saying, “Wait till next year,” but is always suffering through endless losing seasons.  The shame is not only that it doesn’t happen; there is a sense that it never will.  The poet asked that the one who would lead him astray be ashamed.  The demise of the faithful is the greatest heart’s desire of the wicked.  The poet asked that this desire of the wicked will never be satisfied and they will always be disappointed.

Meanwhile, the poet remains faithful to the Word of God and concludes this with two thoughts.  First, he wants to be an encouragement for others.  He wants his life and faithfulness to be something other faithful people will see. The desire to live as an example is rare.  The second thing he asked is essential to fulfilling the first.  He wants to have a blameless heart. The idea of blameless is more about honesty and consistency than about perfection.  He wants to be the real thing rather than a fake.  In this he hopes that he will not suffer the shame.

“Lord, let my life be an example to those who need a moment of hope. AMEN”

Psalm 119:65-72

Psalm 119:65-72 

Ṭeth  

The poet recognizes the beneficial element of his suffering. 

God’s dealing with us is always good and for our benefit, but it may not always feel that way.  In this section the poet reflects on his own life and how God’s goodness worked for him in difficult times.  In the midst of suffering we rarely say, “This is really good for me.”  But it is not too uncommon that after the suffering is past we can say, “That was good for me.”  The more quickly we are able to learn the lessons of suffering, the wiser we are.

The Lord has been good to the poet according to His own word, and the poet is able to recognize that with the aid of 20/20 hindsight.  The poet asked to be taught good discernment and knowledge, which is to learn both the ethical behaviors and the happy results that such behaviors bring.  He wants to learn not only what the right thing to do is but also see the positive benefit of that behavior.  Note the contrast between vs. 66 and 67.  The poet learned the misery of going astray in his affliction, and now he wants to learn the pleasantness of right living.  We often think of right living as a means to an end, that if we do right, which may include incidental suffering, we will someday be rewarded.  That is an inadequate understanding.  The poet/disciple is here indicating that living the life of righteousness is the greatest good and that this life is itself inherently worth it. 

God’s nature is good, and His actions are always for our benefit.  The order of His universe is that the short-term pleasures of evil never outweigh the benefit of living according to His law. The poet again is asking to learn the Lord’s statutes.  This time he asked in the context of the arrogant having attempted to cover him over with falsehoods.  The word used is “plastered over” or “whitewashed.” They want to make him disappear the way a concrete block wall disappears when covered with stucco. The comment “their heart is covered with fat” is indicative of being insensitive.  Our medical and modern scientific view might shape our understanding of this metaphor.  In ancient times fat was good because it indicated wealth as evidenced by being well fed.  But in this case the fat (wealth and ease) caused their heart, or seat of the will and emotion, to become dull and insensitive to the call of the Law of God.

The poet again repeats that his affliction was beneficial.  This is a good point to make note of—the word "affliction."  Literally, it means to “make low or put down.” But it is practically much more intense than it might first sound.  The word was used of the abuse Sarah heaped on Hagar that was so intense that Hagar wanted to run away.  It was the word that described the Egyptians forcing the Israelites into slavery.  It was on different occasions used to describe the rape of a woman.  This affliction is not a little inconvenience but rather a life-altering experience of powerful misery.  But God never wastes a hurt.  It doesn’t matter if our affliction is the result of self-induced suffering or we were the innocent victims of the evils of others; God can use that horror to our benefit.  In fact, the poet feels that the Law of the Lord, to which his suffering led him, is better than fantastic riches.

“Lord, do not waste the hurt of my life, rather teach me. AMEN”

Psalm 119:57-64

Psalm 119:57-64  

Heth

Discovery of God’s favor on the way to his forever home

In the preceding psalm the poet describes himself as a pilgrim, stating that earth is not his permanent dwelling. He begins this section with a description of God as his “portion.”  When the Promised Land was divided among the tribes, each family was given a portion as their homeland forever.  So much so that at the year of Jubilee, if the land was sold, it was returned to the one who received that portion.  For the disciple the Lord is the homeland.  There is a direct connection between the disciple going to the homeland and his keeping the Word of God.  

There is in verse 58 a word that is hard to translate into our English Bibles.  The NASB translates it “entreated,” while the NIV translates it “sought.”  The Hebrew word is much more intense than any English translation.  The root word is “sick” or “weak.”  This word carries the idea of groveling and at times carries the implication of flattery.  We don’t translate it that way because the poet is clearly sincere, whereas a flatterer is not.  But that is the intensity of the word.  The disciple is willing to completely humiliate himself in the most extreme forms of begging for the Lord’s graciousness.  This is not coming to God as if we would negotiate the best deal possible.  This is a profound awareness that we have nothing to offer and are fully aware of our absolute dependence on His favor.  

The poet has, to this point, lived a life of immediate obedient response.  When he knows the commands of God, he keeps them immediately.  He does all that he knows to do; he is now asking to know more, to understand at a greater level what God wills.  He has done this even when the wicked have had him in bonds.  Their cords, either literally or figuratively, have not caused him to forget the Lord’s Law, and to know the Lord’s Law is to keep it immediately. This keeping of the Law even in the presence of opposition causes thanks to grow and results in praise.  When awakened from sleep in the middle of the night, it is not fear that comes to mind but thanks, not dread but a profound awareness of gratitude for God’s law.  It is so powerful, in fact, that the poet is compelled to respond with worship, to get up from bed and bow down to God.

Sometimes the life of a disciple can seem lonely; it feels that no one else is on God’s side.  But the poet discovers that he has companions; here he returns to the theme or motif of the traveller.  He is not making this journey alone.  It is noteworthy that in the context of this discovery of travelling companions, the poet looks at the world around him and sees that it is full of God’s mercy.  He begins this section by pleading for God’s favor, ends it by praising God for His loving kindness, and that praise is in the context of discovering fellow pilgrims heading to the same home. 

“Lord, keep me faithful in the journey. AMEN”

Psalm 119:49-56

Psalm 119:49-56 

Zayin

In life’s journey God's Word is all the poets thoughts and pursuit.

We are all on a trip, a long journey to the grave and beyond.  One should never expect this trip to be easy or fast or carefree.  In fact, the ancient nomads understood this much better than we.  In vs. 54 the poet refers to the house of his “pilgrimage.” We live in a culture that places a high value on a permanent place of residence.  To be a homeowner is a major or even the most important part of the “American Dream.” Pilgrims have no such concept.  For a pilgrim the destination is the objective, with lessons to be learned along the way.  It is unavoidable; we are on a pilgrimage, and the poet points out that on this journey God’s Word is a great help and comfort.  

Being a tourist is relatively easy.  If you have enough money, everything is catered for you.  Being a tourist is the ultimate consumer experience in which we are not changed but have our perceptions confirmed.  Being a pilgrim is hard.  It is not about being catered to but is about being challenged and changed.  It is about our own attitudes, convictions, and commitments confronted and reshaped by hardships, either our own or the lives of others.  Life is one long pilgrimage.  

That being said, and with the expectation that life will be hard, how do we cope?  Where do we find the strength to carry on the pilgrimage?  The poet tells us it is in the Word of God.  It gives him comfort when he is afflicted, and it revives him.  He is mocked and scorned by the arrogant—the word carries the connotation of frivolous persons, libertines, and freethinkers.  These people look at the self-imposed, hard life of a pilgrim and make fun, suggesting it is better to settle down and indulge in the good life of pleasure and self-satisfaction.  

The poet continues his life’s journey with the Word of God giving him strength as well as indignation for the life that forsakes the law.  Hatred for evil is both the right response and a preventative from dabbling in the evil.  That hatred is reinforced because the emotional support, the songs of the poet, is the Law of God.  Even in the dark hours of the night when it is easiest to become discouraged, the poet is turning to and being strengthened by God’s precepts.

“Lord, help me to never be a tourist but always a pilgrim. AMEN”

Psalm 119:41-48

Psalm 119:41-48

Vav 

The Word of God enables the psalmist to provide a suitable and joyful confession.

The psalmist begins by asking for more than simply head knowledge of the Word of God.  He is asking for God’s mercy to bring about salvation through the Word. (v. 41) The challenge of the unbeliever can’t be answered with a dry academic knowledge of God alone, nor solely an emotional response, but personal trust in God’s Word (v. 42).  Verse 43 poses an interesting question: “Why would God take His truth out of the mouth or conversation of the psalmist?” This reflects the reality that if a person’s life is in rebellion and willful error, their testimony is rendered invalid.  When we testify about the Lord, we do so not on our own, but in the power of the Spirit.  A godless man can say the words of a witness, but it is only dust in the wind or hot air.  The syllables may be in the mouth of a wicked witness, but it will lack power because God will remove His blessing from it.  The last part of verse 43 says the psalmist will “wait” or “hope” in God’s laws. Hope always has a future element to it, but it is never simply a vague, wishful dream.  The hope given us by God’s Word is future but also certain.  We wait because it is not yet, but this hope is as certain as the passing of time.  

Because of the Lord’s testimony and his love for it, the psalmist is a bold witness.  He keeps the Lord’s commands, loves the Lord’s commands, and gives testimony to the Lord’s commands.  He does so before kings with a sense of  freedom because the one on trial is not the psalmist but the Lord’s ordinances.  If called to account for himself and his own power, a disciple is really not much.  But the disciple’s love for God and His Word sets him up in liberty or freedom.  The word translated “liberty” or “freedom” literally means “wide” or “broad.”  It is often used to refer to land. The idea is that there is plenty of room and no one is going to hem you in or restrict you.  There is so much confidence that the word was even used of arrogance.  The disciple who walks in the power of God’s Word has so much going for him no one and nothing is going to put “the squeeze” on him.  The disciple experiences the power of God’s Word and grows to love it more and more.  

“Lord, thank You for the boldness I have because of Your word. AMEN”

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”