Other people reckon differently (with disagreement about verses 84, 90, 121, and 132). Perhaps the proud ones boasted that they were wiser or more educated than the writer of the Psalm. Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! The word how describes a comparison; the psalmist loves the word of God more than other things. Wisdom Literature ", iii. 4. His devotion to God and His word has built a love-relationship between the Psalmist and God's word. It meant that their hearts were dull, insensitive, drowning in luxury and excess. the same word ‘answer' for ‘sing' in Psalm 147:7; and, using other terms, the calling of the seraphim one to another in Isaiah 6:3)." ii. (Psa 119:49-50) God's word brings comfort. When his soul was fainting, his hope in the word kept him from sinking." Pentateuch It is eternal." -------------------- (John Mason, cited in Spurgeon), vii. "The Order of the Divine mind, embodied in the Divine Law, is beautiful … It is the language of a man ravished by moral beauty. With my lips I have declared all the judgments of Your mouth: The Psalmist understood the importance of not only silently reading or hearing the Word of God, but also in saying it. 1. i. Lesson 8 vss 57 to 64 Heth. "When we hear any promise in the word of God, let us turn it into a prayer. You cannot expect to be at home in it, and if you are, well, it is an indication that you really do not belong to Christ or at least are living far from him." He did not want an unrighteous or unwise deliverance. I have chosen the way of truth; b. (Boice). (Prayer of Monica, the mother of Augustine; cited in Bridges). ii. ii. God's word is indeed exceedingly broad, and it will make us broad-minded, broad-hearted, and tolerant in the best sense if we read and obey it. Jehovah's word is not fickle nor uncertain; it is settled, determined, fixed, sure, immovable. (Spurgeon), iii. (Morgan), ii. "Christian! (Bridges). "The Lord is almighty to pardon; but he will not use it for thee an impenitent sinner. I have seen the consummation of all perfection, "The fact that the Bible is not mentioned here, in verse 122, may be an indication of the depth of mental anguish to which the psalmist fell as a result of the oppression he had endured from wicked men. One who truly loves the pure truth of God will naturally hate lies. He had not broken their laws, he had not injured them, he had not even desired to see them injured, he had not been an advocate of rebellion or anarchy, he had neither openly nor secretly opposed their power, and therefore, while this made their oppression the more inexcusable, it took away a part of its sting, and helped the brave-hearted servant of God to bear up." With this combination of life and guidance, he would build a healthy relationship with God. "The good effect of hours thus secretly passed in holy exercises, will appear openly in our lives and conversations." You will be PROTECTED God’s word is straightforward, trustworthy, and absolute—our hiding place and our shield in a dangerous world. Your faithfulness endures to all generations; 3. I am a companion of all who fear You, "If we keep clear of all lying, our song will be the more acceptable because it comes out of pure lips. a. I have seen the consummation of all perfection: The Psalmist considered the excellent things he has seen in this world. Our rejoicing will be measured by our reverencing." (Bridges). Each successive experience of surrender to temptation builds a habit, reinforced not only spiritually, but also by brain chemistry. The wicked have laid a snare for me, yet I have not strayed from Your precepts: The dangers also came from determined enemies, wicked people. Here’s 10 Lessons We Learned from Psalms 101-150 1.) Well said!" But I love Your law. Psalm 119:105-112 Before reading the text for the week, explain that Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible and that the whole chapter is about God’s law/ God’s Word. (Clarke), iii. "But God - let us speak with reverence - when he gives a promise, binds himself with cords of his own making. i. "This verse is extremely emotional and full of tears, for truly we are all this going astray, so that we must pray to be visited, sought, and carried over by the most godly Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is God blessed forever. 4. It means really a continual imperfection and helplessness, for the Hebrew verb relates not only to the past, but to the present." "Tears show compassion, and compassion wins others far more effectively than belligerent arguments and certainly more effectively than anger." A verification email has been sent to the address you provided. - God's word is a light that clears away the deceptive fog of seduction and temptation. Turn away my reproach which I dread, for Your judgments are good: While declaring the goodness of God's judgments, the Psalmist also prayed that his disgrace (reproach) would be turned away by the merciful God. v. "He who became man for our salvation, passed through this state of youth, undefiled, that he might, as it were, reclaim and consecrate it anew to God." - The difference between dalet (ד)  and resh (ר) is a tittle. b. Oh, that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes: This is not only a pious wish; it is also a prayer for the ability to obey God's Word. Remove me from the way of lying: "A sin that David, through diffidence, fell into frequently. Notable examples include Charles Spurgeon, D.L. (Psa 119:118-120) The righteous judgment of God. The Psalmist understood that if he were to give himself entirely to God; to cling to His word as a shipwrecked man clings to a floating plank in the sea, then he could trust that God would not allow him to be put … to shame. He valued them more than gold - even more than fine gold. My eyes are awake through the night watches, Tell the kids that it was written as a poem with each section representing one letter of the alphabet and the whole thing is meant to be a reminder of the importance of God’s Word. We have thought God must act now, when in His wisdom and glory He worked later. Worse yet, they often lead others to do the same. Let us consider a few. Until 1947, the oldest Hebrew manuscripts were from about A.D. 900. "Whatever was the cause of his complaint, it was no surface evil, but an affair of his inmost spirit; his soul cleaved to the dust; and it was not a casual and accidental falling into the dust, but a continuous and powerful tendency, or cleaving to the earth." He says that from heaven, God breathed out of them His Holy Word. Remember the word to Your servant: The Psalmist understood that God could never forget His word. (Kidner), ii. To know the face of God shining upon His servant is to be at peace with God and to know He as at peace with you. (Boice), ii. Strengthen me according to Your word. "But let me not shrink from the question, do I ‘keep his testimonies' from constraint, or from love? I entreated Your favor with my whole heart; Establish Your word to Your servant, I. The Old Testament So we are comforted and strengthened in hope as we remember how God has dealt with men and circumstances in the past. For I have sought Your precepts: The basis of this confidence was a relationship built upon the word of God (Your precepts). Solomon says, ‘The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.' (Bridges), ii. I hope in Your word: "Beloved, let none of us give way to despair. Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Even when they were most mirthful a sight of them made my heart heavy; I could not tolerate either them or their doings." It gives understanding to the simple. I hope in Your word. i. c. I rise before the dawning of the morning, and cry for help; I hope in Your word: The Psalmist passionately depended on God and His word, but that did not eliminate the participation of the Psalmist in any way. (Bridges), iv. 4. (Spurgeon), iii. a. Righteous are You, O LORD, and upright are Your judgments: The Psalmist understood that the righteous character of God was displayed in His word (Your judgments). iv. (Psa 119:109-110) Trusting God's word despite danger. iii. i. i. ii. Because of the vast number and quality of ancient Greek manuscripts, and the existence of relatively early copies, scholars often say that error rate is between 0.5% and 2%. 2. To these he was heir; he had inherited them from his fathers, and he was determined to leave them to his family for ever. . For I have hoped in Your ordinances. (Spurgeon). ‘This' being the cheer and comfort so tellingly described in Psalm 119:54f. (Spurgeon), iv. b. This was of much better result; and he was close to the source of comfort and restoration when he did fail. ", iii. c. I am Your servant; give me understanding: For the third time in five verses, the Psalmist calls himself a servant of God. ‘Thou hast broken thy bond; now it will be worse with thee than before.' I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your … b. b. "The Hebrew word for ‘entrance' is pethach. Saved by Ministry-To-Children. "It is beautiful to observe the oil of the Psalmist's faith feeding the flame of his supplication. But verse 176, the last verse, reminds us that this praise comes from poor, weak, lost, and straying sinners like ourselves." Major Prophets (Poole). God does seek after us in His word. c. Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it: Despite his delight and desire for God's word, the Psalmist knows he cannot walk in God's path without God's empowering. Read the Text. Weakness is not the plea for indolence, but for quickening grace. Many religious people long after the promises, and they do well; but they must not forget to have an equal longing for the commandments." b. I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed: This is an example of the liberty just mentioned. i. My title is more sure than to any earthly heritage." It was to glorify God through obedience to His word, not any self-serving purpose. (Bridges). The pardoning mercy of God in … Establish Your word to Your servant is much the same idea as what Mary to Gabriel regarding the word of the Lord that he brought to her: Let it be to me according to your word (Luke 1:38). . With the words "You have commanded us" we see that the Psalmist begins to address God in prayer; a position he will hold through most the entire Psalm. "The psalmist speaketh not as prescribing God a time, but as reminding him of his own glory and of his people's necessity." "Seven times; many times; that definite number being oft taken indefinitely, as Leviticus 26:28, and elsewhere." (Clarke), iv. a. Before reading the text for the week, explain that Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible and that the whole chapter is about God’s law/ God’s Word. Which I love, And upright are Your judgments. a. I am a stranger in the earth; do not hide Your commandments from me: This is the same request as in the previous verse, made upon a different reason. i. (Psa 119:19-20) A prayer for revelation, longing for God's word. Hezekiah's prayer meant failure and doom for the Assyrian army. The earth, O LORD,is full of Your mercy; He wrote out a covenant with God, and in a very serious and solemn way he even signed it with his own blood. iv. The author of Psalm 119 is unknown, but most scholars agree that it was written by David, Ezra, or Daniel. But Your commandment is exceedingly broad: Despite all the great and beautiful things of this world, something is greater still - the commandment of God, His revealed word to us. (Boice). 3. My lips shall utter praise, How many are the days of Your servant? This man would have taken his stance not with the self-congratulating Pharisee of the parable, but with the publican who stood afar off, but went home justified." C. Gimel ג: The Word of God and the Trials of Life. (Spurgeon). It is HIS divine will that young people come to faith in Jesus Christ and find salvation through the Gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit to bring them to faith. If we really do believe His word, then we want Him to teach us to live wisely and obediently. (Spurgeon). Give me understanding according to Your word. It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes: The Psalmist repeats the idea from earlier in this section (Psalm 119:67). i. ii. Physical blindness has its compensations. "The whole movement ends with a declaration which must be read in the light of the opening affirmation, and the following experience and need. Yet Your commandments are my delights. He said that heaven and earth would sooner pass away than a yod or a tittle from the word of God. (Morgan). (Spurgeon). (Litany.) It is my meditation all the day. (Spurgeon), ii. he readily puts it into the hearts of his children to forge lies against the children of God!" d. My flesh trembles for fear of You, and I am afraid of Your judgments: As the Psalmist considered the righteous judgments of God, he looked to his own life and understood that it was not entirely righteous. i. (Morgan), iv. (Morgan), ii. 5 Truths to Know About Psalm 119: - This Psalm is actually written as an acrostic poem. Your word is truth (John 17:17). (Spurgeon). Finding Stillness in the Study of Psalm 119 I will never forget the day Psalm 119 found me. We recognize the truth of this when we consider generations present and future. Time spent in God's word was not an unpleasant duty; it was a sweet experience to be thankful for. (Boice). Deliver me according to Your word. i. (Trapp). (Bridges), ii. He is so needy and dependent on God that it is good and right to make his request so boldly. 2. "David not only acknowledges God's right to deal with him as he saw fit, and even his wisdom in dealing with him as he actually had done, but his faithfulness in afflicting - not his faithfulness though he afflicted - but in afflicting him; not as if it were consistent with his love, but as the very fruit of his love." i. i. Mercy itself will sit and vote with the rest of its fellow-attributes for thy damnation." a. If he felt that he was completely just and righteous before God, he would not plead for God to stand as a surety for him - but he did. i. Pauline Epistles i. To know Him is to know His word. From beginning to end, the singer sang as one who had personal knowledge of God and direct dealing with Him." a. Therefore they became his heritage forever. (Psa 119:92-93) The sustaining power of God's word. This reflects upon the power of experience to shape our habits. i. Twice before in this Psalm, the writer has declared his love for the word of God (Psalm 119:47-48). 2. ii. i. Jesus spoke specifically of the power of His word to cleanse and keep pure: You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you (John 5:3). b. (Boice). (Poole), ii. (Bridges). iii. Psalm 119 was written to show us how we can receive the maximum blessings out of our lives. (Barnes, cited in Spurgeon). He had come near to the Psalmist, and one way was through the word of God itself. (Spurgeon), ii. of Scripture. They almost made an end of me on earth, A steady contemplation is a great advantage." (Bridges). For they are ever with me. I remembered Your judgments of old, O LORD, He could better keep God's word by keeping from every evil way. But it has not pleased God to give us a body of divinity; let us receive it as he has given it, each truth in its own proportion, - each doctrine in harmony with its fellow, - each precept carefully carried out into practice, and each promise to be believed, and by-and-by received. As a result a syndicate of Russian Jews tried to buy it, offering the church the weight of the book in gold. This Bible study on Psalm 119 contains outlines, extensive cross-references, Bible study discussion questions, lessons to learn, and applications. It is confidence to the general righteousness of life. The mercy is, that if our eyes fail, God does not fail, nor do his eyes fail." (Horne), ii. We received God's commands understanding our lack of ability to keep those commands, apart from His work in us. i. His love and conformity to the word of God was deeply rooted, not superficial. Princes persecute me without a cause, b. It can be used of a single command or of a whole body of law." Yet the writer was confident that God's word had given him greater wisdom. I understand more than the ancients, Luke-Acts iii. (Psa 119:45-48) Loving the word that brings liberty. c. According to Your word: This is how one takes heed. "No school, but the school of Christ - no teaching, but the teaching of the Spirit - can ever give this good judgment and knowledge." The appreciation of the Psalmist for the word of God was not passive. They tried to stamp it out, but the text survived. The jot refers to yod (י), the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet; it looks like half a letter. Though this illustration speaks about the difficult nature of David's trial, it also speak to the character of the trial: "Our trials are smoke, but not fire; they are very uncomfortable, but they do not consume us." There have been many lengthy works written on this Psalm; one of them is by Thomas Manton, a Puritan preacher and writer, who wrote a three-volume work on Psalm 119. Because of Your righteous judgments. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. The world tells us, "Have your good time when you are young; get it all out of your system. The Psalmist knew that his life was different from those who did not follow God. Psalm 119:9-16 The Cleansing Power of the Word Summary- What is the way to have a pure life? Psalm 119:110 "The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts." (Poole). My soul breaks with longing for Your judgments at all times: His soul longed for God's word so much because he was indeed a stranger in the earth; for those who feel perfectly at home in this world, the word that comes to them from heaven is less precious. a. I thought about my ways, and turned my feet to Your testimonies: Time spent in God's word has given the Psalmist sober reflection about his ways. (Trapp). Carefully did she expend her little stock-a pennyworth of this and the other necessary of life nearly exhausted all she had. They are far from Your law: Though they came closer to the Psalmist, they were far from God's word. I have said that I would keep Your words. Give me understanding, and I shall live. And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me. I bless the Lord for the correctives of his providence by which, if he has blessed me on the one hand with sweets, he has blessed me on the other hand with bitters." Various lessons in each Psalm teach us that God’s word is able to address all situation in life if we will trust in Him. Multitudes live for the world - forget God and die! 7. Since the text and audio content provided by BLB represent a (Spurgeon). b. They possess both devotion and instruction; they have both the spirit and the science of true religion." My eyes fail from seeking Your salvation and Your righteous word: This was another indication of how committed the Psalmist was to the word of God, and how much he valued the salvation he found from it. The Psalmist didn't wait for a feeling of delight to overcome him; he simply said, I will delight myself in Your commandments.". Your judgments I have laid before me. "But what a powerful plea for mercy may we draw from the Lord's interest in us! The different words show that there are many different ways to walk, and each of them says something. Yet we also use the Word of God in our prayers. He believed that the word of God could be understood, with the help of God Himself. ; Psalm 119:33 Or follow it for its reward; Psalm 119:37 Two manuscripts of the Masoretic Text and Dead Sea Scrolls; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text life in your way There is some reproach [disgrace] that we face as faithful followers of Jesus. b. (Spurgeon), d. This has become mine: This is a glorious, triumphant statement from the Psalmist. i. It is time for You to act, O LORD, 3. We don't think about it enough, but it is wonderfully true that "You have dealt well with Your servant, O LORD." "To all his people he has not meted out the same measure. (Bridges). Be satisfied with the approbation of your God. I will run the course of Your commandments, Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, and I shall keep it to the end, Give me understanding … I shall observe it with my whole heart, Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it, Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to covetousness, Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, Turn away my reproach which I dread, for Your judgments are good, I long for Your precepts; revive me in Your righteousness, Let Your mercies come … Your salvation according to Your word, So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me, for I trust in Your word, Take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed, And I will delight myself in Your commandments, I will delight myself in Your commandments, My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments, This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me life, I have remembered Your judgments of old, O LORD, and have comforted myself, Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage, I remember Your name in the night, O LORD, I entreated Your favor with my whole heart; be merciful to me according to Your word, I thought about my ways, and turned my feet to Your testimonies, I made haste, and did not delay to keep Your commandments, The cords of the wicked have bound me, but I have not forgotten Your law, At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, You have deal well with Your servant, O LORD, according to Your word, You have dealt well with Your servant, O LORD, Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word, You are good, and do good; teach me Your statutes, But I will keep Your precepts with my whole heart, Their heart is fat as grease, but I delight in Your law, It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes, The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of coins of gold and silver, Those who fear You will be glad when they see me, Your judgments are right … in faithfulness You have afflicted me, judgments are right, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me, Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to Your word, Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live; for Your law is my delight, Let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes. - No word and no letter could be written from memory; the scribe must have an authentic copy before him, and he must read and pronounce out loud each word before writing it. Is it not the sign that the Lord will keep us also?" God's people should have His word not only in their minds and hearts, but also upon their lips. So when the door was opened, light came into the tent, illuminating everything inside." Teach me Your statutes. My ways: "My sins, in way of confession; and all my cares, and fears, and troubles, and concerns, in way of humble petition to thee, as appears from God's answer." iv. iv. He has no inherent obligation to teach us; yet out of the merciful impulse of His heart He does so. c. Blessed are those who keep His testimonies: To keep His testimonies is virtually the same as to walk in the law of the LORD. He prayed this, "Lest looking cause liking and lusting." See more ideas about psalm 119, bible for kids, sunday school lessons. The loss is incalculable." Rivers of water run down from my eyes, Who walk in the law of the LORD! c. That I may learn Your commandments: The understanding of God and man as Creator and creature should lead to this humble relationship where man admits his need to learn, to learn God's word (commandments), and to receive His word as commands from a wise, loving, and righteous Creator. conservative Christian faith, which includes a firm belief in the inerrancy He knew it was precious and enriching to life. So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth. Major Prophets ii. a. If we will read the word of God and do what it tells us to do - in prayer, in repentance, in dedication, and pursing God with the whole heart - it is a source of personal and corporate revival. What did the Psalmist need? - God's word shows us the difficulty of purity, and reminds us to be on guard. This was not merely a cry for help or deliverance or forgiveness; this was a cry for obedience. The living and active word of God brought forth a living and active response from the Psalmist.