A Daily Study of Psalm 119 (NKJV)
Meditations and Prayers Relating to the Law of God
“Psalms 119 is an acrostic to end all acrostics! There are twenty-two strophes (paragraphs), corresponding to the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Each of the strophes has eight lines (verses), and every one of the lines in each strophe begins with the appropriate Hebrew letter marking that stanza.” – Coffman(1)
Every paragraph contains these words pertaining to God’s Laws:
Law of the Lord or Your Word– Body of prophetic, legal and moral directives (Mosaic Law)
Testimonies – Witness (God never asks us to believe anything that He does not give us evidence (testimony) for.)
Precepts – Command or order respecting moral conduct
Statutes – Something prescribed, prescribed task
Commandments – order by authorities
Judgements – Act of deciding a case, ordinance
PSALM 119:97-104 M Mem (hebrew letter)
“Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; For they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, Because I keep Your precepts. I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word. I have not departed from Your judgments, For You Yourself have taught me. How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.”
In your own Bible:
Hi-lite the “Law” words from the list above.
The Psalmist has more understanding than whom? Underline
- :99 “I have more understanding than all my teachers”
- :100 “I understand more than the ancients” -the ancients are his ancestors and those gone before him
Where does this understanding come from? Double Underline
- :104 “Through Your precepts I get understanding”
When you see the word “therefore” – Stop- and see what it is there for!
Hi-Lite and draw an arrow from “therefore” to “through Your precepts I get understanding”
- :104 “Therefore I have every false way”
What is a false way? One that does not follow the truth, “there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” -Prov 14:12. Any “way” or life, that does not take God into account and follow Him is a false way. We should “hate” the ways of the devil and the ways of those who follow him. We should want to distance ourselves from them and walk in God’s light and truth. Once we get understanding from His word, we will be able to recognize the “false way”.
What does he (and should we) meditate on? Put a box around the word meditation.
- :97 “It is my meditation all the day”
- :99 “Your testimonies are my meditation”
What do the commandments do for him? Hi-lite in a different color
- :98 “Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies”
What does he do/not do? Circle the phrase
- :101 “I have restrained my feet from every evil way”
- :102 “I have not departed from Your judgments”
To help us with self-control (restraint) we must not depart from His word. We need to put His word in our hearts (Psalm 119:11).
Put a Star by verse 103: God’s word should be sweet to our taste, like honey: Pleasant to our hearts. Even when it convicts us, we should understand that it is what keeps us safe and disciplined and in God’s mercy and love.