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 119:129-136 F Pe (hebrew letter)
“Your testimonies are wonderful; Therefore my soul keeps them. The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple. I opened my mouth and panted, For I longed for Your commandments. Look upon me and be merciful to me, As Your custom is toward those who love Your name. Direct my steps by Your word, And let no iniquity have dominion over me. Redeem me from the oppression of man, That I may keep Your precepts. Make Your face shine upon Your servant, And teach me Your statutes. Rivers of water run down from my eyes, Because men do not keep Your law.
In your own Bible:
Hi-lite the “Law” words from the list above.
Circle the word “therefore” in :129 and connect with a line the words “wonderful and “keeps them”
What does God’s Word do? Underline
- :130 “gives light”, “gives understanding”
Notice the longing and hunger for the word. Hi-lite
- :131 “I longed for Your commandments”
Put Matt. 5:6 next to this verse as a cross-reference. Jesus said we are blessed if we “hunger and thirst for righteousness” and we will be filled. After study of God’s Word, do you feel filled and satisfied? The more we study, the more hungry we should become for study, communing with God.
What does the Psalmist ask of God? Put brackets around
- :132 [look upon me], [be merciful to me]
- :133 [Direct my steps]
- :134 [Redeem me]
- :135 [Make Your face to shine upon Your servant], [teach me]
When you see the word “let” pause and think. It means allow or do not forbid. Circle
- :133 “let no iniquity have dominion over me”
He is asking God for help in fighting temptation. Remember the model prayer where Jesus asks God “and lead us not into temptation” Matthew 6:13. We need help in fighting the devil. God and His word offers that help.
What is the cause of his sadness in verse 136? Double underline
- :136 “Rivers of water fun down from my eyes, because men do not keep Your law”
Throughout the scriptures we see mourning and sadness for sin and what it does to mankind.
- God was “grieved in His heart” when he saw the sinfulness of man (Gen. 6:6).
- Jeremiah wept for his people in Jeremiah 9:1 and 13:17.
- Jesus wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41).
- Paul was grieved for his people, the Jews in Romans 9:2.
The sinful state of our world should make us weep but not despair. We know that in the end, we win and overcome. But in the meantime, we need to lean on Jesus and our hope of heaven.