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 119:137-144 Q Tsadhe (hebrew letter)
“Righteous are You, O LORD, And upright are Your judgments. Your testimonies, which You have commanded, Are righteous and very faithful. My zeal has consumed me, Because my enemies have forgotten Your words. Your word is very pure; Therefore Your servant loves it. I am small and despised, Yet I do not forget Your precepts. Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth. Trouble and anguish have overtaken me, Yet Your commandments are my delights. The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting; Give me understanding, and I shall live.”
In your own Bible:
Hi-lite the “Law” words from the list above.
He begins this paragraph giving homage to God. Circle
- :137 “Righteous are You, O LORD”
This passage also gives several descriptions of God’s Word. Hi-lite
- :137 “upright”
- :138 “righteous”, “faithful”
- :140 “pure”
- :142 “everlasting”, “truth” (Cross-reference John 17:17)
- :143 “my delights”
- :144 “everlasting”
At verse 138, cross-reference Psalm 19:7-9.
In your notebook, fill in the blanks from Psalm 19:
:7 – The law of the LORD is _____________________
The testimony of the LORD is _____________________
:8 – The statutes of the LORD are____________________
The commandment of the LORD is______________________
:9 – The fear of the LORD is__________________________
The judgments of the LORD are_________________________
See the word “therefore”. Circle it
- :140 “therefore”
Why does “God’s servant” love His Word? Because it is pure. It would be so confusing to try and follow a “creed” that keeps changing. This would mean it was not pure. God’s Word stands firm and everlasting and does not change! We can build all of our hopes on it. James tells us that with God “there is no variation or shadow of turning” – James 1:17.
The Psalmist has 3 “complaints” in this text. Underline
- :139 “My zeal has consumed me” – He is exhausted from the constant battle with sinful people
- :141 “I am small and despised” – This he feels and yet, he does not give in to these feelings. He keeps on relying on the Lord’s precepts.
- :143 “Trouble and anquish have overtaken me” – again, feelings! His feelings of defeat are contrasted with the objective and solid word of God.
Sometimes, we let our feelings guide us, which never ends well. Even though we have feelings of despair and frustration, those feelings will pass if we lean on God and His Word.
He has only one request of God in this passage. Double Underline
- :144 – “Give me understanding, and I shall live.”