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 119:153-160 R Resh (hebrew letter)
“Consider my affliction and deliver me, For I do not forget Your law. Plead my cause and redeem me; Revive me according to Your word. Salvation is far from the wicked, For they do not seek Your statutes. Great are Your tender mercies, O LORD; Revive me according to Your judgments. Many are my persecutors and my enemies, Yet I do not turn from Your testimonies. I see the treacherous, and am disgusted, Because they do not keep Your word. Consider how I love Your precepts; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness. The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.”
In your own Bible:
Hi-lite the “Law” words from the list above.
What does the Psalmist ask God for? Circle
- :153 “consider”, “deliver”
- :154 “Plead”, “redeem”, “revive”
- :156 “revive”
- :159 “revive”
A key word in this passage is revive, which means to live, give life to. Sometimes we can feel dead in our spirit, lifeless. We need to turn to God’s word to pick us up and give us strength, hope and courage.
As in each paragraph, the wicked are mentioned. Put brackets around the descriptions of the wicked.
- :157 [persecutors], [enemies]
- :158 [treacherous]
The wicked do the opposite of what a godly person does. Underline
- :155 “they do not seek”
- :158 “they do not keep”
Why is salvation far from the wicked? They do not seek God’s statutes. When one is willful, stubborn and unyielding to God’s guidance and commands, salvation is impossible. Salvation requires a willing and contrite heart that yields to God.
Hi-lite the “I” statements”
- :153 “I do not forget”
- :157 “I do not turn from”
- :159 “I love Your precepts”
We see God’s character in this passage. Hi-Lite
- :156 “Your tender mercies”
- :159 “Your lovingkindness”
He ends this passage with an imperative statement. Double underline
- :160 “The entirety of Your word is truth”, “every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever”