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 119:25-32 D Daleth (hebrew letter)
“My soul clings to the dust; Revive me according to Your word. I have declared my ways, and You answered me; Teach me Your statutes. Make me understand the way of Your precepts; So shall I meditate on Your wonderful works. My soul melts from heaviness; Strengthen me according to Your word. Remove from me the way of lying, And grant me Your law graciously. I have chosen the way of truth; Your judgments I have laid before me. I cling to Your testimonies; O LORD, do not put me to shame! I will run the course of Your commandments, For You shall enlarge my heart.”
Hi-lite the “Law” words from the list above.
How does the Psalmist feel? Put brackets <> around:
- <My soul clings to the dust> (he feels dry and dead)
- <My soul melts from heaviness> (he feels sad and weak)
What does the Word do for these feelings?
Circle: “Revive”, “Strengthen”
What did the Psalmist do? Underline these phrases
- :26 “I have declared my ways” – prayed
- :27 “So shall I meditate on Your wonderful works”
- :30 “I have chosen the way of truth”, “Your judgments I have laid before me”
- :31 “I cling to Your testimonies”
- :32 “I will run the course of Your commandments”
What does the Lord do? Double underline:
- :26 “You answered me”
- :32 “You shall enlarge my heart”
What does the Psalmist ask of God? Hi-lite in a different color from the law words
- :25 “Revive me”
- :26 “Teach me”
- :27 “Make me understand”
- :28 “strengthen me”
- :29 “remove from me the way of lying” “Grant me Your law”
When we seek God in His word, these things that the Psalmist asks of God should be our aim.
May His Word give you strength and refreshment.