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 119:41-48 V Vav (hebrew letter)
“Let Your mercies come also to me, O LORD– Your salvation according to Your word. So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me, For I trust in Your word. And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I have hoped in Your ordinances. So shall I keep Your law continually, Forever and ever. And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your precepts. I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings, And will not be ashamed. And I will delight myself in Your commandments, Which I love. My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments, Which I love, And I will meditate on Your statutes.”
Hi-lite Law words from list above.
Circle the 2 things that come from the Word?
- :41 “mercies”, “salvation”
Underline the phrases with “I” in them.
- :42 “I have an answer”, “I trust in Your word”
- :43 “I have hoped in Your ordinances”
- :44 “I keep Your law”
- :45 “I will walk at liberty”, “I seek Your precepts” – We speak of our liberty in Christ, but the Psalmist also felt that he had liberty from seeking the precepts (Command or order respecting moral conduct).
- :46 “I will speak” – We need to be ready (prepared) to speak – 1 Peter 3:15 (write as a cross reference)
- :46 double underline “will not be ashamed” – Paul wrote that he was “not ashamed of the gospel” in Romans 1:16 (write as a cross reference). Being a Christian requires boldness and courage to speak up when necessary.
- :47 “I will delight myself”, “I love”
- :48 “My hands I will lift up”, “I love”, I will meditate”
Twice the Psalmist says that he loves God’s commandments. Why should we love God’s commands?
- Give us guidance
- Help to keep us righteous
- Keep us from sinning (Psalm 119:11)
- Bring us closer to God (Jesus said, “Not My will but Yours” Luke 22:42)