The Words of God – Psalm 119
It's the longest psalm in the Bible, and its length and repetition are sometimes off-putting, but Psalm 119 is like a box full of treasures deep underground, one we have to dig down to before we can find them. It's both the longest psalm, and in some ways, it's the most confusing, but Romans 15:4 tells us that we have the writings of the Old Testament to instruct us, teach us to endure, encourage us and give us hope, and this includes Psalm 119. So how can we dig deeper to find the treasure and to understand what it teaches us about God and living for him? For me, it was in a lecture at The Bible College of Queensland1, (now Brisbane School of Theology), that I started to understand and appreciate this psalm.
Psalm 119 (NIV)
א Aleph
1 Blessed are those whose ways are blameless,
who walk according to the law of the Lord.
2 Blessed are those who keep his statutes
and seek him with all their heart—
Dane Ortlund describes Psalm 119 as a celebration of the gift of God's law for his people2, and part of this celebration for me was in learning about the patterns that occur throughout it. Psalm 119 was written in Hebrew as a poem, and the Hebrew letters that have been kept in our Bible translations give us a hint of the poetry it contains. It's an acrostic poem with each stanza beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and each verse in each stanza beginning with that same Hebrew letter.
ב Beth
9 How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
By living according to your word.
10 I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
12 Praise be to you, Lord;
teach me your decrees.
Throughout the psalm there are eight Hebrew words that are used to describe God's word. Nearly every verse in the psalm contains one of these words and the repetition of their use helps focus us on God's word and the importance of it for our lives. In our English translations God's word is also described as laws, precepts, statutes, commands, decrees, testimonies, judgements and promises. It shapes our behaviour while at the same time protecting us. And it tells us that it is the word of God – the very words he has given us to learn from and to live by.
ה He
33 Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,
that I may follow it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
As we continue through the psalm we start to see some of the ways God's word speaks to us. It gives us encouragement as we journey with him, it guides us in the way we should go, it illuminates our path, it gives us insight and understanding, it shows us how to confess our sin and how to ask for forgiveness, redemption and salvation. Psalm 119 gives us more insight into what Romans 15:4 says about the Old Testament and about God's word as a whole. The whole Bible is given to us to instruct us, teach us to endure, encourage us and give us hope (Rom 15:4). And it is God-breathed so that we may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Tim 3:16-17). Psalm 119 is classified as a wisdom psalm and for good reason, it teaches us wisdom and helps us learn and apply God's wisdom to our lives.
ל Lamedh
89 Your word, Lord, is eternal;
it stands firm in the heavens.
90 Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
you established the earth, and it endures.
There are many prayers throughout the psalm, words that we can take and pray as well. Prayers of worship to God and of love for him and his word. Prayers of rejoicing and praise to God. Prayers of deep emotional longings, pleading for God's salvation and for preservation of life. Prayers for deliverance from suffering and for God to defend and redeem. Prayers asking for God's grace and love. The psalm shows how we can bring our hearts, feelings and desires before God and how we can trust him with them.
נ Nun
105 Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.
Verse 105 has the most often quoted words of this psalm, and also some of the most encouraging. God's word is the lamp that provides the light for our life journey. He sees the path before us and he knows the way we should go. He provides the direction that we need and has given us his word for us to follow.
Psalm 119 continues for another 71 verses, with more words of wisdom and insight into God's word. It's too long to include the whole psalm in this reflection, or to mention all of the treasures we can celebrate. Instead, we end with a verse that is a declaration, praise and a prayer.
144 Your statutes are always righteous;
give me understanding that I may live.
God bless,
Selina Fyfe.
1Coulson, J. (2007). OT426-626 The Psalter. Lecture Notes. Bible College of Queensland.
2Ortlund, D. (2021). In the Lord I Take Refuge: 150 Daily Devotions through the Psalms. Wheaton, Illinois, USA, Crossway.
