S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

Containing 176 verses, Psalm 119 is the longest single chapter in the Bible. The author of Psalm 119 is unknown, but most scholars agree that it was written by David, Ezra, or Daniel. Each of these...

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July 01 2013 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jack Gutknecht Supporter Arizona Bible College graduate and Dallas Seminary graduate

What I Do with God’s Word

1.	 Trust it (Psalm 119:169): This verse says, “Thy word is TRUE from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.” One of God’s attributes is truthfulness. Because God embodies perfect truth, He cannot lie (Titus 1:2), and His Word cannot lie. The Bible is entirely true and dependable (can be trusted).

2.	Use it (Psalm 119:24): This verse says, “Thy testimonies are my delight and my COUNSELLERS.” Psalm 119:23-24 tell us that those who meditate on God’s wisdom get “wise advice” (Psalm 119:24, NLT), i.e. God’s wisdom = “my COUNSELLERS” (KJV). He sings, “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps 119:105).

3.	Not only do I trust the Word of God and use the Word of God, but I also LOVE it (Psalm 119:97: “O how LOVE I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.”) and DELIGHT in the Word of God. I REJOICE in it: Psalm 119:111: “Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the REJOICING of my heart.” I ask God to open my eyes to it, “that I may behold WONDROUS things out of [His] law” (Psalm 119:18). The Bible, the Word of God, certainly is WONDROUS.

Conclusion: “Oh how I love Thy holy Word,
Thy gracious covenant, O Lord!
It guides me in the peaceful way;
I think upon it all the day.” 

--(William Cowper from Cowper’s Poems in Olney Hymns)

February 11 2019 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Ken Love Supporter

It amazes me that Psalm 19 and 119 both magnify the Law. As Michael has pointed out the Law is perfect - sure - right - pure. They are more to be desired than gold, it warns us of our behavior and the consequences thereof, and is worthy of medication. And the Law covers human behavior as individuals and as a corporate body. In other words, it addresses every aspect of life on Planet Earth. 

Yet some think it stands abolished and super-ceded by the Gospel, although the NT says just the opposite: Mat. 5:17, Rom. 3:31, etc.

What was abolished was the Levitical system - priesthood, sacrifices, etc.- Heb. 10.

October 20 2016 • 4 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jeffrey Johnson Supporter

What should we learn from Psalm 119?

It provides wisdom for living rightly and navigating life's challenges, acting as a "lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105).

The psalm makes it clear that knowing God's word is the key to knowing God better. Neglecting His word is equivalent to ignoring Him.

Praise comes from knowing His word, and a deep understanding of Scripture inspires praise and thanksgiving to God for His character and goodness. 

Appreciation for God's precious word:

'How can youths keep a clean path?' (9)
"I am fond of your reminders" (24)
"Your word is my hope" (74, 81, 114)
"How I do love your law!" (97)
"More insight than all my teachers" (99)
"Your word is a lamp to my foot" (105)
"The essence of your word is truth" (160)
"Peace for those who love God's law" (165)

Since this is a psalm glorifying God and His word, it repeatedly refers to Scripture. Psalm 119 is remarkable for how often it refers to God's written revelation, His word. It is referred to in almost every verse.

Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible, but that's not its most remarkable feature. It is the only passage that teaches, by form as well as content, what it means to be utterly possessed by the Scriptures. 

Every stanza begins with a letter from the Hebrew alphabet.

How do you explain a stanza to a child?

More specifically, a stanza usually is a group of lines arranged together in a recurring pattern of meter (rhythmic pattern) and rhyme. A stanza is often compared to a paragraph in prose, in that each stanza (or paragraph) expresses its own ideas but is still interconnected with the other stanzas.

Psalm 119 is the longest psalm and Bible chapter, containing 176 verses in 22 alphabetic stanzas of 8 verses each. All but two of these verses (119:90 and 122) refer in some way to the word or law of Jehovah God, repeating several or all of the expressions (law, reminder, orders, commandment, judicial decisions) of Psalm 19:7-14 in each stanza. The word of God is referred to more than 170 times by one or the other of the following eight expressions: commandment(s), judicial decision(s), law, orders, regulations, reminder(s), saying(s), and word(s).

The psalmist appreciated God's regulations, for we read: "Melodies your regulations have become to me." (Ps. 119:54) Repeatedly, he asks God: "Teach me your [own] regulations" (Ps 119 vss. 12, 26, 64, 68, 124, 135), and he also praises God for doing so. (Ps 119 Vs. 171) He not only wanted to learn them but also desired to observe them: "Your regulations I continue to keep."​—Ps. 119:8.

The writer of Psalm 119 sets a fine example for all lovers of Jehovah God. He was delighted to express his appreciation of God's Word by weaving his thoughts around eight basic Hebrew words, then casting them into an acrostic, or alphabetical, Hebrew poem of 176 verses. Indeed, this was a painstaking task. Like King Solomon, he "sought to find the delightful words and the writing of correct words of truth." (Eccl. 12:10) God's "sayings" were sweeter to him than honey, God's commandments he loved more than "even refined gold."​—Ps. 119:103, 127.

Conclusion:

If we have a like appreciation of God's Word, what will we do? We will regularly concern ourselves with it and "meditate" on it. (Ps. 119:15, 48, 78, 148,) 

More than that, we will be ready to declare it before others, not abashed even to tell it before kings. Above all, we will keep God's requirements.

6 days ago • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report