Psalm 119, Part Five

Next in our series on Psalm 119 are verses 97 through 120.

Mem indicates 97 through 104. It reads:

“Oh how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Your precepts. I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your word. I have not departed from Your judgments, for You Yourself have taught me. How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.”

In this first set of verses there is a pattern that emerges from the text. The Psalmist writes that as he meditates upon the law and the testimonies of God found in the word, he receives understanding. His understanding is great, because he not only meditates upon the law, but he purposes to be obedient to the law. Let’s look more closely at the pattern on:

• Meditation;
• Understanding; and,
• Obedience.

Psalm 1:2 states, “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night.” This supports and confirms what we have read in Psalm 119. The word meditate in Hebrew is hagah. It means to reflect, to moan, and to contemplate. It is much more active than our western way of meditation. Often times, people will take a verse of Scripture and softly repeat it. We find a similar Scripture in Joshua 1:8, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” In this text the Lord is giving instructions to Joshua before he leads Israel into the Promised Land of Canaan. Notice the Lord tells Joshua that the Book of the Law – the commandments – is not to depart from his mouth. This again implies a speaking forth in the act of meditation. Another example found in the Psalms is Ps. 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.”

From this process of meditating upon God’s word, the Psalmist received understanding. The same holds true for us today. The Hebrew word for understanding is sachal and means wisdom, prudence, and the process of reaching an understanding about something. From the word sachal we get the word maschil, which means to give instruction. There are 13 Psalms that are titled as Maschil, or Contemplative, Psalms. They are: 32; 42; 44; 45; 52; 53; 54; 55; 74; 78; 88; 89; and 142. The Holy Spirit reveals understanding to us as we meditate upon God’s truth found in His word.

The final piece is the action of obedience to what has been contemplated and understood. Note that the Psalmist writes that he has “more understanding than all my teachers,” and he “understands more than the ancients, because I keep Your precepts.” With this understanding comes the responsibility to be obedient. For example, as we meditate upon forgiveness and perhaps repeat, “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,” we come to an understanding of this truth. There is then a responsibility to obey this truth – that is, to forgive others.

Next are verses 105 through 112: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I have sworn and confirmed that I will keep Your righteous judgments. I am afflicted very much; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your word. Accept, I pray, the free will offerings of my mouth, O LORD. And teach me Your judgments. My life is continually in my hand, yet I do not forget Your law. The wicked have laid a snare for me, yet I have not strayed from Your precepts. Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever, for they are the rejoicing of my heart. I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes forever, to the very end.”

Many of us are familiar with verse 105 – “Your word is a map to my feet and a light to my path.” Let’s consider some other key verses that speak to the importance of God’s word and the light:

• Proverbs 6:23 – “for the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; reproofs of instruction are the way of life.”
• 2 Peter 1:19 – “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”
• Proverbs 4:18 – “But the path of the just is like a shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.”
• John 1:4-5 – “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

Another key verse in this portion of Psalm 119 is verse 108, “ Accept, I pray, the free will offerings of my mouth, O LORD.” Free will offerings refer to the choice we have to praise and worship the Lord. Hebrews 13:15 reads, “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” Also consider Hosea 14:2, “Take words with you, and return to the LORD. Say to Him, ‘Take away all iniquity; receive us graciously, for we will offer the sacrifices of our lips…” We daily have the choice to use our free will and give to the Lord our offering, which is our praise and our thanksgiving. It is the time when we do not ask for anything, but rather thank God for everything.

It is also significant that the Psalmist writes in verse 111, “Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever, for they are the rejoicing of my heart.” We find God’s testimonies in His word. As we discover them, they become part of our inheritance. As we meditate upon those testimonies, great joy will come to us. Let’s look at an example of this in 2 Timothy 1:8-9: “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began…” When we meditate on the truth that we have been saved and called by God because of His purpose and grace – and this was done before time began, some joy might begin to well up in our hearts.

We end with verses 113 through 120: “I hate the double-minded, but I love Your law. You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word. Depart from me, you evildoers, for I will keep the commandments of my God! Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; and do not let me be ashamed of my hope. Hold me up, and I shall be safe, and I shall observe Your statutes continually. You reject all those who stray from Your statutes, for their deceit is falsehood. You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross; therefore I love Your testimonies. My flesh trembles for fear of You, and I am afraid of Your judgments.”

Recall that James writes that a “double-minded man is unstable in all his ways,” according to James 1:8. This is someone being pulled in different directions and experiencing conflict. The Psalmist indicates he “hates” the double minded, which means he loves less. He continues in verse 114, “I hope in Your word.” Later in verse 116, he writes, “And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.” Hope is so important in our walk of faith. Romans 5:5 states, “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” This is a wonderful truth. Notice this love “has been poured out” it is an action already taken that brings about our present condition. Further, Romans 10:11 states, “For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” Finally, let’s look at Hebrew 6:19 as another confirmation of hope, “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil.” We have hope because we have Jesus Christ. He is our hope, the anchor for our souls!