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LESSON 1, ALEPH
AND BETH:
It's called an "alphabet"
Psalm.
In fact, it is the most fully
developed of them all!
Psalm 119.
Yet not only are there
spiritual lessons to be learned from these Hebrew ABC's ...
there are certain themes woven into this great Bible chapter as
well.
It seems to me that the opening
sections of the Psalm focus on the child of God's "thinking"
habits!
By that I mean our thought
patterns.
Watch!
The opening eight verses, the
"aleph" section, begin like this: "Blessed
are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.
Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him
with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his
ways." Psalm 119:1-3
But, how does one
arrive at that place?
The place where
he or she is undefiled and walks in the Law of the Lord and
keeps His Testimonies and whole heartedly seeks Him and does no
iniquity?
By the way, to
live like that is already to have been "blessed!"
Here's how to
arrive in that situation!
A "hint" of the
solution is in the paragraph we are reading, the "aleph" or "a"
grouping of verses. "Aleph" to the ancient Jews pictured an
"ox." A sacrificial ox! A clean animal! One which was soon to
shed blood! And this view is an uncontested fact among those
who study the Semitic languages. An ox!
I believe such an
Ox is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ! Mark in His Gospel
pictures Jesus as a lowly Calf, humbly doing His Father's Will.
Ministering to the lost, dying on the Cross!
The first taste
of blessedness any man has is being "saved!"
Meeting Jesus our
risen Sacrifice in the free pardon of sin!
And then the next
experience of blessedness comes from living a godly separated
life! Just read the "aleph" verses. You will see what I mean.
Living a godly
life!
That immediately
leads us to the "beth" or "b" paragraph, verses nine through
sixteen! The Psalm has twenty two eight-verse sections, one for
each Hebrew letter available to the Psalmist. That's right,
their alphabet has only twenty two letters, all consonants.
"Beth" suggests
to us the answer!
How does one
attain the "blessed" life!
Of course,
through the power of God and the work of the Holy Spirit ... but
also by "meditating" and "loving" the Word of God!
Read with me:
"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse
his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from
thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I
might not sin against thee. Blessed art thou, O LORD:
teach me thy statutes. With my lips have I declared all the
judgments of thy mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of thy
testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in
thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight
myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word."
Psalm 119:9-16
Obviously the
words "taking heed" and "seeking" and "not wandering" and
"hiding" and "rejoicing" and "meditating" and "respecting" and
"delighting" and "not forgetting" have as their objects terms
that all mean the Word of God!
That's where the
power is!
There's the
"secret" to blessedness!
And godly living!
And let me tell
you this.
"Beth" in Hebrew
means "house," just a "house!"
The place where
one lives!
Get it?
If we literally
"live" in the place of love for the Word of God, if we "dwell"
in the Scriptures, all these blessings will be ours!
Paul says:
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom."
Colossians 3:16
That's the idea!
Friend, where do
YOU live?
Maybe you should
move!
Move more into
God's precious Word ... as a lifestyle!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 2, BETH:
I trust this Bible Study Lesson
will not be "boring" to you.
It's just necessary to study
the "words" of Scripture.
Since the Bible is verbally
inspired, each noun or verb or preposition is important, God
chosen!
The second paragraph of Psalm
119, being verses 9 through 16, seem to particularly emphasize
an eagerness to learn the Word of God!
Let's quickly notice its key
verbs.
"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his
way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With
my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy
commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might
not sin against thee. Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me
thy statutes. With my lips have I declared all the judgments of
thy mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as
much as in all riches. I will meditate in thy precepts, and
have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy
statutes: I will not forget thy word." Psalm 119:9-16
We shall discuss
them in order.
The verb
"cleanse" is "zakah" and means something like "translucent."
That means light can pass right through it! Transparent! Then
... clean! In Job 15:14 the word is used as a parallel to the
term "righteous." It is one of God's traits in Psalm 51:4. The
eight times this word is used in Scripture forms a veritable
lexicon for the Bible student!
Now the rest of
our paragraph, the "beth" paragraph of Psalm 119 ... verses
9-16, answers that question!
"Taking heed" to
God's Word ("shamar" in Hebrew) means "to hedge about" or "to
guard" something! It's first use in the Bible was when God told
Adam to dress and "keep" the Garden of Eden, to tend it
carefully! It's second use is when God, having expelled Adam and
Eve from the garden due to their sin, places angels there to
"keep" the way of the tree of life!
To "seek" the
Lord is in Hebrew "darash" and has the idea of treading or
frequenting a place. To go there often! Usually for pursuit or
search! This is the "root" of the oft used Old Testament
expression "to enquire of the Lord!"
Then to "wander"
("shagah") means to stray, to err, to swerve, to meander or even
to stagger (as intoxicated)! Its first occurrence in Scripture,
Leviticus 4:13, translates it "sin through ignorance." It is
also used of a blind man "wandering" out of the way in
Deuteronomy 27:18.
To have "hidden"
God's Word in one's heart ("tzspan") is "to have treasured it"
or "to have stored it as valuable!" It original idea, to hide
something by covering it, is certainly a beautiful word picture!
In Job 23:12 our verb here is translated "esteemed" in the King
James Bible. "Neither have I gone back
from the commandment of His lips; I have esteemed the
words of His mouth more than my necessary food." And in
Song of Solomon 7:13 the Shulamite has "laid up" certain
pleasantries for her Bridegroom!
To "sin" against
God means "to miss the way" He has designed for one to walk! "Chata"
is the Hebrew word.
"Blessed" is "barak"
and basically means to kneel before One! "Teach" is "lamad" and
means "to goad" or to incite someone with knowledge. The
Psalmist has such a love for the Word of God, he wants to learn
it ... even at the expense of discomfort if necessary! Every
time this exact verb (as a piel imperative) is used in the
Bible, all 11 times, it is when the writer is praying to God!
Eight of those eleven times are found in Psalm 119 too!
To "declare"
God's Word is to "saphar" it. This means "to number, to count
or to reckon!" To tally with a mark! The Psalmist is just
telling us that he enjoys talking about Scripture, specifically
God's great acts of judgment! In Genesis 15:5 God invites
Abraham to "tell" (to count) the stars! That's how numerous the
Jewish people, Abraham's descendants, would become!
And to "rejoice"
(Hebrew = "sus") in God's Word is "to be bright" or "to be
cheerful!" In Deuteronomy 28:63 (the word's first mention) God
is rejoicing over His people! It is an Old Testament verb of
victory, heavily used in both the Psalms and Isaiah ... 15 of 27
times!
To "meditate"
means "to ponder" then "to talk aloud with oneself!" "Siyach" in
the King James Bible is rendered in these ways: meditate, talk,
speak, complain, pray, commune, muse and declare! Look at Psalm
55:17. "Evening, and morning, and at noon,
will I pray,
and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice." Both Psalm 77
(verses 4, 7 and 13) and Psalm 119 (verses 15, 27 and 48) use
this verb three times each!
To "have respect"
to God's Word and His Ways is "to look at" or "to pay attention
to" Such! "Nabat" is found 69 times in the Bible. It's the verb
for "behold" in Psalm 119:18. "Open thou
mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy
law." And in Genesis 19:17, it's the verb used to tell
Lot and his family not to LOOK back at Sodom, lest they be
consumed!
To "delight
oneself" in God's Statutes is "to please or amuse oneself" or
even "to fondle" or "to be smeared over" with something! This
lovely verb ("shaa") is also used two other times in Psalm 119,
verses 47 and 70. In Isaiah 11:8 this verb is translated
"play." Amazing!
To "forget,"
which the Psalmist will NOT do to God's Word, is "shakach" and
means "to ignore" or "to allow to wither!" One source says it
also means "to mislay!" Look what happens to those who
forget God's Word! "My people are
destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected
knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest
to me: seeing thou hast
forgotten the law of thy God, I
will also forget
thy children." (Hosea 4:6) Now that's an aid to Bible
memory!
A complex set of
verbs?
Maybe!
But when
obediently taken in order ... just as the Holy Spirit has given
them ... they surely would produce holy living! A real state of
blessedness!
We should by now
be able to easily see that the Psalmist, early in this great
chapter, is displaying a passion for God's Word!
So should we!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 3; GIMEL, DALETH
AND HE:
I have recently noticed something about Psalm 119, the longest
Chapter in all the Bible.
As the great Chapter develops, its 176 verses gradually shift
from one godly emphasis to another!
It opened with a strong focus on "meditation." Not the kind the
world does, mind you! But meditation on the precious Word of
God, thinking about it and memorizing it and talking of it all
day long! As a lifestyle!
Next it appears that the
Psalmist, being so "in love" with the Scripture, develops an
even greater "hunger" for the Written Word!
This "longing" for God's
Thoughts permeates three whole paragraphs of the Psalm too!
The "gimel" and the "daleth"
and the "he" sections of the Chapter have, like all the other
paragraphs do, 8 verses each.
In this "Alphabet Psalm" we
have nearly been forced to study the little letters with which
the Jewish people wrote.
"Gimel" corresponds to our
English "G."
While "daleth" is the letter
"D."
And "he" (pronounced "hay") is
parallel to one of our "H" sounds.
But each of these letters has a
meaning behind it too, a "word picture" really.
The "Gimel" is a camel, on a
journey ... traveling to a far place!
The "Daleth" is a door.
And the "He" is a window, one
through which light descends!
Why go into these truths?
Because the Holy Spirit uses
them it seems!
He employs these little letters
as He builds this Psalm!
For example, if "Gimel" is a
camel on a journey, then maybe something in its paragraph
(verses 17-24) will illustrate this fact!
Look!
Verse 19 depicts a person who
is on a journey! He is not home ... yet!
"I
am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me."
The noun "stranger" is spelled ... with a "gimel," of
course!
It's a prayer!
"Lord, I am just a temporary dweller on earth! But I am coming
home! On the way, please do not conceal Thy Word from me! It's
my map! I must have it!" That's the essence of this verse!
Then ... the "daleth"
verses begin, verses 25-32. But is there any "hint" in this
section that a "door" might be involved?
One goes out a
"door" to begin a trip! Maybe to the mailbox or maybe to the
next county! Doors demand decisions!
Now read verse
29. "Remove from me the way of lying: and
grant me thy law graciously." Then verse 30 says:
"I have chosen the way of truth: thy
judgments have I laid before me." Plus verse 32:
"I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge
my heart."
"Lord, I shall
use the 'door' that leads ... not to lying, but to truth, Thy
truth! I will use the door that opens into Thy Commandments!" So
promises the Psalmist!
Lastly, the "he"
("hay") verses might imply a "window," some source of light and
warmth! Of course a "window" is that opening through which we
look to see the world around us! There is here an implied
danger, too! Through some "windows" one might see some forbidden
things!
Hence the prayer
of verse 37, which says: "Turn away mine
eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy
way."
"Lord, I ask that
Thou wouldest not allow me to see through windows of sin and
vanity and spiritual emptiness, but may I look upon and stare at
the very paths of righteousness, the still waters and green
pastures of Thy leading!
I do trust that
you see the correlation of each of these segments of Scripture
to their alphabetic roots!
But ... even more
so, now notice this!
In each case,
gimel and daleth and he, the inspired Poet expresses a growing
"hunger" for God and His Word!
Lord, I am a
stranger on earth ... I need Thy Word! (Gimel paragraph)
Lord, I want to
enter the Door of Scripture, not the door of worldliness! (Dateth
paragraph)
And Lord, help me
to look through the window of "Thy Way" or Thy Word, not
sinfulness and vanity! (He paragraph)
Here's my point
today: These three 8-verse-each paragraphs contain the Psalm's
greatest collection of prayers and statements about longing for
Scripture! Hungering for God's Word! Eagerness to learn! A
passion for God's Book!
And that's
exactly how we best make our earthly journey, follow the right
paths, and look in the proper direction ... all the way Home!
This is Sunday,
the Lord's Day.
Is anybody
"hungry" for the dear Word of God?
Tell your
Preacher before he speaks this morning!
It will excite
him to know!
Better yet, let's
allow the Psalmist here to express this hunger as a prayer:
"Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold
wondrous things out of thy law." Psalm 119:18
Amen!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 4, HUNGER FOR
THE WORD OF GOD:
Although
Psalm 119 contains a number of prayers and statements that
reflect the Psalmist's strong hunger and
yearning for the Word of God, there is a three paragraph
section where such longings are predominant.
Let me show you what I mean.
In the section between verses 17 and 40 one can observe such
great statements as:
"Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold
wondrous things out of thy law. " (Psalm 119:18) See the
"hunger" for God's Word here?
The verb "open" ("galah" in
Hebrew) means "to uncover!" It is an intensive verb (Piel stem)
and is framed as an imperative! These properties show extreme
desire on the part of the Psalmist. To "behold" ("nabat" in
Hebrew) means "to consider" or "to pay attention to" something.
And "wondrous" ("pala") means marvelous or surpassing or
extraordinary!
Then immediately comes the
corresponding short prayer: "Hide
not thy commandments from me." (Psalm 119:19b) This verb
means "to make secret" or "to conceal!" This mans wants to know
the Word of God!
Then verse 20
amplifies his feelings. "My soul breaketh
for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all
times." "Breaketh" ("garas") means "to be crushed!"
"Longing" indicates strong emotion, whether love or hate! Here
obviously it is a passionate craving for God's Truth!
And even verse 24
continues the theme: "Thy testimonies also
are my delight and my counsellors." The
noun "delight" ("shashua") means that which is "pleasant" or
"enjoyable." Then the term "counsellors" is a two-fold Hebrew
expression meaning "men of my advisement!" God's Word
constitutes his "cabinet" of advisers for godly living!
Then ...
"Quicken Thou me according to Thy Word."
(Psalm 119:25b) "Chayah" ("quicken") means to make alive!
Again, it's a prayer to God for sensitivity concerning the
Scriptures!
Verse 26 ...
"Teach me Thy statutes." This verb
"teach" is a beautiful one! "Lamed" means "to goad" someone!
"Prod me, Lord, until I understand and obey Thy Word!" That's
what is being prayed here!
There are nearly
too many to count!
"Make me to understand the way of Thy
precepts." (Verse 27) Here to "understand" (in Hebrew = "biyn")
means "to distinguish" or "to see levels of meaning" in the Word
of God!
"Strengthen Thou me according to Thy
Word." (Verse 28) "Strengthen" ("qum") just means "to
arise" or "to stand up" or even "to become powerful!" It conveys
the idea of being established or rooted or confirmed!
"Grant me Thy Law graciously."
(Verse 29) To "grant" here (in Hebrew = "chanan") means to bend
down and stoop low to help someone! Someone big (God) helping
someone little (you and me)!
Then, as if he
had not sufficiently expressed his astounding "hunger" for the
Word of God ... he repeats himself!
"Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy
statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end." Psalm
119:33
"Give me understanding, and I shall keep
thy law." Verse 34
"Make me to go in the path of thy
commandments." (Verse 35) Both the verb "to go" and the
noun "path" suggest well-trodden walkways! These require
frequency of travel! Habitual presence!
"Incline my heart unto thy testimonies."
(Psalm 119:36) The verb "natah" ("incline") literally means "to
stretch out" or "to extend" something. Here's a heart "reaching
out" to the Word of God!
And, finally, in
verse 40 our Psalmist clearly states:
"Behold, I have longed after thy precepts." See his
desire? We have had this verb, "taah," earlier in this lesson.
It represents a passionate deeply felt love!
Today's point is
this.
The first genuine
emotion and resolve the Psalmist experienced was expressed in
verses 1-16, the two opening paragraphs of this chapter, the
Bible's longest! It is that of "meditation" and
concentration on the Word of God!
But ...
surprisingly ... the more the writer meditates ... instead of
getting "bored" or "saturated" with Scripture ... he longs
for it and hungers after it more and more!
Maybe I could put
it this way: The more Scripture you learn, the more you will
want to learn!
The more you
absorb, the more you will want to absorb!
A growing
Christian just can't get enough of God's Word!
Job once
testified of the Lord God: "I have
esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food."
Job 23:12
Then Jeremiah
said this to the Lord: "Thy words were
found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and
rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God
of hosts." Jeremiah 15:16
But, best of all,
Jesus said to the devil: "It is written,
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4
And the godly
Psalmist, for 24 verses now, has said a fervent "amen!"
Yes, a valid
theme developed in Psalm 119 is ... "hunger" for the Word
of God!
Do we have it?
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 5, THE WORD OF
GOD AND SUFFERING, THE "KOPH" PARAGRAPH:
After a
growing Christian learns to meditate in the precious Word of
God, he or she sets in motion a whole cascade of "good things."
Meditation (Psalm 119, Paragraphs 1 and 2) leads to an even
greater Hunger for the Scriptures of Truth! This Hunger is
emphasized in Psalm 119, Paragraphs 3 and 4 and 5. An
insatiable hunger!
But, before too long, another new "Lesson" is learned.
Along with Meditation and that ever deepening Hunger for the
Word ... eventually come problems and pressures
and trials from many directions!
The Psalmist may have best described such an experience when he
wrote: "It
is good
for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy
statutes." Psalm 119:71
This
phenomenon can be viewed in one of two ways. The devil might be
said to "fight" us furiously as we get deeper and deeper into
God's Word! Or the Lord Himself might be "allowing" such trials
to come ... to drive us further and further into His Word!
Either way, with more dedicated focus on Scripture ... comes
more severe spiritual battles and difficulties.
It
seems that Psalm 119 has a whole Paragraph that highlights this
Truth.
It
carefully and accurately describes the godly Bible-loving
Psalmists' experience ... heartaches and all!
The
Section of Psalm 119 that does so is the "Koph" Paragraph,
verses 81-88.
In
this short eight verse section, the inspired writer notes that
his soul is fainting (verse 81) and his eyes failing (verse 82)
and severe persecution rages (verse 84). Furthermore, pits are
dug for his downfall (verse 85) and help is badly needed (verse
86) and he is nearly consumed (verse 87). In other words, he is
about dead, needing to be "quickened" (verse 88).
But
why does he voice so many "complaints" to the Lord?
He is
obeying in advance Peter's advice:
"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."
1st Peter 5:7
Or
Jesus' invitation in Matthew 11:29-30.
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of
me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest
unto your souls."
And
let me tell you this too. Here's one of the reasons why his
problems are so acute in the Koph Paragraph. In Hebrew "koph,"
the eleventh letter of their alphabet, means "hand," or the
"palm" of the hand.
It is
believed to picture an open hand, one predisposed to give
whatever is needed to a weary soul!
Do
you see?
Meditate!
Meditate in the Word of God!
And,
as your hunger for the Scriptures increases, becoming more and
more passionate, get ready!
Trials will come your way!
But ... when they
do ... God is able!
He will meet your
needs!
He will, with
open Hand, shower upon you blessing after blessing!
That's the
emphasis of Psalm 119:81-88.
Thank God for His
almighty Hand!
Job reminds us
how we receive good things at "the Hand of God!" Job 2:10
Also, at times
anyway, we can receive difficult things from the hand of God!
Again, see Job 2:10.
Either way, His
Hand is sufficient!
And, remember, we
are the "sheep of His Hand!" Psalm
95:7
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 6, SUFFERING
SAINTS, A CATALOGUE:
The closer
one gets to the Lord, the more familiar he becomes with God's
Word ... the more the devil will fight him!
This truth is clearly illustrated in one of the paragraphs of
Psalm 119. To be more precise, verses 81 through 88.
You must read them to see what I mean.
"My soul fainteth
for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word. Mine eyes fail
for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me? For I am become
like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy
statutes. How many are the days of thy servant? when wilt
thou execute judgment on them that persecute me? The proud have
digged pits for me, which are not after thy law. All thy
commandments are faithful: they persecute me wrongfully;
help thou me. They had almost consumed me upon earth; but I
forsook not thy precepts. Quicken me after thy lovingkindness;
so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth."
Nearly every
verse introduces a new trial.
Look!
"My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy
word." Verse 81 ... His soul
is fainting! "Kalah" means to be spent or consumed or finished!
Wasted! Even destroyed! But it has both a negative and a
positive sense too. It is translated "consumed" 57 times in the
Bible, pretty negative for sure! But in its first mention in
Scripture, Genesis 2:1, "the heavens and the earth "were
finished." That's a good sense!
"Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me?"
Verse 82 ... His eyes are failing! Again, the same verb is
used, "kalah!" The wise and inspired poet/psalmist is using
alliteration and repetition for emphasis here.
In the first two
verses here, the godly man is falling apart (soul, eyes, etc.).
Under the extreme pressure of difficult situations and hateful
men!
"For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not
forget thy statutes." Verse
83 ... He is like "a bottle in the smoke!" What does this word
picture mean and how does it relate to the trials of life? Some
teachers explain it as a "bottle" or "skin bottle" (bottles then
not being made of glass) that had been blackened and made ugly
by the billowing dark smoke of a nearby fire. Others say it
pictures a skin that has been shriveled and dried by such hot
smoke. Either way, the moisture is gone and its future
usefulness is in question.
"How many are the days of thy servant? when wilt thou
execute judgment on them that persecute me?"
Verse 84 ... He is being
"persecuted!" Now he plainly says it! "Radaph" means to be
followed, run after, chased then ... persecuted! Relentless
pursuit! Never ending pressure!
"The proud have digged pits for me, which are not after
thy law." Verse 85 ... The
enemies have dug pits to capture the godly Psalmist! This is a
common Old Testament word picture. See Psalm 7:15 and 35:7 and
Jeremiah 18:20.
"All thy commandments are faithful: they persecute me
wrongfully; help thou me."
Verse 86 ... He is "wrongly" treated! Wrongly, "sheqer" in
Hebrew, means falsely or filled with lies. Deceitful! But,
praise the Lord, the word also means "vain" or empty! Being
falsely accused ... bad as that is ... is not as terrible as
being justly accused!
"They had almost consumed me upon earth; but I forsook not thy
precepts." Verse 87 ... Then,
for a third time, back to "kalah." The Psalmist is "consumed,"
well ... almost consumed! "Almost" ("meat" in Hebrew) does mean
small or little or few! The Psalmist was down ... but not out!
The threefold
repetition of this "double meaning" verb is significant! The
Lord is telling us something about suffering and heartache.
The devil means
it for evil! ("kalah" meaning failure or coming to an end or
wasting away)
God means it for
good! ("kalah" meaning finished or accomplished or brought to
the goal)
And, after
describing such victory in the face of hardship ... what can the
Psalmist say but ... "Quicken me after thy
lovingkindness; so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth."
(Psalm 119:88) He just prays!
Even in the
"smoke" of suffering ... he dwells on God's great "lovingkindness!"
"If God be for us, who can be against us?"
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 7, "KOPH," HOW
TO HANDLE ADVERSITY:
The
119th Psalm is great!
It details the
progression each Believer in Christ makes as he or she matures
in his or her faith.
First we
must learn to be "in" the Word of God! To "meditate" in it and
study it and delight in it!
Then we
must seek the Lord for an even greater hunger for the
Book, the Scripture Itself. This is partly a prayer ... and
partly just an automatic consequence of meditating in the Word
in the first place.
Thirdly, we must
expect and prepare for difficulty! Trials come to those
who put God first! Paul said this: "Yea,
and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer
persecution." 2nd Timothy 3:12
That's where the
"Koph" stanza of Psalm 119 fulfills such a key role. This
includes verses 81-88.
It tells us what
to do when heartaches and difficulties arise. Eight things are
enumerated for us to pursue, one per verse.
1. When one has
such pressure upon himself that he is about to faint ... we are
to "hope" in God's Word! Read it: "My
soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word."
Psalm 119:81
To "hope" (in
Hebrew = "yachal") means "to wait," or "to be patient" or even
"to expect."
When troubles
come ... wait them out! God will keep His Word! Be patient!
Trust the Lord! Then to be specific, according to Psalm 119
here, wait on the promises and truths of Scripture to be
fulfilled in front of your very eyes! They will! Don't give
up!
2. And when one's
eyes (faith) begin to fail ... look for "comfort" from
Scripture! The word is "nacham" This is very close to the
Prophet Nahum's name, which means "comfort" too! It means "to
console, to show pity, to have compassion!" Its first Bible
occurrence is in Genesis 5 where we meet "Noah" (meaning "rest")
who would be a "comfort" to mankind! "Mine
eyes fail for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort
me?" (Psalm 119:82) Paul mentions the "comfort of the
Scriptures" in Romans 15:4 also.
3. And when
things get "really" dark ... do not forget the Word of God!
"For I am become like a bottle in the
smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes." Psalm
119:83
Not to "forget"
(in Hebrew = "shakach") means primarily "to ignore." It can mean
"to wither" also. In Genesis 40:23 we read:
"Yet did not the chief butler remember
Joseph, but forgat him." Do not do that to the
Bible!
4. When
persecution really arises, and you feel you are nearing the end
of your days ... trust God to execute judgment on the wicked!
"How many are the days of thy
servant? when wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute
me?" Psalm 119:84
God will some day
judge iniquity! "For it is written,
Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." Romans
12:19
In a spiritual
sense, such judgment will bring joy and peace to the offended
party!
Also notice that
God will "execute" judgment. The verb ("asah") means "to make
or manufacture or fashion or create or artistically design" it!
God can poetically design judgment just for your situation!
5. Next, be aware
of the enemies' strategy! "The proud have
digged pits for me, which are not after thy law." Psalm
119:85
Do not be
ignorant of their wicked devices! "Lest
Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of
his devices." 2nd Corinthians 2:11
"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye
may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."
(Ephesians 6:11) That noun "wiles" is the Greek word "methodeia"
and is obviously our English word "methods!" Know the enemies'
methods!
But where can I
find the "plans" of the wicked? Why, the Bible tells me all I
need to know about them! For example,
"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the
lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father,
but is of the world." 1st John 2:16
6. Then when
persecution rises in intensity and increases in iniquity ... ask
for God's Help! Declare the faithfulness of His Word!
"All thy commandments are faithful:
they persecute me wrongfully; help thou me." Psalm 119:86
Help me, Lord!
This verb, "azar," means "to support" or "to succour." The
"root" idea here is that of surrounding a person, protecting him
and aiding him in time of need!
Read the great
"rescues" of the Bible! They are faithful accounts of the power
of God, delivering His people!
7. And when you
are at "the end of your rope," nearly "consumed" by the trials
... forsake not the Word of God! Let the problems drive you INTO
the Word ... not AWAY from it! "They had
almost consumed me upon earth; but I forsook not thy precepts."
Psalm 119:87
Elsewhere the
Psalmist announced: "It is good for
me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes."
Psalm 119:71
To "forsake" (in
Hebrew = "azab") means "to loose" from something! "To leave"
it. To abandon, depart or neglect it! To desert it!
Stick with the
Bible ... more than ever!
8. Then, lastly,
reinforce the whole pressure-filled issue with ... a request for
God's lovingkindness and mercy! "Quicken
me after thy lovingkindness; so shall I keep the testimony of
thy mouth." Psalm 119:88
The noun here is
"hesed" and means so much! It's a GRACE word, just one of
several found in the Old Testament!
Revive me with
Thy Love, Lord! Pray with David: "Shew me
a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and
be ashamed: because thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and comforted
me." Psalm 86:17
Then, as if to
hit the devil right between the eyes one more time, the Psalmist
vows ... "so shall I keep the testimony of
thy mouth."
Lord, whatever
happens, I will be true to Thee and Thy Word!
Amazing!
And that, no
doubt, is one of the Bible's greatest Lessons on "How
to Handle Adversity!"
Each of us should
master Psalm 119:81-88.
There, in the "Koph"
stanza, God opens wide His great Hands of Goodness and drops
upon us one blessing after another ... as we endure trials and
hardships for His Name's Sake!
By the way, in
case you do not remember, in Hebrew "koph" means the hand, the
open hand, the palm of the hand!
What Hands God
must have!
Yes!
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them,
and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they
shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out
of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater
than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of
my Father's hand." John 10:27-29
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 8, THE "MEM"
PARAGRAPH, THE "WATER" OF THE WORD:
The letter called "mem" in the
Hebrew alphabet means "water." It is even written with a
resemblance of a distinct rippling effect, "water-like." Here it
is: m
I have often
associated it with something Paul said in Ephesians 5:26 where
he talks about "the washing of water by
the word." He likens the Word of God to water, cleansing
water!
"Mem" in some
ways depicts the precious Word of God.
And it is not
accidental that the Mem Paragraph in Psalm 119 is quite
distinctive too!
It highlights,
more an any other section of this long Psalm, the "blessings" or
the "fruits" of being "in" the Word of God!
Let me show you.
"O how love I thy law! it is my
meditation all the day. Thou through thy commandments hast made
me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I
have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy
testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the
ancients, because I keep thy precepts. I have refrained my feet
from every evil way, that I might keep thy word. I have not
departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me. How sweet
are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to
my mouth! Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I
hate every false way." Psalm 119:97-104
Count the times
the Psalmist says "I" in this section! There are nine of them.
Add the times he says "me" or "my" or "mine" to that total, ten
more! Nineteen total personal pronouns ... in just eight
divinely inspired verses!
I would say that
we have surely come across a list of "blessings" associated with
God's Word!
Let's count these
"benefits"
1. More wisdom
than one's enemies!
2. More
understanding than one's very teachers!
3. More knowledge
than the ancients!
4. Personal
instruction from the Lord God Himself!
"For Thou hast taught me!" Verse 102b
5. Sweetness of
taste, regarding Scripture!
6. And ... hatred
of evil!
So far now, Psalm
119 has developed several key emphases of the successful
Christian life.
Truth number one
... A growing Believer must learn to MEDITATE in the Word of
God!
Number two ... He
must realize that such meditation will only lead to greater
depths and a much more
intense longing for the Scriptures!
Number three ...
He then faces manifold
trials and
pressures! But the Word teaches him how to identify and
catalogue them. Then he is instructed Biblically how to handle
them, how to gain victory over them all!
Now, number four
... He begins to really experience some of the multiple
BLESSINGS of living "in" God's Word!
This last point,
number four, is highlighted in the Mem section!
But, just a
minute.
Before we go
"wild" about all those blessings; more wisdom than one's
enemies, teachers and forefathers ... plus a fresh apprehension
of the "sweetness" of Scripture ... culminating in victory over
sin ... notice this. The first thing God's Word does is to
inculcate even more LOVE for itself within the Believer's heart!
In other words,
stay in Scripture! And the more you do so ... the more
you will LOVE God's Book, the Bible!
And the greatest
benefit of doing so is not simply more wisdom and understanding
than all those groups listed ... or even sweetness of life and
disposition ... or conquering all those sins ... BUT a love, a
deep love for the Bible, the holy Word of God!
That's why the
first verse in Mem says: "O how love I thy
law! it is my meditation all the day." Psalm 119:97
The greatest
blessing of all is to know the Scriptures ... and to fellowship
with the Triune God Who wrote them!
All these other
things are merely "bonuses."
Praise His Name!
In this sense, a
good sense, the Scriptures are "addictive!"
Job was an
addict. "Neither have I gone back from
the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his
mouth more than my necessary food." Job 23:12
So was Jeremiah.
"Thy words were found, and I did eat them;
and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart:
for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts."
Jeremiah 15:16
And, the greatest
of all, Jesus! "But he answered and said,
It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every
word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."
Amen!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 9, "MEM,"
VICTORY THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD:
The Lord Jesus
gained victory over Satan by three times quoting the Word of
God! "It is written" thrice said our Lord!
"He
answered and said, It is
written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every
word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."
Matthew 4:4
"Jesus said unto him,
It is written again,
Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." Matthew 4:7
"Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee
hence, Satan: for it is
written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him
only shalt thou serve." Matthew 4:10
Psalm 119, in
its great "Mem" paragraph ... verses 97-104 ... reveals for us
the great overcoming power of Scripture!
Let me show
you what I mean.
1. First is
the assurance of victory over wrong
thoughts! The Psalmist has by now, after 96 verses of
living "in" the Word of God, gained control of his very
thinking! The Bible has consumed him! Read it:
"O how love I thy law! it is my meditation
all the day." Psalm 119:97
To "meditate"
(in Hebrew = "siychah") means to first think ... then talk about
a subject incessantly! One just cannot have bad thoughts
if he or she is living in the Scriptures!
2. Then comes
victory over one's enemies!
"Thou through thy commandments hast made
me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me."
Verse 98
An "enemy" ("oyeb")
is one who hates you, who is your foe. The grammar of the
verse reveals that it's the Commandments of God that are ever
with us, not the enemies! God's Word outlasts the wicked
ones!
3. Then is
granted victory over false information!
He is wiser than any potential teacher who would lead him
astray! Even in David's day, false teachers had risen,
misleading God's people. "I have more
understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are
my meditation." Verse 99
One meaning
for the particular noun "understanding" here is
"circumspection." It's meaning: carefully looking all around as
one travels down life's roadway!
4. Then one is
granted victory over old and
historic things. These are things of the past!
"I understand more than the ancients,
because I keep thy precepts." Verse 100
Archaeology,
paleontology, geology, evolution and other false applications of
science are trying to undermine the faith of thousands!
But the Bible, God's Word is ahead of them all!
"In the beginning God created ....!"
Genesis 1:1
And now, in
"postmodern" America, even the history books are being
"corrected" to reflect more "politically correct" views!
I'll have none of it! For me ... God's Word is Truth!
Our word
"ancients" here ("zaqen") is translated elders (115 times) and
old (23 times) and even senators (1 time) in the King James
Bible. Wiser than the senators? Just imagine!
5. Then the
man or woman of the Word is blessed with victory over
sin! It is just a fact; the Bible in one's life
eventually expels wicked tendencies! "I
have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep
thy word." Verse 101
To "refrain"
(Hebrew = "kala") is to withhold or restrict or shut up or keep
back or forbid.
And the
adjective "evil" is "ra" ... strong malignant wickedness, active
and spreading day by day!
Elsewhere this
truth is illustrated in Psalm 119 also. For example,
"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against
thee." Psalm 119:11
6. Add to the
list victory over faithlessness. God
loves faithfulness! And the Word is the Christian's
premier source of faith! "So then faith
cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
Romans 10:17
Read verse 102
with me: "I have not departed from thy
judgments: for thou hast taught me." To "not
depart" ("lo sur") means not to turn aside or avoid or stray or
reject or retract! It pictures steady regularity!
Just being steadfast and immoveable! Always "in" the Book!
Our faithful God teaches such behavior to His Own children!
The noun
"judgments" here may contain a hint of the "fear of the Lord"
also. That expels careless living!
7. The
one who meditates in Scripture also experiences victory over
bitterness! He or she will be sweet in his or her
spirit! Notice: "How sweet are thy
words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my
mouth!" Verse 103
If one is
spiritually and habitually "chewing" on God's Word, he will not
become angry or hateful in the issues of life. And this word for
"sweet" ("malatzs") is only used this one time in the whole
Bible! That makes this a very unique and special
sweetness! A sweetness that passes all understanding!
8. Lastly, one
gets victory over spiritual stagnation!
Victory over lethargy, spiritual laziness! He or she, if
constantly thinking in the Word of God, will always be
growing in the Lord! Back in verse 101 the Psalmist
had refrained from sin, but now ... by verse 104 ... he
hates it! "Through thy
precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way."
The verb
"hate" ("sane") means to see one as an enemy! And the adjective
"false" ("sheqer") means deceptive or fraudulent or vain.
Psalm 101 is nearly a commentary on this last verse of the Mem
paragraph.
Victory!
Victory
through the Word of God!
Surely, just
like Paul says hundreds of years after Psalm 119 was penned,
God's Word is all sufficient! "All
scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be
perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." 2nd
Timothy 3:16-17
Praise the
Lord!
And stay in the
Scriptures!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 10,
The "Tsade" Paragraph:
The "tsade" is
the letter of the Hebrew alphabet that depicts a "fishhook!"
Actually "tsade" is their word for a fishhook!
The tsade
paragraph of Psalm 119 includes verses 137-144.
Later the
letter came to be known as the "tsadik," the noun for
"righteousness."
It looks like
this: c
As a picture
of a "righteous" man, see how the letter appears to be a person
on his knees, as if praying! Humble!
Now let's take
these two alphabetical implications and apply them to our eight
verse section of Psalm 119.
"Righteous art thou, O LORD, and upright
are thy judgments. Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are
righteous and very faithful. My zeal hath consumed me, because
mine enemies have forgotten thy words. Thy word is very pure:
therefore thy servant loveth it. I am small and despised: yet do
not I forget thy precepts. Thy righteousness is an everlasting
righteousness, and thy law is the truth. Trouble and anguish
have taken hold on me: yet thy commandments are my delights. The
righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me
understanding, and I shall live." Psalm 119:137-144
Let's make two
critical observations today.
First, the
"fishhook" paragraph depicts a man who is "hooked" on the Word
of God! He can't say enough good things about it!
God's Word ...
flowing from God's Lips ... is "upright" and "righteous" and
"very faithful." Also God's Decrees are "very pure" and "truth"
and "everlasting" and "delightful" and life giving!
Is he addicted
to Scripture, or not?
Secondly, the
"tsadik" section, as a poem of righteousness, declares God to be exactly
That, the Holy God who stands behind His Word!
A God Who is,
like His Utterances, righteous and upright and faithful and very
pure and everlasting and true and delightful and filled with
Life!
And the man
who, repenting and turning from his sins, loves this God and
passionately follows His Word will also be righteous, through
the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ!
He will be a
man of great zeal for the Lord, and great love for the Bible,
and delighted and truly alive!
Note that in
verse 141 he is "small and despised" and that in verse 143 he is
"troubled and in anguish" ... yet he is happy in God and His
Word!
A perfect
emphasis for the man who is described in Psalm 119:137-144, the
"tsade" paragraph! A "godly" man "hooked" on the
Scriptures of Truth!
And if you are
one of those folks who has trouble with people praising the Word
of God, read Psalm 138:2 "For thou hast
magnified Thy Word above all Thy Name."
And now the
"development" of Psalm 119 looks like this ... so far:
* Meditate in God's Word!
* Increase in love and devotion to Scripture! Greater and
greater hunger!
* Expect trials to come. They will!
* But lean on God and His Word ... through them deliverance will
come!
* Then, as one continues to love the Bible ... blessings
innumerable will fall!
* Victories never before experienced will be enjoyed regularly!
And ...
* The Believer's respect for God's Word will accelerate!
What a
chapter, this longest one in the whole Bible! And it fits
together so beautifully!
Praise the
Lord!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 11,
THE EXCELLENCY OF
THE WORD OF GOD:
The more one
is introduced to the Word of God, the more he or she loves it!
At least
that's true if the student is a born-aqain Believer in Christ
Jesus.
And the "tsade"
paragraph of Psalm 119 (verses 137-144) highlights such godly
obsession!
Let's examine
the Psalmist's testimony regarding Scripture.
Verse 137
says: "Righteous art thou, O LORD,
and upright are thy judgments." The love affair
has begun! God, the Author behind His Own Word, is "righteous."
The word "tzsaddiyq," meaning just or lawful, is first
used in Genesis 6:8-9. "But Noah found
grace in the eyes of the LORD. These are the generations
of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his
generations, and Noah walked with God." What a
blend of righteousness and grace! Gathered around the Ark, too!
So, if God is
righteous, His Word must be "upright!" And "yashar" means
straight or correct, first being used in Exodus 15:26.
Read this! "If thou wilt diligently
hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which
is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments,
and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases
upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am
the LORD that healeth thee." Do right ... and "none
of these diseases" will come your way! Again, holiness and love
are mixed! But only to those who have been "under" the Blood of
the Lamb!
What a high
regard for the Bible!
Verse 138
continues: "Thy testimonies that
thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful."
Here "righteous" is a noun, not an adjective. This
slightly different form ("tzsedeq") is initially used in Genesis
38:26 where Judah has to answer for his part in the Tamar event!
"And Judah acknowledged them, and
said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave
her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more."
A "harlot" more righteous than Judah? Only through Jesus can
such a thing happen!
And
"faithful?" In Hebrew "emunah" means that which is stable or
steady! Here's the first use of the word, Exodus 17:12.
"But Moses' hands were heavy; and
they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat
thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the
one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were
steady until the
going down of the sun." God's Word will never be shaken
either!
Now to Verse
139. Here the Holy Spirit uses some beautiful forms of "linkage"
to later verses in the paragraph. "My zeal
hath consumed me, because mine enemies have forgotten thy
words." The Word of God is said to have two more glorious
properties in this great verse! It is not easily
forgotten! In fact, a true Believer cannot forget His
Words! The "enemies" have done so, however. This noun for
"enemies" is "tszar" and means those who place you in a tight
squeezed cramped place, those who add pressure to your life!
That crowd, always busily shuttling from one place to another
has "forgotten" the Scriptures! To "forget" ("shakach") here
means "to ignore!" It's the verb that means "to mislay"
something! But look at verse 141 where the Psalmist
promises "I do not forget Thy precepts."
The unforgettable Scriptures!
Secondly verse
139 speaks of the Psalmist's "zeal" ... "qinah" ... having
consumed him! The word simply means "jealousy, a holy jealousy!"
Our writer is jealous over the things of God! He is
possessive of the Word of God! He does not want it to be
slandered or ignored or belittled at all! And to be
"consumed" is "tzsamath" and means "to be destroyed!" To be "cut
off" or "exterminated!" He is about to die over the
mistreatment of God's Word! Yet he says by verse 144 that by
God's Word and the understanding it imparts, he shall "live"
forever! It is through the Bible that we learn of eternal
life! James also said that: "Receive
with meekness the engrafted Word, which is able to save your
souls." That's amazing and is found in James 1:21.
Verse 140
declares that God's Word is pure! "Thy
word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it." The
Psalmist has been so transformed by the Word of God that he now
only loves pure things! The Bible produces love in the
Believer's heart! It is a catalyst for such love! It
breeds that kind of devotion. To know it is to love it! This
truth is seen again and again in the whole Poem!
It is very
"pure." This participle, "tzsaraph," means to melt, refine, test
or smelt as does the goldsmith when refining his precious metal!
God's Word has been tested ... and it gloriously met all the
requirements!
Using the same
word, Scripture claims: "Every word of God
is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their
trust in him." Proverbs 30:5
And ...
"As for God, his way is perfect: the word
of the LORD is tried:
he is a buckler to all those that trust in him." Psalm
18:30 and 2nd Samuel 22:31 both say this.
Using a
different verb, "The words of the LORD
are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of
earth, purified seven times." Psalm 12:6
Now, look with
me at verse 141 please. I believe this verse is teaching us that
the Bible, when rightly apprehended, produces within its
obedient readers a spirit of humility! "I
am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts."
The adjective "small" is "tzsaiyr" and means insignificant or
little or least or young. "Despised" (Hebrew = "bazah") just
means disdained or held in contempt. The world yet today
belittles and mocks the man or woman who believes the Bible and
who seriously follows its commands!
If one loves
the Bible, meditating in it daily, he can expect humility
(within) and conflict (without) all his days!
And when we
get to Heaven, we shall learn that both were real blessings from
God!
Such a
powerful Book will never be "mislaid" ("forgotten") by its
students! You will treasure your copy!
Then verse 142
adds a "hint" that we should not miss!
"Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and
thy law is the truth." Building upon the
foundation of previously taught truth, God is again said to be
"righteous," but this time everlastingly so! The
word "olam" means "vanishing point!" To the extremes! It implies
both antiquity and futurity! One Who is the Beginning and
the End is in view here! The Aleph and the Tau, the Alpha
and the Omega!
And since
Righteousness can't lie, God always speaks the Truth! His
Word is "the truth!" This Hebrew noun, "emeth," is spelled
tm,a/ and means firm or faithful as
well as truthful. Furthermore, its first letter, the aleph is
the beginning of the Hebrew alphabet and its last letter tau is
the end! Truth in Hebrew is the first and the last! It's a
"hint" of Jesus, Who is The Truth according to John 14:6. Titus
1:2 thunders: "In hope of eternal life,
which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began."
And Hebrews 6:18 quickly adds: "It
was impossible for God to lie."
Now to verse
143 and another powerful attribute of the Bible. It can bring
delight to one's life, even in the midst of many trials.
"Trouble and anguish have taken hold on
me: yet thy commandments are my delights."
Both nouns for trouble and anguish ("tzsar" and "matzsoq") imply
enclosing "tight" places! Times of pressure! But God's Word can
penetrate the problems and give sheer spiritual ecstasy!
The noun
"delights" ("shaashua") means enjoyment or pleasure! Five of the
nine times this word is used in the Bible, it is located in
Psalm 119! Five times herein he called God's Word delightful!
See verses 22 and 77 and 92 and 143 here and 174.
Verse 144
concludes the paragraph with these words:
"The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting:
give me understanding, and I shall live." Here is a
prayer. Scripture, lastly, promotes prayer. This is the
first prayer in our whole "tsade" paragraph too! It is the
culmination, the final result, of what has gone before us.
If I realize
and experience all that the Bible truly is ... I will burst into
prayer! It's automatic! It can't be helped! There is a
"spirit" of prayer and He is closely associated with the Word of
God! He wrote it in fact. "And
I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, the spirit of
grace and of supplications ...." Zechariah 12:10
If you really
want to pray ... study God's Word! It will set you to seeking
His sweet Face!
Guaranteed!
Is anybody
here "hooked" ("tsade") on God's precious Word?
I hope so!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 12,
"Shiyn" and Tav," The
Last Two Paragraphs:
There is no doubt about this fact. Psalm 119
ends with a grand note of praise! Praise to our great God! He is
praised both for Who and What He is ... and for the good Word He
has given us, the Bible!
Both verses 161-168, the "shiyn"paragraph,
and verses 169-176, the "tav" section, highlight this grand
theme, adoration!
The letter "sheen" in Hebrew (actually
spelled "shiyn") means a "tooth!" It can also mean something
like a point of a rock or a peak! It looks like this:
v
See the peak?
Or the "tooth" shape?
As a "tooth" it implies attack ... and
victory!
And as a "peak" it implies about the same
thing, the pinnacle of glory!
Little wonder he begins (verse 161) with a
comment about the enemies! "Princes" is spelled in Hebrew "sar."
But the enemies of God have long since become
a "non-issue" in this Bible Psalm!
We are now dealing with God’s overcoming His
enemies! Like the Prince of the Power of the air, the devil!
It’s God’s "teeth" that are about to go into
action!
Now, with final victory already on the
horizon, watch the Psalmist praise His wonderful God!
In Verse 162 he rejoices at God’s Word!
That’s a form of praise!
In Verse 163 he loves it! Praise again!
In Verse 164 he literally praises God seven
times a day!
In 165 he enjoys great peace and never
stumbles!
In 166 finds great hope in the Word! Praise
God for such living hope!
In 167 his love for the Scriptures has grown
to the point of overflowing! This is bubbling abundant praise!
And in Verse 168 he is at an altar somewhere
... committing himself to further godly living. It’s like the
"invitation" at the end of a service! Real praise always leads
to obedience and worship!
But ... wait a minute!
What is the source of God’s great
victory?
How are these "teeth" so powerful?
Enter the "tav" paragraph please!
This final letter of the Hebrew alphabet
defines a "cross." That is, a "mark" or a "sign."
It was used in ancient days to seal a
contract or covenant! To show ownership! To join two things
together!
Our victory is in salvation!
In the Cross!
In our covenant relationship with Jesus
Christ, through His precious shed Blood!
Is that ground for praise?
Yes! Yes! Yes!
Hence Verse 171 ...
"My lips shall
utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes."
Or Verse 175 ...
"Let my soul
live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me."
Glory to God!
A life spent in God’s Word ... trusting Jesus
as Saviour ... will assuredly lead to praise, eternal praise!
Why?
The last Verse, 176, talks about our going
astray "like a lost sheep." Well, that is so true. But Jesus
came and found those little lost sheep, dying in their stead and
saving them from eternal destruction!
"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have
turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him
the iniquity of us all."
Isaiah 53:6
Therein rejoice, brethren!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 13, PRAISE:
We shall, Lord willing, take three of the
distinctive "praise" verses of Psalm 119’s last two paragraphs
(where "praise is most dominant) and examine them briefly.
"Seven times a day do I praise thee because
of thy righteous judgments."
Psalm 119:164
In the Bible the expression "seven times"
surfaces occasionally! On the Jewish Day of Atonement the High
Priest sprinkled the Blood seven times before the Altar!
Leviticus 16:14 and 19
God promised to punish erring Israel seven
times for her sins of rebellion! Leviticus 26:21 and 24 and 28
Remember too the seven times the Army circled
Jericho under Joshua’s command and with God’s Guidance! Joshua
6:4 and 15
Elijah looked seven times for any signs of
rain ... then the cloud came! 1 Kings 18:43
The Bible is like silver tried in the fire,
purified seven times! Psalm 12:6
The just man may fall seven times, but he
always gets up and goes forward again! Proverbs 24:16
And Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace was heated seven
times hotter than before ... to persecute the Hebrew young men!
Daniel 3:19
And God forgives and wants us to forgive not
only seven times ... but seventy times seven times! Matthew
18:21
Each of these "seven times" events is cause
for praise to God!
Psalm 119:171 says:
"My lips shall
utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes."
The verb "utter" translates "naba," meaning
"to flow, to gust, to pour forth, to spring or to bubble up!" In
a crude sense Palm as "belch out," speaking of the wicked and
their ungodly words! But here it is in a good sense:
"They shall
abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall
sing of thy righteousness." Psalm 145:7
And here it is three more times in the King
James Old Testament:
"Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour
out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you."
Proverbs 1:23
"The tongue of the wise useth knowledge
aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness."
Proverbs 15:2
And ...
"The words of a
man's mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring
of wisdom as a flowing brook."
Proverbs 18:4
Even Ecclesiastes 10:1 uses it.
"Dead flies
cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking
savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation
for wisdom and honour."
The noun "praise" means adoration or
thanksgiving too!
Lastly, the Psalmist makes a promise to
continue praising the Lord!
"Let my soul
live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me."
Psalm 119:175
This verb "praise," which is "halal" in
Hebrew, merans "to shine" or "to boast or brag" or even "to
commend."
He just said that as long as he lived ... he
would praise God!
This verb is in the Piel stem, indicating
intensive and aggressive praise!
Praise here is forthcoming ... even when
God’s Judgments are all around!
Yes, even in times of chastening and hardship
... we can praise God that He counts us as His children! For,
you see, he disciplines only His sons and daughters!
One clear-cut "proof" you are saved is just
that! "For whom
the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he
receiveth." Hebrews 12:6
Furthermore,
"If ye endure
chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is
he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without
chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards,
and not sons." Hebrews 12:7-8
God’s Word has led the Psalmist to this high
plateau spiritually, to the mountain top of praise!
What a way to end a Psalm!
It is indeed a grand finale!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 14 ... A FINAL
REVIEW:
Brielfy let’s recap the six different themes
Psalm 119 has emphasized. They are easy to locate.
The Psalmist begins with the twin concepts of
"blessedness" and "holiness." Verse 1-3:
"Blessed are
the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.
Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that
seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity:
they walk in his ways." But the only way to enjoy God’s
maximum blessings and live purely, apart from known habitual
sin, is to develop a growing relationship with God and His Word!
Therefore, the following "progression" is
developed.
Focus number one: A Believer must learn to
meditate in God’s Word! That’s the subject of the Psalm’s
opening two paragraphs. Let me quickly show you.
"I will meditate
in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways." Psalm
119:15
Focus number two: The next three paragraphs
center on a hunger, a craving, nearly an obsession with the Word
of God! In fact, the following maxim is true. The more a man or
woman meditates in Scripture ... automatically, the more and
more he or she will learn to love it and treasure it and cherish
it! Read with me:
"Open thou mine
eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. My soul
breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments
at all times. Thy testimonies also are my delight and
my counsellors. Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes;
and I shall keep it unto the end. Make me to go in the
path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight." (I
have used a selection of verses from the gimel, daleth and he
paragraphs.) Hereafter eight more times in this longest Psalm
does our inspired writer talk about his growing love for God’s
Word. And it all began in these early paragraphs as he meditated
in God’s Book! See verses 97, 113, 119, 127, 132, 159, 164, 165
and 167. This "hungering" for Bible truth never ends either!
Focus number three: The "koph"paragraph
introduces a somber theme, suffering and trials and hearaches!
And even there, the Bible is a constant and comforting
companion! "My
soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.
Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me?
For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not
forget thy statutes. The proud have digged pits for me, which
are not after thy law. All thy commandments are
faithful: they persecute me wrongfully; help thou me. They had
almost consumed me upon earth; but I forsook not thy precepts.
Quicken me after thy lovingkindness; so shall I keep the
testimony of thy mouth." (Selected from Verses 82-88) To
this godly Christian ... God’s Word is essential when trials
come!
Focus number four: After trials, comes
victory ... at least for the Believer in Christ. If not victory
on earth, then certainly in Heaven! The "mem" paragraph centers
on the victories Scripture provides us! Here are some samples:
victory over one’s enemies, false teachers, revisions of
history, sinful habits, bitter reactions and spiritual
stagnation! Read verses 97-104 and count them!
Focus number five: By this time in the
Christian’s maturing process, he or she has entered into a state
of deep respect, reverence, even holy awe of the faithfulness of
God and His Word! An ever deepening esteem for things divine!
This is the "tsade" section.
"Righteous
art thou, O LORD, and upright are thy judgments. Thy
testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous
and very faithful. Thy word is very pure: therefore thy
servant loveth it. Thy righteousness is an everlasting
righteousness, and thy law is the truth. The
righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me
understanding, and I shall live." (All these are "tsade"
verses, which came ot be called "tsadik," the Hebrew word for
righteousness!) Having seen God consistently grant victory in
battle after battle, all according to His Word ... the Believer
is just overwhelmed with God’s faithfulness and holiness!
Then, lastly, the final two paragraphs ("shiyn"
and "tav") focus on praise! What else could they highlight?
Praise to God for His Word! For the Word that is "profitable"
according to Paul. That will develop in us "all good works!"
Psalm 119 ends in a grand finale of praise! For that matter, so
does the whole Book of Psalms! Read the last five, especially
150! Psalm 119:164.
"Seven times a
day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments."
Or Psalm 119:171 ...
"My lips shall
utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes." And
then verse 175, which says:
"Let my soul
live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me."
Praise! Praise! Praise!
These six categories provide us with a
synopsis of the whole Christian life ... all the way from
Salvation to Glory!
1. Meditation upon
Scripture!
2. An ever deepening
Hunger for the Word!
3. Trials and
heartaches!
4. Subsequent
Victory!
6. A keen Awareness
of the Reliability of Scripture!
7. Praise, Praise to
God ... springing from His Word!
Glory to His Name!
Thank God for Psalm 119, the longest chapter
in the Bible!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
WE HAVE ENJOYED YOUR
STUDYING PSALM 119 WITH US!
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