July 12 - Psalm 119

Good morning everyone,

Wow! Psalm 119 is simply a great psalm! It’s a psalm all about how awesome it is to be in God’s Word, and it reiterates it over and over again. First let’s have a look at the basic low down, hoe down. The author, though some suggest may be Ezra the priest, is unknown, and like I mentioned yesterday, it is the longest psalm and the longest chapter in all of the Bible. It is an acrostic psalm, that is to say its 176 verses are divided into twenty-two stanzas, one stanza for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet and within each stanza, each of the eight verses begins with that coordinating letter of the stanza. Make sense? Can you see the pattern in the example of the first eight verses I have included?

 1אשרי דרכים שהם חפים מפשע,

    ההולכים על פי תורת ה '.

2 אשרי מי לשמור חוקיו

    ומחפש אותו עם כולם ללב

3 שהם עושים לא טועים

    אבל ללכת בדרכיו.

4 אתה הניח את המצוות

    שיש לציית באופן מלא.

5 הו, שהדרכים שלי היו איתנים

    בציות לצווים שלך!

6 אז לא הייתי מבייש

    כשאני רואה את כל הפקודות שלך.

7 אני לשבח אותך עם לב זקוף

    כפי שאני לומד חוקי הצדיקים שלך.

8 אני אציית הגזירות שלך;

    לא לגמרי ינטוש אותי.

This psalm was actually used to teach their children the ABC’s (or Aleph Beth Gimel’s), the kiddos would be required to memorize the entire psalm, much like our own American preschoolers learn the sing-song for the english alphabet only, well, different; it being obviously longer and at the same time sealing God’s precious Word in their hearts. ~ The name of Yahweh appears twenty four times in the psalm and in almost every verse there is a synonym for “the Word” such as precepts, commands, decrees, statutes and so on. 

Verse 1-2 starts out with, “Blessed (happy) are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.” ~ Okay,  (and this is me being obedient) I am going break from what “I” wanted to share about this psalm to what “God” wants me to share of a personal experience I had with it. 

Yesterday when I first sat down and read this verse, in preparing for today, I’ll admit, it kind of flowed over the top of me, much like the drops of water that run off of a ducks back. I thought to myself, “Well, what did that say?” and honestly at first I did not know, I had to really think about it,  they had just been words off a page. I’m not certain if it was because I felt busy and just wanted to get through it or if I had become so use to just reading His Word each day that I had started to take it for granted but whatever the case may be, there was a tugging at my heart, an urging for me to read it again, and so I did. The second time through I pondered more over the words, I strolled more slowly, tip toeing over each thought, this time giving pause to what the psalmist was saying, how he was feeling, using my mind’s eye to see him sitting by candle light pouring his heart out on papyrus and God began to open my eyes, allowing me more and more, it was like a flower blooming right in front of me. I was excited, but it was time to cook and so I decided that while I was in the kitchen preparing some food for lunch I would open up my computer, turn to Bible Gateway and listen to someone read the words of Psalm 119 to me. About half way through it stopped me in my tracks, I could not move until the psalm was finished and then I noticed tears were flowing down my cheeks. I was very clearly hearing my Abba speak (you know what I mean, right? that sweet and gentle voice that is there … but where?) directly to me, “this is how much I love you, child!” and I fell to my knees and praised His holy name. It was an amazing moment, and I know I didn’t adequately depict it, but honestly I don’t think there are words to allow me to. It was one of those kinds of moments you wait and wait for and then it is gone in the blink of an eye, and you are left thirsting for more. 

God’s Word is a gift we should not take for granted and the more we read it, no, no ….. more than read it, the more we hear it and take the time to understand it, the more Jesus will flow from us and the more peace we will know, the more love and compassion we will share. Friends, the Bible is not rocket science as a matter of fact we’re told it is written simply so that we can understand. I would encourage you to take the time to understand the chapters, the verses you are reading when you pick up your Bible. Don’t let them be just words on a page you are ingesting, oh how Yahweh loves you and longs for you to hear His voice in your ear, and for it to grow in your heart. John 10:27 says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” Amen?

Have a good day and to God be the glory.

God bless you all …