Psalm 119 - Samekh

In this stanza, the psalmist reveals the contrast between his estimation for people and his estimation for the Word. He is surrounded by people, many of whom make no pretense of loving the Word; he refuses to yield to that peer pressure. He distances himself from the influence of the ungodly, while placing himself as firmly as possible in the pathway of the Word. The Word is what he esteems highly and chooses as his source of influence.

Four of the eight verses deal with those around him, people who are not walking with God. The psalmist says that he hates the double-minded (v. 113). If any of the people mentioned in the stanza have any inclination of following God, it is this group. They do not, however, have a consistent focus on the Word. They waver between two opinions, between two lifestyles. At times, they speak of God and claim to follow Him, and then they turn around and walk in the opposite direction. Such fickle, inconsistent friends do not encourage the psalmist in his pursuit of God; he loves the unchanging Word instead.

The psalmist instructs evildoers to depart from him (v. 115). Their presence is hindering him from following God as he would like. He recognizes that he will be more consistently obedient when he is not pulled astray by the influence of the wicked. While he has to live in the world, which is filled with ungodly people, being constantly in their presence does present challenges that he wishes to avoid.

In verse 118, the psalmist reveals a very good reason for not joining in with such people. They are rejected by God. The psalmist speaks of hypocrites; they are deceitful because their message is inconsistent. Their words and actions don't match. They used to walk in God's ways, and perhaps still claim to belong to God, but they have wandered from His paths. The psalmist calls these people useless. They neither encourage other Christians nor influence the unbelievers. They have lost God's blessing, and the psalmist does not want to be part of that group.

Finally, the psalmist speaks of God's judgment on the wicked (v. 119). Those who reject God's ways and blatantly oppose Him will be removed. They may have their place for a while, but their end is death and destruction. They do not have the eternal life that really matters, and their judgment is the result of their rejection of God and His Word. The psalmist loves the Word, because accepting and following it leads to life.

In contrast to these verses in which the psalmist repels the influence of the ungodly, the remaining verses describe how he embraces the Word. The Word is his protection (v. 114). It provides him with a refuge in which to hide. It is a shield to defend him from attacks. When the psalmist is in danger and in trouble, he finds the Word to be the right place to put his hope. He waits on it, expecting to see the protection it promises.

The Word is his strength (v. 115). When he is weak and fainting, the Word sustains him. It is his life and his hope. It keeps him from being ashamed by falling flat on his face.

In verse 117, the psalmist says that the Word is constant and faithful. As the God of the Word upholds him, he is able to live a long life. All throughout that life, he is able to look at the Word and see it ever faithful. His gaze can be fixed on the Word continually, without ever being disappointed.

In both verses 113 and 119, the psalmist declares his love for the Word, but his love is coupled with a seemingly strange partner in verse 120. This man's love for God and the Word is accompanied with fear for God and the Word. This reverent fear is not so strange, however, when one considers what this man knows. He has seen what happens to those who do not follow God's ways. He described their end in this stanza.

He has also seen what happens to those who do keep God's ways. He noted them as early as the first stanza, and he has longed for the blessed life they enjoy. There is quite a contrast between the two groups, both in the way they live and in the way their lives end up. He knows which end he wants - blessing, not judgment. That end will be achieved as he fears opposing God and as he reverently follows the Word.

The psalmist has seen some turn from God's ways; he has seen the double-minded and the hypocrites. If some of those around him have walked in those false ways, what is to stop him from doing the same? He is rightfully fearful of that end and rightfully dependent on God to keep his steps right.

Knowing the guidance that the Word provides, it is no wonder that he loves the Word. Knowing the danger that wrong influences introduce, it is also no wonder that he separates himself from those people. When it comes down to the choice of being influenced by peers or by the Word, the psalmist wisely and determinedly chooses the Word.

"I hate those who are double-minded, but I love Your law." Psalm 119:113 (NASB)

Psalm 119 - Nun

In following God, there are times of peace and blessing. Those blessed times, however, are not constant, and sometimes there seems to be a lot of trouble in between the times of peace. The psalmist certainly found that to be true, and this stanza reveals the sustained difficulty under which he was living.

He states that he is "exceedingly afflicted" (v. 107).  His life is in continual danger (v. 109) because of the snare set for him by the wicked (v. 110). These are obviously not minor difficulties. Because of the menacing attacks, this man does not know how many more days he will live.

In spite of the challenges, the psalmist remains determined to follow God. "I have sworn and I will confirm it, that I will keep Your righteous ordinances" (v. 106). So far he has continued to walk in the right paths rather than going astray (vs. 109-110). He resolves to continue that faithful walk "to the end," however long that may be (v. 112).

Such a goal cannot be achieved by mere human strength and dedication. The psalmist speaks of his need for help. He needs revival from the Word of God (v. 107). He wants to continue to learn God's ways (v. 108). He must have God reveal to him what he needs to do.

That idea is presented well through the double metaphor that opens the stanza. In this well-known verse, the psalmist declares that God's Word is lamp for his feet and a light for his path. These are apt pictures. The man is walking in darkness - even in the valley of the shadow of death. When the situation around him is so dark, it would be difficult to see the right answer. The Word of God provides the answers as it illumines the path, giving clarity where there was none.

The light gives guidance in a trying time, and the possession of that light affects the man who has it. Because he knows guidance is available and answers are achievable, the psalmist is able to call God's Word "righteous" (v. 106). He is able to freely give offerings of praise to God (v. 108). He calls God's testimonies the "joy of my heart" (v. 111). In the midst of extreme difficulty, the psalmist can rejoice because he knows there is a source for the illumination he needs.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Psalm 119:105 (NASB)

Psalm 119 - Mem

The psalmist shares some very important truth he has learned about devotion to the Word. He has experienced a tremendous, perhaps unanticipated, blessing from spending time in the Word. In this stanza he delights in expressing to God the wonders of this blessing.

It is important to note that the blessing is fundamentally tied to his time in the Word. Each time he tells of the blessing he has received, he very clearly links the blessing to his devotion to the Word.

Devotion is a good word to use. The author's statements make it clear that this is not a mere passing interest, nor is it a half-hearted or obligatory duty. He declares that the Word is his "meditation all the day" (v. 97). He says that the Word is "ever" or always his (v. 98). The Word is his "meditation" (v. 99). He has "observed" God's truth (v. 100).

The word for meditation refers to devotion and reflection. Ever comes from a word meaning concealed, with the idea that it is for all time. Observed is not just looking at, but guarding, protecting, and preserving. This is a man who is serious about spending large amounts of time pondering the Word, studying it, and learning it.

What is the primary blessing that the psalmist reveals in this passage? It is wisdom. Because of his knowledge of the Word, this man is "wiser than his enemies" (v. 98). He has "more insight than all [his] teachers" (v. 99). He understands "more than the aged" (v. 100).

Because of his time devoted to the Word, the psalmist has not just knowledge and intelligence, but also more important skills like prudence and discernment. He is circumspect, wise, and skillful. He knows how to be successful over his enemies. Although young enough that he still has teachers and does not count himself among the aged, he has more insight than those leaders. His knowledge of the Word has equipped him incredibly well for living life.

The wisdom is not an end in itself. Because the psalmist understands issues properly, he makes the right choices. His knowledge has caused him to restrain his "feet from every evil way" (v. 101). Because of the teaching he has received from God, he has "not turned aside" from God's ways. The right choices and right living are the logical outcome of the understanding he has achieved. It is also quite logical that the psalmist is elated over this resultant blessing. After all, his objective from the beginning was to faithfully walk in God's ways. He is now realizing how his devotion to the Word is enabling him to meet his objective.

The stanza begins with love and ends with hate. "O how I love Your law!" (v. 97). It is no wonder that the psalmist loves the Word, when he realizes the tremendous benefit that has come to him through it. Such an incredible resource surpasses other things that he would ordinarily consider to be superb. "How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (v. 103). The Word is surpassing sweet because of the blessing of wisdom that it provides.

The psalmist loves the Word, but he hates "every false way" (v. 104). The false way does exactly the opposite of what the Word does. Through lies and deceit, these false influences lead the believer down the wrong path. The input and philosophies of the world may sometimes sound good, but they produce wrong understanding, leading to wrong choices. The believer who opens his mind to the false way invites barriers that prevent him from living faithfully for God.

If the goal is to walk with God, it is logical that the believer will hate false ways. Whether it be worldly philosophies like humanism, the blatant immorality of the world's entertainment, or the limited human wisdom of friends, these false ways lead to wrong thinking and pull the believer away from his goal of godly living.

Why follow the false way that leads to failure and destruction, when following the Word leads to the blessing of wisdom and right choices? Why wouldn't a believer love the Word when it yields so much benefit? The psalmist realizes that due to his devotion to the Word, he now knows what to do and is enabled to do it. The Bible will do the same today for the Christian who will take the time to meditate on its truth.

"I understand more than the aged, because I have observed Your precepts." Psalm 119:100 (NASB)

Psalm 119 - Lamedh

This stanza presents a very simple, but wonderful, concept. In essence, God's Word has power to help people because of its permanence. The faithful Word of God is trustworthy because it never changes and never loses its power.

Verse 89 boldly states the premise: God's Word is established forever. There is no time in the past at which God's Word has ever failed, and there is no time in the future at which it ever will fail. It is settled, like a monument or pillar that has been erected to timelessly mark a significant event.

God's Word is faithful because God Himself is faithful. Verse 90 declares that God's faithfulness continues for all generations - from the beginning of time to the end of time. One incredible display of God's faithfulness is the creation. Verses 90 and 91 describe the earth as it still stands in obedience to God's command. Most of what man makes becomes useless or ruined within a short space of time. Occasional artifacts date back a few thousand years, but they are no longer useful. God's earth is approximately 6000 years old, and its systems are still working.

God's creation faithfully remains, servant to a God who is ever faithful. The creation is proof that what God says stands. This amazing example helps to illustrate that God is faithful beyond anything that man can do. It is entirely reasonable, therefore, to trust in His Word.

It is a only a Word this dependable that is able to give hope and help to believers. The psalmist states, "If Your law had not been my delight, then I would have perished in my affliction" (v. 92). Nothing else was sufficient, because nothing else is as dependable. If this man's delight had been in his circumstances, his family, his friends, his own ability, his riches, or anything else, those things would have failed him. God's Word did not fail him.

In verses 93 through 95, the psalmist continues these thoughts. God's Word has been enough in the past ("You have revived me"). It is enough in the present ("Save me, for I have sought Your precepts"). It will be enough in the future ("I will never forget Your precepts"). God's Word is faithful to help in every stage of life.

The stanza closes with what seems to be a comparison. The psalmist has "seen a limit to all perfection." Every wonderful thing that he has ever seen has limits. Any other source to rely on will fall short and will end. The Bible, on the other hand, "is exceedingly broad." It continues on and on. There is no limitation. There is no end. God's Word is forever faithful.

What a comfort it is to have a source so reliable! There is no need to wonder if the Bible will still be true in today's world or if it will be effective for modern problems. There is no fear that the Word of God given to Abraham and Moses and David and the apostles will fail the Christians of today. It has been tried and proven from the earliest generations, and it will continue faithfully the same through every generation to come.

"Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven." Psalm 119:89 (NASB)