Daily reading

Today’s reading is: Psa. 119

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Psalm One Hundred Nineteen

  1. Psalm 119 is an acrostic psalm, with twenty-two eight-verse stanzas beginning with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
  2. The author is unknown, and the majority of traditions assign it to David, with a prominent minority of opinion favoring an exilic author.
  3. Seven separate Hebrew words for the Word of God are featured throughout the 176 verses of this psalm.
    1. תֹּורָה towrāh #8451: law, instruction.  Used 220x in the OT, 25x in Ps. 119. (Ps. 119:1,18,29,34,44,51,53,55,61,70,72,77,85,92,97,109,113,126,136,142,150,153,163,165,174).  1st use: Gen. 26:5.
    2. עֵדָה ‘ēdah #5713: testimony, witness.  Used 82x in the OT, 23x in Ps. 119, always plural & always of laws as Divine testimonies. (Ps. 119:2,14,22,24,31,36,46,59,79,88,95,99,111,119,125,129,138,144,146,152,157,167,168).  1st use: Gen. 21:30.
    3. פִּקּוּד piqquwd #6490: precept, statute.  Used 24x in OT, 21x in Ps. 119. (Ps. 119:4,15,27,40,45,56,63,69,78,87,93,94,100,104,110,128,134,141,159,168,173).  1st use: Ps. 19:8.
    4. חֹק chōq #2706: statute, ordinance.  Used 130x in the OT, 21x in Ps. 119. (Ps. 119:5,8,12,23,26,33,48,54,64,68,71,80,83,112,117,118,124,135,145,155,171) 1st use: Gen. 47:22 (2x), 26.
    5. מִצְוָה mitswāh #4687: commandment.  Used 181 times in the OT, 22x in Ps. 119.  (Ps. 119:6,10,19,21,32,35,47,48,60,66,73,86,96,98,115,127,131,143,151,166,172,176).  1st use: Gen. 26:5.
    6. מִשְׁפָּט mishpat #4941: judgment, justice, right, custom.  Used 421x in the OT, 23x in Ps. 119.  (Ps. 119:7,13,20,30,39,43,52,62,75,84,91,102,106,108,120,121,132,137,149,156,160,164,175).  1st use: Gen. 18:19
    7. דָּבָר dābār #1697: word, thing, matter.  Used 1,441x in the OT, 24x in Ps. 119. (Ps. 119:9,16,17,25,28,42,43,49,57,65,74,81,89,101,105,107,114,130,139,147,160,161,169).  1st use: Gen. 11:1.
  4. The psalmist is a believer under maximum testing—afflicted and mocked by those who should know better (vv.23,78,86,157,161), and remaining faithful to God’s Word in every circumstance.
  5. The acrostic:
  • א: The only life of blessedness is the life that is dedicated to God’s Word (vv.1-8).
  • בּ: The only life of purity is the life that is dedicated to God’s Word (vv.9-16).
  • גּ: The only life of abundance is the life that is dedicated to God’s Word (vv.17-24).
  • דּ: God’s Word is the believer’s provision for the revival of an aggrieved soul (vv.25-32).
  • ה: Believers must keep themselves teachable, and trust in the Lord to teach them (vv.33-40).
  • ו: The believer’s love and trust for God’s Word will motivate him to speak that Word in every witnessing opportunity (vv.41-48).
  • ז: God’s Word is eternally valuable, and the humble believer will pursue it no matter how the world derides him (vv.49-56).
  • ח: The believer who loves God’s Word rejoices in sharing that devotion with other like-minded believers (vv.57-64).
  • ט: The believer under God’s Word can appreciate the value of forgiveness & affliction, and the infinite value of God’s Word (vv.65-72).
  • י: God’s Word places us in the proper Creator/creature perspective (vv.73-80).
  • כּ: God’s Word provides us with the proper perspective on time (vv.81-88).
  • ל: God’s Word provides us with the proper perspective on God’s faithfulness (vv.89-96).
  • מ: The youngest of believers has the deepest of wisdom when he abides in the Word of God (vv.97-104).
  • נ: Believers in the darkest moments of their lives can trust God’s Word even up to the moment when the Lord ends his life (vv.105-112).
  • ס: Believers who pursue God’s Word will come into conflict with those who reject God’s Word (vv.113-120).
  • ע: Believers leave their judgments in the hands of the Lord (vv.121-128).
  • פּ: Believers who long for God’s Word enjoy freedom from iniquity’s dominion (vv.129-136).
  • צ: God’s Word provides us with the proper perspective of righteousness (vv.137-144).
  • ק: God’s Word motivates us to exhaustive prayer (vv.145-152).
  • ר: God’s Word provides us with the proper perspective of our Advocate (vv.153-160).
  • שׁ: The believer who abides in God’s Word can rejoice in any circumstance (vv.161-168).
  • תּ: Believers live one day at a time as a lost sheep in daily need of God’s Word (vv.169-176).