12 Things Psalm 119 Teaches About the Word of God
Someone once told me that if you’re asked to do the Bible reading at church, and you find that the set reading is Psalm 119, you need to run away. It’s really long. Psalm 119 is probably most well-known as the longest chapter of the Bible, with 176 verses and 1065 words in the original Hebrew (Psalm 117 happens to be the shortest chapter in the Bible). This also makes it the longest acrostic poem in the Bible (for other acrostic/near-acrostic poems in the Bible, see Psalms 9–10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 145, Proverbs 31:10–31, Lamentations 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 ).
Psalm 119 is broken up into 22 stanzas corresponding to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, each stanza containing 8 verses. What really interests me about Psalm 119, though, is what it teaches us about God’s Word.
Sometimes you’ll read of God’s “decrees” or “statutes”, which refer to God’s established rules, which we read of in books of the Bible like Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Sometimes, we hear of God’s “law”, which refers to these rules, but is also a name for the first five books of the Bible, Genesis—Deuteronomy (aka the Pentateuch or Torah). At other times we read of “promises” that God has made to his people, which we find throughout the Old Testament. In this article, I’m going to treat these as references to God’s “Word”, or the Bible.
In its original context, Psalm 119 talks about God’s Word in the Old Testament. But the stuff that gets mentioned still applies to the New Testament, even if it wasn’t what the original author (probably David) had in mind.
So, here are twelve things Psalm 119 teaches about God’s Word:
God’s Word Brings Blessing
In Psalm 119:1–2 (NIV), we read:
1 Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD.
2 Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.
Those who walk according to God’s Word and keep his Word are blessed. That is, they have a heightened state of happiness and joy, accompanied with very favourable circumstances and enjoyment.[1] <p id="footnote1"><sup>1</sup> This is your first footnote. <a href="#reference1">↩</a></p>
2. God’s Word Protects us from Sin
In Psalm 119:11, we read:
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
When we read God’s Word and store it away in our hearts, it helps us re-learn all of our behaviours and thought patterns, preventing us from sinning against God.
3. God’s Word is Delightful
Similar to point 1, God’s Word is delightful. In Psalm 119:16, we read:
I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.
Then, in verse 103, we read:
How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
And then in verse 174, we read:
I long for your salvation, LORD, and your law gives me delight.
God’s Word is something to delight in. It’s delicious. It’s something to enjoy. And when you think of the promises and assurances we get in the Bible (think John 3:16, Romans 8:1), how can we not be filled with delight?
4. God’s Word Preserves Life
In Psalm 119:25 and 37, we read:
25 I am laid low in the dust; preserve my life according to your word.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.
God’s Word has the capacity to preserve our lives. God chooses to preserve us through his Word, by leading us on the right paths, keeping us from the lowness of dust and reorienting us away from the worthless things of the world.
5. God’s Word Comforts Us
In Psalm 119:50, we read:
My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.
God’s Word also preserves us by comforting us in the midst of suffering. When we’re going through difficult circumstances, it really helps to turn to God’s Word. I’m a big fan of turning to Psalm 23 when I’m going through a rough time. It’s like a big warm hug from mum.
6. God’s Word Strengthens Us
In Psalm 119:28, we read:
My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.
When we’re going through rough times and we feel weary, God is able to strengthen us through his Word. He is able to use the promises and assurances he has written down for us to build in us a resilience that can endure the trials before us.
7. God’s Word Gives Us Hope
A key way God’s Word also strengthens us, especially in the hard times, by giving us hope. This is emphasised again and again:
43 Never take your word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws.
49 Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope.
74 May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.
81 My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word.
114 You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.
147 I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word.
If you’re looking for hope, you need to look to God’s Word.
8. God’s Word Stands Firm Forever
In verse 89, we read:
Your word, LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.
God’s Word can’t be knocked over or changed. It stands firm. It remains what it is. Forever.
9. God’s Word Gives Understanding
Throughout Psalm 119, we’re told of the understanding and insight God’s Word gives us.
99 I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.
100 I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts.
104 I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.
130 The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.
169 May my cry come before you, Lord; give me understanding according to your word.
God’s Word helps us understand things as they really are, and it helps us understand how we should live. It leads us on the right paths, away from the wrong paths, and sheds light on what we should do in various situations.
10. God’s Word Directs Us
Similar to this, God’s Word directs us.
105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
133 Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.
It sheds light on the paths we should follow and directs us. That doesn’t mean that when we have a big decision we just flick open to a random page, pick a verse at random, our of context, and then make said big life decision. We need to read the Bible well. But as we do this, and we discuss the decisions before us with other people who read God’s Word, we’ll have greater understanding of the kinds of things God prioritises, and this will help us to make better decisions.
11. God’s Word is True
God’s Word is also true.
142 Your righteousness is everlasting and your law is true.
151 Yet you are near, LORD, and all your commands are true.
160 All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.
This makes sense if you think about it. If God really is the “one true God” (Isaiah 65:16), whose Son (also known as “The Word”) calls himself “The Truth” (John 14:6), one expects that what he says in his written Word will be true as well. Lots of ink is spilled on how we tease this out. What word is best? Inerrancy? Infallibility? I have thoughts on this. But for now, it will suffice to say this: God’s Word is true. All of it.
12. God’s Word Leads to Praise
Finally, God’s Word leads to praise.
164 Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws.
171 May my lips overflow with praise, for you teach me your decrees.
As we read God’s Word and learn of who he is and what he does, how can we respond otherwise? How can we not want to praise him?
Notes:
[1] Cf. James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).
