Exposition of Psalm
119
The
Unsurpassed Value of the Psalms
Before plunging deep into
the longest of the Psalms, it will be of great value to
first look at the Psalms as a whole. Let us consider
seven emphases.
Title
While our English
Bible titles this portion of Scripture, “The Book of
Psalms,” the title in the Hebrew Bible is,
Seper
Tehillim, “Book of Praises,” which summarizes what this
book is all about. It was, of course, the sacred
hymnbook of the nation of Israel. In fact, every Psalm
contains at least an element of praise, while
many are completely devoted
to praise.
The Hebrew behind
the word “psalm” is mizmor, which we find in the
titles of several psalms. This is derived from the verb
zamar, “to make music,” and oh, what music we
find in the Psalms! While much of our Christian music
today is shallow to say the least, what we find in the
Psalms is very depths of theology and spiritual truth.
The Hebrew mizmor occurs only
in the Psalms and always in the title (3-6; 8; 9; 11-15;
18-41; etc.). It seems to designate a praise song or a
song accompanied by some kind of musical instrument. The
latter is all the more significant since in thirty-four
psalms the words, “To the chief Musician,” also
appear.
We see the
same idea in the Greek. The English word “psalm” comes
from the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old
Testament translated in the third and second centuries
BC). The Greek psalmos refers to a sacred, inspired poem of praise,
which was actually designed to be sung with the
accompaniment of a stringed musical instrument, such as
the harp, the lute, or the lyre (all of which are in the
guitar family). In fact, Psalmoi, the Greek title of the book of Psalms,
originally meant plucking the strings of a musical
instrument.[i]
I am always reminded
here of those dear Christians who do not believe that
musical instruments in the church are proper because
none are mentioned in the New Testament. While we
appreciate their desire for purity, the Apostle Paul
used the word psalmos in Ephesians 5:19 and
Colossians 3:16, clearly demonstrating that musical
instruments were not only used, but were commonly
accepted as any other thing in society. Likewise, James
writes, “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is
any merry? let him sing psalms” (Jas. 5:13). Here we see
the word psallo, a verb that means to twang the
string of a musical instrument. Neither Paul nor James
made an issue of such a practice because there was no
issue to make.
So it was
that under the influence of the Septuagint
and Christianity, psalmos eventually came to mean “song of praise.”
Indeed, the Psalms were written to be sung. Why? As we
see in Ephesians 5:19, the very first manifestation of
being “filled with the Spirit” (v. 18) is singing.
There is nothing more indicative of the Spirit-filled
life than the expression of song. Moses sang and taught the people to do so (Ex.
15; Deut. 32). They then sang along the journey to the
Promised Land (Num. 21:17). Deborah and Barak sang
praise to God (Judg. 5), David sang with all his heart
(Ps. 104:33), and Hezekiah’s singers in-turn sang the
words of David (II Chron. 29:28-30). Further, Nehemiah’s
singers sang (Neh. 12:42), Jesus and His disciples sang
at the Last Supper (Matt. 26:30), and Paul and Silas
sang as they sat in chains in prison (Acts 16:25). So
foundational is singing that at creation even “the
morning stars sang together” (Job 38:7). At the other
end of creation, we see an innumerable host of angels
singing and then see the whole redeemed creation joining
in the chorus (Rev. 5:11-13). Is there any doubt that
singing should permeate the believer’s
life?
Authorship
and Date
Most (73) of the 150
Psalms were penned by David. As for the others, eleven
were written by the sons of Korah, a family of Levitical
singers (42-49; 84; 85; 87), another twelve by Asaph
(50; 73-83), two by Solomon (72; 127), and one each by
Heman (88, the saddest of all the Psalms), Ethan (89),
and Moses (90). The remaining forty-eight are unknown,
or at least uncertain. Additionally, while there is a
great time span due to the numerous authors (1450 to 430
BC) most were penned during the times of David and
Solomon (tenth-century BC), before the division of the
kingdom.
Classifications of the Psalms
There are several
different types of Psalms.
First, there
are Historical Psalms, which recall passages from the
nation’s history (78; 105; 106; 136). Taken together,
they summarize the highlights of virtually all of
Israel’s history.
Second, there
are Penitential Psalms, which refer to some intense
sorrow for sin and return to God (6; 32; 38; 51; 102;
130; 143).
Third, there
are Psalms of lament, which express sadness, suffering,
distress, fear, or even anger. It’s significant that
Psalms of lament are more plenteous than any other type,
some sixty-two, in fact (e.g., 10; 25; 39; 51; 74; 86;
102; 120). That fact says much about the value of the
Psalms for us today, as we will see a little later in
this introduction.
Fourth, there
are Thanksgiving Psalms, which contain jubilant
thanksgiving for God’s blessing (8; 18; 19; 29; 30;
32–34; 36; 40; 41; 66; 103–106; 111; 113; 116; 117; 124;
129; 135; 136; 138; 139; 146–148;
150).
Fifth, there
are Hallelujah Psalms, which begin or end with the
words, “Praise ye the Lord,” and are especially devoted
to praise (146-150).
Sixth, there
are Didactic (or Wisdom) Psalms, which deal with formal
instruction and contrast the God’s with man’s wickedness
(1; 5; 7; 15; 17; 37; 50; 73; 94; 101;
119).
Seventh,
there are the Psalms of “Ascents” (or Pilgrimage and
“Degrees”), a group of Psalms (120-134) that formed a
hymnbook for pilgrims going to the Temple in Jerusalem
for the annual feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and
Tabernacles.
Eighth, there
are Messianic Psalms, which speak of the coming Messiah
and His kingdom (2; 20-24; 41; 68; 118). As one writer
puts it:
Some of the Old Testament’s most
minute prophecies of Christ are found here. They are
about His person (God and man); His character (righteous
and holy); His word (death and resurrection); and His
offices (priest, judge, and king).[ii]
Ninth, there
are the Imprecatory Psalms, which call down judgment and
wrath upon God’s enemies (7; 35; 40; 52; 55; 58; 59; 69;
79; 83; 109; 137; 139; 140; 144). Some Bible students
are perplexed by these psalms and question whether they
are valid or even godly. They ask, “Is it really right
to call down God’s judgment on people?” While offensive
to the tolerant attitude of our day, the answer is,
“Yes.” To those who say, “It’s not loving to pray such a
prayer,” we would answer, “Wait a moment. Who exactly
are we talking about we speak of love? Do we love man in
his wickedness and rebellion more than we love the holy,
righteous God of the universe?” Why are such prayers
right? Because the ultimate end of such prayers is for
God to uphold His honor and righteousness by punishing
sin and rebellion against His law.[iii] Now, to make it
clear, such prayers are not for our revenge, but
for God’s righteousness.
In addition to these
categories, several of the psalms (9; 10; 25; 34; 37;
111; 112; 119; 145) are what are called an “acrostic.”
This is a literary tool where the first letter of the
first word in each verse of a psalm is a letter of the
twenty-two letter Hebrew alphabet in alphabetical order.
This tool aided in memorization. Psalm 119 is the best
example of this, and we’ll look at it in more depth in
our study of it.
Divisions of
the Book of Psalms
A fascinating feature of
the book of Psalms is how it is divided. While it’s not
divided according to themes or chronology, it is divided
into five books, with a doxology (a special
acknowledgment of praise to God) at the end of each.
Amazingly, this five-part division coincides with the
books of the Pentateuch. For centuries, in fact, Jews
have called it “The Pentateuch of David.” As one scholar
notes, “the number of psalms (150) follows closely the
number of sections in which the Pentateuch is divided
for reading in the synagogue.”[iv] In his typically unique
way, J. Sidlow Baxter calls it “A Poetic
Pentateuch.”[v] The following table
illustrates this miraculous division.
Psalms and Pentateuch
Parallel
|
Psalm
“Book” |
Pentateuch
Parallel |
Key
Psalms |
Doxology |
|
Book I
(1-41) |
Genesis: The Book of
The Beginning and Man |
1;
8 |
41:13 |
|
Book II
(42-72) |
Exodus: The Book of
Redemption and Passover |
49;
51 |
72:18-19 |
|
Book III
(73-89) |
Leviticus: The Book
of Sanctuary and Atonement |
78;
84 |
89:52 |
|
Book IV
(90-106) |
Numbers: The Book of
Wilderness and Sojourn |
90;
106 |
106:48 |
|
Book V
(107-150) |
Deuteronomy: The
Book of the Word and
Obedience |
119 |
150:6 |
God’s
Presence and Character in the Psalms
Another fascinating
feature in the Psalms is how God is pictured. The
Psalms do, in fact, mention more aspects of God’s nature
and character than does any other book of the
Bible. The following chart puts
this into perspective[vi] (references in Ps. 119
appear in bold text).
God’s Nature and Character in the
Psalms
|
Character Attribute
|
Psalm
References |
|
Accessible |
15:1;
16:11:23:6; 24:3-4; 65:4;
145:18 |
|
Delivering |
106:43-45 |
|
Eternal |
90:2;
102:25-27; 106:48 |
|
Glorious |
8:1; 19:1;
57:5; 63:2; 79:9; 90:16; 93:1; 96:3; 102:16;
104:1,31; 111:3; 113:4, 138:5;
145:5,11-12 |
|
Good |
23:6; 25:8; 31:19;
33:5; 34:8; 52:1; 65:4; 68:10; 86:5; 104:24;
107:8; 119:68;
145:9 |
|
Gracious |
116:5 |
|
Great |
86:10 |
|
Holy |
22:3; 30:4;
47:8; 48:1; 60:6; 89:35; 93:5; 99:3,5,9;
145:17 |
|
Immutable |
102:26-27 |
|
Just |
9:4; 51:4;
89:14; 98:9; 99:3-4 |
|
Kind |
17:7; 24:12; 25:6;
26:3; 31:21; 36:7,10; 40:10-11; 42:7-8; 48:9;
63:3; 89:33,49; 92:2; 103:4; 107:43; 117:2;
119:76,88,149;
138:2; 143:8 |
|
Long-suffering |
78:38;
86:15 |
|
Merciful |
6:2,4; 25:6, 31:7,
32:5; 36:5; 51:1; 52:8; 62:12; 86:5,15; 89:28;
103:4,8,11,17; 106:1; 107:1; 115:1; 118:1-4,29;
119:64;
130:7; 136:1-26; 145:9;
147:11 |
|
The Most
High |
83:18 |
|
Omnipresent |
139:7 |
|
Omniscient |
139:1-6 |
|
Powerful |
8:3; 21:13;
29:5; 37:17; 62:11; 63:1-2; 65:6; 66:7; 68:33,35;
79:11; 89:8,13; 106:8;
136:12 |
|
Promise
Keeping |
89:3-4,35-36; 105:42
|
|
Provident |
16:8; 31:15; 33:10;
36:6; 37:28; 39:5; 73:16; 75:6-7; 77:19;
91:3-4,11; 104:5-9,27-28; 119:15;
121:4; 127:1-2; 136:25; 139:1-5,10; 140:7;
145:9,17; 147:9 |
|
Righteous |
5:8; 7:9,17; 11:7;
19:9; 22:31; 31:1; 35:24,28: 36:6,10; 40:10;
48:10; 50:6; 51:14; 69:27; 71:2,15-16,19,24;
73:12-17; 85:10; 96:13; 97:2,6; 98:2,9; 103:17;
111:3; 116:5; 119:7,40,62,123,137-38,142,144,172;
143:1,11;
145:7,17 |
|
Sovereign |
2:4-5; 3:3;
72:5 |
|
True |
9:14; 11:7; 19:9;
25:10; 31:5; 33:4; 57:3,10; 71:22; 85:10; 86:15;
89:14,49; 96:13; 98:3; 100:5, 119:160;
139:2; 146:6 |
|
Unified |
83:18;
86:10 |
|
Unsearchable |
145:3 |
|
Upright |
25:8;
92:15 |
|
Wise |
1:6; 44:21;
73:11; 103:14; 104:24; 136:5; 139:2-4,12; 142:3;
147:5 |
|
Wrathful |
2:2-5,12; 6:1;
7:11-12; 21:8-9; 30:5; 38:1; 39:10; 58:10-11;
74:1-2; 76:6-8; 78:21-22;,49-51,58-59; 79:5; 80:4;
89:30-32; 90:7-9,11; 99:8;
102:9-10 |
Is there any wonder
that praise is central to the Psalms? If you want to
meet God, read the Psalms. How
appropriate that is because that is what we should sing
about! (See the Appendix.) This leads to another feature
of the Psalms.
Themes in
the Psalms
Because of its
diversity, there are actually many themes in the Psalms.
We’ve mentioned several already: worship, praise, sin,
righteousness, and Messianic prophecy. There is one
theme, however, that is woven throughout the Psalms,
namely, true spirituality.
Many people in the world
today believe and teach that there are “many ways to
God” and many ways to “be spiritual.” A common phrase
is, “I’m not really religious, but I feel that I am a
very spiritual person.” What a deadly deception! Such people have
no idea what “spirituality” really means.
The Psalms, however,
declare exactly what true spirituality involves. In his
wonderful book, The Message of the Old
Testament, pastor and author Dr.
Mark Dever masterfully overviews the Psalms by
presenting the seven characteristics of biblically
spiritual people as revealed in the Psalms. Here is just
a very small taste of that theme.[vii]
First, a
truly spiritual life is characterized by
praise-giving. As 145 begins: “David's Psalm of
praise. I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will
bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless
thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.”
Biblical spirituality is at all times focused on
God. In sad contrast, much of
Christian ministry today is focused not on God but on
people, giving them what they want. At the risk of
sounding unloving, we are compelled to say that such an
attitude is not spiritual. True spirituality never
focuses on man. Only those whose desire is to praise God
alone are truly spiritual.
Second, a
truly spiritual life is characterized by
honesty. By this is meant
that we honestly express suffering and distress. As
mentioned earlier, some sixty-two of the Psalms are of
lament. In Psalm 86, for example, David prays, “O LORD,
hear me: for I am poor and needy. . . . In the day of my
trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me”
(vs. 1, 7). The truly spiritual person, then, can
honestly cry out to God in anguish and need, knowing
that that is the only place he can go.
Third, a
truly spiritual life is characterized by
remembering. In Psalm 136,
for example, we read the recurring phrase, “for his
mercy endureth for ever.” While we might be tempted here
to ask, “Doesn’t the writer know any other chord than
this?” there is a point to this repetition. In between
that recurring statement, the psalmist recounts the
history of Israel, but he wants to emphasize that it was
all by God’s mercy: “To him that smote Egypt in their
firstborn . . . brought out Israel from among them . . .
divided the Red sea into parts” (vs. 10-12), and so
forth. Now while we as Gentiles cannot share in such
remembrance because it is for Israel alone, we can
certainly share in what else the remembers: “To him who
alone doeth great wonders . . . by wisdom made the
heavens . . . stretched out the earth above the waters .
. . [and] that made great lights” (vs. 4-7). The truly
spiritual person, therefore, remembers all of what God
has done. This brings hope and power in
living.
Fourth, a
truly spiritual life is characterized by
morality. Psalm 1 paints a clear and dramatic
contrast between the godly and ungodly person, that is,
the truly spiritual person with the
fleshly person. The truly
spiritual person, then, is one who desires God’s Word
and obeys it.
Fifth, a
truly spiritual life is characterized by
changing. The seven Penitential Psalms listed
earlier teach us how to repent of our sin and change our
behavior so it coincides with God’s will and God’s Word.
The person who does not recognize the sin in his
life and change that behavior is not at all
spiritual. It is the spiritual person who
recognizes sin, repents of that sin, and
rules his life according to
truth.
Sixth, a
truly spiritual life is characterized by
trusting. Psalm 62, for example, declares, “Truly
my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I
shall not be greatly moved. . . . Trust in him at all
times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is
a refuge for us” (vs. 1-2, 8). The truly
spiritual person trusts God and His work alone,
with nothing added. Here is truly one of the greatest
(if not the greatest) tests
of spirituality. Indeed, many people today, even some
true Christians, claim to “be spiritual” but disregard
God’s Word as the sole authority. That is not
spirituality.
Seventh and
finally, a truly spiritual life is characterized by
thanksgiving. Thanksgiving
permeates the psalms and will likewise fill the
spiritual person’s life. The spiritual person’s life is
characterized by thanksgiving for what God has done,
what He continues to do, and what He will always do in
us. Such thanksgiving will be always on our lips, on our
faces, in our attitudes, and in our actions. Nowhere is
it better summed up than in Psalm 30:12: “silent. O LORD
my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.”
Dear Christian, are you
truly spiritual? This leads us right to one last
consideration.
Value of the
Psalms Today
Are the Psalms really of
any value to the New Testament believer? What about the
Old Testament in general? After all, the “Old Covenant”
was about the old sacrificial system, the old temple,
and so forth. The key word in the Book of Hebrews, in
fact, is the word “better,” a better sacrifice, a better
priesthood, a better everything. Additionally, since the
Epistles, of course, are the most valuable to the Church
and must drive it in all matters, of what value is the
Old Testament?
There are actually
several observations we could make here, but perhaps the
most important is that the Old Testament provides the
New Testament believer with many examples of how to
live. Paul, for example, wrote to the Corinthians that
the experiences of the Israelites in the wilderness
serve as examples to us and admonish us to right
behavior (I Cor. 11:6, 11). A basic principle of Bible
interpretation is that while not all the Bible is
written directly to the Church, all Scripture is
most certainly profitable for
the Church. Paul made this very clear to Timothy: “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, thoroughly furnished unto all good
works” (II Tim. 3:16-17).
Coming to the
Psalms, then, we discover that they are, indeed,
“profitable” in that they are wonderfully and amazingly
practical. As one
dispensational writer submits:
We in the church can learn
important lessons from teachings which are primarily
Jewish. The Jewish temple can be considered a
prefigurement of the body of Christ, made up of all
believers and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The battles in
the Psalms speak to us of our spiritual warfare against
principalities and powers, against the forces of
darkness in the heavenly places. The material blessings of Israel on earth
point us to our spiritual blessings in the
heavenlies in Christ—and so forth. If we use these keys,
the Psalms become richly meaningful to us, and many of
the problems in interpretation
disappear.[viii]
That is well said.
While the actual forms in the Old Testament are
distinctly and only Jewish, they still provide
applicable figures. While the procedures
no long apply, the pictures
most certainly do. In short, the Old Testament provides
us with illustrations of New Testament truths.
Abraham Lincoln told
several friends of his fondness for the Psalms. He once
told Rebecca Pomeroy, a nurse who had resided at the
White House after Willie’s death in 1862, of his love
for the Psalms: “They are the best, for I find in them
something for every day of the week.”[ix] In his masterpiece, the
Second Inaugural Address (1865), he quoted Scripture no
less than four times, the last of which was Psalm 19:9:
“the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous
altogether.”
Others have praised the
unequalled value of the Psalms. The great reformer
Martin Luther called the Psalms “A Bible in miniature.”
W. E. Gladstone, the great English statesman, said, “All
the wonders of the Greek civilization heaped together
are less wonderful than the simple Book of Psalms.”
Southern Baptist scholar and professor H. I. Hester
observes, “The Psalter has become the text book of
Christian devotion.”[x] Hymn Writer and composer
Thomas Hastings wrote:
[The Psalms] has molded and
colored the best men’s best feelings, and given words to
their most ardent prayers. Its voice has blended with
the battle-cries and cradle-songs of Christendom. What
passionate confessions and petitions and thanksgivings
have found utterance in its verses! What multitudes of
the dying have spend their last breath on its
syllables—since the day when Jesus Himself died with a
text our of the Psalms upon His lips.[xi]
Early Church Father
Ambrose said:
Although all Scripture breatheth
the grace of God, yet sweet beyond all others is the
Book of Psalms. History instructs, the Law teaches,
Prophecy announces, rebukes, chastens, Morality
persuades; but in the Book of Psalms we have the fruit
of all these, and a kind of medicine for the salvation
of men.[xii]
With all that in mind, let
us meditate on five values that the Psalms give us.
First, they
contribute greatly to biblical theology in general. As
one scholar writes, “If the Jews had only the Psalter
(many must have memorized large numbers of psalms), they
still would have had a profound understanding of their
faith.”[xiii] That is a profound
statement. When we think of the Law that God gave the
Jews, as recorded in the first five books of the Bible
(the Pentateuch, the “Torah” to the Jews), it is an
amazing observation that it all they had were the
Psalms, their faith would still have been clear. As the
same author goes on to note, the Psalms provide the very
“bone and marrow” of our faith. They provide, for
example, sweeping summaries of history (78, 105, 106,
136), instructions in piety (1, 119), celebrations of
creation (8, 19, 104), knowledge of God’s judgment (37,
49, 73), assurances of God’s constant care (103), and
awareness of His sovereignty over all nations (2,
110).
I would here encourage
every single Christian believer that he or she should
have a love for theology. I personally love Systematic
Theology and collect works dedicated to this study,
because theology is the very core and foundation of
study of one who enters the preaching and teaching
ministry. While not every Christian needs that depth of
study, he or she should have a basic love for theology,
a desire to know God.
A pastor friend recently
told me that a man in his church came to him and said,
“I have been listening to you preach for a year, and I
would now like to ask you if you would be willing to
teach me Systematic Theology?” The pastor was floored by
that, as he had never been asked such a question in his
thirty years of ministry. For the next year, then, the
pastor went to that man’s home and taught him the basic
disciplines of Systematic Theology.
Again, while such depth is
not necessary for everyone, a basic knowledge is
critical. It is interesting that the old Scottish
ministers used to go to the homes of their congregation
catechizing so that God’s people would be educated. Not
only should pastors be preaching doctrine, but God’s
people should be reading it.[xiv]
Second,
more specifically, the Psalms teach us to worship. As we
have noted, worship, praise, and thanksgiving permeate
the Psalms. In a day when true worship is rare, reading
the Psalms will challenge us to worship and will
teach us how to worship.
A key passage in Psalms is
found in 95:6-7a: “Oh, come, let us worship and bow
down; let us kneel before the LORD our maker. For He is
our God.” Again, such exhortation is a recurring theme
in the Psalms:
But as for me [David], I will
come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and
in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple. (Ps.
5:7)
Give unto the LORD the glory due
unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of
holiness. (29:2)
So shall the king greatly desire
thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.
(45:11)
All nations whom thou hast made
shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall
glorify thy name. (86:9)
O worship the LORD in the beauty
of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
(96:9)
Exalt ye the LORD our God, and
worship at his footstool; for he is holy. . . . Exalt
the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the
LORD our God is holy. (99:5,
9)
We will go into his tabernacles:
we will worship at his footstool.
(132:7)
I [David] will worship toward thy
holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness
and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word
above all thy name. (138:2).[xv]
Of special note is
66:4: “All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing
unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.” We key
in here because of that little word “Selah,” which
appears 71 times in the Psalms and three times in a
prayer by Habakkuk (3:3, 9, 13), which was set to a
tune, and directed to the chief singer. It is not
surprising that is it omitted in the corrupt Latin
Vulgate, but does appear in the Septuagint and is
translated as diapsalma,
which refers to some variation or modulation of the
voice in singing.
While the precise
meaning is not known for sure, several possibilities
have been offered. Some think it derives from a root
(sal) that means “to raise,
elevate, lift up” and suppose that it directs an
elevation in the voice, to sing louder, or to pitch the
tune up to a higher key, because there is nobler matter
to come. Others view it an affirmation of the truth of
something, whether good or bad, and render it “verily”
or “truly, corresponding to the idea of “Amen,” that is,
“so be it,” “so shall it be.”
The most common
view, however, is that this is a musical notation that
means a pause and musical interlude and is derived from
the word salah, “to strew or spread out,”
implying that the subject to which the word is attached
should be spread out, meditated upon, strewn out in
front of us that we might attentively consider it. It
often follows a noteworthy statement, whether good or
bad, to indicate a pause for silent reflection while the
instruments play an interlude or harmony. This seems to
be the most probable meaning. It seems that when we read
this word, we are encouraged to pause, reflect,
meditate, and consider carefully what has been said.
This is all the more probable by its use in Psalm 9:16:
“The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth:
the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.
Higgaion. Selah.” The transliterated word
Higgaion means meditation,
musing, and thinking in the heart.
So, how we should, indeed,
reflect and meditate on Psalm 66:4: “All the earth shall
worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing
to thy name. Selah.” And how we should reflect and
meditate on other such statements:
Who is this King of glory? The
LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah. (Ps.
24:10)
In God we boast all the day long,
and praise thy name for ever. Selah.
(44:8)
And the heavens shall declare his
righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.
(50:6)
Let them know that God ruleth in
Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.
(59:13)
Trust in him at all times; ye
people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge
for us. Selah. (62:8)
All the earth shall worship thee,
and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name.
Selah. (66:4)
Blessed be the Lord, who daily
loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.
Selah. (68:19)
Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the
earth; O sing praises unto the Lord; Selah:
(68:32)
I stretch forth my hands unto
thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land.
Selah. (143:6)
And so many
more! Oh, Dear Christian, let the Psalms teach you
to worship. There is a lot of noise going on in our
churches today, but that is not worship. Worship is
contemplation, meditation, and consideration of God. And
if that is what we want, we need only pick up the Book
of Psalms. Would that we today had the attitude that
Spurgeon did when he commented on Psalm
150:
We have now reached the last
summit of the mountain chain of Psalms. It rises high
into the clear azure, and its brow is bathed in the
sunlight of the eternal world of worship, it is a
rapture. The poet prophet is full of inspiration and
enthusiasm. He slays not to argue, to teach, to explain;
but cries with burning words, “Praise him, Praise him,
Praise ye the LORD.”
Third, the
Psalms are of great comfort in times of sorrow and
distress. As also mentioned earlier, the Penitential and
Lament Psalms show us that all believers, no matter what
time period they live, have the same needs and suffer
the same sorrows. The Psalms, like no other part of
Scripture, address our distress, doubt, and
discouragement.
The Psalms challenge us in
our sin:
Have mercy upon me, O God,
according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the
multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my
transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my
transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against
thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in
thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou
speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. . . . Create
in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit
within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take
not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of
thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
(51:1-4,10-12)
The Psalms also encourage
us in our distress:
O my God, I trust in thee: let me
not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. .
. . Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am
desolate and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are
enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses.
(25:2,16-17)
I am troubled; I am bowed down
greatly; I go mourning all the day long. For my loins
are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no
soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and sore broken: I
have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart. .
. . For in thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O
Lord my God. (38:6-8,15)
Jonah is one of the
greatest examples in Scripture of how we can turn to the
Psalms in times of trouble. Have you ever thought of the
terror that Jonah must have felt? Most of us have seen
the movie Jaws and have
thought about that terror, but Jonah found himself alive
in the belly of this beast, alone in the dark, and
stench, and stifling heat. What did he do? Finding
himself in “the belly of hell” (Jonah 2:2), he cried out
to God in 2:1-9, and his prayer is positively saturated
with quotations from and allusions to the Psalms (22:14;
27:13; 31:6, 22; 66:13-15; 69:1, 2, 14, 15; 116:3;
119:81-83). If the Psalms could comfort Jonah as he lay
in the belly of a great fish, how much comfort will they
give us in far less trying times? J. Sidlow Baxter, puts
the matter well:
To all the godly these Psalms are
an unmatched treasury of devotion, of comfort, of
sympathy, and of gladdening reassurance. They are the
sighing and singings of “men of like passions” with
ourselves; yet the very breath of heaven is in
them.[xvi]
Fourth, the
Psalms teach us how to live; they teach us how to
live godly and to follow God’s Word, a truth that well prepares us for Psalm 119.
The word “teach” appears some twenty-five times in the
Psalms. We read for example:
Show me thy ways, O LORD; teach
me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for
thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all
the day. (25:4-5)
So teach us to number our days,
that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
(90:12)
Teach me to do thy will; for thou
art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of
uprightness. (143:10)
Significantly, “teach”
appears nine times in Psalm 119. Indeed, if you want to
know how to live in this world, read the Psalms. The
truths here are timeless, never out of date. To live
rightly in the twenty-first century A.D., we need only
read what was written mostly during the ten-century B.C.
Combining these three principles, we see a final value
of the Psalms.
Fifth, the
Psalms are unequalled in their usefulness for devotional
reading and meditation. On this point, one writer puts
it well:
The Psalms are unsurpassed for
devotional reading. Every reader can identify with them
because their authors write as those totally dependent
on God’s grace and mercy, which he gives to undeserving
sinners. Only eternity will reveal how many souls in
desperation have fled to a psalm for help and
strength.[xvii]
That last statement is
especially noteworthy. Book publishers are quick to
announce how man copies of a book have sold, or how many
lives have been touched by a certain title written by
the latest self-help guru, but only eternity will reveal
how many people have been transformed by just this one
part of God’s Word.
Every Christian
would do well to take a year to read the Psalms. There
are 2,439 verses in the Psalms, which can be read in
about one year by reading 6.66 verses per day. To make
that practical, one could read five to eight verses a
day. Several Psalms, in fact, are five to eight verses
in length. The others can be divided accordingly.
Reading short portions allows plenty of time for
meditation. A useful supplement would be to also read a
short commentary, such as the one-volume commentary on
the whole Bible, Believer’s Bible
Commentary by William MacDonald
(Thomas Nelson), which contains a wonderful section on
Psalms.
This short introduction to
the Psalms has been meant not only to set the stage for
Psalm 119, but also to encourage each of us to see the
value of the Psalms and the power and influence they can
have on our lives. Let us, therefore, desire their
wisdom and visit them often. I would close with these
words by the aforementioned commentator William
MacDonald:
If you were to be marooned on a
desert island with only one book of the Bible, which one
would you choose? Frankly, I hope I never have to make
this choice, but if I had to, I think I would choose the
Psalms! Their range of subjects is so vast, their
catalog of life’s experiences so full and their worship
so exalted that I would be well supplied with rich
spiritual food and powerful fuel for praises and prayer
for a long time to come.[xviii]
[i] Brown, Vol. 3, pp.
671–672.
[ii] Irving Jensen,
Jensen’s Survey of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1978), p.
277.
[iii] Baxter has an excellent
discussion of the answers to the objections that are
leveled at the imprecatory psalms (Vol. 3, pp.
111-118).
[iv] William Sanford
LaSor (et. al.), Old Testament Survey (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing, 1982), p.
511.
[vi] Based on data
compiled in John MacArthur, MacArthur’s Quick
Reference Guide to the Bible
(Nashville: W Publishing Group, 2001), pp.
87-88.
[vii] Mark Dever The
Message of the Old Testament
(Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2006), pp.
483-505.
[viii] MacDonald, p. 548
(emphasis added).
[ix] Cited in Ronald
White, The Eloquent President (New York: Random
House, 2005), p. 300, from Rebecca Pomeroy, “What His
Nurse New,” Magazine of History 32, no. 1 (extra no. 125; 1926), p.
47.
[x] H. I. Hester,
The Heart of Hebrew History: A Study of the Old
Testament (Liberty, MO: the
William Jewel Press, 1949), p.
204.
[xi] The Speakers
Bible, Vol. 1, Psalms, p. 254.
Cited in Hester, p. 204.
[xii] Cited in Baxter, p.
84.
[xiii] William Sanford La
Sor, David Allan Hubbard, Frederic William Bush, Old
Testament Survey (Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 1982, 1989), p. 530.
[xiv] Two good basic
books are: Major Bible Themes by Lewis Sperry
Chafer (Zondervan), and the Great Doctrines of the
Bible by William Evans (Moody
Press).
[xv] See our study of 119:132
for a deeper look at 138:2.
[xvi] Baxter, Vol. 3, p.
83.
