Read Psalm 119 C (v. 65-96)
ט Teth
65 Do good to your servant
according to your word, Lord.
66 Teach me knowledge and good judgment,
for I trust your commands.
67 Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I obey your word.
68 You are good, and what you do is good;
teach me your decrees.
69 Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies,
I keep your precepts with all my heart.
70 Their hearts are callous and unfeeling,
but I delight in your law.
71 It was good for me to be afflicted
so that I might learn your decrees.
72 The law from your mouth is more precious to me
than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.
י Yodh
73 Your hands made me and formed me;
give me understanding to learn your commands.
74 May those who fear you rejoice when they see me,
for I have put my hope in your word.
75 I know, Lord, that your laws are righteous,
and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
76 May your unfailing love be my comfort,
according to your promise to your servant.
77 Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight.
78 May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause;
but I will meditate on your precepts.
79 May those who fear you turn to me,
those who understand your statutes.
80 May I wholeheartedly follow your decrees,
that I may not be put to shame.
כ Kaph
81 My soul faints with longing for your salvation,
but I have put my hope in your word.
82 My eyes fail, looking for your promise;
I say, “When will you comfort me?”
83 Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke,
I do not forget your decrees.
84 How long must your servant wait?
When will you punish my persecutors?
85 The arrogant dig pits to trap me,
contrary to your law.
86 All your commands are trustworthy;
help me, for I am being persecuted without cause.
87 They almost wiped me from the earth,
but I have not forsaken your precepts.
88 In your unfailing love preserve my life,
that I may obey the statutes of your mouth.
ל Lamedh
89 Your word, Lord, is eternal;
it stands firm in the heavens.
90 Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
you established the earth, and it endures.
91 Your laws endure to this day,
for all things serve you.
92 If your law had not been my delight,
I would have perished in my affliction.
93 I will never forget your precepts,
for by them you have preserved my life.
94 Save me, for I am yours;
I have sought out your precepts.
95 The wicked are waiting to destroy me,
but I will ponder your statutes.
96 To all perfection I see a limit,
but your commands are boundless.
Go Deeper
Although we don’t know the exact situation this psalmist was in, we know it was dire. In verse 87 and 92 the author references he was close to death because of the affliction he was facing. Even though he could possibly die at the hand of these afflictions, he declares in both verses “…I have not forsaken your precepts.” The author of this Psalm is so devoted to the word of God even the threat of death would not cause him to ignore its wisdom and promise.
The Good News Translation of verse 82 says, “My eyes have become strained from looking for your promise.” Our current culture understands eye strain. Digital eye strain is a very real condition that we have all likely experienced as a result of working too long at a computer or scrolling too long on a phone. We are familiar with the blurred vision, dry eyes, or even headaches we’ve had after staring at a backlit screen for too long. But how many of us have experienced these symptoms as a result of searching diligently for promises in God’s word?
It’s the diligence of the Psalmist in not only searching for these promises, but also in believing that they will keep him afloat amidst the tumultuous battles he is facing. In these 32 verses of Psalm 119, we are given the picture of a person who is fragile and weak but:
- “but now I keep your word.” (v. 67)
- “but with my whole heart, I keep your precepts.” (v. 69)
- “but I delight in your law.” (v. 70)
- “but I have not forsaken your precepts” (v. 87)
The author is modeling 2 Corinthians 4:8-10. He is “afflicted in every way, but not cursed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.” May we follow the example of this psalmist, and be a people of faith whose eyes are strained from reading and believing the promises of God’s word and whose eyes are fixed on Jesus, even amidst the battles we face.
Questions
- When you are faced with affliction, what is your initial response?
- Psalm 119:17 says “The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.” Would you say that you highly value God’s word? Why or why not?
- Re-read Psalm 119: 89-96 and spend some time thanking God for the unchanging nature of his word.
A Quote
Psalm 119: 89 says “Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.” In a time when things tend to be ever changing and never settled, be encouraged by Charles Spurgeon’s thoughts on this verse:
“After tossing about on a sea of trouble the Psalmist here leaps to shore and stands upon a rock. Jehovah’s word is not fickle nor uncertain; it is settled, determined, fixed, sure, immovable. Man’s teachings change so often that there is never time for them to be settled; but the Lord’s word is from old, the same, and will remain unchanged eternally.”
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4 thoughts on “Psalm 119: Part Three (v. 65-96)”
God is good all the time.
He does what is good, He overrules evil and brings good from it. God uses His Word to show us His goodness. His Word is instructions for our life. We have the love of God to comfort us and the promises of God to encourage us. Maybe our circumstances are not fun BUT GOD can use them to spread His gospel if we listen and obey. When all else fails read our instruction manual=The Bible. Most likely we will get tired along the way but we have the HOPE. We may also question God, Hebrew 6:12 NIV We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. Believing and patience, trusting and reviving, vs 88 “Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth. God is faithful. His Word have promises and they can never fail. He is on His throne and the world is in His hands so we have to get moving to do our part to show the world HE IS GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
God thank You for Your promises. Thank You for Your Word being a comfort, encouragement, instructions for life. Thank You for reviving me toYour ways. Thnak You for times of afflictions that I never lose sight of You. Thank You for seeing Your people through Your love goggles and speaking Your words of love to them. God continue to show me how to bless those around me. I thank You that I go with joy to serve and with praise and thanksgiving for how good You are. God help me to live this day to Your fullest, to give myself away to others, and to be kind to those around me. Help me to love the lost so that You are proclaimed in every way. I give You praise, praise, and more praise in Jesus name amen
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When a phrase is repeated in scripture I take notice. The psalmist reiterates this thought twice in these few verses, “For I have put my hope in your word” (v74, 81). Not only was the psalmist informed of God’s goodness, (information) he believed and relied upon the sovereignty of God (transformation). The wisdom and comforts of this world deform us, only by a steady renewal of our minds by the Holy Spirit and his word are we transformed. Romans 12:2 says,
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will —his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
78 “May the arrogant be put to shame”
This passage references “the arrogant” several times. Interesting that this is the word used to describe the writer’s adversaries.
Lord, heal me of my arrogance!
LOVING GOD’S LAW
Reflections on Psalm 119
Years ago, when Harris Creek was on the OLD campus (on Church Road), we had a Women’s Retreat where we spent most of the weekend diving into Psalm 119.
I remember I was struggling with some pretty heavy difficulties at the time.
We were asked to pick one verse from the chapter that resonated with us most deeply. No small task, obviously, given Psalm 119 has over 170 to choose from!
I’ll never forget what I chose that day:
“It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees” (verse 71).
Now, almost 20 years later, I’ve been struggling with some really heavy difficulties. Again. And this particular season has been longer, heavier, and full of more suffering than I could ever have imagined.
But suffering and struggle – that is, affliction – draw us so deeply into God’s word, and so much closer to God, period.
Yesterday I unexpectedly came across the link to my re:gen testimony. Since that was over a year ago, and I’m still struggling, I thought I could use a reminder of the words I spoke from a powerful place of God’s healing and transformation. So I listened.
It’s an eerie thing to listen to yourself… preach TO yourself.
One comment in particular sticks with me as I read this passage and meditate on verse 71.
“I knew God’s word. I knew how to read it. I knew how to study it. I even knew how to teach it.
But until [this experience], I never knew how much I NEEDED it.”
I then went on to illustrate how I used the Bible Memory App to embed God’s word into my mind and heart.
As I read this portion of Psalm 119, I’m reminded (again) of the role suffering plays in seeking God.
“It was GOOD for me to be afflicted – that I might learn your statutes.”
God uses suffering to such sacred purpose!