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Church of the Nazarene – East Rockingham Campus
The Psalms Part 4- Psalm 119
The essential nature of God’s word.
Today we are concluding our teaching series in the book of Psalms.
We are doing an intentional deep dive into 4 different Psalms. Our goal is to study each Psalm to understand how these words from thousands of years ago still offer wisdom and hope for our lives today.
The book of psalms is a large collection of poems written by various different authors across the span of 1000 years.
Many of these poems were lyrical in nature and intended to be set with music. The content of these psalms covers a large range of our human experience and relationship with God.
Their diversity makes them a valuable tool for our faith walk today.
our series concludes today in Psalm 119
Psalms 119:1-8
Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart— they do no wrong but follow his ways. You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands. I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws. I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me.
Psalm 119 is the single longest chapter in the entire bible.
It has 176 verses, containing 2,445 words in the NIV.
It’s also interesting that Psalm 119 is organized into an acrostic so that it would be easy to memorize.
There are 22 sections, each section containing 8 verses, and each verse begins with the same letter of the alphabet.
One more thing before we begin, there are 8 to 10 different terms that refer to the word of the Lord. You will see things like Law, statutes, ways, precepts, decrees, word, promise, and command.
While all of these different terms have nuance in their meaning, and emphasize different aspects of God’s word, we should understand for our study today that they are all pointing back to the expressed and written word of the Lord himself.
Psalms 119:1-3
Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart— they do no wrong but follow his ways.
The life of blessing is marked out by a few specific things
Blessed are those who ways are blameless or pure
Blessed are those who walk according to the law of the Lord,
Blessed are those who keep his statutes.
This picture is of someone who lives their every day, ordinary life from a place of relationship and devotion to the Lord and his word. This person Is not just someone who knows the word, it’s a picture of someone who LIVES the word.
The way they talk, the way they act, the way they relate to others, is all lived according to the word of God.
Psalms 119:4
You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed.
The relationship that Psalm 119 shows us with God’s word does not allow for us to make our own judgements, to be selective about what we think is important- it doesn’t allow us to skip the uncomfortable parts.
Friends, this is a good point to stop and look into the mirror of this passage and ask the hard question: Do I believe this? Do I view the instructions and words of the Lord as essential to be fully obeyed in my life?
Psalms 119:5-8
Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands. I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws. I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me.
I think if we spend some honest time reflecting on our relationship with Gods word, and how we are doing in living it out.
I think if we are humble and honest, we might arrive at a place of feeling a little low. Desperate maybe. Realizing that we need help in this area.
Friends, I think that’s what the Psalmist realizes too.
Psalm 119 continues for 21 more sections like this, each one looking to the Lord, holding God’s word and his instruction as the essential for life and relationship with the Lord.
Within this massive work, there is one subtle invitation i dont want us to miss.
The invitation to live into an essential relationship with God’s word.
Not just to see the facts about God’s word, but to experience it for yourself.
Will you commit to pursing the Lord in and through his word as an essential part of your life?