Psalm 119

Introduction

Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem. There are other acrostic poems in the psalter and you might recall that four of the five chapters of the book of Lamentations were acrostic poems. But none of them have matched the scale of Psalm 119, because this acrostic poem comprises not 22 verses to correspond with the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, but it comprises 22 stanzas. And each stanza contains eight verses; and all the verses in each stanza begin with the same letter. So, the first eight verses all begin with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet; and the next eight verses all begin with the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet and so on. If you’ve ever wondered as you’ve read Psalm 119 what the words Aleph and Beth and Gimel and so on mean — which appear through the psalm as headings — those are the names of the Hebrew letters. So, Aleph is the first and Taw is the last.

When we were studying the book of Lamentations, I said that some scholars suggest that the purpose of an acrostic poem is to help memorisation. So, if you knew which letter each verse began with, it would help you recall it. However, other scholars suggest that the purpose of an acrostic poem is to say what you want to say in an orderly way and it’s to ensure that you don’t leave anything out. You’ve covered the topic from, we would say, A to Z or they would say from Aleph to Taw. And so, you’ve said everything that needs to be said. And that means people would use acrostics for the sake of completeness.

And what is Psalm 119 about? It’s about God’s word, isn’t it? Nearly every verse of the psalm — and the psalm contains 176 verses — nearly every verse says something about God’s word: his law and his statutes and his precepts and his commands and his decrees and his promises. These are all synonyms for God’s word.

The psalm is straightforward and easy to understand. There’s nothing difficult in what the psalmist says. But the difficulty we have with the psalm is just how long it is. If you’ve begun a daily reading plan for 2025, which might involve reading chapters from the Old Testament and chapters from the New Testament and a psalm a day, then you might groan when you get to the day for Psalm 119 because it’s so long to read. And its length causes difficulties for the preacher. How should we preach on Psalm 119? If we preach on one stanza at a time, then that will take 22 weeks. And the psalmist repeats himself so that each sermon will be similar to the previous one. If we divide it into bigger chunks, how should we divide it?

As I’ve gone through the psalter, my preference has been to preach on a whole psalm each week because each psalm is a complete whole. Each psalm is a complete unit. But how can I possibly preach on all 176 verses this evening? Well, I’ve been inspired by one of the commentators who identified five themes or categories in Psalm 119 and who write about them. However, I’ve identified eleven or twelve themes or categories and we’ll spend our time on them.

Love for God’s word

And the first theme or category is love for God’s word. Again and again and again, the psalmist expresses his love for God’s word or the delight he takes in it.

Take a look at verse 14 where he says that he rejoices in following God’s statutes as one rejoices in great riches. In verse 16 he says he delights in God’s decrees and in verse 20 he says his soul is consumed with longing for God’s laws at all times. In verse 24 he calls God’s statutes his delight, because they are his counsellors. They counsel him and offer him guidance on the way to go. In verse 34 he says he wants to obey God’s law with all his heart. And in the next verse he asks God to direct him in the path of his commands, because there — in the path of God’s commands — he finds delight. He finds delight in following God’s laws. There’s no reluctance on his part. He doesn’t resent God for giving us his laws to keep. He doesn’t think God is spoiling his fun. He loves God’s law and he rejoices in it, because God makes clear to us in his word what is the absolutely best way for us to live.

And so, in verse 46, he says that he will speak of God’s statutes before kings. And then, in the next verse, he says that he delights in God’s commands and he loves them. And in verse 48, he once again declares his love for God’s commands. And because he loves them, he meditates on them. He ponders them and thinks about them and studies them.

And look at verse 54: God’s decrees are the theme of his song. So, he sings about God’s word. In verses 77 and 92 he once again calls it his delight. And in verse 96 he says that he sees a limit to all perfection, but God’s commands are boundless. Other people may say they are restricting. They limit our freedom. But that’s not how the psalmist thinks of God’s commands.

And so, he says in verse 97: ‘Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.’ Many people today spend all day on Twitter and Instagram and TikTok, but he spends his day meditating on God’s word, which is much more worthwhile.

He says in verse 103 that God’s words are sweeter to him than honey. And in verse 111 he says they are the joy of his heart. According to verse 113, he loves God’s law. And in verse 127 he says he loves God’s commands more than he loves pure gold. He says in verse 129 that God’s statutes are wonderful. And in verse 131 he says that he longs for God’s commands. They are his delight, according to verse 142. And in verse 159 he says that he loves God’s precepts. According to verse 162, he rejoices in God’s promises and he loves God’s law. In verse 167 he says that he loves God’s statutes greatly. And in verse 174, he says that he longs for God’s salvation and that God’s law is his delight.

Oh, that the Lord would give to all of us the same attitude towards God’s word so that we would sing of it and delight in it and rejoice in it and love it and would want to meditate on it day and night and obey it from our heart.

Request to God for instruction

Since the psalmist loves God’s word, he frequently asks the Lord to instruct him in it.

And so, he asks the Lord in verse 12 to teach him his decrees. In verse 18 he asks the Lord to open his eyes so that he may see wonderful things in God’s law. Appreciating God’s law requires spiritual discernment which only the Lord can give us.

In the next verse he asks the Lord not to hide his commands from him. And in verses 26 and 27 he asks the Lord to teach him his decrees and to give him understanding of his precepts. In verse 29 he asks the Lord to keep him from deceitful ways. So, he asks for God’s help to keep him from the wrong path and to keep him on the right path of obedience.

In verse 33 he asks the Lord to teach him to follow his decrees and in verse 36 he asks the Lord to incline his heart towards God’s statutes. Because we’re sinners by birth, we’re naturally inclined to do evil. But God by his Spirit renews our hearts and redirects them.

In verse 64 he says that the earth is filled with God’s love. Therefore teach me your decrees. Since God is good to us, then it’s only right that we respond to his kindness with grateful obedience. So, teach us to obey and by obeying to display our thankfulness.

In verse 66 he asks the Lord to teach him knowledge and good judgment. And according to verse 68, he wants God to teach him his decrees. In verse 73 he says that God made and formed him. Therefore give me understanding to learn God’s commands. Since God made us, he knows what is best for us and what is the right way to live. And in verse 80 he prays for his heart to be blameless towards God’s decrees. Once again, he’s asking the Lord to incline his heart to obedience.

He again asks the Lord to teach him his laws in verse 108. And he asks the same in verse 124. In the next verse — verse 125 — he asks for discernment to understand God’s statutes. And in verse 135 he once again asks the Lord to teach him his decrees. In verse 144 he asks the Lord to give him understanding that he may live. He wants to understand God’s laws because in them God has shown us the best way to live. He again asks for understanding in verse 169.

And so, before we read God’s word, or before we come to church on Sundays to hear the reading and preaching of God’s word, we should ask for the Lord to help us to understand what we hear. And not only should we ask him for understanding and discernment, but we should also ask for his help to obey his commands, because that’s how we display our gratitude and that’s how we honour him in our daily lives.

Resolved to obey

And God was clearly at work in the psalmist’s heart, because not only did he love God’s word, as we have already seen, but he also expresses in several verses his desire and resolution to obey God’s laws and commands.

We see it in verse 8 where he says that he will obey God’s decrees. In verse 10 he says that he will seek God with all his heart. And he seeks God by walking in God’s ways. That’s why he immediately asks the Lord to prevent him from going astray from God’s commands. If we walk in God’s ways by obeying his commands, we will not go far from him.

In verse 15 he says he will meditate on God’s precepts and will consider his ways. And he says in verse 23 that he will meditate on God’s decrees even when rulers and powerful people slander him. He is resolved to remain faithful to God no matter what.

In verse 30 he says that he has chosen the way of truth and he has set his heart on God’s laws. And in verse 32 he says he will run in the path of God’s commands because God has set his heart free. I’ve said before that people think God’s law is restrictive. It restricts our freedom. But the psalmist speaks of being set free and running — running with freedom and joy — along the path of obedience. And so, he says in verse 44 that he will always obey God’s law for ever and for ever. And when, according to verse 51, the arrogant mock him, he is resolved not to turn away from God’s law.

He says in verse 55 that he will keep God’s law and in verse 57 he says that he has promised to obey God’s words. In verse 59 he says that he has considered his ways and has has turned to his steps to God’s statutes. So, he’s thought about the way he was living and he’s decided now to walk in the ways of the Lord. And so, according to verse 60, he will hasten and not delay to obey. In the next verse he says that he will not forget God’s law even though the wicked are against him. In verse 78, he refers to the arrogant who wrong him without cause. Nevertheless he will meditate on God’s precepts. In verse 83 he says he will not forget God’s decrees and in verse 94 he says he has sought out God’s precepts. In the next verse, he again mentions the wicked who want to destroy him. But he will ponder God’s statutes.

In verse 101 he says that he has kept his feet from every evil path so that he might obey God’s word. He then says in the next verse that he has not departed from God’s laws. And in verse 106 he says he has taken an oath that he will follow God’s righteous laws. And not only has he taken an oath, but he says in verse 112 that he heart is set on keeping God’s decrees to the very end.

He refers to obeying God’s decrees in verse 145 and in verse 168 he says that he obeys God’s precepts and statutes. And in verse 173 he expects help from God, because he has chosen God’s precepts.

So, the psalmist loves God’s word; and he has asked the Lord to instruct him in it; and now he has declared his desire and resolution to keep God’s laws at all times, even when his enemies are against him. And may this be our desire as well as we begin a new year. Whatever happens to us, may we always chose to do God’s will and to walk in his ways, because this is how we honour him.

God’s promises

So far the emphasis has been on God’s laws and commands. In a number of verses, the psalmist refers to God’s promises which are also contained in his word.

So, in verse 38 he asks the Lord to fulfil his promise to his servant. He says in verse 50 that his comfort in his suffering is that God’s promise preserves his life. In other words, God has promised to preserve him. In verse 76 he refers to God’s unfailing love which is according to God’s promise. So, God has promised to love his people with an unfailing love. In verse 82 he says he’s looking for God’s promise. That is to say, he’s looking for what God has promised him.

Then in verse 116 he asks God to sustain him according to his promise. In verse 123 he once again writes about looking for God’s promise or looking for what God has promised him. In verse 133 he asks the Lord to direct his footsteps according to God’s word or promise. And in verse 140 he says that God’s promises have been thoroughly tested and he loves them. He loves them, because God’s promises never fail. God always does what he has promised to do. And so, the psalmist meditates on God’s promises throughout the night, according to verse 148. And in verse 154 he looks to the Lord to defend him and to redeem or release him. That is, he’s counting in God to preserve his life from danger according to God’s promise to him.

God’s word contains laws for us to keep and it contains promises for us to believe. And God’s promises are precious to believers, because they bring us comfort when we’re going through troubles and trials. They bring us comfort, because we believe God will do for us exactly what he has promised and he will rescue us and keep us for ever.

God’s love

This leads us to God’s love. The psalmist refers to God’s unfailing love, or his steadfast love, in verse 41. And you can see that it’s linked to God’s promise: God has promised to love his people with an everlasting love. And since God loves his people, the psalmist expects to receive good from the Lord in verse 65. In verse 88 he asks the Lord to preserve his life according to God’s love. In another verse he asked God to preserve his life according to his promise; here he asks the same, but according to God’s love. These are connected, because God’s promise to his people is to love us. And because he loves us, he cares for us. And in verse 149 he asks the Lord to hear his voice in accordance with his love. So, because God loves him, he knows that God will hear his cries. Interestingly, he also asks God to preserve his life according to his laws. So, he asks God to preserve his life according to his promise and according to his love and according to his laws. These three are linked, because, according to God’s law, he will punish the wicked and preserve his people, whom he has promised to love with a never-ending love.

And then, in verse 156 he says that God’s compassion — or his mercy — is great.

Affliction

He also refers occasionally to affliction. So, although God loves him, he sometimes suffers affliction. In fact, he suffers affliction not in spite of God’s love, but because of God’s love for him. So, in verse 67 he says that before he was afflicted he went astray. But now — now that I have been afflicted — I obey your word. Then in verse 71 he says that it was good for me to be afflicted, because that’s when he learned to keep God’s decrees. In verse 75 he says that in faithfulness God afflicted him. So, because of God’s faithfulness, God afflicted him. Because of God’s commitment to us, he may have to afflict us with trouble to keep us on the right path.

However, in verse 153 he asks the Lord to look upon his suffering and to deliver him, because he has not forgotten God’s law. So, sometimes God afflicts us because we’ve gone astray and he wants to bring us back to himself and back to the right path. But sometimes we suffer for other reasons: and not because we’re gone astray. Job’s suffered like that: he suffered, not for doing evil, but for doing what is right. But whatever the reason for our suffering, we can look to the Lord to deliver us, because his love for us never fails.

The wicked

The psalmist also says a lot about the wicked. He says in verse 21 that they are under God’s curse and they stray from God’s commands. In verse 53 he says indignation or anger grips him because of the wicked who have forsake God’s law. He says in verse 70 that their hearts are callous and unfeeling. They don’t love God’s law. According to verse 85, they dig pitfalls for the psalmist, which is contrary to God’s law. And he says in the next verse that they’re persecuting him without cause. They hate the psalmist because the psalmist loves the word of the Lord and they do not.

He says in verse 110 that the wicked have set a snare for him. And in verse 115 he tells them to get away from him. They are surrounding him to attack him. Because of the wicked, he asks the Lord to uphold him in verse 117. According to verse 118, God has rejected all who stray from his decrees. And so, according to verse 119, God will discard them like dross.

In verses 121 and 122 he asks the Lord not to leave him to his oppressors nor to let the arrogant oppress him. He does the same in verse 134. In verse 150 he says that those who devise wicked schemes are near him, but they are far from God’s law. And therefore, according to verse 155, salvation is far from them.

According to verse 158, he looks with loathing on the faithless because they do not obey God’s word. According to verse 161, his persecutors are rulers: powerful people. But according to verse 170, he looks to the Lord for deliverance.

So, who are the wicked? They are the ones who disregard God’s word; and they persecute the psalmist because he loves the Lord and his word. From this we learn that God’s word divides everyone in the world into one of two groups: those who love the Lord and his word and those who do not.

Fellowship

The psalmist faced enemies. But he also enjoys fellowship with those who love the Lord and his word. So, in verse 63 he says that he is a friend to all who fear God and who follow God’s precepts. And in verse 79 he hopes that all who fear God and who understand his precepts will turn to him. He wants the wicked to leave him alone, but he wants those who love the Lord and his word to come near.

God’s word divides the world. Those who hate God and his word may hate and persecute his people. But his people enjoy fellowship and friendship because they love the Lord and his word. And so, the word divides, but the word also unites, because believers are united together through our love for the Lord and his word.

Benefits

Time is running out and I don’t have time to mention the verses where he refers to hoping in God’s word and to praising God for his word. But let me mention very briefly one of the last themes which is the benefits we receive from keeping God’s laws and commands. And for this we go back to verses 1 and 2, where he pronounces a blessing on those who walk according to God’s law. According to verse 6, we shall avoid shame. According to verse 9, God’s word enables us to keep our way pure. According to verse 50, God’s promises bring comfort. His word, according to verse 105, is a lamp and a light to show us the way to go. And those who love his law have great peace according to verse 165. Nothing can make them stumble. These are some of the benefits we receive when we resolve to obey the law of the Lord.

Conclusion

I could say more about the benefits we receive from obeying God’s word, but let me finish with the last verse, where the psalmist confesses that he has strayed. This is not the same as the wicked who stray, because the wicked hate the Lord and his word and are under his curse. But the psalmist, who loves the Lord and his word, and who has been praising God for it for the previous 175 verses, now confesses that he too has strayed. He has not kept God’s law as he should. And so, he has strayed like a lost sheep. And all of us, like sheep, have gone astray. We have turned — each one — to our own way. We have disobeyed our Creator and Sustainer. We have done wrong. We are blameworthy and disobedient.

Seek your servant, he says. And God has sought us, because he sent his Only Begotten Son into the world to seek and to save the lost. He sent his Son to do what we could not do ourselves, which is to keep God’s law and commands and precepts and decrees perfectly. He is the only one who loved God’s law perfectly and who kept is perfectly throughout the whole of his life here on earth. And he did it for us.

And then, having lived a perfect life of obedience, he gave up his life on the cross to pay for our shortcomings and failures and sins and all that we have done wrong. He has paid for our sins with his life and has satisfied the justice of God which was against us.

And God has promised that everyone who believes in his Son is justified in his sight: so that God pardons us for our sins. And he can do that because Christ has paid for our sins with his life. And he then accepts us as righteous in his sight. And he can do that, because Christ’s perfect righteousness, his perfect obedience, covers over all our shortcomings.

And so, through faith we are justified — pardoned and accepted — because of Christ. And the bread we eat and the cup we drink at our communion service on Sunday is a reminder to us of the cost of our salvation and how our Saviour had to suffer and die in order to deliver us from our sin and shame and guilt. He suffered and died so that we might have life and joy for ever and for ever. And now that we have been justified, let’s demonstrate our gratitude, not only by praising God for his kindness to us, but by living a life of obedience and by doing his law and keeping his commands, because this is how we honour him in our daily lives.