In Today's Email:
Psalm 119
No author or superscription is provided for this psalm. It is an acrostic poem, with each letter beginning the eight lines of each section devoted to it. The singular theme of these verses is the Word of God. There are many synonyms used for it, such as law, testimony, way, precept, statute, commandment, and judgment. It is often erroneously stated that all 176 verses mentioned the Word of God. This is not true: see vs. 84, 90, 121, 122, and 132.
vs. 1-8 – ALEPH – The way of blessing is to obey the Word of God.
vs. 9-16 – BETH – The internal effects of the Word of God.
vs. 17-24 – GIMEL – True understanding through the Word of God.
vs. 25-32 – DALETH – Deliverance through the Word of God.
vs. 33-40 – HE – Prayer to learn the Word of God.
vs. 41-48 – VAU - Deliverance through the Word of God.
vs. 49-56 – ZAIN – Comfort in troubled times through the Word of God.
vs. 57-64 – CHETH – Hope in troubled times through the Word of God.
vs. 65-72 – TETH – The value in troubled times of the Word of God.
vs. 73-80 – JOD – The security of being rooted in the Word of God.
vs. 81-88 – CAPH - Hope in troubled times through the Word of God.
vs. 89-96 – LAMED – The eternal, unchanging Word of God.
vs. 97-104 – MEM – True wisdom and understanding through the Word of God.
vs. 105-112 – NUN – The guiding light of the Word of God.
vs. 113-120 – SAMECH – The judgment of God revealed through the Word of God.
vs. 121-128 – AIN - Deliverance through the Word of God.
vs. 129-136 – PE – Desire for the Word of God.
vs. 137-144 – TZADDI – The righteousness of the Word of God.
vs. 145-152 – KOPH – The cry for deliverance based on the Word of God.
vs. 153-160 – RESH - Deliverance through the Word of God.
vs. 161-168 – SCHIN – The treasure of the Word of God.
vs. 169-176 – TAU – A cry for deliverance based on the Word of God.
Closing Thoughts
Back when I was in Bible college I worked for a couple of years at a Sears Auto Center. I was trained to do alignments on cars. Sometimes through use or abuse the wheels get out of alignment and the vehicle will drift in a direction other than straight. We attached sensors to the wheels and a machine would tell us how far out of alignment the wheels were and how much they needed to be adjusted. You may not realize it, but as we journey through the Bible the alignment of your heart and mind is being measured against its perfect wisdom. It reveals to us where we need to adjust to faithfully walk in the way that is straight and narrow.
Hymn for Today
Our hymn today is “Holy Bible, Book Divine”, written by John Burton in 1803.
Holy Bible, book divine,
precious treasure, thou art mine;
mine to tell me whence I came;
mine to teach me what I am:
Mine to chide me when I stray,
mine to show a Savior's way;
mine art thou to guide my feet;
mine to judge, condemn, acquit.
Mine to comfort in distress,
if the Holy Spirit bless;
mine to show by living faith,
we can triumph over death.
Mine to tell of joys to come,
and the rebel sinner's doom;
Holy Bible, book divine,
precious treasure, thou art mine.