The book of Psalms is a favorite biblical book for many people. There are many reasons for this, but it is true partly because psalms are poems that speak to people about life. When we read a psalm, we see and feel the psalmist’s struggles as our own. When we think about the prayers of the Bible, we usually don’t think about the book of Psalms, but many of the psalms are prayers. In the book of Psalms, we see people who found themselves in tough times and cried out to the Lord. We can relate to this kind of situation in our own lives. We experience similar things as the ancient psalmists did. Therefore, we can find great meaning in these prayers that help us in our own struggles.
One of the great prayers in the book of Psalms is Psalm 119. Psalm 119 is unique among the psalms in that it is the longest psalm and the longest chapter in the Bible; it is 176 verses long. Psalm 119 is also an acrostic psalm. Acrostic psalms are alphabetic psalms where each verse or stanza begins with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet. There are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet, so acrostic psalms have some multiple of 22 verses. Psalm 119 has 22 stanzas, one for each letter, with each stanza being eight verses long. Each verse in a stanza begins with the letter for that stanza.
The Greatness of Scripture
The content of Psalm 119 is centered around two main themes. The first theme is the greatness of the word of God or the law (Torah) of God. The psalmist uses eight different Hebrew words to communicate this theme. He uses the terms, law (25 times), word (23 times), decree (23 times), commandment (22 times), testimonies (22 times), statute (21 times), precept (21 times) and promise or word (19 times). Each of these words emphasizes the Scriptures, the written word of God. One of these eight words is used in every verse in the psalm except verses 3, 37, 90, and 122. In all of this, we can see the overwhelming emphasis on the word of God in the psalm. Some well-known verses have this focus, like 119:106, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” The word meditate or meditation is used eight times to express the way the psalmist finds blessing in the word of God (119:15, 23, 27, 48, 78, 97, 99, 148). Throughout the psalm, the psalmist lifts up Scripture as a great blessing and a way of life that brings blessing.
Hope in Suffering
The second theme in Psalm 119 is focused on the sufferings of life. The psalmist was well acquainted with suffering in his life. But even here, it is the word of God that gives meaning and power in the face of painful circumstances. We find this theme in verses like 119:25, “My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word!” And again, we see it in 119:28, “My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word!” We also find this theme of suffering in 119:50, “This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.” And we see the psalmist’s amazing faith in 119:71, “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes,” and in 119:75, “I know, O Lord, that your decrees are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.” The psalmist sees his suffering coming from the Lord, not just bad luck, but from the Lord. And the Lord is faithful to do so.
Often, the psalmist’s painful experiences came from other people. This can easily lead to bitterness in a person’s life. But the psalmist was able to overcome that tendency by the word of God. “The insolent utterly deride me, but I do not turn away from your law” (119:51). “Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me, I do not forget your law” (119:61). “The wicked lie in wait to destroy me, but I consider your testimonies” (119:95). “I am small and despised, yet I do not forget your precepts” (119:141). Many other verses speak of suffering at the hands of other people but also speak of the power of the word of God to deliver the believer from the trap of bitterness and blame.
A sub-theme to the main theme of the greatness of the word of God is the psalmist’s prayer for the Lord to help him understand his word. We find the psalmist praying eleven times that the Lord “teach me” (119:12, 26, 29, 33, 64, 66, 68, 108, 124, 135, 171) and five times that the Lord will, “give me understanding” (119:34, 73, 125, 144,169). In one stanza we see the psalmist praying these kinds of prayer for a deeper grasp of the word of God, “Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways” (119:33-37). The psalmist longs for the understanding of the word of God so that he may apply it to his life.
Conclusion
You cannot read this psalm with any seriousness and fail to be unchanged. Better yet, pray it and be changed even deeper. This ancient believer had a fear of the Lord that was so profound it drove him deep into the word of God. It was not so much a religious activity as it was survival training. He gave himself over to the Lord in his word. He longed for the Lord with such intense passion that he pursued him in the only place he could find him, in his word. As we read Psalm 119 we must remember that it is a prayer, so that it can become our prayer in response to the word of God. I encourage you to read this article again with your Bible, looking up every citation in the psalm. You will probably be moved to read the whole psalm. Do it slowly and meditatively. You may even want to meditate on it one stanza at a time. Let this prayer work its way deep into your heart so it can transform the way you see the Lord in his word.