I believe this psalm is one that admonishes, directs
and feeds pastors who seek wisdom and knowledge. I would like to be so bold as to share some thoughts concerning Psalm 119
with you.
Commentaries will note that this psalm is set up in the form of a repetitive meditation.The Life Application
Study Bible, which I'm using this morning (along with others), in The New Living Translation, says in the notes that it's
believed that Ezra wrote this poem after the rebuilding of the Temple. The psalm is one that encourageds us to be pure, growing
in faith. Now, I ask you, what pastor doesn't need encouragement for both of these?
We often learn in our
early years of Sunday School, that it is Psalm 119 that is not only the longest psalm in the Bible, but also the longest Chapter
in the Bible. It is designed as an acrostic. There are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet, and 22 sections in the Psalm, each
one is crafted to correspond to a letter of the Hebrew Aleph-Beit (ABC's). Furthermore, each verse begins with a letter
of it's section.
Now I know someone will write to me and say, but section 1, verse 1 doesn't start with
"A", it starts with "Joyful" (in the translation I'm using!). In the NIV Triglot Old T. it starts
with "Blessed". In "The Complete Jewish Bible" English Version, translated by David Stern and published
by Jewish New Testament Publications in Jerusalem, Israel, 119 starts with "How" and in "The Jewish Bible,
The Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures, The New JPS Translation Acc. to The Trad. Hebrew Text, English Version" begins 119:1
with "Happy".
Now, most of you will understand the reason for this. The English is translated from the
Hebrew and during translation there are decisions to be made, such as what word to use, and what word order is to be used.
In the Hebrew, the verse begins, with Aleph, Shin, Resh, which is tranliterated, asher, or esher, which is the
Hebrew word which is almost always translated here "blessed or Happy". HOWEVER, there is another translation for
this word "asher", a very important difference.
So, let's begin happily to study the bread and meat
of Psalm 119. But, first, let's pray together. "Lord, bless those who have gathered here to study together your Word.
Bless the reading and the studying. Bless the one who reads and the one who hears. Bless the one who then applies what they
learn as they live the life you have so blessed them with. We thank you, Father, for your word which teaches and admonishes
us, day by day. May we be blessed to write it upon our hearts and our minds, to study your Word in our rising up and in our
lying down. May our mouthes be filled with praise for You and for your teaching always. Now to the Aleph and the Beit of all
creation, to the one who is the Beginning and the End, the One who Was, Who is, and Who is to come, Blessed be His Holy Name,
Amen."
Please click on the link
below to go to the rest of the study!
