Qoph
145 With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O LORD!
I will keep your statutes.
146 I call to you; save me,
that I may observe your testimonies.
147 I rise before dawn and cry for help;
I hope in your words.
148 My eyes are awake before the watches of the night,
that I may meditate on your promise.
149 Hear my voice according to your steadfast love;
O LORD, according to your justice give me life.
150 They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose;
they are far from your law.
151 But you are near, O LORD,
and all your commandments are true.
152 Long have I known from your testimonies
that you have founded them forever.
Resh
153 Look on my affliction and deliver me,
for I do not forget your law.
154 Plead my cause and redeem me;
give me life according to your promise!
155 Salvation is far from the wicked,
for they do not seek your statutes.
156 Great is your mercy, O LORD;
give me life according to your rules.
157 Many are my persecutors and my adversaries,
but I do not swerve from your testimonies.
158 I look at the faithless with disgust,
because they do not keep your commands.
159 Consider how I love your precepts!
Give me life according to your steadfast love.
160 The sum of your word is truth,
and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.
Shin
161 Princes persecute me without cause,
but my heart stands in awe of your words.
162 I rejoice at your word
like one who finds great spoil.
163 I hate and abhor falsehood,
but I love your law.
164 Seven times a day I praise you
for your righteous rules.
165 Great peace have those who love your law;
nothing can make them stumble.
166 I hope for your salvation, O LORD,
and I do your commandments.
167 My soul keeps your testimonies;
I love them exceedingly.
168 I keep your precepts and testimonies,
for all my ways are before you. – Psalm 119:145-168 ESV
The psalmist's ongoing prayer for deliverance from his enemies was based on his desire to obey Yahweh's commands. He longed to live so he could continue observing and applying all the truths found in Yahweh's written word.
I cry out to you; rescue me,
that I may obey your laws. – Psalm 119:146 NLT
It would be an understatement to say that he was obsessed with God's word. He confesses to staying awake at night thinking about God's promises. The Scriptures were his hope for healing and deliverance because he knew obedience was rewarded with blessing. That is why he made the pursuit of God's word a high priority in his life. He had made a lifelong habit of putting the written word of God ahead of all else and was committed to spending the rest of his days seeking to know Yahweh by searching the Scriptures.
I have known from my earliest days
that your laws will last forever. – Psalm 119:152 NLT
Life is filled with uncertainties, and the things of this earth will pass away, but the word of God is reliable and eternal. Yahweh's decrees are unchanging and completely trustworthy, through all generations. They don't change with the times or require updating due to the constantly evolving nature of world conditions. The psalmist believed in the constancy and consistency of God's word and wholeheartedly embraced the teaching of the prophet Isaiah.
“The grass withers and the flowers fade
beneath the breath of the LORD.
And so it is with people.
The grass withers and the flowers fade,
but the word of our God stands forever.” – Isaiah 40:7-8 NLT
He expressed this belief earlier in this psalm.
Your word, O LORD, is everlasting; it is firmly fixed in the heavens. – Psalm 119:89 BSB
And he states it again in the next strophe.
The very essence of your words is truth;
all your just regulations will stand forever. – Psalm 119:160 NLT
His unwavering belief in the divine nature of Scripture and its timeless wisdom kept him going during the darkest moments of his life. Verses 153-160 contain some of the strongest statements regarding his current circumstances.
Look upon my suffering and rescue me… – vs 153 NLT
Argue my case; take my side! – vs 154 NLT
Many persecute and trouble me… – vs 157 NLT
Give back my life because of your unfailing love… – vs 159 NLT
His situation was dire, but his dedication to God's word remained strong. He refused to allow the difficulties of his life to distract him or cause him to doubt God's promises.
I have not forgotten your instructions. – vs 153 NLT
I have not swerved from your laws. – vs 157 NLT
See how I love your commandments… – vs 159 NLT
He accuses his enemies of not only neglecting God's word but of having no concern for it whatsoever. “They care nothing for your word” (Psalm 119:158 NLT), he declares. They refuse to give it the honor it deserves and reject its authority over their lives. But for the psalmist, the Scriptures are more essential to human life and flourishing than air, water, and food. He knows his life depends upon the life-sustaining power of God’s word. Earlier in this psalm, he described God's word as “sweeter than honey” (Psalm 119:103 NLT). This confession echoes the words ofJeremiah the prophet.
When I discovered your words, I devoured them.
They are my joy and my heart’s delight… – Jeremiah 15:16 NLT
The psalmist would have been familiar with the story of Job and his epic bout with sorrow and suffering. But the beleaguered Job was able to write the following words during some of his darkest moments.
For I have stayed on God’s paths;
I have followed his ways and not turned aside.
I have not departed from his commands,
but have treasured his words more than daily food. – Job 23:11-12 NLT
It was King David who wrote:
The laws of the Lord are true;
each one is fair.
They are more desirable than gold,
even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
even honey dripping from the comb.
They are a warning to your servant,
a great reward for those who obey them. – Psalm 19:9-11 NLT
My soul thirsts for you;
my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land
where there is no water.
You satisfy me more than the richest feast. – Psalm 63:1, 5 NLT
Like the great king, the psalmist found hope and sustenance in the word of God. They were more than words on paper or quaint stories from the ancient past; they were life-giving truths that revealed God's power and confirmed His presence among His people. That is why the psalmist could say, “I rejoice in your word like one who discovers a great treasure” (Psalm 119:162 NLT). God’s words were more precious than gold or silver. They were more nourishing than the finest feast and as vital to life as fresh water.
But the psalmist found God's word more than life-sustaining; it was also praise-producing.
I will praise you seven times a day
because all your regulations are just. – Psalm 119:164 NLT
The Scriptures are more than information on a page or stories in a book. They are the revelation of God to man and make the unknowable God knowable. They make the unapproachable God accessible and relatable. His words reveal His will and make His divine ways understandable and applicable.
The psalmist had discovered the viability and reliability of God's word. The Scriptures contained the truth concerning His power, trustworthiness, and love. They revealed His character and affirmed His covenant faithfulness. And as another psalmist put it, they were the proof of God's presence and the key to wisdom.
All he does is just and good,
and all his commandments are trustworthy.
They are forever true,
to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity.
Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom.
All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. – Psalm 111:7-8, 10 NLT
Father, Your word is reliable. From Genesis to Revelation, we have a compendium of insights into Your character and a powerful reminder of Your goodness, greatness, mercy, and love for Your people. But it is so easy to treat Your word flippantly by seeing it as nothing more than a historical narrative of ancient peoples and past events. But Your word is alive and active. It is relevant and powerfully productive in bringing about life change and heart transformation. But it takes a commitment to reading it and allowing the Holy Spirit to apply it to our lives. Help me to see Your word as more vital than food and water and more valuable than silver or gold. May it become the highest priority in my life so that I might become more Christ-like and praise-prone. Amen
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
