Psalm 119 - Heth: Ask, Seek, Knock, and Go

"Heth. The LORD is my portion;

I have promised to keep Your words.

I sought Your favor with all my heart;

Be gracious to me according to Your word.

I considered my ways

And turned my feet to Your testimonies.

I hastened and did not delay

To keep Your commandments.

The cords of the wicked have encircled me,

But I have not forgotten Your law.

At midnight I shall rise to give thanks to You

Because of Your righteous ordinances.

I am a companion of all those who fear You,

And of those who keep Your precepts.

The earth is full of Your lovingkindness, O LORD;

Teach me Your statutes." 

(Psalm 119:57-64 NASB95)

 

 

Because You are my portion (v. 57) and Your favor overrules the favor of men (v. 58) , I have promised to keep Your words, live a life that is dependent upon Your grace, examining my ways before You, running in Your commands.  Neither the wicked nor the dark of night can keep me from You.  I seek Your presence in those who fear You (v. 63) and see Your lovingkindness all about in a world that doesn’t.

 

‘In this section the Psalmist seems to take firm hold upon God himself; appropriating him (Psa 119:57), crying out for him (Psa 119:58), returning to him (Psa 119:59), solacing himself in him (Psa 119:61, Psa 119:62), associating with his people (Psa 119:63), and sighing for personal experience of his goodness (Psa 119:64). Note how Psa 119:57 is linked to the last of the former one, of which indeed it is an expanded repetition. “This I had because I kept thy precepts. Thou art my portion, O Lord: I have said that I would keep thy words.”’[1]


[1] Spurgeon, Charles Haddon, Treasury of David, on Psalm 119 - Heth, e-Sword edition

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

God and His Wisdom: An Introduction to Proverbs

“The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: To  know  wisdom and discipline, To  understand  the sayings of understanding, To  receive  discipline that leads to insight, Righteousness, justice, and equity, To  give  prudence to the simple, To the youth knowledge and discretion; Let the wise man  hear  and  increase  in learning, And a man of understanding will  acquire  guidance, To  understand  a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; Ignorant fools despise wisdom and discipline.” (Proverbs 1:1-7 LSB, with emphasis)   “My son, if you will  receive  my words And  treasure  my commandments within you, To  make your ear pay attention  to wisdom, Incline your heart  to discernment; For if you  call out  for understanding, Give your voice  for discernment; If you  seek  her as silver And  search  for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of Yahweh And find the knowledge of God
Read more

Friendship with the World

"The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' ( - Jesus, Luke 7:34 NASB) 'You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.' (James 4:4 NASB) 'It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.' ( - the Apostle Paul, 1 Timothy 1:15 NASB) Was Jesus, in fact, a friend of sinners? What is to be the nature of our relationships as believers with unbelievers? As believers, should we refer to ourselves as ‘sinners’? As I've reflected on much of the teaching I've heard in recent times, as well as many conversations I've had, it seems to me much confusion abounds regarding these questions.  I hear the term 'contextualization'
Read more

Psalm 119:80

(This is an entry from a devotional commentary I am working on from Psalm 119 entitled ‘God and His Word’.   The introduction can be found here , successive entries have covered the 22 sections of the Psalm, and following entries verse by verse.)   "May my heart be blameless in Your statutes, So that I will not be ashamed."   There is no higher goal than Your righteousness, which is to be blameless in Your statutes.   Surely this is ultimate spiritual strength, for "The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, But the righteous are bold as a lion."   (Proverbs 28:1).   Walking in Your ways is ultimate strength and confidence.   It is also ultimate blessing, seen in Psalm 119:1-2, which hearkens back to Psalm 1:1-2.   It is a compelling picture of what I want to be, the opposite of ashamed.   When ashamed, I shrink back, but when blameless before You, I seek further righteousness.   Blameless is the Hebrew   תָּמִים , tāmiym,
Read more