Psalms 119 pt I

- this morning we're going to move into the last Psalm we're
going to study--Psalm 119--the great Psalm on the Word of
God.
- of course this is by far the longest Psalm in the book--176
verses, so we're planning to take several weeks on it.

- it's impossible to know exactly who wrote this Psalm, but
there are some "internal clues" as we read the Psalm that
give us some indication about at least the writer's
situation in general.
- we're definitely talking about a person who was willing
to speak out about the fact that he was living according
to the Word of God. - cf. verse 13

- it's also apparent that he's faced difficulty because of
his stand for the Word of God.
- cf. 22-23
- cf. 42
- cf. 46

- one author (Franz Delitzsch) said of the writer of this
Psalm, "He is derided, oppressed, persecuted, and that
by those who despise the divine Word...the whole Psalm
is a prayer for steadfastness in the midst of an
ungodly, degenerate race, and in the midst of trouble."

- let's take a minute and think about his situation and ours
is similar.
- INPUT - what are some examples of how the world we live
in is in opposition to the Scripture itself, and to
those who believe the Bible or live by the Bible?

- INPUT - how might a Psalm like this be a help to us?

- for each of these lessons, we're going to break the class
into groups to study certain sections of the Psalm--but
before we do that we need to talk about some:

I. Important Keys To Understanding Psalm 119

- there are three important ideas we need to keep in
order to get the most benefit out of this Psalm.

A. Acrostic

- this Psalm is written so that the first letter of
each set of 8 verses begins with the same letter.
- it goes this way throughout the entire Hebrew
alphabet.
- since the alphabet has 22 letters, there are a
total of 176 verses.

- Flash Transparency of Hebrew page from this Psalm

- INPUT - can you think of a reason why the author
may have done this? (to make it easier to
remember)
B. Uses different synonyms to describe the Bible

- we're not going to take time this morning to study
the meaning of each synonym (perhaps we'll do that
next week) -- but you'll notice that the Psalmist
uses different words to describe the Scripture:
- law, word, saying, commandment, statute,
ordinance, precept, testimony, way, and path.

- a third uniqueness of the Psalm is that he:

C. Addresses the Lord in (practically) every verse

- after the first three verses, the writer speaks to
the Lord all but a verse of two of the remainder of
the Psalm.

II. Survey

- with those thoughts in mind, we're going to "turn you
loose" to do some study of these verses in smaller groups."
- BRIAN PURCELL

III. Main Ideas From Each Section of Verses

A. Verses 1-8 - The joy of walking in God's Word
(outline from Leupold)

- INPUT - answers to ques. 2?

- This first section praises the Lord for the
advantage(s) the Lord gives to those who walk in
the Word.

- let's think about that for a minute. INPUT - How
is this true? What are some of the advantages
that come from walking in the Word?

- INPUT - how important is it that our children have
this view and how can we help them develop it?

B. Verses 9-16 - the resolve to keep God's ordinances
faithfully.

- INPUT to ques. 2, 3, 8

- INPUT - what hindrances do you see in these verses
to remain resolved?

1) impure conduct - v. 9

2) wandering - v. 10

3) not having the Word stored - v. 11

4) covetousness - v. 14

- the question that each of us would need to ask from this
section is, how resolved am I to keep God's ordinances
faithfully, and am I fighting against the hindrances that
would prevent me from doing so?

C. Verses 17-24 - The faithful adherence to God's law
affords strength in persecution.

INPUT - What evidence is there in these verses that the
Psalmist is experiencing difficulty (persecution) as a
result of believing in//living by the Word?

- INPUT - what does he ask for in verse 18, and how does
this fit into the subject of persecution?

- asks for ever new insights
- the problem isn't the Scripture, the problem is
with his eyes
- he prays for insight into the Word

D. Verses 25-32 - In the middle of difficulty, God's people
stand committed to the Word.

INPUT - question #8?

INPUT - what do you make of verse 32? (we're talking
about more than an apathetic following.

E. Verses 33-40 - Prayer for understanding and guidance

INPUT - questions 2, 3, 5?

INPUT - how does verse 36 fit into stewardship month?

F. Verses 41-48 - Prayer for grace and courage

INPUT - questions 2, 3, 5?