Psalm 119:49

Psalm 119:49

The Word of the Lord

The seventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet is “Zayin.” The word “Zayin” means to arm oneself; it is used of weaponry and consequently, of power. The letter is deliberately made to look like an axe! The next 8 verses, whilst not directly describing warfare, do hint at the struggles the writer endured with his wicked enemies.

As we have seen, the Word of the Lord means many things to this psalm-writer. He uses different expressions for different aspects of the Word, and we listed 10 of these at the beginning of this lengthy psalm. There seems to be an element of doubt in his mind that the Lord God will either forget or choose not to recall His Word to His servant! As if! God certainly does not forget and, so far as I can recall, it’s only our sins and iniquities that He chooses not to remember. (Jeremiah 31:34 and Hebrews 8:12 and Hebrews 10:17.)

The Word of the Lord here includes, of course, the Law and the Promises of God, and whilst these were delivered to Israel as a nation, they are also claimed here by an individual. When the writer read the 10 Commandments, he didn’t just apply them to the nation, he applied them to himself, as if the Lord had written directly and solely to him! Do we receive the Word of God in a similar vein? The Bible was given to the world, but the Lord God also had in mind that you and I would receive it as a love letter written directly to us and for us. This book is God’s personal letter to you and to me.

As the author tell us, in the words of Scripture we find hope. Against the dark backdrop of the hopelessness of the world and its futile attempts to resolve its problems, we have the written Word of God that assures us that He is in control and however dark things might seem to be, there is a plan, it is for our salvation and for our good, and it is being worked out right before our eyes! Hallelujah! 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Psalm 106:13

Psalm 106:13 Do not forget We need to remember that Israel’s relationship with the Lord God was based on His laws and their obedience. It was possible for them to live lives that were highly blessed, that incorporated the provision of God in every tiny detail of their national and individual existence. God was prepared to give them everything they needed, He would provide food and water for them and their flocks. He would guide them on their journey. He would protect them from their enemies. He would inspire and direct their leaders. He would keep them from the heat of the sun and the terrors of the desert night. He would take them to the land that He had promised, in double quick time. There was no reason why they could not be in situ in just a few months. Everything they could possibly need was His to provide and He was willing to sacrifice anything to see them gratefully settled in Canaan.  There was just one snag, it all depended upon their obedience and faithfulness. God insis...
Read more

Psalm 51:4

Psalm 51:4 Deliberate sin In Genesis 20 we read the story of Abimelek and Abraham. The latter had passed off his wife Sarah as his sister and Abimelek had taken her with a view to her becoming his wife. The relationship was not consummated, and the Lord used a dream to reveal to Abimelek just what was going on. The insulted king pleaded innocence,  “I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands ” he said, to the Lord. And God agreed,  “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me.”  This is a big subject but there is clearly a difference between sinful intentions and deeds where the participant knows that he/she is doing wrong, and those occasions where an action is carried out in innocence.  David knew all along that every detail of his relationship with Bathsheba was sinful, as were his actions in the cover-up. Therefore, he sinned against the Lord God and broke the commandments which said that  “Y...
Read more

Psalm 84:3

Psalm 84:3 All about sparrows Any visitor to Jerusalem will know that the city is a haven for sparrows. Houses and other buildings in Middle Eastern cities are not built to keep out the cold with double-glazing and UPVC everywhere. There are literally millions of little holes and crevasses and places where birds can hide and build their nests. As a result, the air is filled with the sound of the sparrows at all times, and in the summer months, swallows, swifts and martins swoop across the rooftops. (Along with many other birds that I would love to mention but that would be totally irrelevant). Evidently nothing has changed for centuries, because these sights and sounds greeted visitors to the Temple back in the day when Psalm 84 was composed. And the author is envious. These winged avian residents and visitors can enter where he cannot! They nest and congregate around the Temple Courts, high up and out of the reach of man’s interference and so they occupy a place closer to God than any...
Read more