Psalm 119. This psalm shows the effect of their passing through the great tribulation. They were revived and restored by the Lord as a nation, and the law became written on their hearts in the most full and perfect. way. It is divided up into sections, each ‘‘rider the heading of a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Each verse in that sect ion begins with that same Hebrew letter.
(1) The first section gives us the “blessedness” of those who walk in the law of-the Lord. It states that uprightness and self-surrender to the word of the Lord is the pathway into the obedience of faith.
(2) Here we have the desire of a young man to know the Word of God and to be kept and cleansed by it.
(3) In this section the bountiful mercies of the Lord are acknowledged and desired, also to have the eyes opened to behold the wondrous things in the law of God. The proud, who have reproached those whose meditations on the statutes have led them to walk in obedience to them, have been rebuked.
(4) Here inward trials have brought the soul into the dust and he feels melted for the heaviness of the trials. But he desires to be revived and strengthened to be able to rise above them. He desires to be taught and to be able to understand the way of these precepts, and to be removed from the way of the nation which has followed the falsehoods of the Antichrist.
(5) There is here the longing after the precepts of the Word of the Lord. Also there is the desire for teaching, understanding and the inclining of the heart to be able to walk in His ways, that he may be established.
(6) We have here the desires for the mercies of the Lord and His salvation from his difficulties, through which in passing he had been reproached. He desires that he may be able to speak of the testimonies of the Lord before kings, and not be ashamed. It can be seen in these exercises and the longings expressed, that they do not have the assurances that are given to the simplest believer in Christ in the New Testament, that great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them which heard Him. (Heb. 2:1-31Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. 2For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 3How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (Hebrews 2:1‑3).)
(7) Here the faithful calls himself “Thy servant,” and the Word of the Lord has caused him to have hope. He feels that he has been quickened and comforted in his afflictions. He is filled with horror at the boldness of the wicked who have forsaken the law. The course of the wicked is in marked contrast to the path of faith in which they have found their joy and songs. These have caused him to remember the name of the Lord in the night seasons.
ML 04/23/1961