The Longest Psalm

I can't let Psalm 119 pass without comment. I find the passion and devotion all the way through very moving. And this is all about God's law in the first five books of the Bible! An astonishing testimony of pre-Gospel faith.

Anyhow, here's a reflection on Psalm 119, from the Essential Bible Companion to the Psalms* (via BibleGateway Plus) which does a remarkable job of summarising it in just 191 words.

Presenting 176 thoughts about God’s Word, this psalm is a monument to the central place God’s Word should have in life—that truly we “do not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Mt. 4:4). Many of the thoughts in this poem can be grouped into certain categories. Using words like “precious,” “delight,” “desire,” and “hope,” the psalmist expresses how highly God’s Word is valued. Its benefits include protection, freedom, stability, and life. These are thoroughly interwoven with the guidance, direction, and wisdom derived from God’s Word. But that comes only through a process of committed contemplation and meditation. It was and is no small thing to break from the surrounding unbiblical views of the world and adopt the ways and values taught in God’s Word. Here the psalmist finds nothing more practical than thinking about God’s teachings and examining daily life and motives. Beyond finding applications in God’s Word for our lives, the psalmist would have us apply our lives to God’s Word. Therein the psalmist develops purity and righteous character and experiences the benefits of following the Word of the Lord.

* Copyright © 2010 by Brian Webster and David Beach.