Picking Up Where We Left Off.......

It's been a while since we sat together and focused on Psalm 119.  Today we're going to pick up right where we left off.  You may find yourself, as I did, wanting to go back and review a bit......reading the Psalm again, or perhaps reading this middle section where we are currently camped out, reviewing your notes, thinking back over what we have learned so far.  Once you've done that, let's move ahead to the ayin stanza, verses 121-128.  As usual, read the verses, note every synonym for the Word of God, and then make a list of what you learned about God's Word.

While this stanza continues to teach us about the Word itself, I think perhaps it teaches us more about the psalmist and the society in which he lived.  Read the verses again and look for what it has to say on this subject.  Do you see any parallels between what the psalmist was facing and life in our culture today?

This paragraph from the "Sweeter Than Chocolate: Psalm 119" workbook really stood out to me........"Although we have looked at numerous questions and applications for each of the stanzas of Psalm 119, the Ayin stanza focuses on one statement that has vast impications for the way we think as a society.  In verse 128, the psalmist says, 'Therefore I esteem right all Your precepts concerning everything.....'  In a world of relativism and a culture of questioning all authority such as ours, this statement is a countercultural as they come."

Here are some questions to guide your thinking today:

• What situation is the psalmist in? 
• Is there any indication of how long he has been in this situation?
• The psalmist says that he has "done justice and righteousness" (verse 121).  What does he call on God to do?  Why?
• Who does the psalmist consider to be in charge? What is the basis for your answer?  Give examples from the text.

Now that we have examined the psalmist's circumstances, his behavior, his attitudes, let's give some thought to our own.  Do you measure up with the psalmist's view of God's precepts?  How much of God's Word do you "esteem right"?  Before you answer too quickly, consider this......compare the amount of time you spend reading God's Word to the amount of time you spend reading books about God's Word.  How quick are you to jump to the footnotes/commentary in your Bible and then move on?  When you study, do you compare Scripture with Scripture to let the Bible speak for itself  OR do you just accept what the writer of a Christian book or a Bible study or a commentary has to say?  Which is truth and without error?

Continuing that thought, do you "esteem" the WHOLE Bible?  What is the attitude of our culture?  Do they (do you) accept some parts and reject others?  As you consider these questions, consider any alignment issues your own life may have.  Is this an area where you need to do business with the Lord today?