Written by Wendy Neill, Advancement Coordinator for Iron Rose Sister Ministries
Do you have a favorite book? It might be from your childhood or something you’ve read as an adult. There’s a good chance you’ve been through it several times, and you love to recommend it to others. It might be a fictional story or a nonfiction book that changed your life. Impactful books are written by authors endowed by God with a special gift for words.
Is the Bible your favorite book? I hope so. We’ve probably all had seasons in our life when it was and seasons when it wasn’t. The author of Psalm 119 had a deep, abiding love for the Word of God which remained steadfast even in difficult seasons (see vv. 81-93). Let’s learn from him.
This author definitely had that God-given gift for masterful writing. He wrote Psalm 119 as an acrostic poem. When you were in school, did you ever have to write an acrostic poem where each line started with the next letter of your name? I was terrible at those. The poem always sounded forced.
Psalm 119 is divided into eight-verse stanzas. Within each stanza, all eight verses start with the same letter of the Hebrew alphabet! It is hard for us to see that artistic form since we aren’t reading it in the original Hebrew. Can you imagine writing eight verses that all begin with a difficult letter, like “X”? This author does it seamlessly and it doesn’t sound forced. He utilizes his exquisite skill and the entire Hebrew alphabet to express his love for God’s Word.
Keep in mind, he is not talking about the full Bible as we know it. He is referring to the first five books of the Old Testament: God’s laws, decrees, statutes, commandments, and ordinances. Here are some ways he describes God’s law:
- Great spoil/treasure/riches - vv. 14, 162
- A delight - vv. 24, 77, 143
- A path - v. 35
- A comfort - v. 52
- A light to our path - v. 105
- Sweeter than honey - v. 103
- A refuge and shield - v. 114
- Better than pure gold - v. 127
- Eternal - v. 160
- A source of great peace - v. 165
I can say that about much of our Bible, but those descriptions aren’t how I would personally describe Leviticus or Deuteronomy. This guy understands that God’s laws are meant to bless us, just as a wise, loving parent’s rules allow a child to thrive in a safe environment.
Throughout this psalm, the author alludes to listening to God through Scripture.
- Teach me your decrees so I can teach others. - vv. 12-13
- I spoke to you and you answered me. - v. 26
- Direct me in the path of your commands. - v. 35
- Teach me knowledge and good judgment. - v. 66
- The law from your mouth is precious. - v. 72
I encourage you to listen to God through His Word this week. Ask Him to teach and direct you. Read Psalm 119 first, then the next day, read from your favorite book of the Bible.
- What is God teaching you as you commit to listening through His written Word?
- How can you fall more in love with Him and the decrees He has set because He loves you?
- Is there someone to whom you can recommend His Book?
By the way, because this author loved God’s statutes so deeply—and used his talent to glorify Him—God added this man’s ode to the Scriptures for all future generations! What an honor!