Psalm 119 - Verses not directly mentioning Scripture

In the longest Psalm, which is also the longest chapter in the Bible, nearly every verse is a direct reference to the Word of God.  In Psalm 119, different verses use different ways to refer to the Scripture, such as God's "statutes" or "precepts" or "testimonies" for example.  Some verses refer poetically to God's word as His "ways" or "judgments."

It is very interesting that the longest chapter of the Bible is devoted to the subject of the Bible itself.

I have long heard the claim that every verse but two (some say three) in the 119th Psalm refers directly to the word of God.  I have searched and searched for these two or three, to no avail.  My own dim eyes and weak mind never saw them.

Finally I read an article that made this claim - that there were some verses in the chapter that did not directly mention the scripture - so I wrote the author and asked about it.  He replied that he had found five such verses.*  Here they are.  If these mention the Scriptures directly, they are doing so in only the broadest poetical sense.  So it truly seems, as I've often heard, that there are a few verses in the 119th Psalm that do not directly mention the word of God.

Psalm 119:84 - How many are the days of thy servant? when wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me?

"Judgment" may refer to God's word as it does in other verses in the chapter, but this seems less likely in verse 84.  This is a plea to execute judgment on an individual (by the hand of God) rather than to speak judgments (from the mouth of God.)

Psalm 119:90 - Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.

Verse 90 is only an indirect reference to the word of God.  He established the earth through His word, Hebrews 11:3, II Peter 3:5, etc.  The word of God is not directly mentioned in verse 90, but a result of His word is: the establishment of the earth and its abiding.  "Faithfulness" may also be a poetic or an indirect reference to God's word, though this is a stretch.

Psalm 119:121 - I have done judgment and justice: leave me not to mine oppressors.

Again, verse 121 is only an indirect reference to the word of God.  If the psalmist had truly done judgment and justice, he had done it according to the Scriptures.  But he doesn't come right out and say it that way, "I have done judgment and justice according to they word."

Psalm 119:122 - Be surety for thy servant for good: let not the proud oppress me.

In verse 122, a broadly poetical interpretation could make "surety" (pledge, promise) refer to God's word.  This may be a bit of a stretch, but it is a possibility.

Psalm 119:132 - Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.

In verse 132 there is no direct reference to the word of God.  There is only a vaguely indirect reference - those that loved the Lord's name in the past.  The psalmist would only know of them and the mercy God showed them by having read of them in God's word.

So there are at least five verses in the 119th Psalm that are not clear, direct mentions of the word of God.  Of course, the psalmist did not include verse numbers - men added them later.  So it may not have been the psalmist's (or God's) intent to divide this Psalm the way that we currently have it in our Bibles.  But under our verse numbering system of these poetic couplets, these are the four that do not directly mention the scriptures.

In any case, the 119th Psalm is a marvel of poetry and devotion to the word of God.

(*Thanks to Doug Kutilek for this list of verses).

VM

Psalm 119:128

Psalm 119:128 - Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way.

Pulpit quip - Do you really feel that way?  Do you really consider that everything God has to say about anything is correct?  The reason people don't follow God's counsel on [fill in the blank: finances, child rearing, marriage, evangelism, church order, etc] is because they do not esteem His precepts concerning that thing to be right!

How often committed Christians tend to say (or at least think), "I know the Bible says this, BUT..."  BUT NOTHING!  HATE EVERY FALSE WAY!  Don't toy with it, reason with it, justify it, rationalize it or even consider it for one second.  HATE IT!

VM

Psalm 119:87

Psalm 119:87 - They had almost consumed me upon earth; but I forsook not thy precepts.

Continuing theme in this Psalm - the hardships of life, including the wickedness of others toward us, must not persuade us away from keeping the word of God.

Cross reference Psalm 119:51, 61, 69, 110, 141, 143, 157, 161, etc.

Psalm 119:80 xrf II Timothy 2:15

Psalm 119:80 - Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.

NOT ASHAMED - Cross reference with II Timothy 2:15 - "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

Psalm 119:57-64 - Sermon Outline

An Alliterated Sermon Outline for Psalm 119:57-64.

v. 57a - The Psalmist's PORTION - "Thou art my portion, O Lord."  Desiring God and only God.

v. 57b - The Psalmist's PROFESSION - "I have said that I would keep thy words."  Part of the same profession we made when we trusted Christ, were baptized, joined a church, rededicated, shed tears down at the old fashioned altar call, etc.  Hebrews 10:23 - "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised)."

v. 58 - The Psalmist's PETITION - "I entreated thy favour with my whole heart."  How often we ask for God's favour with nothing but our lips, and our heart is not behind our prayers.  What is God listening to when we pray, our voice or our heart?

"Be merciful unto me according to thy word."  Repeating God's promises in prayer is effective.  Many can give testimony that powerful answers to prayer have come when God's promises were claimed.

vv. 59-60 - The Psalmist's PASSION - "I thought on my ways and turned my feet unto thy testimonies."  Passionate Conviction.  "I thought on my ways" - Conviction a matter of seeing sin for what it is.  "...Unto thy testimonies" - Conviction a response to the word of God.

"I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments."  Passionate Repentance, in response to Passionate Conviction.  Delayed obedience is disobedience.  Repentance is a matter of the mind and heart changing.  Repentance is measured not by the action, but by the attitude that prompts the action.  Here we see a true change of attitude that makes the sinner passionate to correct his wrongdoing.  A delay is in fact a denial.  Any so-called repentance that hesitatingly, begrudgingly or grumblingly changes the action is not "repentance toward God" or "godly sorrow [that] worketh repentance."  Illustration here of examples of such.  Anything short of a truly passionate desire to change the ways before God is a vain repentance and "ye shall all likewise perish" Luke 13:3, 5.

v. 61 - The Psalmist's PERSISTENCE - "The bands [companies, gangs] of the wicked have robbed me: but I have not forgotten thy law."  Not like the seed landing in the stony places, who received the word and sprang up but by and by he was offended and withered (Matthew 13:20-21).  Despite the difficulties of the world that we all face, the psalmist continues to endure in serving the Lord.  After all, he made his PROFESSION, v. 57b.  The problems of life are not going to stand in the way of his continuing in the word of God.

v. 62 - The Psalmist's PRAISE - "At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments."  Thankful ALL THE TIME, even at MIDNIGHT.  Even in the darkest hours.  Compare Acts 16:25, where Paul and Silas locked in the dungeon at midnight are singing, praising God and praying.

v. 63 - The Psalmist's PARTNERSHIP - "I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts."  Lessons here on the importance of fellowship, on local church unity, on separation from unbelievers and the disobedient, etc.  Cross reference II Timothy 2:22 - "...with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart."  Who are you WITH?  Cross reference I Peter 4:4 - "Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot..."  Who are you NOT with?

v. 64 - The Psalmist as a PUPIL - "The earth, O LORD, is full of thy mercy: teach me thy statutes."  Teach me, he says.  All throughout this Psalm, the man begs to be taught.  He obviously has a TEACHABLE SPIRIT.  The lack of a teachable spirit is the cause of many hurtful dissensions, contentions, wounded Christians, unrecoverable offenses, church splits, etc.  An unteachable spirit manifests itself how?  Who is prone to it?  What is the root cause?  What is the solution?

VM
7/21/2011