PSALM 119: 73- 80 YODH
Psalmist is a unique person verse 73
YOUR hands have made me and fashioned me
give me understanding
that I may learn YOUR commandments
Psalmist hopes in the Word of God verse 74
They that fear YOU will be glad when they see me
BECAUSE I have hoped in YOUR word
Psalmist knows the LORD is faithful in affliction verse 75
I know – O LORD – that YOUR judgments are right
I know that YOU in faithfulness have afflicted me
Psalmist comforted in affliction verse 76- 77
Let – I pray YOU – YOUR merciful kindness be for my comfort
according to YOUR word to YOUR servant
let YOUR tender mercies come unto me
that I may live
for YOUR law is my delight
Psalmist turns proud over to the LORD verse 78
Let the proud be ashamed
for they dealt perversely with me without a cause
BUT I will meditate in YOUR precepts
Psalmist desires all to fear the LORD verse 79- 80
Let those that fear YOU turn to me
and let those that have known YOUR testimonies
let my heart be sound in YOUR statutes
that I be not ashamed
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
:73 “YOUR hands have made me and fashioned me; Give me understanding, that I may learn YOUR commandments.” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). (Understanding – 995 בִּין [biyn /bene/] v. A primitive root; TWOT 239; GK 1067; 170 occurrences; AV translates as “understand” 62 times, “understanding” 32 times, “consider” 22 times, “prudent” eight times, “perceive” seven times, “regard” six times, “discern” three times, “instruct” three times, and translated miscellaneously 27 times. 1 to discern, understand, consider. 1A (Qal). 1A1 to perceive, discern. 1A2 to understand, know (with the mind). 1A3 to observe, mark, give heed to,distinguish, consider. 1A4 to have discernment, insight, understanding. 1B (Niphal) to be discerning, intelligent, discreet, have understanding. 1C (Hiphil). 1C1 to understand. 1C2 to cause to understand, give understanding, teach. 1D (Hithpolel) to show oneself discerning or attentive, consider diligentl y. 1E (Polel) to teach, instruct. 2 (TWOT) prudent, regard. James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001).
DEVOTION: God makes it very clear in his word that we are the creation of His design. Yet in our rebellion we vainly refuse to acknowledge His sovereign work and control of our lives. We, before the Holy Spirit reveals the truth, think we are supreme and in control of our lives and universe beyond! God’s word continually reminds us that He fashioned and knit us together while still in the womb. (Psalm 139) May we like the psalmist cry out to the Lord for the understanding that is necessary to combat the humanism and anti-supernaturalism of our culture. God is on His throne and confidently ruling in spite of our ignorance or insurgency against Him. He does have laws and principles that cannot be violated without consequences and repercussions.
CHALLENGE: Help us to, like Isaiah, cry out “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.” (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 74 They that fear YOU will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in YOUR word. (3176 “hoped” [yachal] means to wait, to cause to hope, to look forward to the occurrence of or arrival of, await, to expect, or linger.)
DEVOTION: Once we have a right understanding of what is involved in being a genuine follower of the LORD we will realize that we can be glad in HIS service.
At first it seems like there are a lot of changes that have to take place in our lives but that is not something to be concerned about because they are all changes for the good in the eyes of the LORD. HE wants to help us through the ministry of the Holy Spirit to live a life that pleases HIM and also that blesses us.
Sometimes some of the things that happen don’t seem like blessings but they are. The changes are for us to understand that our witness is important to the LORD and HE is going to help us fear HIM in the right way.
Once this takes place we can look to HIM for guidance and direction each day. HE will open doors for us to serve HIM. HE will give us people to witness to. HE will challenge our thinking to the point where we will pray for guidance in the right direction.
The fear of the LORD is not a bad thing but a good thing regrading the life HE wants us to live on this earth and the reward HE wants to give us in heaven.
CHALLENGE: We have to ask ourselves if we are glad in the service of the LORD or do we dread it? Remember our only hope for eternity is HIM!
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: 75 I know, O LORD, that YOUR judgments are right, and that YOU in faithfulness have afflicted me. (530 “faithfulness” [emunah] means firmness, security, fidelity, set office, stability, steady, truth or verily.)
DEVOTION: This is the tenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet used in this acrostic poem/song.
The LORD has established standards for HIS people. There are those who claim to be believers but they have none of the standards the LORD has set down in HIS Word. The Psalmist is making a distinction between those who fear the LORD and those who do not. He wants to be in the camp of those who fear the LORD. He would like others to follow his example. The psalmist knows that the LORD is his creator. Each of us is unique in God’s eyes. He asks the LORD to continue to instruct him in HIS word. Each individual has a different intellectual understanding. Each individual is gifted different in the LORD. Each individual is important to the LORD. No one, no matter what his gift is beyond the chastening of the LORD. The LORD chastens individuals in different ways according to the fashioning of the individual. HE doesn’t deal with everyone the same way. HE understands our weaknesses and works in our life accordingly.
The LORD has made a decision in the case against the psalmist. HE decided that he needed to be afflicted again to keep the psalmist close to HIM. The psalmist knew that the LORD made the right judgment concerning what was happening in his life. He knew that the LORD had to deal with him firmly.
The affliction seemed to give the psalmist hope. The Scripture repeatedly informs us that those that the LORD loves HE chastens. If there is no chastening – there is no love. If there is no love – that individual might not be a child of HIS. The chastening of the LORD should drive HIS followers to meditate on the Word even more than before. It should cause HIS followers to reverence HIM more.
Can we feel secure when the LORD judges us worthy of affliction? Do we feel the stability in our life when we have the LORD afflicting us? Do we always know that the LORD judges us rightly? Remember HE truly does love HIS followers!!!
CHALLENGE: When we face our greatest battles we need to turn to the Word of God for instruction. The Holy Spirit instructs us through the Word of God to serve the LORD better. Remember our goal is to be more Christ – like in our life.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 78 Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause: but I will meditate in YOUR precepts. (2086 “proud” [zed] means presumptuous, arrogant, insolent, haughtiness, self willed and not humbled to the LORD or inflated view of themselves.)
DEVOTION: The Psalmist had people around himself who were not ashamed to put someone else down to make themselves look good. Here we find that he is being put down by someone who wants to make themselves look good at his expense.
The individual lied about the Psalmist. His purpose was to cause the Psalmist to turn away from the LORD and run for cover. This was an individual who didn’t care how he hurt someone as long it made him/her look good in the eyes of others.
We can have individuals who act like they are our friends but as soon as they find out something about us that they can use against us they start spreading rumors to hurt us in the eyes of people we care about. It sometimes makes you want to give up if it happens often enough but that is not what the Psalmist did.
He continued to meditate on the Word of God and his relationship with the LORD. He was not going to let another person affect his relationship with the LORD. It is easier to allow this to happen than one might think because we have tendencies to want to have everyone love us.
Our actions should follow the example of the Psalmist and not let other individuals affect our desire to understand the LORD better each day. People make comments to hurt us or make comment that they don’t think before they say them.
We need to live above what people think of us and concentrate wholly on our relationship to the LORD and HIS message to us. If people around us treat us right that is good but our eyes have to stay focused on the LORD.
CHALLENGE: What was your reaction to someone saying bad things about you that were not true? Are you reacting like the Psalmist? Pray for strength to have the same reaction that he had!!
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: 80 Let my heart be sound in YOUR statutes; that I be not ashamed. (8549 “sound” [tamiym] means blameless, complete, unscathed, intact, without fault, free of guilt, or not subject to blame.)
DEVOTION: It is hard to think of our life as intact as we seem to move in all kinds of directions each week or year. We want to serve the LORD faithfully each day and some days we succeed but others we find ourselves not serving HIM as we would.
It is not easy except when we have the help of the HOLY SPIRIT which we are promised but we sometimes start our days or sometime during our day we forget to pray for HIS help when we are facing temptations or challenges.
It would be a lot easier if we just would accept the LORD and then HE take us to heaven but that is not how HE works. HE wants us to LEARN to follow HIM each moment of each day and that takes a lot of trust and prayer.
If we keep an attitude of prayer and seek HIS guidance throughout the day HE will lead us to do things that are pleasing in HIS sight. This means that we have to listen to HIM every moment of every day.
Most believers have a struggle with keeping our minds free of guilt. This is the enemy working in our mind and we need to ask the LORD to keep our thinking straight according to HIS WORD each moment of each day.
HE wants us to be complete believers who trust HIM every moment of every day and this can only happen as we turn our thinking over to HIM and remember to read HIS love letter to us.
CHALLENGE: Each day is a new time to serve HIM We need to start and end our day in prayer seeking HIS will for the day. Can we do that? The answer is YES will the help of the Holy Spirit.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Meditate verse 78
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Prayer for understanding verse 73- 80
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Commandments verse 73
Word verse 74, 76
Judgments verse 75
Law verse 77
Precepts verse 78
Testimonies verse 79
Statutes verse 80
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Creator verse 73
Made humans
Fashioned humans
Gave understanding to humans
Fear of the LORD verse 74
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 75
Judgments of the LORD verse 75
Faithful verse 75
Afflicts believers verse 75
Merciful kindness verse 76
Tender mercies verse 77
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Fashioned verse 73
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Proud verse 78
Deal perversely verse 78
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Understanding verse 73
Learning verse 73
Fear of the LORD verse 74, 79
Glad to see fellow believers verse 74
Hope verse 74
Afflicted verse 75
Pray verse 76
Merciful kindness verse 76
Comfort verse 76
Servant verse 76
Tender mercies verse 77
Delight in the Word of the LORD verse 77
Meditate verse 78
Know God’s testimonies verse 79
Heart is sound verse 80
Not ashamed verse 80
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
78. Subverted: i.e. twisted the truth about me (cf. Lam. 3:36). (Kidner, D. (1975). Psalms 73–150: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 16, p. 462). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
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88.206–88.222 pl. the arrogant, as a class of persons, proud, haughty, self-willed and not humble to the Lord (Ps 19:14[EB 13]; 86:14; 119:21, 51, 69, 78, 85, 122; Isa 13:11; Mal 3:15, 19[EB 4:1]+) (Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.)
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But learn in the hour of trial where to go, and what to do. Go to the word of God for direction and support. “Meditate in his precepts.” There is often a hurry of mind in times of difficulty, which unhinges the soul from the simple exercise of faith. But habit brings practice, and steadiness, and simplicity, enabling us most sweetly to fix our hearts upon the word of God, and to apply its directions and encouragements to the present exigency. Our enemies fight against us with an arm of flesh. We resist them with the armor of the word of God. And how inestimably precious is the armor, refuge, strength, and consolation, here provided for us, against every effort to disturb our peace, “or separate our hearts from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord!” (Bridges, C. (1861). Exposition of Psalm 119: As Illustrative of the Character and Exercises of Christian Experience (Seventeenth Edition., pp. 128–129). New York: Robert Carter & Brothers.)
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78. Let the proud be ashamed. Referring here to his enemies, who appear to have been in the higher ranks of life, or to have been those who prided themselves on their wealth, their station, or their influence. See Notes on ver. 51. The psalmist asks here that they might be confounded or put to shame; that is, that they might fail of accomplishing their purposes in regard to him. See Notes on Ps. 25:2, 3; Job 6:20.
For they dealt perversely with me. They were not honest; they deceived me; they took advantage of me; they were not true to their professions of friendship. Comp. Notes on Isa. 59:3; Job 8:3; 34:12.
Without a cause. Heb., by a lie. That is, they have been guilty of falsehood in their charges or accusations against me. I have given them no occasion for such treatment, and their conduct is based on an entire misrepresentation. See Notes on John 15:25.
But I will meditate in thy precepts. See Notes on Ps. 1:2. I will not be diverted from thee, from thy law, from thy service, by all that man can do to me; by all the false charges which the enemies of religion may bring against me; by all the contempt or persecution that I may suffer for my attachment to thee. See Notes on vers. 23, 69. (Barnes, A. (1870–1872). Notes on the Old Testament: Psalms (Vol. 3, p. 201). London: Blackie & Son.)
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78 Let the proud be ashamed; yfor they dealt perversely with me without a cause: but I will meditate in thy precepts.
They dealt perversely with me, Heb. they have perverted me; either by their calumnies, whereby they have put false and perverse constructions upon all my words and actions; or by endeavouring to overthrow and destroy me, or to turn me out of the way of thy precepts. But all their wicked attempts against me shall never drive me from the study, and love, and practice of thy precepts. (Poole, M. (1853). Annotations upon the Holy Bible (Vol. 2, p. 187). New York: Robert Carter and Brothers.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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Daily Hope
Today’s Scripture
Exodus 25-27
Many people enjoy watching homes transformed in a one-hour television show. The thrill and joy of decorating a new home can be exciting for new homeowners! It is even more thrilling to have an expert designer to plan every detail to decorate your own home.
After the covenant was established and the people had declared their allegiance to the Lord, God commanded the people to bring an offering to Him and make the tent and furnishings for the tabernacle. This tabernacle was to be a holy sanctuary for the Lord that He might reveal His glory among the nation of Israel.
Instructions used for the construction of the tabernacle were specifically made under the expert design of the Lord. The tabernacle was to be made of the very best materials by the most talented workers. The same pattern for the sanctuary was later given to David to be used in the building of the temple (1 Chronicles 28:19).
Furthermore, the Lord gave explicit directions about how to construct the outer court around the sanctuary. The walls and the coverings were to be all the same size and dimension. The curtains, loops, skin coverings, floorboards and veil were all precisely diagramed for construction and installation.
A brazen laver and altar were placed in the outer court so offerings and sacrifices could be offered to the Lord. The sanctuary was enclosed and had only one opening in which the priest could enter and exit. When this construction was completed, the Lord now had a place where He went and communed with the people of Israel.
God brought this tabernacle into the center of the camp to allow the people of Israel to know that He was to be in the center of their lives. The wrongs and unjust actions they committed were to be brought to the altar for forgiveness.
We no longer must go through the sacrifices and rituals associated with the tabernacle as Jesus is our sin bearer. Upon the cross, redemption was completed once for all to those who confess Jesus as Lord. New Testament believers have an open access to the presence of God through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:19-25). It is our privilege to take all our burdens directly to the Lord in prayer. May you take time to pray daily.
With an Expectant Hope,
Pastor Miller
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The Lord teaches the Israelites the importance of giving.
INSIGHT
We offer a portion of our income to the Lord in gratitude for what He has given us. If we know Him for who He really is, the Creator and Ruler of the universe, then we will rightly understand that everything in the world truly belongs to Him. In His goodness and compassion, He has provided us with the things that we need to survive. As we give to the church, “the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow,” we are acknowledging his exuberant generosity and love. (Quiet Walk)
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Paul’s first trial before Felix, the governor of the region, is not decisive.
INSIGHT
During World War II there was a popular song with the phrase: “Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.” This snatch of verse captures a theme that runs throughout the Bible: Assume human responsibility while relying on the sovereignty of God. Throughout the Bible, men pray and then act. Paul’s arguments are clever and his logic is deft, as though he is relying on himself for his freedom. And yet under it all is a peace, a trust, a confidence that can only be explained by his rest in the Lord whom he serves. Whether his circumstances are good or bad, Paul regards wherever he is as the “world” into which the Lord wants him to go to “preach the gospel” (Mark 16:15). (Quiet Walk)
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CHRIST THE PRIEST
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus. Hebrews 3:1
What are the evidences for saying that Christ is God’s appointed High Priest? Well, it is interesting to observe that there is only one book in the Bible that describes Him directly and explicitly as Priest, and that is, of course, the Epistle to the Hebrews. Hebrews describes Him as such in a number of verses: “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus” (3:1). “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession” (4:14). “So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee” (5:5). “Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec” (6:20). “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens” (7:26). “We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (8:1).
But, of course, in many other places the teaching is implicit–by implication it is there. For instance, listen to our Lord Himself. He said, “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). This is also something that is constantly taught by the apostle Paul. In Romans 3:24-25 he says, “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.”
A Thought to Ponder: There is only one book in the Bible that describes Him directly and explicitly as Priest–the Epistle to the Hebrews. (From God the Father, God the Son, pp. 303-304, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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