Psalm 119 Tzaddi

 

"You are righteous, Yahweh, Your Judgements are upright.

You have commanded your statutes in righteousness. They are fully trustworthy.

My zeal wears me out, because my enemies ignore my words.

Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them.

I am small and despised. I don't forget your precepts.

Your Righteousness is and everlasting righteousness. Your law is truth.

Trouble and anguish have taken hold of me. Your commandments are my delight.

Your testimonies are righteous forever.  Give me understanding, that I may live."

                Psalm 119:137-144

    

    Ask any builder working on any kind of structural project and the majority of the people should tell you that before a single post goes up, the foundation of the building goes in first. Then you can build up and out and any which way you want to go. I love that God's word continues to model this formula for success. In the last post, I mentioned how if the windows to the soul are taking in sights that are pure and good, the things that come out will be pure as well. What the psalmist is saying with this stanza, Tzaddi, is that a person cannot be righteous, if they eyes and they mouth are not pure and blameless Jesus describes this beautifully when he says, "No one can serve two masters. Either he will love one and hate the other or be devoted to one and despise the other. (Matthew 6:24 NIV) In order for a man to take on the mantle of humility and righteousness, he must be vigilant of what he allows his eyes to see, what his ears to hear and his mouth to speak. Righteousness is also not something to be praised and revered. Imagine your scrolling on your various social media platform and you see a video of someone giving to the poor. Although the act itself is good, if it is only done for the likes and hearts it will undoubtedly receive, that is not righteousness, but pride. David understood what it meant to be humble before God, because he witnessed the result of a prideful heart. Whenever David did things to show off his power, God always came in and showed him the greatness of his "strength" and David then had to admit his sin so that God's peace could return to the people. 

    Our actions carry more power than we might ever realize while on this earth. Should we not try with everything in us to be good and pure simply because God says it is right, not because the world will see it. May we go every day, operating like a shadow in the night, doing things for the people around like a year-round Santa Claus that only lives to give. Never to receive a pat on the back for "helping the less fortunate", but being a person who has nothing to offer but our lives, not allowing pride to create a false sense of "holy righteousness". 

    "Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your right hand know what your left hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what you do in secret, will reward you." - Matthew 6:1-4

Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Journey through the Psalms. 

Psalm 119 Pe

 "Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them.

The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.

I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands.

Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name.

Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me. 

Redeem me from human oppression, that I may obey your precepts.

Make your face shine on your servant and teach me your decrees.

Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed.

                Psalm 119:129-136 Pe

    God always has a plan and a purpose for everything that we do and every path we walk on throughout this life. The way His holy word, the Bible, is structured is no different. 

            "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."- 2 Timothy 3:16-17 

            "He has made everything beautiful in its time"- Ecclesiastes 3:11

            "Oh, the depths of his riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out."- Romans 11:33

    Throughout the Bible, there are moments when God tells his people to watch and see, then go and tell. The 119th chapter in the Psalms lays this out from one stanza to the next. In the previous secction, AYIN, we see that this letter, essentially a vowel in our alphabet, describes the window to the soul, our eyes. What we see and what we choose to focus on will be what ultimately comes out of our mouth(PE), and heart. This 17th letter in the section means simply that, the mouth by which we speak. From the blog A Small Drop of Ink, the writer has this to say about the correlation between Ayin and  Pe, 

            "Rabbis point out that “Pe” (mouth) follows the letter “Ayin” (eyes), suggesting the importance of seeing (understanding, having awareness) before opening the mouth. If this order is reversed, the result is mindless chatter."

How can we speak the words of truth and love and grace, if we have yet seen them for ourselves? If you have every been around someone giving a testimony, you believe the words more easily when you can see in their eyes that they have seen what they are speaking, and that they are speaking truth. Whenever someone speaks on a matter they know nothing of, their words fall short and the truth is far from them. 

I want to live a life of someone who has seen the works of the Father firsthand, so that when the time comes to share what I have seen, people will see the genuiness  of my words. 

            "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be pleasing in your sight. O Lord, my strength and my redeemer"- Psalm 19:14

May the words that come from your heart be full of truth and pleasing to God, because you only speak about the things you have seen, and the things you have seen are good things bestowed on you by the Father. 

Adam Semple, AYoung Man on a Journey Through the Psalms

Psalm 119 Ayin

"I have done justice and righteousness;  Do not leave me to my oppressors. 

Be surety for your servant for good, Do not let the proud oppress me.

My eyes fail from seeking Your salvation, And your righteous word

Deal with your servant according to your mercy and teach me your statutes                                    

I am your servant; Give me understanding, That I may know your testimonies 

It is time to for you to act, O Lord, For they have regarded your law as void.

Therefore, I love your commandments More than gold, yes, than fine gold.

Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right: I hate every false way.                                                             

       

 

                                            Psalm 119:121-128 AYIN  ע

    The Hebrew letter portrayed in this passage of the Psalms is the 16th letter Ayin,(Ayen). It is more regarded as a vowel due to the fact that the letter itself does not typically have a sound, but it adds to other letters to create new words. The creation of this letter is believed to be tied to what it means, which is basically the window to the soul, or in layman's terms, the eye,(eyes): One being good and one being bad. This unwraps what Jesus was taliking about in the Gospel of Mattheww when He says this to the people, "The eye is the lamp of the whole body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. Matthew 6:22-23. Although the verbage here might be a little hard to grasp at times, what Jesus is saying is that the things we choose to focus on will be the things that permeate our entire soul. Say you know someone who looks at the world and only sees despair and disappointment. The reason they see the world this way is because they have chosen to focus solely on these things. Now, take someone who goes through life with a smile in all circumstances and joy in their heart. If you put these 2 people in the same environment and told them to tell you what they see, you would receive 2 very different answers. Person one would see all the things wrong with the place you have put them in, but Person 2 would see the blessings and the beauty that is all around them. So where does the difference come in? Why do 2 people looking at the exact same view come to 2 very different responses? Because throughout their life, they have to decided what they want to focus on, therefore allowing those things to take up their whole focus. Person 1 has decided that the world is only out to disappointment and fill them with heartache, so that is what they have chosen to set theirs eyes on. Person 2 realizes that life is filled with big and small joys, and God has proven to reveal Himself to his children through these little beauties. 

    The author of this psalm is trying make it very clear that what we choose to set are eyes, our AYIN, upon will completely change our outlook on life. Look back at the beginning of this section. When the psalmist has his gaxe on the world, he sees only his oppressors and the trouble they bring. It is only when he shifts his perception back to the Father, the ones coming against him mean nothing to him, because he knows the one he has set his eyes on will carry him though and watch over him as long as he trusts in what he sees, not just what is around him.

    In the boat, as the waters were tossing every which way around him, Peter was able to walk on the water if he kept his eyes on Jesus. It was only when he looked away that he began to sink. Let us always keep our eyes on the Father and whatever trials and tribulations come our way, we will be able to walk above them, because we know what has our focus. 

    I want to go through this life walking with the Father, not sinking from the troubles of this world.

"Turn your eyes, upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of Earth, will grow strangely dim. In the Light, of His Glory and Grace" - Lauren Daigle Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Journey through the Psalms. 

Psalm 119 Samekh

 "I hate double-minded people,

       but I love your law.

You are my refuge and my shield;                                          

    I have put my hope in your word.                        

Away from me, you evildoers,

    That I may keep the commands of my God!

Sustain me, my God, according to your promise,     

     and I will live;

    do not let my hopes be dashed.

Uphold me, and I will be delivered;

    I will always have regard for your decrees.

You reject all who stray from your decrees,

    for their delusions come to nothing.

All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross;

    therefore I love your statutes.

My flesh trembles in fear of you;

    I stand in awe of your laws."

                                                            -Psalm 119:113-120

    Here in the 15th section of the psalms, the writer expresses the fact that having emotions, and not just the ones the world has deemed as good, is in fact a good thing. A commentary from Haven Baptist Church, breaking down the longest chapter in the Bible, breaks down 2 pairs of contradicting emotions laid out in this stanza of 8 verses. Hate and Love, Hope and Fear. In the eyes of the Lord, these emotions usually represent 2 different types of people, one who lives a life of Love and Hope, the other a life of Hate and Fear. But according to King David, as followers and lovers of the Word, there are times to express a full spectrum of emotions. Without Hate, how are we to appreciate love? If there is no Fear, what is there to have hope against? "But as Christians, we are called to Love all and Fear nothing." In most cases, yes. Love your enemy, Do not Fear, Live a life of Hope. That is not what the psalmist is saying here. David lays out the truth that, even as born-again believers, full of God's Love, there are specific things in this world we are to hate.

             "These six, things the Lord Hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him. A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren."- Proverbs 6:16-19

    Our God is a God of Love, and Grace and Mercy, and he wants not one of his children to perish; He is also a Just and Holy and Perfect God who could not even look upon the face of Jesus, his perfect son, when the weight of the world's sin was upon his shoulders. Because of this, the God of all love and peace and truth, has certain things that he hates. As believers, we must hate these things too. In this section of the psalm, David states that one thing he hates is someone who is unable or unwilling to make up their own mind. This person is swayed by the thoughts and actions of another, like a dumb sheep led to food by the shepherd. Whatever the other person says is fact until someone else comes along with new and better truth. It brings to mind the saying, "In life, if you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything." As believers, we need to be sure that what God says is truth and life and we cannot allow our minds to swayed by the masses, just because their voice might sound louder than the Lord's. 

    Contradicting Hate, of course, is Love. We can know for sure that if the bible is clear on the things God hates, it is all the more clear on the things He loves. A heart of humility and unity with his neighbor, an honest tongue, someone who jumps at the chance to bring life to a situation, not death. here in the psalms, the Love of God's word is one of the common themes throughout all 22 stanzas. David knew what it was like to be disobedient to God and his commands, but he also saw the provision and the stability that came when he humbled his heart and submitted to God's word. So much so, that when push came to shove, David wanted nothing else to but please God and obey his law and commands. Not out of fear, but out of love and reverence.

       This naturally brings us into the 3 emotion expressed in this section, Fear. We have probably heard one time or another about having the fear of the Lord in our hearts, not of trepidation, but reverence. The fear expressed here is not the same. This is the fear expressed by Job in chapter 31, "..For destruction from God is a terror to me..."(Job 31:23) This is what the world means by the emotion of fear. I have sinned, therefore God's judgment will smite thee dead, kind of fear. But don't fret. David is not implying his reborn believing man is in fear, but the flesh that fights against it. -"My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments"-vs 120. Our flesh has every right to be afraid of God and His power, but that does not mean our spirits do. The opposite in this context is Hope. The Hebrew letter Samekh resembles that of a shield, and it is because of the verse listed here, -" You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word." "Hold me, and I shall be safe, and I shall observe your statutes continually."- vs 114, 117. Keeping hope in a Father who will never fail us is one of the greatest gifts, in my opinion, we have been given, not negating the gift of salvation itself. A person without hope is someone who tends to live in fear that the curveball life has thrown them is the best they will ever get and nothing can be done to change it. A person who is full of hate and fear becomes someone who is so skeptical of others that nothing can break down the stronghold they have constructed around themselves, and only someone who lives a life of Love and Hope can prayer and intercede on behalf of the other and belie that God will change their hearts in ways only he can. 

    David is truly one of my favorite Bible heroes, not just for his feats in battle or his numerous adventures, but for the absolute fact that He never claimed to be perfect, he just knew and loved and reverend a Perfect God, and that God is available to us all, if we open the word and desire to chase after the things that God loves, and doing them with full humility and sacrifice. 

Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Journey through the Psalms.  

    

Psalm 119 Nun

 "Your word is a lamp for my feet,

        a light for my path.

I have taken an oath and confirmed it,

        that I will follow your righteous laws.

I have suffered much;

        preserve my life, Lord, according to your word.          

Accept, Lord, the willing praise of my mouth,

        and teach me your laws.

Though I constantly take my life in my hands,

        I will not forget your law.

The wicked have set a snare for me,

        but I have not strayed from your precepts.

Your statutes are my heritage forever;

        they are the joy of my heart.

My heart is set on keeping your decrees

    to the very end."

                                                                               -Psalm 119:105-112

    This passage continues to lead us on a journey deeper into God's word. Many scholars agree and have come to the conclusion that the Hebrew letter Nun translates out to be either snake or fish, but the shape and continued definition leads more to the description of a fish. In the same way that a fish relies on the water he finds himself in to live, we as Christians must, in the same way, rely on the Lord and the words he has given to us through the bible. If we were to see a fish attempting to escape from the water that is its life-source, we would, hopefully, do everything we could to return it to the water. Unfortunately as Christians, we have neglected our own life-source when we do not hold the same importance to reading and absorbing God's word. We have made reading our bibles as a checkbox on our to-do list instead of a pivotal start to our hectic lives. We have forgotten that God has given us everything we will ever need through his word and his guiding and comforting voice, and it has caused us to leap out of the waters of life into the very dry and dead world that exists on the shore. 

    In the same way that a fish will swim better when it swims with the current of the river, rather than against it, when we submit to the Father and the path he has placed before us, our journey through this life with ultimately go smoother in the long run. Not to say that life will be easy to go with the flow, but we won't be fighting an uphill battle with nothing to protect ourselves with. 

    Another way to look at this verse is through the use of the poetic meter, an acrostic poem. The blog God's Growing Garden has studied this psalm and has found the best way for them to understand this endeavor by taking the Hebrew Letter and placing it in proper proportion to the beginning of each section of verses. Here is how they described Nun

                                                    No darkness, Your word

                                     is a light Unto my path

                                             like Noonday sunshine.

    All though the verse was changed slightly to fit, the meaning shines through. God's word is a lamp to our feet, and a light to our path. He leads and guides, through his word, and directs into still waters (Psalm 23:2). Without trying to sound legalistic or ritualistic, we need to retrain our minds to make time to dive deeper into God's word, even if it messes up our perfectly organized schedule. We grow closer to God when we desire to understand his word and his decrees, but it won't happen if we don't let the scriptures immerse our souls and become more than a checkmark on our list. 

    In the words of Dory from Finding Nemo, "just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We Swim."

Keep Swimming and God will continue to lead us down the right path.

God Bless,

Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Journey through the Psalms.

Psalm 119 MEM

 "Oh How I love your law!

    I meditate on it all day long.                          

Your Commands are always with me

    and make me wiser than my enemies. 

I have more insight than all my teachers,

    for I meditate on your statutes.

I have more understanding than the elders,                    

    for I obey your precepts.

I have kept my feet from every evil path

    so that I might obey your word.

I have not departed from your laws,

    for you have always taught me.

How sweet are your words to my taste,

    sweeter than honey to my mouth.

I gain understanding from your precepts;

    therefore I hate every wrong path."

                                                    Psalm 119:97-104

    Like many English words that have two different meanings, the Hebrew word MEM can be written out in 2 ways. One way with a gap at the bottom and the other way closed in. tanyaremkiv.com compares this letter to a body of water, some being closed in like a lake or a basin, while others flow from place to place. The open form relating to the spring of the Torah, (living water) and the closed being the sea of Talmud, (deep mysteries of God). The easiest way to look at this letter is to see it as the flowing water being the truth that has already been revealed by the Father. Words of wisdom from Proverbs or Words of Encouragement from Psalms. The closed side of the letter is the things that we must discover on our own as we grow closer to God. If you have studied scripture or even just simply picked it up to read a random passage, there will always be things that make sense and things that don't. The beauty of God's word is that it can't be learned and understood all in one sitting, nor was it designed to be. God has intentional kept things of his character and of his word mysterious, because he wants us, his children, to discover those things for ourself. One thing I love about the word of God is that a group pf believers could all read the exact same passage, and through prayer and mediation of the word, come to total different conclusions. Not in a way that leads to argument or divide, but in a way that unifies the body as each person travels their own journey closer to God. 

    Hebrew 4:12 sums up the illustration of MEM beautifully.

"For the Word of God is Living and Active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." God has revealed everything we need to become Christians, simply by reading the Living Word of God. It is our job to not be satisfied and become a little bit curious as to the nature of the deep richness that comes from truly walking a life that grows and matures along the way. 

    The importance of why this letter is in the Alphabet is to signify to us that we cannot be complete knowing just the surface level of the Father's vast greatness. We must always be willing to go deeper than the shallow end of our faith and open our eyes to the greatness of God. I love this quote from Tanya Remkiv in relation to this letter and the word.

    "I realized the more consistently you drink water, the more you want it! The same applies to the Word. The more consistently you study it. the more you want it. You learn to love it as you go, even if it's one verse or one chapter, one day at a time. And over time, you see the long term benefits."

The more you faithfully dive into God's word, the more you will desire to keep going deeper. Go deep into God and watch what he reveals to you.

God Bless,

Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Journey Through the Psalms

Psalm 119 Lamed

 "Forever, O Lord,

    Your word is settled in Heaven.

Your Faithfulness endures to all generations;

    You established the earth, and it abides.

They continue this day according to your ordinances,              

    For all are your servants.

Unless your law had been my delight,

    I would then have perished in my affliction.

I will never forget your precepts,   

    For by them you have given me life.

I am yours, save me;

    For I have sought your precepts.

The wicked wait for me to destroy me,

    But I will consider your testimonies.

I have seen the consumption of all perfection,

    But Your commandment is exceedingly broad."-

                                                Psalm 119:89-96

    The 12th section of this psalm comes from the Hebrew letter Lamed. It is the tallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet and it resembles the shape of a shepherd's hook, or goad. In true poetic fashion, the psalmist starts each verse with this letter, all with definitions that show how God is not only our everlasting shepherd, but also a teacher. Words like Le olam, "to the age", or better translated "Forever", and Le dor, to the generations, and Le Cha-ani, to you I am, or sometimes translated, I am thine. These simply words represent the fact that God is forever, from generation to generation, and we are always in him if we choose to be. 

    Another side of this letter is its shape. In the same way that a shepherd would use his staff to lead and guide his sheep, God's word and his precepts are presented to us in order that we may be guided in the way that we should go to grow and mature in our relationship and knowledge in God. 

    Lets talk about the letter itself. ל is the tallest in the alphabet. One commentary about this passage states this is so, because as we go through life and we grow and mature, our level of spiritual maturity rises and increases. This theory is not to give us a sense of pride or boastfulness, but rather a simple understanding that as we journey through life's trials, we see different aspects of how God works and the numerous ways he provides and cares for his sheep. I like how HebrewToday wraps up this letter.

"If you pay attention, you’ll see that all the verbs in these verses(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)  begin with the letter ל except for the verbs סְפוֹד (sefod) mourn and רְקוֹד (rekod) dance. The scholars understand from this that these two are different – they are both situations that remove a person from their learning – a funeral (when one is mourning) and a wedding (when one is dancing)" 

    As Christians, we should always be learning and growing. In times of building up and breaking down, in times of embracing and times or releasing, a time of gathering and and time of letting go. Whatever the season we are placed in, if we aren't growing as Christians, we are missing the point of the season that God has set before us. We should never be ashamed of not knowing something in relation to God and his character, but when something comes up that we aren't familiar with, we just need to press in further to what God is trying to show us. 

    God's word and his commandments will never cease to grow and shape us, if we allow them to do so. Let his word and his voice guide you and direct you wherever he is leading you, for he knows the best path for us to take and the steps needed to get there. Trust the process and never stop learning.

Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Journey through the Psalms.