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.

Psalm 119 KAPH

 "My soul faints with longing for your salvation,   

    but I have put my hope in your word.

My eyes fail, looking for your promise;

        I say, 'When will you comfort me?'

Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke,                             

    I do not forget your decrees.

How long must your servant wait?

        When will you punish my persecutors?

The arrogant dig pits to trap me,

        contrary to your law.

All your commands are trustworthy;

        help me, for I am being persecuted without cause.

They almost wiped me from the earth,

     but I have not forsaken your precepts.

In your unfailing love preserve my life,

        that I may obey the statutes of your mouth."

                                Psalm 119:81-88

        The coolest part about the longest chapter in Psalm is not only that it is split into 22 sections, each with 8 verses a section, or that the sections are split by the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The coolest part is that the sections themselves follow what is called an acrostic pattern. According to the blog God's Growing Garden, the author describes an acrostic pattern as a poem that is arranged to  is a poem where certain letters in each line spell out a word or phrase. We see in this section KAPH split like this

                 Keep me 

               SAfe,

                  Preserve my life;

I place my Hope in your Word.

        The main theme of this section is the truth that even when we feel at our weakest, God, in all of his strength, has a plan, and it is through this that we find the greatest strength, despite our weakness. An underlying concept that continues to show up in this psalm are the people who are simply termed "the pride" or "the prideful". Sometimes, they accuse the righteous of false unrighteousness, or they belittle the righteous because of their belief, but this instance shows the heart of the psalmist. "How long will your servant wait, when will you punish your persecutors? The arrogant dig pits to trap me, contrary to your law. All your commands are trustworthy, help me for I am being persecuted without cause."- vs 84-86. 

        What the psalmist is saying is that although he knows God has redeemed him and saved him, his enemies still rise up against him, many times without any truth in their accusations. Unfortunately for the writer, he probably couldn't see the fulfillment of his hopes. Fortunately for us, we have been given the gift of the completed Bible. The book of Revelation reveals God's plan for exactly what will happen to the prideful and arrogant, as well as the blessings and fulfillments of promises to the people who are written in the Lamb's book of Life. 

        I believe their have been times in all of our lives where we hit this same stance as Christians. We serve God faithfully, obeying his rules and following his commandments, yet we tend to get looked over and pushed around, simply because we desire to act in kindness instead of hate. Despite all this, the proud succeed and become the objects of desire for the world to admire. We wonder when will the universe shift in our favor and the arrogant finally get what is coming to them. We tell God all the reasons why our life should be in a better position then it is and clearly He must have messed up somewhere along the way. If the commands we follow are truly for our good, why is our life seemingly in shambles. "When will they get what you said they deserve?" This section KAPH reminds us that in times of emotional distress, God's strength will make us strong to overcome the weakness of the flesh and to allow God's plan to fall into place as he has designed and planned it to go. 

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

Psalm 119 Yodh

"Your hands made me and formed me;

      give me understanding to learn your commands.

May those who fear you rejoice when they see me,

      for I have put my hope in your word.

I know, Lord, that your laws are righteous,

      and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

 May your unfailing love be my comfort,

      according to your promise to your servant.

Let your compassion come to me that I may live,

     for your law is my delight.

May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause;

     but I will meditate on your precepts.

May those who fear you turn to me,

     those who understand your statutes.

May I wholeheartedly follow your decrees,

     that I may not be put to shame."- Psalm 119:73-80

    The tenth section of the psalms conveys the Hebrew letter Yodh, which represents creation and humility, and this section beautifully represents both of these concepts. It starts with the psalmist acknowledging that God has made him, and formed him, and that everything that comes up in life is ordained by God, both the good and the bad. I love in verse 75, the psalmist comes to the realization that even when afflictions come our way, God, in all his faithfulness, has orchestrated all things to work out for our life. "May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to the promise to your servant." This verse reminds us that we should never lose faith when trials come our way, rather God's love will always be with us, giving us peace and comfort. As hard as that sounds, God's love and righteousness is infinite and unfailing, and nothing we do or nothing that happens to us comes as a surprise to Him. He is forever in control and knows how these tribulations will shape our testimony down the road.

    The passage ends with the psalmist asking God to condemn the wicked for the things they have gotten away with, while at the same time asking God to keep them from falling into the same traps. "Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight." "May I wholeheartedly follow your decrees, that I may be put to shame." Here is where the psalmist addresses the humility of what this letter represents. 

    YODH is the shortest letter in the Hebrew Alphabet, and is sometimes skipped over when studying the Hebrew language. That should not stop us from realizing the beauty of God's creation and the humility of his creation as we marvel at the character of God and understand that we can do nothing on our own. It is only because of God's faithfulness and love that we have the desire to do anything that God has set before us. 

Adam Semple- A Young Man reading through the Psalms. 

Psalm 119: Teth

 "Do good to your servant

    according to.your word, Lord.

Teach me knowledge and good judgment,

    for I trust your commands.

Before I was afflicted, I went astray,

    but now I obey your word.

You are good, and what you do is good,

    teach me your decrees.

Though the arrogant have smeared me with lives,

    I keep your precepts with all my heart.

Their hearts are callous and unfeeling, 

    but I delight in your law.

It was good for me to be afflicted, 

    so that I might learn your decrees.

The law from your mouth is more precious to me

    than thousands of pieces of silver and gold."

                                    Psalm 119:65-72

Commentary after commentary all lead to one simply conclusion about this 9th segment of the 119th Psalms. God is good, He does good, and he teaches us how to do good. That alone should compel us to trust whatever it is that God is walking us through. Over the course of his life, David composed hundreds of psalms in certain times of trouble, or times of overwhelming peace. We don't know when this was written or why, but what we do know is that David has walked with God long enough to know without any doubt or hesitation that the things God says are true, and his commands are designed to bring us into the path of righteousness and grace that he has planned for us. Right out the gate, in verse 65, David tells it like it is. "You have dealt well with your servant, O Lord, according to your servant."- (NKJV) Through every mountain top and valley low experience, David has seen God carry him through, protecting him and going before him whenever he goes, especially when he acknowledges God as the forerunner of his life. From the time of his days as a lowly shepherd fighting off wolves, to the defeating of the the Philistines, along with the countless other nations, God has provided everything needed to fight these battles. David never let the speech of the enemy come between him and God, and this laid out a framework for how we are to deal with lies and accusations thrown our direction, in an attempt to derail us, or tear us down. In verse 69, David emphasizes that although the arrogant try to smear his character with lies, God has already gone before him and had placed a protective covering around those who love him and search deeply to find the true heart of God. As Christians, there will be those around us who try to belittle or destroy the work we have done through Christ. As hard as persecution for our faith may be, we must remember that Satan doesn't attack people who are not a threat to him and his kingdom. When we stand with the full power of God behind us and all around us, Satan and his lies cannot penetrate the truth we know and stand on. God is good, and he does good, and he teaches us how to do good. We just need to be firm in our belief of who he is, we must be willing to learn even when the fires of life get hot, and we must allow God to work in us, to purge all the sin and doubt out of our hearts and mind. God wants to bless his children, we must be willing to receive all he predestined to bestow upon us.

These verses can be summarized into one sentence, using the letters of alphabet describing this section

Teach me good judgement,

Especially when

Times are 

Hard.  (TETH)- (Godsgrowinggarden.com)

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