At midnight I rise to praise you,because of your righteous rules. Psalm 119:62 ESV Having meditated upon his ways and resolved to keep God's law even though the cords of the wicked ensnared him, the psalmist now turns again to praising God for His righteous rules. Praise is fittingly the theme not only of this …
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Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me,I do not forget your law. Psalm 119:61 ESV We might borrow the language of the author of Hebrews and say that time would fail us if we were to recount all the lives of our brothers and sisters who displayed these words with their very lives. Of …
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and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3:17 ESV When reading or studying the baptism of Jesus, we rightly tend to fixate upon the stunning display of the Trinity. In that one moment, we find God the Son incarnate and standing in the …
I hasten and do not delayto keep your commandments. Psalm 119:60 ESV This verse immediately flows from the previous one, which is made evident by the ESV's decision to conclude verse 59 with a semi-colon rather than a period. In that verse, the psalmist noted that as he considered his ways he also turned his …
When I think on my ways,I turn my feet to your testimonies; Psalm 119:59 ESV Thus far, in our present stanza, the psalmist has confessed that the LORD is his portion and promised to keep His word; however, knowing his sinfulness, he also entreated the LORD’s favor, not according to his good works but according …
I entreat your favor with all my heart;be gracious to me according to your promise. Psalm 119:58 ESV As we gaze upon this verse, we should note that the two lines are essentially the same. Especially within the Old Testament, the favor of God is much the same as the grace of God. For instance, …
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God Ephesians 2:19 ESV When discussing the nature of the church, it is not uncommon to hear two concepts being proposed. One says that the church is an organization or corporation, and …
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The LORD is my portion;I promise to keep your words. Psalm 119:57 ESV Here we arrive at the eighth stanza of Psalm 119, where each of its eight verses begins with the Hebrew letter heth. This first verse begins with two related declarations: The LORD is my portion and I promise to keep your words. …
This blessing has fallen to me,that I have kept your precepts. Psalm 119:56 ESV We come now to the final verse of stanza Zayin of Psalm 119, and within the first line we find a difficulty. The psalmist declares, "this blessing has fallen to me..." And the question immediately before us is: which blessing? The …
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I remember your name in the night, O LORD,and keep your law. Psalm 119:55 ESV Here the psalmist declares that his nightly meditation is upon the name of the LORD. As he lay in his bed, he thinks upon the nature and goodness of his God, for God’s name reflects His character. We observed this, …
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B. C. Newton 