I will delight in your statutes;I will not forget your word. Psalm 119:16 ESV The psalmist concludes the second eight-verse stanza of Psalm 119 with this two-fold resolution, which he begins by reiterating the theme of verse 14. Just as the psalmist previously resolved to rejoice in God’s testimonies more highly than in all riches, …
à Brakel, who was a pastor during the Second Dutch Reformation, wrote a four-volume systematic theology called The Christian’s Reasonable Service. Thus far, as I have been reading, it has been living up to its reputation as being one of the most practical and pastoral systemic theologies ever written. The following quotation is from his …
Continue reading Reflecting on the Word | Wilhelmus à Brakel
I will meditate on your preceptsand fix my eyes on your ways. Psalm 119:15 ESV In the penultimate verse of this stanza, the psalmist continues to his resolutions for how he will store God’s Word in his heart and guard his way with it. Just as he has determined to declare and delight in the …
In the way of your testimonies I delightas much as in all riches. Psalm 119:14 ESV Continuing this stanza’s theme of how we are to guard our way with God’s Word that we may not wander from His commandments, the psalmist has declared his resolution to seek the LORD, to store up His Word within …
Continue reading In the Way of Your Testimonies I Delight | Psalm 119:14
With my lips I declareall the rules of your mouth. Psalm 119:13 ESV Moving into the second half of our present stanza, the psalmist continues the theme of obtaining purity through clinging to God’s Word, yet while verses 9-12 focused upon current resolve to seek the LORD through the Scriptures and upon the necessity of …
Continue reading I Declare All the Rules of Your Mouth | Psalm 119:13
I have stored up your word in my heart,that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11 ESV We come now to one of the verses for which Psalm 119 is best known. As we mentioned previously, the driving theme of this second stanza is the psalmist’s pursuit and quest for purity, which he notes …
How can a young man keep his way pure?By guarding it according to your word. Psalm 119:9 ESV Psalm 119, as we have seen, is a unique poem. First, it is the longest chapter in the Bible (longer than many entire books in the Bible, in fact). Second, the entire poem is built around one theme: …
Continue reading How Can a Young Man Keep Pure? | Psalm 119:9
I will keep your statutes;do not utterly forsake me! Psalm 119:8 ESV This verse concludes the first stanza of Psalm 119 in which every verse begins with the Hebrew letter, aleph. It immediately also concludes the two part pledge of action that began in verse 7, but it further parallels verse 4, which began his …
I will praise you with an upright heart,when I learn your righteous rules! Psalm 119:7 ESV The overall pattern of this first stanza of the psalm continues to unfold before us. Verses 1-4 form a unit wherein the psalmist first utter two beatitudes describing the person who walks according to the law of the LORD …
Then I shall not be put to shame,having my eyes fixed on all your commandments! Psalm 119:6 ESV This verse piggybacks directly upon the previous one, which is evident through the word then. Although that verse was a hopeful yearning for the psalmist’s ways to be steadfast in keeping the statutes of the LORD, this …
B. C. Newton 