The Bible Recap - Day 150 (Psalm 119) - Year 4

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble and I'm your host for the Bible recap. We are 150 days in, and today we read the longest chapter in the Bible. You probably either knew it was the longest chapter or at least hoped it was. It's even longer than some entire books of the Bible. And it's the center chapter of the Bible. This song is written as a Hebrew Acroostic poem, where each of the 22 sections starts with the subsequent letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and each of the eight verses within each section starts with that letter as well. For us, that would be like eight verses that start with the letter A,

Starting point is 00:00:43 then eight verses that start with the letter B, and so forth. And as a former songwriter, this intimidates me. This song was a labor of love. No one knows who wrote it, but a lot of people think it was Ezra, the priest, and scribe. All we know is that this particular songist loved the word of God. This kind of detailed, demanding songwriting isn't done in a half-hearted manner. Not only does he love the word of God, but he wants to love it even more. He's not a perfect man. He even ends the song by saying he's a lost sheep who has gone astray and asked God to come find him. But in all this, he shows a deep understanding of God and his character.

Starting point is 00:01:21 In fact, the song points out at least seven primary praiseworthy attributes of God in his character. They are righteousness, trustworthiness, truthfulness, faithfulness, unchangeableness, eternality, and light. In verses 9-11, he shows us how possessing a heart-level knowledge of God in his word keeps him walking in nearness and obedience to God. Unfortunately, we're helpless to change our own hearts. Fortunately, this chapter also displays God as the active agent of wisdom giving and heart change. For example, in verse 18, he says, open my eyes. In verse 27, he says, make me understand.

Starting point is 00:01:59 In verse 32, he says, you enlarge my heart. And verse 36 says, Incline my heart. These are great prayers to pray. Turn my eyes, teach me. Give me understanding. Lead me, incline my heart. In verses 15 through 16,

Starting point is 00:02:16 He coaches Himself with the kind of behavior He wants to display. He says, I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes. I will not forget your word. He wants to focus on treasure and remember God. If this Psalmist were to make a vision board, God's Word is what would be on it. In verses 71 through 75, he even thanks God for the struggles God used to bring him near. He recognizes that God has an eternal purpose in mind.

Starting point is 00:02:47 He says, It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me. But even this psalmist, a man whose hope is firmly planted in the Lord, with all his knowledge of and love for God's Word. Knows what it's like to feel pain and longing in his present situation. In verse 82, he prays, When will you comfort me?

Starting point is 00:03:14 Loving God doesn't preclude feeling pain and loss. It just means we have a safe person to be with us in our pain. The verse you may be most familiar with in the whole chapter is verse 105, and that's where my God shot comes in today as well. It says, Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. The word used for lamp here refers to a foot lamp like a single candle. This kind of lamp would only give enough light for the next step. You could make the whole journey step by step with the candle. You just have to keep referring back to it, just like the Word of God. That's the Word for

Starting point is 00:03:49 lamp and a lamp unto my feet. But here's something I never discovered before. The Word for light and a light unto my path, that's a different word. It's a flood light, it's daybreak, it's the God said let there be light. You guys, this is incredible. God's Word is both kinds of light. The whole earth's flooded with the fires of a thousand suns, kind of glorious, illuminating absolute truth, once for all. And the individual, step-by-step, kind of personal guidance we need moment by moment. It's everything, and it makes me love the Word of God so much more. This

Starting point is 00:04:26 reminds me of 2 Timothy 3 16 through 17. It says, all scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for a proof, for correction, and for training in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. We have everything we need, the bright light, the personal light, all lighting up the same truths that we need for life and godliness and for every good work. God has generously given it all to us. His word is where the joy is because he's in it and he's where the joy is. We've got an email from several of you who tell us you want to help financially support the Bible recap.

Starting point is 00:05:06 Thank you. But that you aren't interested in getting the perks that come along with setting up a Patreon account. No worries, we've got you covered. If you click the contact link on our website, thebibelrecap.com, it'll walk you through the process of how to do that. We've also put a direct link in the show notes. And thank you, not only for me and all of our team, but also on behalf

Starting point is 00:05:25 of every single person who listens each day. Your support is what helps us keep this podcast coming to you on a daily basis. TheBiboreacab.com, Bordslash, Contact. you

The Bible Recap - Day 150 (Psalm 119) - Year 4

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