Qoph

Today we come to qoph in our journey through Psalm 119. The theme that I want to look at today is that when we call out for help, we can put our hope in God's word. So, let's read!

¹⁴⁵ I call with all my heart; answer me, O LORD, and I will obey your decrees.

¹⁴⁶ I call out to you; save me and I will keep your statutes.

¹⁴⁷ I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word.

¹⁴⁸ My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.

¹⁴⁹ Hear my voice in accordance with your love; preserve my life, O LORD, according to your laws.

¹⁵⁰ Those who devise wicked schemes are near, but they are far from your law.

¹⁵¹ Yet you are near, O LORD, and all your commands are true.

¹⁵² Long ago I learned from your statutes that you established them to last forever.

Psalm 119:145-152

Discussion Questions

• The psalmist is calling out for help. To whom?
• The first two verses may sound a little different from what we've read before. But really they are not. The psalmist isn't really saying that he expects God to answer and then after God has answered he will obey. Rather, he is saying that he expects God to answer and while he is still waiting for the answer, he will obey. (v. 145-146)
• How urgent is his cry for help? Urgent enough, that he's getting up early to cry for help (v. 147)
• In what is he placing his hope (a wish and expecting the wish will be fulfilled)? God's word (v. 147)
• How important is it to the psalmist to focus on God's word? He is staying up all night meditating on God's word (v. 148)
• Who is it that is causing him to cry out for help? those who devise wicked schemes (v. 150)
• How is he comforted?
• God is near (v. 151)
• God's word is true (v. 151)
• He has learned from God's loaw (v. 152)
• He knows that God's laws will last forever (v. 152)

Tsadhe

We now come to the Hebrew letter Tsadhe. Today, we read about how God's word is right and trustworthy. In the Hebrew, we can translate righteous/right as what is right or just or normal, rightness, justness (of weights and measures) or straight, upright, correct, right. When we read trustworthy, the original Hebrew can be translated as firmness, faithfulness, truth, fidelity, steadfastness, steadiness. Count how many times right or righteous is mentioned. Count how many times words meaning trustworthy are mentioned. Let's read!

¹³⁷ Righteous are you, O LORD, and your laws are right.

¹³⁸ The statutes you have laid down are righteous; they are fully trustworthy.

¹³⁹ My zeal wears me out, for my enemies ignore your words.

¹⁴⁰ Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them.

¹⁴¹ Though I am lowly and despised, I do not forget your precepts.

¹⁴² Your righteousness is everlasting and your law is true.

¹⁴³ Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands are my delight.

¹⁴⁴ Your statutes are forever right; give me understanding that I may live.

Psalm 119:137-144

Discussion Questions

• How many times was right or righteousness mentioned? 5 Define it
• How many times were words meaning trustworthy mentioned? 2 Define it
• Do you think if these are repeated over and over they are important?
• What does the Psalmist say about how he feels about God's word?
• He loves it (v. 140)
• He delights in it (v. 143)
• What are some situations the Psalmist says God's word helps him?
• when people don't like him (v. 141)
• when he's having trouble (v. 143)
• How does he know God's word will help him? it is right and trustworthy
• Do you think God's word can help you? When?

Pe

As we continue our journey through Psalm 119, we come to the Hebrew letter Pe. Here, we readed about how God's word is to be greatly desired. Can you remember the feeling on Christmas morning or your birthday when you are about to open a present? Can you recall the excitement as you start to rip away the paper and try and figure out what the present is? This is how the psalmist feels about God's word. Let's read!

¹²⁹ Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them.

¹³⁰ The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.

¹³¹ I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands.

¹³² Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name.

¹³³ Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.

¹³⁴ Redeem me from the oppression of men, that I may obey your precepts.

¹³⁵ Make your face shine upon your servant and teach me your decrees.

¹³⁶ Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed.

Psalm 119:128-136

Discussion Questions

• What is the best gift you ever got? Did you know what it was beforehand?
• What did you think about that gift? Was it bad, okay, or wonderful?
• How did the psalmist feel about God's word? (v. 129)
• How did you feel as you were unwrapping this gift?
• The psalmist talks about the unfolding of God's word. This means opening up of or beginning to understand God's word. Do you think he was excited by it? (v. 130)
• Reading verse 131, how do you think the Psalmist felt about God's word? Bored, sad, exicted? Why?
• If we can agree that the Psalmist thought God's word was a wonderful gift (that keeps on giving!) what are some of the things he did as a response?
• he obeyed (v. 129, 134)
• he followed the right path (v. 130)
• he learned (v. 135)
• he was saddened when people disobeyed (v.136)

Ayin

As we continue our journey through Psalm 119, we come to Ayin the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The theme I want to touch on today is this: When faced with multiple paths, hate the wrong ones. In light of what we read yesterday about people who stray from the path and the day before about how God's word is a light to our path, we know the importance of the right path. But sometimes we are tempted by other paths that may not be the right path. So, let's read.

¹²¹ I have done what is righteous and just; do not leave me to my oppressors.

¹²² Ensure your servant's well-being; let not the arrogant oppress me.

¹²³ My eyes fail, looking for your salvation, looking for your righteous promise.

¹²⁴ Deal with your servant according to your love and teach me your decrees.

¹²⁵ I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.

¹²⁶ It is time for you to act, O LORD; your law is being broken.

¹²⁷ Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold,

¹²⁸ and because I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path.

Psalm 119:121-128

Discussion Questions

• Before we look at how the Psalmist hates the wrong paths, we need to see where he is first.
• He is living a "good" life
• doing what is righteous and just (v. 121)
• serving God (v. 125)
• wanting to understand God's laws (v. 125)
• He is looking to God
• looking for God's salvation and promise (v. 123)
• looking for God to respond to bad people(v. 126)
• He is motivated by God's word
• He loves God's commands (v. 127)
• God's word is valuable to Him (v. 127)
• He considers God's word right - as in the right path, a straight, level path
• As a result of living a life obedient to God, looking to God, and realizing that God's word points to the right path, he hates the wrong paths. It is important to note:
• Hate - literally means to hate. Not "not like as much as the other" and not "slightly dislike" and not "dislike", but hate!
• wrong - translated elsewhere as false meaning a lie, deception, disappointment, falsehood
• path - way, path, road, passing of life, way of living

Samekh

Do you sometimes get frustrated with the people around you? Do you find that people do things that you don't like or don't want them to do? Do you sometimes see people doing things that are wrong? How should you react? What does the Bible say about how we should react? As we get to the next section of Psalm 119 for the Hebrew letter samekh we find the Psalmist talking about how he wants to deal with bad people around him. Let's read!

¹¹³ I hate double-minded men, but I love your law.

¹¹⁴ You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.

¹¹⁵ Away from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commands of my God!

¹¹⁶ Sustain me according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed.

¹¹⁷ Uphold me, and I will be delivered; I will always have regard for your decrees.

¹¹⁸ You reject all who stray from your decrees, for their deceitfulness is in vain.

¹¹⁹ All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross; therefore I love your statutes.

¹²⁰ My flesh trembles in fear of you; I stand in awe of your laws.

Psalm 119:113-120

Discussion Questions

• We see different people referred to in this passage. What do some of these mean?
• double-minded men - this implies evil, false, useless, lying men
• evildoers - this implies spoiled, rotten, good for nothing, bad people who harm others
• those who stray from God's decrees - are people who make a mistake and lies and deception take them away from the God's path
• the wicked - people who are morally wrong, actively (not just occasionally) bad
• What does the Psalmist say in response to these people?
• He loves God's law
• He puts his hope in God's word
• He wants to keep God's commandments
• He will have respect for God's commandments
• He fears God
• He stands in awe of God's laws
• Do you remember how we defined fearing God?
• Do you know what it means to stand in awe of God's law?

Nun

Now we come to Nun. Today, we're going to do things just a little bit different. We'll be having some discussion questions before we do our reading and then we'll have more after we do our reading. But, anyway, back to nun, the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In this section we see that God's word guides us. God's word helps us to know where to go and keeps us heading in the right direction.

Discussion Questions

• If you are walking through the woods in the dark, what tool would you want with you? A flashlight?
• If there's a path through the woods, would you want to stay on it?
• If you are walking in the dark and drop your favorite toy, what would you do?
• If you are walking in the woods at night and hear a strange noise off the path, what would you do?
• If you're walking at night in the dark, do you think you should remember your flashlight?

Now, keeping in mind that God's word guides us, listen as we read for how God's word keeps us on the right path.

¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

¹⁰⁶ I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws.

¹⁰⁷ I have suffered much; preserve my life, O LORD, according to your word.

¹⁰⁸ Accept, O LORD, the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me your laws.

¹⁰⁹ Though I constantly take my life in my hands, I will not forget your law.

¹¹⁰ The wicked have set a snare for me, but I have not strayed from your precepts.

¹¹¹ Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.

¹¹² My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end.

Psalm 119:105-112

Discussion Questions

• Based on verse 105, what would you compare God's word to?
• Does the Psalmist plan to stay on the path? How? (v. 106)
• The Psalmist is suffering and worried about losing his life. How does he expect to not lose it? (v. 107)
• The wicked are out to get him. What does he do? (v. 110)
• How do we know he'll have his "flashlight" with him? (v. 109)
• How does he plan on staying on the path? (v. 112)

Mem

Mem is the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet that we come to in Psalm 119. In this section of Psalm 119, we read about how God's word makes us wise. Webster.com defines wise (adj) as "characterized by wisdom : marked by deep understanding, keen discernment, and a capacity for sound judgment." For our purposes, we can think of it as being smart, having common sense, having good judgement, making good decisions, having insight into and understanding about things. Listen for some of these words and concepts as we read. Also, pay attention to how the Psalmist has to do things (put effort into) in order to gain some benefit (get something out of it) from God's word.

⁹⁷ Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.

⁹⁸ Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me.

⁹⁹ I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.

¹⁰⁰ I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts.

¹⁰¹ I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word.

¹⁰² I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me.

¹⁰³ How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

¹⁰⁴ I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.

Psalm 119:97-104

Discussion Questions

• What does the Psalmist put into God's word? What does he do with it?
• He loves it (v. 97)
• He meditates on it (v. 97, 99)
• He obeys it (v. 98)
• He statys away from evil (v. 101)
• He doesn't depart from the law (v. 102)
• He "eats" or consumes it (v. 103)
• What does he get out of God's law?
• made wise (v. 98)
• insight (v. 99)
• understanding (v. 100, 104)
• able to obey (v. 101)
• learned it (v. 102)
• gains pleasure from it (v. 103)
• What do you want to put into learning God's word?
• memorizing?
• meditating?
• praying?
• singing?