Psalm 119 might feel like a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle with every piece looking alike. Many have struggled to find ways of looking at it. Mathew Henry suggests Psalm 119 is not one gold chain but a chest of gold rings. Perhaps it is some of both. A chest of gold rings and at least several golden chains and themes being built on through the Psalm. We go through three questions: 1) What then should we see. Individual gold rings stick out like "Thy word have I hid in my hear that I might not sin agains Thee." 2) What then should we learn? Several short chains. There are a handful of reoccurring and progressing themes though the Psalm. 3) How then should we live? One long gold chain. Some see the book as an abridgment of a Daniel like person's life, David's life or a believers life. Not intended for sightseeing but a way of life, a walk.

1. Psalm
119

2. Title:
None and by
anonymous

3. The longest psalm
the longest
chapter in the
Bible if you want
to call it a chapter

4. An acrostic psalm
Each of the 22
groups of 8 verses
start with a
consecutive letter of
the Hebrew alphabet
The acrostic
psalms:
9,10,25,37
111,112,119,145

5. What then
should we see?
a chest of gold rings

8. Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
who seek him with their whole heart,
Aleph

9. Your words have I hid in my heart that I may not sin
against you.
Beth

10. 17
Deal bountifully with your servant,
that I may live and keep your word.
18
Open my eyes, that I may behold
wondrous things out of your law.
Gimel

11. Verses 25 and 31 start with the same word, for cleave.
25
My soul clings to the dust;
give me life according to your word!
31
I cling to your testimonies, O Lord;
let me not be put to shame!
32
I will run in the way of your commandments
when you enlarge my heart![
Daleth

12. Incline my heart to your testimonies,
and not to selfish gain!
He

13. I will keep your law continually,
forever and ever,
and I shall walk in a wide place,
I will also speak of your testimonies before kings
and shall not be put to shame,
;
Vav

14. Remember your word to your servant,
in which you have made me hope.
When I think of your rules from of old,
I take comfort, O Lord.
I remember your name in the night, O Lord,
and keep your law.
Zayin

15. The Lord is my portion;
I promise to keep your words.
.
Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me,
I do not forget your law.
heth

16. Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I keep your word.
You are good and do good;
teach me your statutes.
It is good for me that I was afflicted,
that I might learn your statutes. .
Teth

17. Your hands have made and fashioned me;
give me understanding that I may learn your
commandments.
.
Yodh

18. My soul longs for your salvation;
I hope in your word.
My eyes long for your promise;
Kaph

19. Forever, O Lord, your word
is firmly fixed in the heavens.
for all things are your servants.
If your law had not been my delight,
I would have perished in my affliction.
lamed

20. Oh how I love your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
Your commandment makes me…. wiser than my enemies
… I have more understanding than all my teachers … I
understand more than the aged,
(sweet)
How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
(and sour)
Through your precepts I get understanding;
therefore I hate every false way.
mem

21. Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
nun

22. You are my hiding place and my shield;
I hope in your word.
samech

23. Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love,
and teach me your statutes.
ayin

24. The unfolding of your words gives light;
it imparts understanding to the simple.
pe

25. .
Your promise is well tried,
and your servant loves it.
Trouble and anguish have found me out,
but your commandments are my delight.
tsadeh

26. Hear my voice according to your steadfast love;
O Lord, according to your justice give me life.
They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose;
they are far from your law.
But you are near, O Lord,
and all your commandments are true.
qoph

27. Many are my persecutors and my adversaries,
but I do not swerve from your testimonies.
The sum of your word is truth,
and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. .
resh

28. Great peace have those who love your law;
nothing can make them stumble.
Princes persecute me without cause,
but my heart stands in awe of your words.
shim

29. I have strayed like a lost sheep
seek your servant
tov

30. What then
should we learn?
Chains of gold?

32. On the other hand, we might find
some ‘gold chains’ as well
• As the reader progressed
through the Psalm they might
encounter different themes -
golden chains as it were

33. Chains of dependence
I will incline my heart to your statutes
and
Incline my heart to your statutes.
There are many examples of this pattern in Psalm 119
where a resolve is expressed to obey a command but the
person praying asked God for the power to carry it out.
“Oh God, grant what Thou commandest, and command
what Thou dost desire,”
Augustine of Hippo

34. A chain of the steadfast love of God
• Psalm 119:41 Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord, your
salvation according to your promise;
• Psalm 119:64 The earth, O Lord, is full of your steadfast love;
teach me your statutes!
• Psalm 119:76 Let your steadfast love comfort me according to
your promise to your servant.
• Psalm 119:88 In your steadfast love give me life, that I may keep
the testimonies of your mouth.
• Psalm 119:124 Deal with your servant according to your
steadfast love, and teach me your statutes.
• Psalm 119:149 Hear my voice according to your steadfast love; O
Lord, according to your justice give me life.
• Psalm 119:159 Consider how I love your precepts! Give me life
according to your steadfast love.

35. A chain of sovereignly designed
affliction for my good
• Opposition, depression followed by a
realization
• If I were not afflicted I would not have kept
your law
• If your law had not been my delight I would
not have survived

36. A chain of sovereignly designed
opposition
• Princes persecute me
• All things are your servants (even in a sense
persecutors)
• The wicked appear 1 verse or less in each set
of 8 verses (but they are a minor character in
this story of glory) They do appear in Samech
4 times but are being judged.

37. A chain of transformed delight
• Your law is sweeter than honey
• Your law is my delight
• Your law is my songs in the night

38. A chain of persevent in longing
• Psalm 119:41 Let your steadfast love come to me,
O Lord, your salvation according to your promise;
• bible-item-text
• Psalm 119:81 My soul longs for your salvation; I
hope in your word.
• Psalm 119:123 My eyes long for your salvation and
for the fulfillment of your righteous promise.
• Psalm 119:155 Salvation is far from the wicked, for
they do not seek your statutes.
• Psalm 119:166 I hope for your salvation, O Lord,
and I do your commandments.
• Psalm 119:174 I long for your salvation, O Lord,
and your law is my delight.

39. A chain of commitment and
dependence
• I will keep your law
• I have kept your law
• I have strayed like a lost sheep, seek your
servant

40. A chain pointing to Christ
• Jesus is the word that is sweeter than honey
• Jesus is the word that gives life
• Jesus is our plea before God in the last stanza

41. So if you feel overwhelmed with Psalm 119….

42. You can ask God to provide you wisdom
Psalm 119:12 Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes!
Psalm 119:26 When I told of my ways, you answered me; teach me your statutes!
Psalm 119:29 Put false ways far from me and graciously teach me your law!
Psalm 119:33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the
end.
Psalm 119:64 The earth, O Lord, is full of your steadfast love; teach me your
statutes!
Psalm 119:66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your
commandments.
Psalm 119:68 You are good and do good; teach me your statutes.
Psalm 119:108 Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O Lord, and teach me your
rules.
Psalm 119:124 Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love, and teach me
your statutes.
Psalm 119:135 Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes.
Psalm 119:171 My lips will pour forth praise, for you teach me your statutes.
James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to
all without reproach, and it will be given him.

43. Psalm
119

44. How then should
we live?
One chain of gold

49. A goal seen and applied to myself
Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
who seek him with their whole heart,
With my whole heart I will keep your law
Aleph

50. A word treasured in one’s heart
a resolve continued
Your words have I hid in my heart that I may not
sin against you.
Beth

51. A bounty prayed for
A need for opened eyes
17
Deal bountifully with your servant,
that I may live and keep your word.
18
Open my eyes, that I may behold
wondrous things out of your law.
Gimel

52. Discouragement
, resolve and insufficiency of self without God
25
My soul clings to the dust;
give me life according to your word!
31
I cling to your testimonies, O Lord;
let me not be put to shame!
32
I will run in the way of your commandments
when you enlarge my heart![
Daleth

53. Prayers for the help of God
turning from the gutter water of this world to the living waters from the throne of
God
Incline my heart to your testimonies,
and not to selfish gain!
He

54. Pleas for God to remember and a resolve of the believer to remember
Remember your word to your servant,
in which you have made me hope.
When I think of your rules from of old,
I take comfort, O Lord.
I remember your name in the night, O Lord,
and keep your law.
Zayin

55. A treasure and a tenacity
The Lord is my portion;
I promise to keep your words.
.
Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me,
I do not forget your law.
heth

56. Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I keep your word.
You are good and do good;
teach me your statutes.
It is good for me that I was afflicted,
that I might learn your statutes. .
Teth

57. Putting your eyes on God’s sovereignty
Your hands have made and fashioned me;
give me understanding that I may learn your
commandments.
.
Yodh

58. Hope deferred but a longing maintained
My soul longs for your salvation;
I hope in your word.
My eyes long for your promise;
Kaph

59. Trusting in God’s sovereignty
knowing even adversity and persecutors and problems are
in His hands
Forever, O Lord, your word
is firmly fixed in the heavens.
for all things are your servants.
If your law had not been my delight,
I would have perished in my affliction.
lamed

60. A love driven life
Oh how I love your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
Your commandment makes me…. wiser than my enemies
… I have more understanding than all my teachers … I
understand more than the aged,
(sweet)
How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
(and sour)
Through your precepts I get understanding;
therefore I hate every false way.
mem

61. A word driven life
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
nun

62. A hiding place in adversity
A hope in perseverance
You are my hiding place and my shield;
I hope in your word.
samech

63. Leaning on who God is
Deal with your servant according to your
steadfast love,
and teach me your statutes.
Ayin

64. Your word enlightens the simple
(the simple not being a compliment, as all the world starts
as simple and in Proverbs lady wisdom and lady folly call
to the simple and only some become wise)
The unfolding of your words gives light;
it imparts understanding to the simple.
Pe

65. .
Leaning on who God is
hope in the midst of troubles
Your promise is well tried,
and your servant loves it.
Trouble and anguish have found me out,
but your commandments are my delight.
tsadeh

66. Hope in God’s character and love
and his justice
Hear my voice according to your steadfast love;
O Lord, according to your justice give me life.
They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose;
they are far from your law.
But you are near, O Lord,
and all your commandments are true.
qoph

67. Unswerving in opposition and a tenacious hope in God’s
word
Many are my persecutors and my adversaries,
but I do not swerve from your testimonies.
The sum of your word is truth,
and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. .
resh

68. Undeterred with a hope in the midst of opposition
Great peace have those who love your law;
nothing can make them stumble.
Princes persecute me without cause,
but my heart stands in awe of your words.
shim

69. Always turning to God for help and forgiveness
even in maturity
I have strayed like a lost sheep
seek your servant
tov

70. Psalm
119