 |  |
The Psalm is an acrostic, and, as we have seen, there are eight others, some of which
do not use all the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. There are also two examples of the
acrostic device outside the psalter, Prov. 31: 10-31 and the book of Lamentations.
Psa. 119: is complete, and eight verses are given to each of these 22 letters and each of
the eight verses begins with its respective letter. These are noted in the A.V. translation
and to show how the Psalms would look if our English alphabet were similarly used, we
quote from the compilers of The Psalms Chronologically Arranged taking the letter D as
an example:
25:
Depressed to the dust is my soul
Quicken Thou me according to Thy Word
26:
Declared have I (to Thee) my ways and Thou heardest me
Teach me Thy Statutes
27:
Declare Thou to me the way of Thy precepts
So shall I talk of Thy wondrous works
28
Dropping is my soul for heaviness
Strengthen Thou me according to Thy Word
29:
Deceitful ways remove from me
And grant me Thy law graciously
30:
Determined have I upon the way of Truth;
Thy judgments have I laid before me
31:
Deliberately have I stuck unto Thy testimonies
O Lord, put me not to shame
32
Day by Day I will run the way of Thy commandments
When Thou shalt enlarge my heart.
When the whole of this marvelous Psalm is read, one cannot help noticing the extreme
importance of the Word of God to the Psalmist, who may have been Hezekiah or Ezra. It
was more to him than wealth, "the law of Thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of
(piles of, Moffat) gold and silver" (72). It was better than sleep, "I am up before the
dawn to pray, waiting for Thy promises. I waken through the night to muse upon Thy
Word" (147, 148 Moffatt). The writer knew that the divine understanding he longed for
was only obtainable from God's Word. "Through Thy precepts I get understanding;
therefore I hate every false way" (104). "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light
unto my path" (105). "The entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding
to the sincere (simple A.V.)" (130). To read the Word of God was no chore; it was a
perpetual delight. "O how love I Thy law! It is my mediation all the day" (97). And he
was convinced of its truth, "Thy Word is true from the beginning, and every one of Thy
righteous judgments endureth for ever" (160).
It is obvious that such an one was walking closely with the Lord. Our spiritual health
can be rightly judged by our assessment of the Word of God and where we place it in our
lives. Can we truthfully say that it is first and foremost, as the Psalmist was able to do?
If not, we should think seriously and definitely do something about it, for to be in a cold
attitude of mind towards the holy Scriptures is to be in a dangerous condition indeed.