#853 Daleth

Daleth

25 My soul clings to the dust;

give me life according to your word!

26 When I told of my ways, you answered me;

teach me your statutes!

27 Make me understand the way of your precepts,

and I will meditate on your wondrous works.

28 My soul melts away for sorrow;

strengthen me according to your word!

29 Put false ways far from me

and graciously teach me your law!

30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness;

I set your rules before me.

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! Psalm 119: 25-32

A continuation of Psalm 119, the fourth section, the poor and needy.

Daleth - also Dalet, the fourth letter of the Aleph-Bet, also representing the number 4. Dalet comes from the word dalah which means to draw out or impoverish. It is, in ancient pictographs, depicted as a door or tent flap. Example of use, da'at means "door on the eye". 

…19 Those I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To the one who is victorious, I will grant the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.… Revelation 3: 19-21

Dalet also represents lowliness, possessing nothing of one's self. Remember the preceding letter, Gimel, represented a rich man chasing after a poor man to show him charity.

2 and He began to teach them, saying: 3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.… Matthew 5: 2-3

20 Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin. 21 But now, apart from the Law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, as attested by the Law and the Prophets. 22 And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction,…

…23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Him as the atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand.…

26 He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and to justify the one who has faith in Jesus. 27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of works? No, but on that of faith.… Romans 3: 20-27

My soul clings to the dust - It is a humbling state, that the heart wants earthly things, that it is ever drawn toward death. Let this also be seen as a blessing of the eyes, to see the state, to sorrow over it, to be poor in spirit, a beggar mourning for life. The Psalmist, in other songs, cries, "in sin my mother conceived me."

1 As for you, you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you used to walk when you conformed to the ways of this world and of the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience.… Ephesians 2: 1-2

Give me life according to Your Word - Again, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. I do not ask in accordance to my own way, but by that which God has declared. 

…62 Then what will happen if you see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before? 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. 64 However, there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray Him.)… John 6: 62-64

…2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were not with him.” 3 Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” 4“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time to be born?”…

…5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I said, ‘You must be born again.’… John 3: 2-7

…9 I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.… John 10: 9-11

When I told of my ways, You answered me - 

- Such a declaration proves that the man knows his own condition, and is no longer blinded by pride. Our confessions are not meant to make God know our sins, but to make us know them. And thou heardest me. His confession had been accepted; it was not lost labour; God had drawn near to him in it. We ought never to go from a duty till we have been accepted in it. Pardon follows upon penitent confession, and David felt that he had obtained it. It is God's way to forgive our sinful way when we from our hearts confess the wrong. Teach me thy statutes. Being truly sorry for his fault, and having obtained full forgiveness, he is anxious to avoid offending again, and hence he begs to be taught obedience. He was not willing to sin through ignorance, he wished to know all the mind of God by being taught it by the best of teachers. He pined after holiness. Justified men always long to be sanctified. When God forgives our sins we are all the more fearful of sinning, again. Mercy, which pardons transgression, sets us longing for grace which prevents transgression. We may boldly ask for more when God has given us much; he who has washed out the past stain will not refuse that which will preserve us from present and future defilement. C. H. Spurgeon

…8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.… 1 John 1: 8-10

Make me understand the way of Your precepts - Again, he is not a casual reader, not wanting a surface understanding. He could care less of t-shirts, cliches and tattoos. 

- The fact is that the more we know of God's doings the more we admire them, and the more ready we are to speak upon them. Half the wonder in the world is born of ignorance, but holy wonder is the child of understanding. When a man understands the way of the divine precepts he never talks of his own works, and as the tongue must have some theme to speak upon, he begins to extol the works of the all perfect Lord. Some in this place read "meditate" or "muse" instead of "talk"; it is singular that the words should be so near of kin, and yet it is right that they should be, for none but foolish people will talk without thinking. If we read the passage in this sense, we take it to mean that in proportion as David understood the word of God he would meditate upon it more and more. It is usually so; the thoughtless care not to know the inner meaning of the Scriptures, while those who know them best are the very men who strive after a greater familiarity with them, and therefore give themselves up to musing upon them. Observe the third verse of the last eight (19), and see how the sense is akin to this. There he was a stranger in the earth, and here he prays to know his way; there, too, he prayed that the word might not be hid from himself, and here he promises that he will not hide it from others. C. H. Spurgeon

My soul melts away for sorrow - Can you cry now, then let your cries be to the One Who can sustain you. 

- There is one good point in this downcast state, for it is better to be melted with grief than to be hardened by impenitence. C. H. Spurgeon

Strengthen me according to Your Word - Again, according to God's Word. This is where faith comes from, revelation comes from, so pray in the word and be lifted up by the Word. 

…20 My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not lose sight of them; keep them within your heart. 22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body.… Proverbs 4: 20-22

Put false ways far from me - Let me despise my own wickedness, and please remove it far from me.

- David would seem to have remembered those times when, according to the eastern fashion, he had practised deceit for his own preservation, and he saw that he had been weak and erring on that point; therefore he was bowed down in spirit and begged to be quickened and delivered from transgressing in that manner any more. Holy men cannot review their sins without tears, nor weep over them without entreating to be saved from further offending. There is an evident opposition between falsehood and the gracious power of God's law. The only way to expel the lie is to accept the truth. Grace also has a clear affinity to truth: no sooner do we meet with the sound of the word "graciously" than we hear the footfall of truth: "I have chosen the way of truth." Grace and truth are ever linked together, and a belief of the doctrines of grace is a grand preservative from deadly error. In the fifth of the preceding octave (Ps 119:21) David cries out against pride, and here against lying-- these are much the same thing. Is not pride the greatest of all lies? C. H. Spurgeon

I have chosen the way of faithfulness - I hate the lie, I desire to walk in the light of Your truth.

- There is a doctrinal way of truth which we ought to choose, rejecting every dogma of man's devising; there is a ceremonial way of truth which we should follow, detesting all the forms which apostate churches have invented; and then there is a practical way of truth, the way of holiness, to which we must adhere whatever may be our temptation to forsake it. C. H. Spurgeon

I cling to Your testimonies, O Lord - I love Your Word, herein lies my strength, let me not be ashamed in this. See me through.

When You enlarge my heart - No room for pride here, it is an act of God.

…25 I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.… Ezekiel 36: 25-27

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#852 Gimel

Gimmel

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.

19 I am a sojourner on the earth;

hide not your commandments from me!

20 My soul is consumed with longing

for your rules at all times.

21 You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones,

who wander from your commandments.

22 Take away from me scorn and contempt,

for I have kept your testimonies.

23 Even though princes sit plotting against me,

your servant will meditate on your statutes.

24 Your testimonies are my delight;

they are my counselors. Psalm 119: 17-24

A continuation of Psalm 119 where the author knows that the law is from God, but is also petitioning God for the grace of understanding. 

Gimel - This is the third letter in the Hebrew alphabet, also representing the number 3 or 3,000. We have now Aleph, 1 or strength, then Beth, 2 or dwelling place, and now Gimel. In some writings it is described as the picture of a camel, but that is hard to see in the letter. It is also described as the symbol of a rich man running after a poor man to show him charity. In sequence, it reminds me of the story of Isaac and Rebecca. The Father sends his servant to a far land to retrieve a bride for his son. 

…63 Early in the evening Isaac went out to the field to meditate, and looking up, he saw the camels approaching. 64 Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she got down from her camel 65 and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?” “It is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself.… Genesis 24: 63-65

…13 However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you. 15 Everything that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said that the Spirit will take from what is Mine and disclose it to you.… John 16: 13-15

I believe every word of God to be precious, to the letter, but I am no Hebrew scholar, and I don't want to stray too far into the mystical, so back to the text.

Deal bountifully with Your servant - This is a call, a request for grace, asked of God's mercy and steadfast love. The very next line revealing that it is necessary to the merit which the Psalmist would like, but cannot have of his own.

That I may live and keep Your Word - The wages of sin is death, and Your law has revealed to me that I am a sinner. This is a request acknowledging 1. that life is a gift from God and 2. the ability to believe and uphold His Word is also a gift. 

- Thus we may make a chain out of the opening verses of the three first octaves of this Psalm: Ps 119:1 blesses the holy man, Ps 119:9 asks how we can attain to such holiness, and Ps 119:17 traces such holiness to its secret source, and shows us how to seek the blessing. The more a man prizes holiness and the more earnestly he strives after it, the more will he be driven towards God for help therein, for he will plainly perceive that his own strength is insufficient, and that he cannot even so much as live without the bounteous assistance of the Lord his God. C. H. Spurgeon

Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Your law - Even after I realized the Bible was the word of God, I realized also the vastness of it's truths, and knew myself only a babe, which becomes more apparent with time. Hunger kicks in, thirst that can be quenched no other way. I do not want to be the casual reader, but rather eat and grow off every word that falls from the mouth of God. 

- The Scriptures teem with marvels; the Bible is wonder land; it not only relates miracles, but it is itself a world of wonders. Yet what are these to closed eyes? And what man can open his own eyes, since he is born blind? God himself must reveal revelation to each heart. Scripture needs opening, but not one half so much as our eyes do: the veil is not on the book, but on our hearts. C. H. Spurgeon

…17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19 Those I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent.… Revelation 3: 17-19

…17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me.’ 19 So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.… Acts 26: 17-19

I am a sojourner on the earth - That I am aware of You, of Your law, that it has become my desire, do not hide from me the way to be right with You. I no longer fit in here, all I once held as everything has grown dim and those that hold such things so high, they see me as an alien. Do not leave me Fatherless, open my eyes so that I may see, my ears so that I hear and understand. Lead me in the way of truth, bring me home.

…12 And so from one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. 13 All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 Now those who say such things show that they are seeking a country of their own.… Hebrews 11: 12-14

My soul is consumed with longing - 

- Longing is the soul of praying, and when the soul longs till it breaks, it cannot be long before the blessing will be granted. The most intimate communion between the soul and its God is carried on by the process described in the text. God reveals his will, and our heart longs to be conformed thereto. God judges, and our heart rejoices in the verdict. This is fellowship of heart most real and thorough. Note well that our desire after the mind of God should be constant; we should feel holy longings "at all times." Desires which can be put off and on like our garments are at best but mere wishes, and possibly they are hardly true enough to be called by that name, -- they are temporary emotions born of excitement, and doomed to die when the heat which created them has cooled down. C. H. Spurgeon

You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones, who wander from Your commandments - These are the proud, that know of God, know of His hatred toward sin, and while they may see others, they refuse to hate the same in themselves. These are the arrogant, that deny God, worship themselves through idols like greed, lust and the hope of their own knowledge. The Psalmist desires humility because everything else is delusion, it will all end in permanent separation. 

Take away from me scorn and contempt - He is not guilty of the slander in this instance, he has kept God's testimonies, but he is a stranger and the target for their darts. It is interesting that he does not request the right to avenge, to defend himself. As Michael said to Satan, "the Lord rebuke you." John MacArthur once stated that early on in his ministry he decided that he would not defend himself, only Scripture. Take comfort, it is nothing new.

…10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.… Matthew 5: 10-12

Even though princes plot against me - He is not unaware of what continues in the shadows, but he would rather walk in the light. If we are so moved so often, by the words of the uninformed, then we will forsake that which causes us to rise. Let God avenge or let me receive His peace in it all the same. I will not forsake my meditation, my study, my reading, and surely my tormentors will help me learn how to pray.

Because

Your testimonies are my delight.

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#851 Beth

Beth

9 How can a young man keep his way pure?

By guarding it according to your word.

10 With my whole heart I seek you;

let me not wander from your commandments!

11 I have stored up your word in my heart,

that I might not sin against you.

12 Blessed are you, O Lord;

teach me your statutes!

13 With my lips I declare

all the rules of your mouth.

14 In the way of your testimonies I delight

as much as in all riches.

15 I will meditate on your precepts

and fix my eyes on your ways.

16 I will delight in your statutes;

I will not forget your word. Psalm 119: 9-16 ESV

A Psalm pointing to the importance of walking, praying and meditating in God's Word.

Beth or Bet is the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It means house or building ie Bethel (House of God), Bethlehem (House of bread), Bethesda (house of grace), and Bethsaida (House of fish) are some of the many examples. It is also used to represent the number 2. 

1 A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain; unless the LORD protects the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain.  2 In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for bread to eat—for He gives sleep to His beloved.… Psalm 127: 1-2

How can a young man keep his way pure - This is a lofty question, asked at the time of life that seems to carry the greatest temptations. As a child there is hopefully someone to correct you, to help you mind your way, but now you are coming into your own, independent. Do you know God for yourself? As a parent, have you prepared your son or daughter, not just in the means to gather earthly bread, but what of those things that bear eternal weight?

- Our "way" is a subject which concerns us deeply, and it is far better to enquire about it than to speculate upon mysterious themes which rather puzzle than enlighten the mind. Among all the questions which a young man asks, and they are many, let this be the first and chief: "Wherewithal shall I cleanse my way?" This is a question suggested by common sense, and pressed home by daily occurrences; but it is not to be answered by unaided reason, nor, when answered, can the directions be carried out by unsupported human power. It is ours to ask the question, it is God's to give the answer and enable us to carry it out. By taking heed thereto according to thy word. Young man, the Bible must be your chart, and you must exercise great watchfulness that your way may be according to its directions. You must take heed to your daily life as well as study your Bible, and you must study your Bible that you may take heed to your daily life. With the greatest care a man will go astray if his map misleads him; but with the most accurate map he will still lose his road if he does not take heed to it. The narrow way was never hit upon by chance, neither did any heedless man ever lead a holy life. We can sin without thought, we have only to neglect the great salvation and ruin our souls; but to obey the Lord and walk uprightly will need all our heart and soul and mind. Let the careless remember this. C. H. Spurgeon

By guarding it according to Your Word - He answers the how, and I remember when I was about 29 years old, how stunning this was to me, the Bible is God's Word! My own could not compare. He was above my opinions, the traditions of men, and all else would be a futile attempt at knowing Who to worship. His Word was Holy because He is Holy, unchanging, constant, beyond all comprehension. It was necessary to His righteousness that He reveal Himself, or that history end in the garden. Scripture is the standard to which all else must be compared, and the whole counsel of God is the best interpreter of it's parts. 

- Should a man carefully measure out what he believes to be a dose of useful medicine, he will die if it should turn out that he has taken up the wrong vial, and has poured out a deadly poison: the fact that he did it ignorantly will not alter the result. Even so, a young man may surround himself with ten thousand ills, by carefully using an unenlightened judgment, and refusing to receive instruction from the word of God. Wilful ignorance is in itself wilful sin, and the evil which comes of it is without excuse. Let each man, whether young or old, who desires to be holy have a holy watchfulness in his heart, and keep his Holy Bible before his open eye. C. H. Spurgeon

…14 But as for you, continue in the things you have learned and firmly believed, since you know from whom you have learned them. 15 From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness,… 2 Timothy 3: 14-16

With my whole heart I seek You - This man would apply all that he has learned, a focused mind, studying the Word of God, yet to him it is not enough to leave there, he does not trust so much in himself. For the next line is an appeal to be kept aright. Let me not wander from Your commandments. Lord, I believe, help me with my unbelief. If my heart and flesh are already prone toward error, then God please keep on the path. I must examine even the avenues of my thoughts, for they reveal to me a desperately wicked heart, easily confused, proud and slow to repent. 

I have stored up Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You - Again, the Psalmist answers the how. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. In 2 Timothy, Paul directs his young pupil in this same fashion. Yes, others have their cliches, their "wise" sayings, feelings, experiences, superstitious routines, loud voices, brimming with self confidence, but you have God's word. He has not just read it, but eaten it, it is his meditation and like the sword strapped on to his belt, at the ready.

…15 You understand, O LORD; remember me and attend to me. Avenge me against my persecutors. In Your patience, do not take me away. Know that I endure reproach for Your honor. 16 Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words became a delight to me and my heart’s delight, for I bear Your name, O LORD God of Hosts. 17 I never sat with the band of revelers, nor did I celebrate with them. Because Your hand was on me, I sat alone, for You have filled me with indignation.… Jeremiah 15: 15-17

- The word was God's own, and therefore precious to God's servant. He did not wear a text on his heart as a charm, but he hid it in his heart as a rule. He laid it up in the place of love and life, and it filled the chamber with sweetness and light. C. H. Spurgeon

Teach me Your statutes - There will come difficult places in your studies. You will come upon that which stands in defiance of your cravings and wants. You will want to make light of some passages, misinterpret some for the sake of your earthly desires, and you will find a whole world against the proper understanding of God's word. God has not left you alone, He will teach you. He has provided first of His Spirit, then men gifted with teaching, exhorting, preaching, and confronting. He has also, in His word, shown what a false teacher looks like. Read, study, pray. 

…12 I still have much to tell you, but you cannot yet bear to hear it. 13 However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you.… John 16: 12-14

With my lips I declare all the rules of Your mouth - I am not ashamed to say what God has said. There is nothing greater. I want to let others know, not only where I stand, but also that they may see and my conscious be clear of their lives.

…26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I did not shrink back from declaring to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.… Acts 20: 26-28

In the way of Your testimonies I delight - He loves the Word of God, the stories of the acts of God, the power of His Word worked out in his life. This is God's word after all, what else could compare? When heaven and earth pass away, all that will remain is the eternal words of the eternal God. This is like finding a treasure chest with a bottom that cannot be seen. I have met few godly men and women, but no matter how old they were, they never regretted taking the time to study, only that they had not had time enough, to know it more intimately.

I will not forget Your word.

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#850 Aleph

Aleph

 Blessed are those whose way is blameless,

who walk in the law of the Lord!

2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,

who seek him with their whole heart,

3 who also do no wrong,

but walk in his ways!

4 You have commanded your precepts

to be kept diligently.

5 Oh that my ways may be steadfast

in keeping your statutes!

6 Then I shall not be put to shame,

having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.

7 I will praise you with an upright heart,

when I learn your righteous rules.

8 I will keep your statutes;

do not utterly forsake me! Psalm 119: 1-8 ESV

A Psalm that bleeds of Sola Scriptura.

Aleph is the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet, see title link above. Remember that Hebrew reads from right to left. Taw is the 22nd or last letter in the alphabet, as Alpha and Omega, beginning and the end. Taw is the last section of Psalm 119. I thought I could give an overall brief description or theme to Psalm 119, but then looking at it I think I would cheat myself by not breaking it up into it's smaller and more naturally prescribed divisions. 

Blessed are those whose way is blameless - Those who walk in the law of the Lord, who live by His law are blessed. We can see this same blessing even in those who have not yet come to faith in Christ. The law has been good even for them, for it teaches the love and respect of neighbor as well as individual responsibility. 

Who seek Him with their whole heart - Thou shalt love the Lord thy God and Him only shalt thou serve. This increases the blessing, it is not only the presentable, outside portion of the cup, but the whole of this man loves the Lord most intently. He is the object of our affection, worthy of all our praise. This is the fire that keeps a man blameless, else would pride raise itself up, and say, "look at what I have done."

- We are bound to keep with all care the word of God, because it is his testimonies. He gave them to us, but they are still his own. We are to keep them as a watchman guards his master's house, as a steward husbands his lord's goods, as a shepherd keeps his employer's flock. We shall have to give an account, for we are put in trust with the gospel, and woe to us if we be found unfaithful. We cannot fight a good fight, nor finish our course, unless we keep the faith. To this end the Lord must keep us: only those who are kept by the power of God unto salvation will ever be able to keep his testimonies. C. H. Spurgeon

Who also do no wrong - What a bar to set, and how does a man keep his way pure? He must first know that it is not. From his heart he yearns for holiness, to be known and loved by God, this is his great incentive. If I am God's child and He is holy, then I desire to resemble His character, inside and out. I hate to say, "there is a formula", but in 1 John 1:8 it says, "if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves." In verse 9 it says, "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." Those that would walk in an outward appearance of holiness, only in the fear of the eyes of men, would need to be asked, "In whom did you believe, what did you believe?" Love covers a multitude of sins but love does not cover up. Many would prefer to be excused rather than forgiven, to say something is not sin that God says is, and still others would say they believe in God, but will make so light a thing of the cross, as to believe that their sin is a light thing, not to be compared with that of others. Verse 9 continues though, "and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness," Whom He justifies, them He also sanctifies, and Who He sanctifies, them He also glorifies. God is faithful to those repentant hearts that call upon His mercy to save them. 

…5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will continue to perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart. For in my chains and in my defense and confirmation of the gospel, you are all partners in grace with me.… Philippians 1: 5-7

1 John 1: 10 continues, "If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His Word is not in us." Who did you believe, and what word is in your heart?

- This verse describes believers as they exist among us: although they have their faults and infirmities, yet they hate evil, and will not permit themselves to do it; they love the ways of truth, right and true godliness, and habitually they walk therein. They do not claim to be absolutely perfect except in their desires, and there they are pure indeed, for they pant to be kept from all sin, and to be led into all holiness. C. H. Spurgeon 

You have commanded Your precepts to be kept diligently - You did not speak without intent, to just make words. It is all truth, it is all life. It was not a suggestion.

- So that when we have done all we are unprofitable servants, we have done only that which it was our duty to have done, seeing we have our Lord's command for it. God's precepts require careful obedience: there is no keeping them by accident. Some give to God a careless service, a sort of hit or miss obedience, but the Lord has not commanded such service, nor will he accept it. His law demands the love of all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; and a careless religion has none of these. C. H. Spurgeon

Oh that my ways may be steadfast - Lord, I have seen Your way, I have seen myself as born outside of Your way, walking after my own will. Create in me a willing heart, O God, so thoroughly convince my mind by Your grace and Your Word. It is the Psalmist will to be made willing. I need a heart of flesh to replace this heart of stone, a renewed mind with new desires. How blessed is the man in the verses above, yet he is also my grief, for if I am honest at all, he is not who I now am. This means war.

…23 But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I serve the law of God, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.… Romans 7: 23-25

Then I shall not be put to shame - It is in the turning away from God's word, the seeking after self, and the bowing to the culture, we find ourselves dulled to the reality of truth. Pride will maintain that we are not in the wrong, but that shame that does not come now comes worst.

- Our first parents never knew shame till they made the acquaintance of the old serpent, and it never left them till their gracious God had covered them with sacrificial skins. Disobedience made them naked and ashamed. We, ourselves, will always have cause for shame till every sin is vanquished, and every duty is observed. When we pay a continual and universal respect to the will of the Lord, then we shall be able to look ourselves in the face in the looking glass of the law, and we shall not blush at the sight of men or devils, however eager their malice may be to lay somewhat to our charge. C. H. Spurgeon

I will praise You with an upright heart - As the Psalmist learns the rules of God he praises Him, for what hope could we have if left to our own deceitful hearts. The realization that I am not but You are making me to be, even when I become, I must praise you for what I would not have known by earthly wisdom. When I have an upright heart it will not be to my praise but to the One Who has worked this in me. Thank you for Your Word, Oh God, it is light, it is truth, it is peace to all who love it.

I will keep Your statutes, do not utterly forsake me - He is resolved upon the reading to make a pledge, he is committed, but not boasting. It is not by his might or the psalmist own power, but by God's Spirit. I want what I must admittedly request help for, to walk as I have not been able to in times past. Help me, Oh God, lead me, do not let go of me.

- We meet with those who to all appearance humbly pray, but there is no force of character, no decision in them, and consequently the pleading of the closet is not embodied in the life: on the other band, we meet with abundance of resolve attended with an entire absence of dependence upon God, and this makes as poor a character as the former. The Lord grant us to have such a blending of excellences that we may be "perfect and entire, wanting nothing." C. H. Spurgeon

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#849 Divinely Appointed

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

for his steadfast love endures forever!

2 Let Israel say,

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

3 Let the house of Aaron say,

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

4 Let those who fear the Lord say,

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

5 Out of my distress I called on the Lord;

the Lord answered me and set me free.

6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.

What can man do to me?

7 The Lord is on my side as my helper;

I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in man.

9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in princes.

10 All nations surrounded me;

in the name of the Lord I cut them off!

11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;

in the name of the Lord I cut them off!

12 They surrounded me like bees;

they went out like a fire among thorns;

in the name of the Lord I cut them off!

13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling,

but the Lord helped me.

14 The Lord is my strength and my song;

he has become my salvation.

15 Glad songs of salvation

are in the tents of the righteous:

“The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,

16 the right hand of the Lord exalts,

the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”

17 I shall not die, but I shall live,

and recount the deeds of the Lord.

18 The Lord has disciplined me severely,

but he has not given me over to death.

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,

that I may enter through them

and give thanks to the Lord.

20 This is the gate of the Lord;

the righteous shall enter through it.

21 I thank you that you have answered me

and have become my salvation.

22 The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone.

23 This is the Lord's doing;

it is marvelous in our eyes.

24 This is the day that the Lord has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it.

25 Save us, we pray, O Lord!

O Lord, we pray, give us success!

26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

We bless you from the house of the Lord.

27 The Lord is God,

and he has made his light to shine upon us.

Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,

up to the horns of the altar!

28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;

you are my God; I will extol you.

29 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

for his steadfast love endures forever! Psalm 118 ESV

A Psalm of Divine appointment. At least parts of this song were sang in Ezra's time Ezra 3

Let those who fear the Lord say, His steadfast love endures forever - This would summarize the call to all, Israel, the priestly family of Aaron, then all the world that fears God. 

Out of my distress I called on the Lord - These prayers are always with intent, as nailed to a cross we may as well be, for there is nothing in ourselves to call upon. We have used up all our physical resources, our mental faculties, the answer is outside of us. 

- Many of us can join with the Psalmist in the declarations of this verse; deep was our distress on account of sin, and we were shut up as in a prison under the law, but in answer to the prayer of faith we obtained the liberty of full justification wherewith Christ makes men free, and we are free indeed. It was the Lord who did it, and unto his name we ascribe all the glory; we had no merits, no strength, no wisdom, all we could do was to call upon him, and even that was his gift; but the mercy which is to eternity came to our rescue, we were brought out of bondage, and we were made to delight ourselves in the length and breadth of a boundless inheritance. C. H. Spurgeon

What can man do to me - They can surely disappoint, even those of the best intention, but our Lord suffered their worst, and yet sits at the right hand of God. He was more appalled and distressed at being so near the filth of sin, and when he cried out it was at the time His Father forsook Him, so that I would not be forsaken. The intensities of God's wrath, infinite holiness poured out against that to which He is infinitely opposed, that was so much more frightening. His heart melted within. 

45 From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46 About the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” 47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He is calling Elijah.”… Matthew 27: 45-47

Than to trust in man - It is not only better to fear the Lord, but also better to trust Him over man. This would include all governments, for they are only men at the helm. The Bible also supports this in matters of church leadership as well, that those who are must be under the authority of God's Word and abide by It's direction concerning.

…7 which is not even a gospel. Evidently some people are troubling you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a divine curse! 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be under a curse!… Galatians 1: 7-9

- It is better in all ways, for first of all it is wiser: God is infinitely more able to help, and more likely to help, than man, and therefore prudence suggests that we put our confidence in him above all others. It is also morally better to do so, for it is the duty of the creature to trust in the Creator. God has a claim upon his creatures' faith, he deserves to be trusted; and to place our reliance upon another rather than upon himself, is a direct insult to his faithfulness. It is better in the sense of safer, since we can never be sure of our ground if we rely upon mortal man, but we are always secure in the hands of our God. It is better in its effect upon ourselves: to trust in man tends to make us mean, crouching, dependent; but confidence in God elevates, produces a sacred quiet of spirit, and sanctifies the soul. It is, moreover, much better to trust in God, as far as the result is concerned; for in many cases the human object of our trust fails from want of ability, from want of generosity, from want of affection, or from want of memory; but the Lord, so far from falling, does for us exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or even think. - C.H. Spurgeon

But the Lord helped me - He was falling for the amount of stings, the fervor of their attacks, but he had called upon the Lord, and the Lord held him to his stand. If you fall down a thousand times, cry out a thousand and one more. Look back upon the circumstances of your life, refuse the praise of your ego, of other men, for surely everything you have made it through was to your service on this most difficult of days. The lion and the bear came before Goliath, and was it not God Who trained you in all these things. Have you learned of God's sovereignty only for table talk, only to sound brave, or to trust Him in the time of real trouble. Look back and praise God, lift Him up, this will cause your heart to soar and your enemies to second guess. 

The Lord has disciplined me severely - Whom the Lord loveth He chaseneth. He does not need you healthy, strong or at all, but what glory that the God of all glory would use such a pot as me. It is unthinkable that those, who should carry the power of such wonderful Words, His gospel, should not be chased, broken and made meek. Their Lord, Who needed no correction, humbled Himself, so whatever it should take, let us be made humble also. 

The righteous shall enter through it - To those who believe, we have the righteousness of Christ.

…8 All who came before Me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness.… John 10: 8-10

The stone that the builders rejected - 

…41“He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and will rent out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his share of the fruit at harvest time.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43 Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.… Matthew 21: 41-43

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord - David was a shadow of things to come, anointed for the throne which Saul had dishonored. He was an unlikely candidate given his humble beginnings, and probably written off a hundred times given his many trying circumstances. He was opposed by many, but what is that after God has spoken.

…34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling. 35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. And I tell you, you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’” Luke 13: 34-35

The song ends as it begins.

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