We’ve been considering some preliminary thoughts based on the Psalmist’s strong but honest statements about the significance of God’s Word in Psalm 119.
After making it clear he is holding up an ideal picture of total obedience he admits that in the daily experience of his life he is a work in progress. This tension between the ideal and the real is found throughout the 176 verses of Psalm 119.
In the face of this tension the Psalmist tenaciously holds up the ideal because of what he knows about God’s Word. In verse 89 he declares, “Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.” When he observes things around him he sees limits or imperfections. But when he considers God’s Word, it is perfect.
In fact it is awe inspiring according to verse 120. And in verse 129, it is described as wonderful. This reminds me of the Messianic title in Isaiah 9:6, “Wonderful Counselor.” That’s what God’s Word was to the psalmist, a wonderful counselor.
In verse 137 he says it is right, and then affirms it as “forever right” in verse 144. That leads him to declare that it is trustworthy in verse 138. And if you have questions about this, it is trustworthy because it has been tested, verse 140.
In a number of places throughout this Psalm he affirms that God’s Word is true. No wonder then that he concludes that God’s Word is significant, even if it is hard to learn and apply consistently. It is worth making it your map and mandate for life, or as he puts it in verse 105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”
