WEEK 40

psalms this week
"Notice how Jesus invited His disciples to a mountain after they had returned from witnessing for Him in the cities. If we live and work in a busy place where people talk and behave as though there were no God, it is all the more important that we return to Him and restore our faith and love."
     - Francois de Fenelon
​Psalms 118, 119

introduction to the Series

Most of what we learn how to do, we learn from other people. Sometimes it is the learning that comes from specific and deliberate instruction. At other times it is the learning that comes by way of example and imitation. During 2023, our endeavor is to learn how to pray from the Psalmist.*

The Book of Psalms is the longest book in the Bible, and it is mostly a book of prayers. We will spend the year going through the book, beginning to end, and letting the Psalmist teach us by example how to pray.
In this endeavor, we cannot benefit from his deliberate instruction, of course. What we can do, however, is take full advantage of his example.  We will observe how he prays, and we will learn to imitate him.

Our approach will be week by week. The recommended practices and exercises are not daily, but rather suggestions for an individual to implement throughout the whole week. ​

Exercises for this week

Psalm 118
Read Psalm 118.  Though not an especially long one, this Psalm features a variety of elements and themes. As a starting place, make note of all of the personal pronouns in the Psalm.
  • Make a list of them. 
  • Identify in each case who is the "they," "we," "you," and such.
​
The Psalm's beginning and ending are identical, making it clear to the reader what the theme and thesis of the Psalm are. Read verse 1 in a variety of translations to get a sense for the meaning of what the Psalmist is saying.

Why is the refrain of Psalm 118:
  • good news for the believer?
  • good news for the non-believer?
  • good news for you? 

Verses 2-5 call upon various groups of people to declare the thematic refrain of the Psalm. 
  • Why do you suppose the Psalmist specified groups rather than just leaving the matter as it was stated in verse 1?
  • If you were writing the Psalm today, how would you render verses 2, 3, and 4?  To whom would you address the exhortation? 

Identify the verses in Psalm 118 that seem to be the Psalmist's testimony -- i.e., speaking out of his past experience. 
  • How or to what extent do those verses of testimony fit with the thematic refrain of the Psalm?
  • In what ways or to what extent do those verses of testimony resonate with your own experience? 

Read Romans 8:31. Read Psalm 27:1-3.  Reflect on those two passages in light of Psalm 118:6. 
  • How does each of these passage help you to understand and interpret the others?
  • To what extent are all three authors giving expression to the same truth? 
  • To what extent is that truth a part of your personal faith, confidence, and affirmation?

​Reflect on verses 8 and 9.
  • What do you imagine was the significance of these statements by the Psalmist in his context? 
  • What might be contemporary statements that would have equal significance in our day and in your context? 

​In verse 14, the Psalmist expresses what the Lord is and has become to him. Read the verse in a variety of translations in order to gain a full sense for what the Psalmist is saying.
  • Talk to the Lord about what seems to have been the Psalmist's experience, as well as what seems to have been his relationship with the Lord.
  • Talk to the Lord about the language and imagery the Psalmist uses, and the extent to which each one is meaningful to you or is familiar to your own experience. 

Read Matthew 21:33-46. Read Acts 4:5-12.  Read 1 Peter 2:4-8.  Reflect on those passage in light of Psalm 118:22-23.
  • How does each passage broaden or deepen your understanding of the others?
  • What do you learn about Jesus? 

Read verse 24 in a variety of translations. 
  • What does it teach you about any given day?
  • What does it teach you about rejoicing?
  • What do you suppose is the relationship between this verse and the thematic refrain of the Psalm? 
Psalm 119
Psalm 119 is the longest in the Book of Psalms. Indeed, it is the longest chapter in the entire Bible. In order to do right by it, therefore, we will divide it into seven smaller sections.  

It is important to note that, in the original Hebrew, Psalm 119 was written as an extended acrostic poem. Each of the first eight lines of the Psalm begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Then the next eight lines of the Psalm begin with the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet. And that same, disciplined structure is maintained through all twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

As a result of the demanding acrostic structure, the Psalm can sometimes feel like a series of independent statements rather than a traceable flow of thought. Certain themes dominate throughout the Psalm, and so our treatment of each section will be similar to the others as we seek to unpack the whole in manageable parts.
Psalm 119
Read Psalm 119:1-24. Focus especially on verse 18. Read it in a variety of translations in order to gain a fuller appreciation for what the Psalmist is saying. Rewrite the verse in your own words. Then make it your prayer as you read and reflect on this first section of Psalm 119.

Psalm 119 is written predominantly as a prayer -- i.e., the Psalmist addresses himself to God.  Reflect on the individual verses of his prayer:
  • Identify what type of prayer each verse seems to be (e.g., a cry for help, promise of devotion, praise, complaint, thanksgiving, etc.).
  • Talk to the Lord about the Psalmist's different types of prayers.  Talk to Him about the role each type plays in your own experience and relationship with Him. 

Within the prayers, we read many affirmations and statements of faith by the Psalmist.  As you reflect on those:  
  • What does the Psalmist believe about the Lord's attributes?
  • What does the Psalmist believe about the Lord's actions? 
  • What does the Psalmist believe about the way life works? 
  • To what extent does your own theology and experience resonate with the Psalmist's? 

Consider what the Psalmist says about himself. 
  • Based on this passage, what do you know about his circumstances?
  • What do you know about his character?
  • What do you know about his relationship with the Lord?
  • To what extent or in what ways do you feel that you relate to him?  

Central to Psalm 119 is the theme of God's word. A variety of vocabulary is employed -- laws, precepts, commandments, judgments, statutes, testimonies, and more.  We will consider it all under the larger rubric of God's word. 
  • What are the attributes of God's word?
  • What are the benefits of God's word?
  • What should be an individual's response to God's word?

To what extent do you experience and cherish the attributes and benefits of God's word as the Psalmist does?  Talk to Him about it.

To what extent are the identified attributes of God's word also attributes of God?

To what extent are the identified benefits of God's word also benefits of God?

To what extent does an individual's right response to God's word also express what it is for a person to respond rightly to God? 

Talk to the Lord about the relationship between Him and His word. 

Watch for the theme of God's word in relation to the anatomy of the Psalmist (e.g., verse 13).  That is to say, what picturesque language and imagery does the Psalm include that illustrates the role of God's word in the life of the Psalmist? 
  • Reflect on the meaning of the imagery used.
  • Reflect on its application to your life. 
​
Read Matthew 4:1-11.  Reflect on Jesus' example in light of Psalm 119:11. 
  • To what extent do the Psalmist's words and Jesus' example match your own practice and experience? 
  • What could you have done differently yesterday to make your experience more nearly match Jesus' example?
  • What can you do today to follow the example of both Jesus and the Psalmist? ​​
Psalm 119
Read Psalm 119:25-48. Focus especially on verse 37. Read it in a variety of translations in order to gain a fuller appreciation for what the Psalmist is saying.
  • Contemplate what the Psalmist might have been thinking and feeling as he wrote that line.
  • Contemplate what that verse might mean for you and your life.
  • Rewrite the verse in your own words.
  • Make that your prayer as you read and reflect on this next section of Psalm 119.

Psalm 119 is written predominantly as a prayer -- i.e., the Psalmist addresses himself to God.  Reflect on the individual verses of his prayer:
  • Identify what type of prayer each verse seems to be (e.g., a cry for help, promise of devotion, praise, complaint, thanksgiving, etc.).
  • Talk to the Lord about the Psalmist's different types of prayers.  Talk to Him about the role each type plays in your own experience and relationship with Him. 

Within the prayers, we read many affirmations and statements of faith by the Psalmist.  As you reflect on those:  
  • What does the Psalmist believe about the Lord's attributes?
  • What does the Psalmist believe about the Lord's actions? 
  • What does the Psalmist believe about the way life works? 
  • To what extent does your own theology and experience resonate with the Psalmist's? 

Consider what the Psalmist says about himself. 
  • Based on this passage, what do you know about his circumstances?
  • What do you know about his character?
  • What do you know about his relationship with the Lord?
  • To what extent or in what ways do you feel that you relate to him?  

Central to Psalm 119 is the theme of God's word. A variety of vocabulary is employed -- laws, precepts, commandments, judgments, statutes, testimonies, and more.  We will consider it all under the larger rubric of God's word. 
  • What are the attributes of God's word?
  • What are the benefits of God's word?
  • What should be an individual's response to God's word?

To what extent do you experience and cherish the attributes and benefits of God's word as the Psalmist does?  Talk to Him about it.

To what extent are the identified attributes of God's word also attributes of God?  Likewise with the identified benefits of God's word and of God.

Talk to the Lord about the relationship between Him and His word. 

Watch for the theme of paths and ways. 
  • What different things does the Psalmist say about his way or his path?
  • What is the relation of God's word to his way or his path?
  • How does the Psalmist's reflections on his way speak to your life in the big picture?
  • How does the Psalmist's reflections on his way speak to your daily life?

Read verse 32 in a variety of translations.
  • How would you characterize the mood or tone of this verse?
  • What do you understand to be the relation between God's commands and the Psalmist's heart?
  • Talk to the Lord about the verb that the Psalmist uses in relation to His commands (e.g., "run") and how it speaks to your life.
* We will refer to the author as “the Psalmist,” though of course not all of the Psalms were written by the same person. A significant number are attributed to David. Others are associated with Asaph, the sons of Korah, and an assortment of other individuals. Also, several dozen Psalms have no name attached to them.  For the sake of ease and uniformity, we will simply refer to “the Psalmist.”