WEEK 42 |
psalms this week |
"I have no doubt at all that if they are the subject of our thoughts they must be the subject of our prayers -- whether in penitence or in petition or in a little of both." |
Psalms 119 and 120
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introduction to the Series
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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
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Psalm 119
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Psalm 120
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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 are dividing 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, however, and so our treatment of each section will be similar to the others as we seek to unpack the whole in manageable parts.
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Read Psalm 120. Make a list, numbered from 1 to 7, representing the seven verses of the Psalm. Next to each number, jot down:
On the one hand, not much of Psalm 120 is directly addressed to the Lord. On the other hand, it is very much written about the Lord. Review the varied verses of the Psalm, and in each case ask yourself:
Taken all together, what seems to be the Psalmist's situation with regard to other people?
Verse 1 reflects some past experience with the Lord, although the Psalmist does not offer any details about that past experience. Accordingly, the verse can be claimed by you or by me and make our own.
Verse 2 is the one verse in the Psalm that seems to be directly addressed to the Lord.
Speech is a major theme in Psalm 120.
Read verse 5 in a variety of translations, focusing especially on the verbs. Commentators differ considerably in their interpretations of Meshech and Kedar. It is unlikely that the Psalmist literally dwelled in these places or among these peoples. Instead, they probably symbolize certain types of undesirable environments for a godly person.
Read verses 6 and 7 in several different translations in order to get a full sense of what the Psalmist is saying.
Having reflected in detail on all the elements of the Psalm -- the Psalmist's past experience and his testimony, his present predicament, his prayer, and his expressions of faith -- talk to the Lord about the extent to which you can make Psalm 120 your own. |
* 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.”