PSALMS LESSON 126

      We will continue the verse by verse study of the 119th Psalm
with Psalms 119:73 "{JOD.} Thy hands have made me and fashioned me:
give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments."

     This is a recognition by the psalmist of the fact that he was
created by God. The statement, fashioned me, reminds me of the fact
that God reached into the dust of the earth and formed and fashioned a
clay doll that He called man. He breathed the breath of life in that
clay doll, and he became a living soul. Genesis 2:7 "And the LORD God
formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils
the breath of life; and man became a living soul."  He is saying, God
you made me, so it is in your power to give me understanding. This is
very much like Jesus opening the understanding of the disciples. He
does not just want to read the commandments, but he wants to
understand what they are saying.

     Psalms 119:74 "They that fear thee will be glad when they see me;
because I have hoped in thy word."

     They that fear Thee, is possibly speaking of those who hold God
in high esteem. When God opens our understanding to His teachings, we
should share it with others, so that they might understand, too. I
love Bible study where everyone shares what God has revealed to them.
We can all help each other, if we will do this. Christians should be
overjoyed that God has revealed something to someone. There is no
place for jealousy among believers. It seems, here, that the Lord
revealed the truth to him, because he placed his hope in the Word.
Diligently study the Bible, and you will be amazed what God will
reveal to you.

     Psalms 119:75 "I know, O LORD, that thy judgments [are] right,
and [that] thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me."

     He trusts the fact that God would not allow anything to come upon
him that was not for his own good. Many times, afflictions make us
closer to God. We pray more, when there is a problem in our life.
Romans 5:3 "And not only [so], but we glory in tribulations also:
knowing that tribulation worketh patience;" Romans 5:4 "And patience,
experience; and experience, hope:" Romans 5:5 "And hope maketh not
ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the
Holy Ghost which is given unto us."  Even Paul had a thorn in his
flesh. We will see what Paul has to say the reason for his affliction
was. II Corinthians 12:7 "And lest I should be exalted above measure
through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a
thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should
be exalted above measure." Afflictions are sometimes for our good.
Neither the psalmist here, or Paul, questioned the judgement of God in
their afflictions.

     Psalms 119:76 "Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my
comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant."

     The psalmist, here, is not asking God to remove the affliction,
he is just asking him to make it possible for him to go through the
affliction. He is even saying, help me to find comfort in the
affliction. God does not mind us reminding Him of His Word. In fact,
He likes to know that we know what His Word says.

     Psalms 119:77 "Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may
live: for thy law [is] my delight."

     Notice, that he has added the word tender to the mercies of God.
This type mercy would be the kind a loving Father would show to His
young child. Well, is that not what the believers are? Whatever this
affliction is, it is so severe that he believes he might die. He is
not ready to die, and asks that his life be spared. Again, he reminds
God that God's law is not grievous to him.

     Psalms 119:78 "Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt
perversely with me without a cause: [but] I will meditate in thy
precepts."

     Perversely, in this Scripture, means to make crooked. This means
that they deceived him in their dealings with them. We remember who
the proud are. They are too proud to humble themselves and receive the
Lord. They are lost. This would be a common practice of someone who
was lost. They would have no conscience, and they would do whatever it
took to benefit them. He is saying, that even though they dealt with
him in a crooked manner, he will not do the same to them , because he
remembers the teachings of God's law. He is saying, I will do it your
way, Lord.

     Psalms 119:79 "Let those that fear thee turn unto me, and those
that have known thy testimonies."

     Those that fear Thee, here, are possibly speaking of those who
hold God in high esteem. The psalmist, here, is saying for God to
cause those who believe in God, to come and line up with him.
Christians should forgive their Christian brothers and sisters and
take them back in the fold, if they turn away from some sin they have
committed.

     Psalms 119:80 "Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be
not ashamed."

     We have said, over and over, that we are what our heart is. The
most important thing is to be right in our own heart. This is even
more important than having others come and stand with you. To be sound
of heart, would mean that the heart was not sick with sin. Only those,
who have a conscience, are ashamed when things are not right.

     Psalms 119:81 "{CAPH.} My soul fainteth for thy salvation: [but]
I hope in thy word."

     His soul desired salvation to the point that he almost fainted
trying to get it. He placed his hope in the Word of God. He knew that
the Word of God promised salvation to whosoever would take it. He was
depending on that promise, because he knew the Word of God was true.

     Psalms 119:82 "Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying, When wilt
thou comfort me?"

     Have you ever read the Word of God until the words all seemed to
run together? This is, probably, what he is saying here. He is
searching the Word of God finding a promise that can comfort him and
give him hope.

     Psalms 119:83 "For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; [yet]
do I not forget thy statutes."

     This bottle is probably not made of glass, but leather. If
leather gets near a fire, it will dry it out and probably cause it to
leak. A cracked bottle would be of very little use. He is saying, I am
all dried up and of very little use to any one, but I have not
forgotten your Word.

     Psalms 119:84 "How many [are] the days of thy servant? when wilt
thou execute judgment on them that persecute me?"

     He is, asking, how long is he going to live and be persecuted by
his enemies. When will you take vengeance on them that persecute me?
He reminds God that he is His servant. He knows that God has taught
that He would take vengeance for his servants. They are not to do it
themselves.

     Psalms 119:85 "The proud have digged pits for me, which [are] not
after thy law."

     God knows that the proud are not followers of His law. He did not
need the psalmist to remind him. He tells God that these evil, worldly
people have dug a pit to throw him in. Whether these pits were for his
body after he died, or just a pit to hold him prisoner in, is not
explained.

     Psalms 119:86 "All thy commandments [are] faithful: they
persecute me wrongfully; help thou me."

     God's enemies and the enemies of the psalmist are the same. The
psalmist is explaining to God that he was not guilty of the things
they accused him of. He, also, reminds the Lord that he would not have
done the evil thing they accuse him of, because he lived by God's
commandments. He says, I know your commandments are faithful and I
would not sin against You.

     Psalms 119:87 "They had almost consumed me upon earth; but I
forsook not thy precepts."

     Even though it seemed he would die at their hand, he would not
turn away from the teachings of God to stop them.

     Psalms 119:88 "Quicken me after thy lovingkindness; so shall I
keep the testimony of thy mouth."

     We said, in an earlier lesson, that the testimony of Thy mouth
would be the spoken Word. To quicken is to make alive. When Jesus
quickens man, it is the spirit that is quickened. You love me and are
kind to me, so make me alive in my spirit, is what the psalmist is
saying. He also says, if the Lord does this, he will speak the Word to
the people.

     This has been a mournful cry to God, because of the affliction he
suffered. It seems the worldly people around him had taken advantage
of the fact that he was afflicted, and they cheated him on every hand.
This cry is that God will take vengeance on the psalmist's enemy, who
is, also, the enemy of God.







































                             Questions 126

1.  What does the psalmist recognize God as, in verse 73?
2.  What was he asking God to give him?
3.  Why did he want this gift from God?
4.  What was man formed of?
5.  When did man become a living soul?
6.  Who will be glad when they see him?
7.  Who is it speaking of when it says, they that fear thee?
8.  When God opens our understanding to His truths, what should we do
    with it?
9.  Why had God revealed it to him?
10. I know that thy judgements are ________.
11. Quote Romans chapter 5 verses 3, 4, and 5.
12. Why did Paul say that God had not removed the thorn in his flesh?
13. In verse 76, what is he asking the Lord to do?
14. What word did he add to the mercies, that showed the psalmist was
    God's child?
15. How severe does the psalmist believe his affliction is?
16. Perversely means what?
17. Why does the psalmist not do the same thing as these who cheated
    him?
18. Who does the psalmist want to line up with him?
19. What does being sound of heart mean?
20. Why was his heart about to faint?
21. What does it mean, in verse 82 saying, Mine eyes fail for thy
    word?
22. What kind of bottle is verse 83 speaking of?
23. Who digged the pits for him?
24. What were they going to do with the pits?
25. Was the psalmist guilty of the things he was being persecuted for?
26. Quicken me after thy _______________.
27. What is the testimony of thy mouth?