Psalm 119 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study
Psalm 119 Short Summary:
There is nothing short about Psalm 119. It is the longest chapter in the Bible with 176 verses. The psalm is a celebration of God and His words (the Scriptures), and an expression of the author’s ambitions to live according to God’s words.
Psalm 119 Summary
AUTHOR:
The author of Psalm 119 is unknown.
NEW TESTAMENT REFERENCES:
No Known New Testament References.
THEMES:
God’s words (the Scriptures) are perfect and a guide for life.
Time should be devoted to learning and applying them.
God reveals Himself to us through His Scriptures and it is in meditating on them that we familiarize ourselves with Him.
DEFINITIONS:
Precepts (119:27) – A rule intended to guide thoughts and behaviors.
Insolent (119:69) – Lacking respect for someone or something that deserves respect.
Wineskin (119:83) – Before glass bottles, liquids were carried in containers made of animal skins.
Spoil (119:162) – The riches the victors take from their adversaries after a battle.
OUTLINE:
PSALM 119 ARRANGEMENT AND OVERVIEW (119:1-176):
Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible.
Its composition is unique, being divided into 22 sections, one section for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Each section is comprised of 8 verses.
The psalm is a celebration of God and His words (the Scriptures), and an expression of the author’s ambition to live according to God’s words.
Almost every verse has a reference to God’s words, laws, commands, precepts, testimonies, or statutes.
The author wrote of His longing to know God through His Scriptures, so much so that he lost sleep by staying up late and rising early to meditate on God.
God’s word was his support through hard times, his corrector in times of sin, and the condemner of his enemies.
APPLICATION:
The longest psalm in the whole collection is dedicated to honoring the words and instructions of God.
This emphasis on the law of God shouldn’t be overlooked by modern readers.
It should be the ambition of modern believers to learn about God through His words and meditate on God’s commands until they become a source of joy.
Sadly, many Christians don’t know very much at all about the Scriptures and don’t realize that they are depriving themselves of the sweet satisfaction enjoyed by the author of Psalm 119.
Many Christians live anxious, troubled, bitter, jealous, lonely, unsatisfied, and uneasy lives because they’ve not spent time meditating on and applying the instructions of the Lord.
There are a lot of cures in the Bible, but a person must be consistent in taking the medicine. A person must be consistent in applying the wisdom of the Scriptures to their mind and heart for it to cure the plagues that afflict them.
