Word Synonyms

Chapter 119: This psalm is an acrostic poem; the verses of each stanza begin with the same letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Psalm 119:1-8 ' Aleph
1 Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. 2 Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. 3 They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways. 4 You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. 5 Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! 6 Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands. 7 I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws. 8 I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me.

Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible, and is a magnificent collection of prayers and affirmations concerning the wisdom, wealth and wonder of God's revealed Word. The eight-line structure is based on eight synonyms for Scripture (law, precepts, statutes, word, commandments, testimonies, judgments and ordinances), found in all but 3 of it's 176 verses. This carefully embroidered pattern showcases the psalmist's passion for the moral beauty of God's truth. If you want to be better grounded in Scripture, this chapter could be the one of the most important one's you'll ever study.

When you read the first eight verses, right away you see how many different words for the teaching of the Bible are used. I will list them for you.

Law or laws (2), statutes, precepts, decrees (2), commands.

The action words that connect these words are the ones that I hope you will dwell on today. They are, walking (2), keeping, seeking, obeying (2), considering, praising and learning. If you desire to spiritually mature you must spend time doing these things. Do you consider your walk and seek to keep obeying while learning and praising? I used them all in one sentence so you could catch the collective impact of them. I believe that if we took time, focused and actually enacted that question functionally each day that it would change our lives for the better.

We must consider Him way more often, be conscious of our walk, with our eyes and hearts open and seeking diligently to keep (like a commitment) while obeying, not wavering or faltering so often. Then the learning and praising would come so much easier and naturally. If this is just overwhelming to you please start with learning and praising and then start from the beginning with consideration and try to finish the assignment in a day. I guarantee that such a quest will draw you into the Word to know His law, statutes, precepts, decrees and commands.

If we don't do this we just remain vaguely religious people who look at the truth as an idea, His word as literature, His ways as a lofty goal and the contagious Christian life as something a few other people actually do. As we take time with this chapter a clump of verses at a time, I hope they begin to speak to your Spirit too.

In His Joy, Pastor Fred

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