Recall the things from the introductory lesson that you wanted to keep in mind as you study the text of Psalm 119.
Don’t forget to read in complete sentences instead of stopping at the end of each verse.
Recall the themes you’ve been noticing in Psalm 119. Watch for those themes to be repeated in today’s and future passages. You may wish to make a list of those themes to refer to throughout this study.
Questions to Consider
1. Review your notes from last week’s lesson. Does that passage relate to this week’s passage? How? Do you notice any repeated words, thoughts, or themes?
2. Do you notice a difference in tone between this first section (49-56) and most of the previous sections we’ve studied? How would you characterize the tone of this section? The previous sections? How do our life circumstances impact our perspective of how God’s Word ministers to us? (For example: When you’re joyful, which aspect of God’s Word most ministers to you? Comfort, praise, encouragement, zeal, etc.? When you’re going through hard times?) Proverbs 25:11 tells us “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” How is Scripture a “word fitly spoken” to each of us, personally, no matter what we’re going through?
3. Anger is often sinful, but how is verse 53 an example of righteous, godly anger?
4. Which verses in these two sections speak to God’s attribute of dependability, being a “man of His word”? How does that bring comfort and stability to the psalmist and to us?
What is the psalmist’s response to God’s dependability? (49, 50, 57) How do you, or how should you, respond to God’s dependability to you?
As God’s people, we are to reflect to others God’s attribute of dependability. How are you doing at being dependable to others – a woman of your word? Are you punctual? Fulfill your commitments? Return correspondence in a timely manner? Follow through? What’s one practical way you could reflect God’s dependability this week? When God’s people aren’t dependable, what does that say to lost people about God?
How does the psalmist “hold God to His word” in prayer in 49, 50, and 58? It is always appropriate in our prayers to recall God’s promises to us (from Scripture) and ask Him to keep or fulfill them. How can we avoid demanding things from God that He never promised us in the first place? Have you noticed any verses or themes we’ve studied so far in Psalm 119 that speak to this?
How is asking God to keep His promises simply asking Him to be who He is?
5. Does verse 56 refer to the blessings that are a consequence of obeying God’s Word, or does it mean that the ability and desire to obey God’s Word is a blessing in and of itself? (It might help to look at this verse in a few other reliable translations.) Why is it a blessing to desire and be able to obey God’s Word? How are we able and Who gives us that desire?
6. Carefully examine 59-60. What kind of “ways” is the psalmist talking about? What is the solution to temptation and sin in…
57, 59-60?
58, 64?
61?
62?
63?
How can you implement each of these in your own life to combat sin?
Consider how Jesus used the weapon of memorized Scripture to combat Satan’s temptations. Why is God’s Word such an effective weapon against temptation and sin? Why doesn’t just avoiding temptation alone – apart from God’s Word – work? Do you run to God’s Word when you’re tempted? What are some verses you could memorize and obey to help you fight temptation and avoid sinning?
Praying Psalm 119
Have you ever tried praying the psalms? I want to encourage you to try praying part of Psalm 119 back to God each week of this study. (If you’re familiar with my other studies, this will take the place of the weekly “Homework” section.)
The psalms are uniquely suited for praying back to God, both verbatim and conceptually, because they are often written as prayers – as though the psalmist is talking to God. Did you notice that about today’s passage? In which verses?
What is a concept or thought for your own life that the Holy Spirit impressed on your heart or convicted you about from today’s passage? Is there a particular verse(s), or maybe the whole passage, that you would like to pray back to God verbatim? Whatever your “prayer point” from today’s lesson, pray it at least daily until we get to the next lesson.
Recall the things from the introductory lesson that you wanted to keep in mind as you study the text of Psalm 119.
Don’t forget to read in complete sentences instead of stopping at the end of each verse.
Recall the themes you’ve been noticing in Psalm 119. Watch for those themes to be repeated in today’s and future passages. You may wish to make a list of those themes to refer to throughout this study.
Questions to Consider
1. Review your notes from last week’s lesson. Does that passage relate to this week’s passage? How? Do you notice any repeated words, thoughts, or themes?
2. Notice the structure of 33-39. How does each sentence start? Is it a declaration, a question, an exclamation, or an imperative (request or command)? Who is doing the requesting? To whom? For whom? (This will be easier to see if you’ll make a verse by verse list, starting with “Teach me…” in 33.) Does verse 40 start the same way? What about the end of 40? How is this passage “bookended” (beginning of 33, end of 40)? What is the main idea of these imperatives?
Now notice how each verse (33-39) concludes. We’ve seen the initial imperative (“Do this”) of each verse. The structure of the conclusion of each verse is “…so that ______.” How would you fill in that blank with a description of the conclusions of the verses? (Again, this is easier if you make a verse by verse list, starting with, “and I will keep it” in 33.) What is the main idea of these conclusions?
How does this passage demonstrate – both in content and in structure – that God must take the initiative in illuminating the psalmist’s understanding of the Word, and that, when God does this, blessings follow? How does the structure reinforce the content? Does the psalmist want God to take this initiative? Why? What are the blessings that result from God increasing the psalmist’s understanding of, love for, and obedience to His Word? What are your thoughts on God taking the initiative in illuminating your understanding of His Word? What are some blessings you’ve experienced as God has increased your understanding of, love for, and obedience to His Word?
3. In verse 37, what might the psalmist have meant by “worthless things” in his life? Could they, in general, have been some of the same worthless things in your life? Think about the things on which you spend your time. What are some worthless things you need to ask God to turn your eyes from in order that He might give you a richer life in His ways? What would He need to turn your eyes and your focus to in order to accomplish this? Connect the thought in verse 37 with these verses in John.
4. What key word do verses 41, 47, and 48 all have in common? This is the first appearance of this word in Psalm 119. Notice how it bookends this section (41-48). Who is the initiator of love (41)? What is the psalmist’s response (47-48) to God’s love coming to him (41)? How does 1 John 4:19 echo this concept?
5. Until this section (41-48) the psalmist’s main focus has been on his own personal relationship to God’s Word, and, through God’s Word, to God Himself. He has focused primarily on God, and secondarily on himself (e.g. “teach me,” “lead me,” etc.). In this passage, he brings others into the mix. Who are the others he speaks of in 42 and 46?
42- How does the content of God’s Word help us to answer scoffers and taunters? How does the Christian character that studying the Word builds help us to answer scoffers and taunters?
46- How do both the content of God’s Word and the character His Word builds in us help us to answer or testify to His goodness before those who have more power or influence than we do, or are intimidating? Why is the psalmist confident he will not ultimately be put to shame (46-47- Remember, read all the way to the end of the sentence.)? What if the “king” ridicules (or worse) the psalmist’s beliefs and testimony, or mocks God?
Explain how our confidence and security hinges on Who or what we trust in.
6. Verse 43 is the psalmist’s first use of the word “hope”. Some people believe, and some religions teach that our only hope of Heaven or being right with God is in keeping God’s rules, being a “good person,” or for our good deeds to outweigh the bad. Is that what the psalmist is saying in this verse? Why or why not, and how do you know? If an unsaved friend tried to use this verse to justify her belief that God is happy with her because she keeps His rules, how would you answer her? Consider verse 43 in light of John 6:68.
7. What is the difference between the “wide place” in 44-45 and the “wide gate” in Matthew 7:13-14? Can you walk in the “wide place” if you enter through the “wide gate”?
8. What have you learned from today’s passage about God being the initiator of illumination and love? What about other spiritual matters? Can you think of any spiritual matter in which man is the initiator rather than God?
Praying Psalm 119
Have you ever tried praying the psalms? I want to encourage you to try praying part of Psalm 119 back to God each week of this study. (If you’re familiar with my other studies, this will take the place of the weekly “Homework” section.)
The psalms are uniquely suited for praying back to God, both verbatim and conceptually, because they are often written as prayers – as though the psalmist is talking to God. Did you notice that about today’s passage? In which verses?
What is a concept or thought for your own life that the Holy Spirit impressed on your heart or convicted you about from today’s passage? Is there a particular verse(s), or maybe the whole passage, that you would like to pray back to God verbatim? Whatever your “prayer point” from today’s lesson, pray it at least daily until we get to the next lesson.
Good Monday morning, readers. It is an honor and a joy to serve you in Christ. Welcome to all the newbies and to you seasoned veterans of the blog.
Because some of y’all are new, you aren’t yet aware of all of the resources here to help you. Or maybe you’ve been around a while and haven’t noticed something that might be helpful. Let’s remedy that!
Second, be sure to familiarize yourself with all of the tabs in the blue menu bar at the top of the page. That’s where I keep the info I’m most frequently asked about.
Third, there’s a search bar at the bottom of every page (and one in the blue menu bar at the top of every page) which might help you find what you need.
And finally, let me get you new readers some answers to the questions several of you have asked. Some of you long time friends may have missed these along the way, so I hope they’ll be helpful to you, too!
I’m a man who wants to use one of your Bible studies for my personal quiet time. Is that OK?
Is it OK for a man to teach one of your Bible studies to a co-ed class?
I don’t get this question frequently – maybe a handful of times a year – but that’s enough that I’ve added this statement to the Bible Studies tab (in the blue menu bar at the top of this page):
“From time to time I receive inquiries from men about using my studies for their personal quiet time or for teaching a co-ed or men’s Bible study class. It is my personal conviction that it is more in keeping with the spirit (though not the letter) of 1 Timothy 2:12, Titus 2:3-5, and related passages for men to use Bible study materials authored by men rather than by women. Therefore, on the honor system, I would request that men please not use my studies for personal use, or when teaching a class with male members. (Vetting the studies for your wife, daughter, or the women of your church, is, of course, fine. Encouraged, actually.)”
Is it biblical for a woman to pray at the opening of the church service?
Is it biblical for women to participate in gathering the giving on Sunday morning?
Is it OK for women to ask questions in a co-ed class or group if the pastor or teacher invites those present to do so?
Great questions! I’ve answered all of them in my article Rock Your Role FAQs. Numbers 15, 22, and 4, respectively.
Is The Bible Project a doctrinally sound teaching resource?
You seem to be saying we should talk to God during prayer, but we should not try to listen for God’s guidance during prayer…But are we not supposed to pray about big decisions before we make them? If someone is deciding on taking a different job, or moving to another state, or getting married, isn’t that person supposed to pray about making the right decision? There isn’t a passage of Scripture that says “Jane Doe should marry John Smith in AD 2022.” What about pastors, who say God “called” them into ministry?
Do you think instead of praying specifically about a decision, we are supposed to pray for wisdom according to James 1 and then make our own decision, trusting God has given us the wisdom to choose correctly?
You’re circling the bullseye. I think my article Basic Training: 8 Steps to Finding God’s Will for Your Life will help. I didn’t specifically address pastors having some sort of Damascus Road-type “calling” to the ministry in that article, but the same principles apply. The Bible doesn’t say men will receive some sort of supernatural calling to the ministry. It says, “If any [man] aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task,” (1 Timothy 3:1) and that he must meet certain biblical qualifications. If a man desires to be a pastor and he meets the biblical qualifications, he should start prayerfully putting the principles in that article into practice, trusting God to guide him in his pursuits.
As Christians, do we participate in celebratory life events of sin? For example- I had a family member (professes to follow Christ) throw a housewarming party for another family member living with her boyfriend. They bought a home together & are not married. I also had another family member (professor of Christ) become pregnant outside of marriage & naturally my family wanted to throw a big baby shower. How do those of us who honor Christ with our life handle such events?
It can be an uncomfortable invitation to receive, for sure. I’ve addressed the baby shower question in my article The Mailbag: Should I Attend the Baby Shower?. And let me just clarify a distinction between a shower for a woman who conceived out of wedlock and these other scenarios. A woman who conceived out of wedlock sinned – past tense. She may have since repented. Also, the purpose of a shower is to give her things she will need for the baby, not to celebrate or help perpetuate an ongoing sin such as the ones mentioned below. That is something to weigh if you’re trying to decide whether or not to attend a shower.
Let’s get things kicked off with a question that really came to the forefront a couple of years ago when same sex “marriage” became legal: Should Christians attend homosexual weddings?
And really, this answer also applies to any sort of event that celebrates, normalizes, or helps codify an ungodly union: events celebrating transsexualism, homosexual wedding receptions or showers, housewarming parties for a homosexual couple or even for a heterosexual couple that’s going to be living together, a celebration of adoption for a homosexual or non-married heterosexual couple, or even – I don’t know if these are still a thing or not, but divorce parties.
The short answer is, Christians should not be helping people celebrate their sin. We should be sharing the gospel with them so they can get saved out of their sin.
Attending a wedding or any of these other events implies that a person is in favor of the union or the sin that’s being committed, and no matter how much we love the person, Christ calls us to love Him more and not participate in or give approval to sin.
You regard John MacArthur as someone who is biblically sound – I beg to differ with you, as he claims (and directly answered a question asked of him) if after taking the mark of the beast, can a person change their mind (claim Christ) and still get to heaven….his response was “yes.” Absolute unbiblical doctrine….that’s all I’m bringing up at this point – he is leading people to HELL!
No he isn’t “leading people to HELL!” and you’re making a slanderous false accusation against (assuming you’re a genuinely regenerated Believer) a brother in Christ. Repent.
This claim against John MacArthur is the urban legend that will not die, no matter how many times it’s clearly and biblically refuted (I guess because people with this attitude want to discredit him and will grasp at any straw to do so, no matter how flimsy.). It’s been going on for over ten years now. I get some form of the screaming neemie “JOHN MACARTHUR IS A FALSE TEACHER!!!!!” email or message several times a year. I’ve heard it all before and it’s all still a lie. No need to send me any more messages about it.
I was wondering if you have any info on homeschooling on your site that is biblical?
Yep, on both of my sites. Amy and I recorded an A Word Fitly Spoken podcast episode on homeschooling called NOW are you ready to homeschool? And, a while back, my readers suggested some Christian homeschooling blogs here.
If you have a question about: a Bible passage, an aspect of theology, a current issue in Christianity, or how to biblically handle a family, life, or church situation, comment below (I’ll hold all questions in queue {unpublished} for a future edition of The Mailbag) or send me an e-mail or private message. If your question is chosen for publication, your anonymity will be protected.
Recall the things from the introductory lesson that you wanted to keep in mind as you study the text of Psalm 119.
Don’t forget to read in complete sentences instead of stopping at the end of each verse.
Questions to Consider
1. Review your notes from last week’s lesson. Does that passage relate to this week’s passage? How? Do you notice any repeated words, thoughts, or themes?
2. For what purpose does the psalmist ask God to “deal bountifully” with him? (17) When Christians today ask God to “deal bountifully” with them do you think this is what they have in mind? Is it what you have in mind?
3. Think about the approximate time period during which the psalms were written (you may wish to look back at the resources in lesson 1 – link above). Which books of the Bible would the psalmist have had access to? What two kinds of writing – poetry, historical narrative, prophecy, law, or didactic – compose the bulk of those books? (Think and answer first, then scroll down to *.) So when the psalmist uses words like “law,” “commands,” “statutes,” and “rules,” he’s usually using those terms interchangeably with “Scripture” (all of it that he had access to), but in another sense he can be referring specifically to God’s laws. In verse 18, how does he characterize God’s law? Think specifically about the law portions of the Old Testament (the 10 Commandments, Levitical law, etc.). What are some “wondrous things” you see in God’s law? What are some “wondrous things” you see in the other portions of the Scriptures the psalmist had access to?
4. Consider 20-22 together. What is God’s disposition toward those who forsake His Word? Toward those who keep it? Why does this cause the psalmist to “long after” God’s Word? What role does God’s Word play in the psalmist’s relationship with God? Make the connection between this and your own relationship with God.
5. 18, 26-27, 29 – What is the main idea of these verses? Is the psalmist asking God for better reading comprehension skills? Is He saying Scripture is so confusing he doesn’t understand what it means? What, exactly, is he asking God for? What is the illumination of Scripture? Who initiates and drives illumination (18,32)? Why do we need God to illumine Scripture to us? What role does the indwelling Holy Spirit play in illumination? Does God illumine Scripture to unbelievers? Why or why not? How does the doctrine of illumination fit with the concept that God’s Word is “living and active“? Describe the experience of God illuminating His Word to you, personally.
6. Which verses describe the comfort of God’s Word during hard times? What is the psalmist’s perspective or desire regarding God’s Word in these verses?
7. One of the themes you will probably notice in Psalm 119 is those who love and keep God’s law versus those who disobey God’s law. In what ways or verses did you see that theme in today’s passage? What are some other themes you’re beginning to notice? How does the psalmist connect Scripture to each of those themes? Watch for those themes to be repeated in future passages. You may wish to make a list of them to refer to throughout this study.
8. What does today’s passage teach us about the nature and character of God?
*Question 3: At that point in history, the psalmist would have had access to the Pentateuch (Genesis – Deuteronomy), probably Joshua, Judges, and Ruth, and possibly some or all of 1&2 Samuel and some of Psalms. The bulk of these books is historical narrative and law.
Praying Psalm 119
Have you ever tried praying the psalms? I want to encourage you to try praying part of Psalm 119 back to God each week of this study. (If you’re familiar with my other studies, this will take the place of the weekly “Homework” section.)
The psalms are uniquely suited for praying back to God, both verbatim and conceptually, because they are often written as prayers – as though the psalmist is talking to God. Did you notice that about today’s passage? In which verses?
What is a concept or thought for your own life that the Holy Spirit impressed on your heart or convicted you about from today’s passage? Is there a particular verse(s), or maybe the whole passage, that you would like to pray back to God verbatim? Whatever your “prayer point” from today’s lesson, pray it at least daily until we get to the next lesson.
Welcome, ladies! Just a reminder, please do not skip Lesson 1 from last week (link below). Not only will it answer any questions you may have about the study itself, but if you want to study Psalm 119 properly, you must do the background work contained in Lesson 1.
1. Review your notes from last week’s introductory lesson. What are some things to keep in mind as you begin to study the text of Psalm 119 today?
As you study, it will probably help you grasp and absorb the psalmist’s meaning better if you read in complete sentences instead of stopping at the end of each verse. For example, notice the comma at the end of verse 2. Verse 2 is not the psalmist’s complete thought. Read all the way through to the period at the end of verse 3, and consider verses 2 and 3 together as the complete thought.
2. List all the synonyms for “Scripture” in this text. How many of the verses in this passage contain a term that means “Scripture”? How would you define each of these terms? Are there subtle shades of difference in what these various terms mean? (You may wish to use a lexicon such as Strong’s to check your work after you have defined these words.) Why would the psalmist choose so many different words that all essentially mean “Scripture”?
3. Do verses 1-3 remind you of another passage of Scripture? How are these verses structurally different from those verses? Why, how, and for what is a person blessed in verses 1-3? What does it mean for a person’s way to be “blameless”? (1)
4. What is the orientation of the psalmist’s heart toward keeping God’s law? Does he view it as a drudge and a burden? Does he want to obey God’s Word, or does he grudgingly do it because he has to? Which words and phrases from today’s passage support your answers? How does this compare to the New Testament’s view of obedience to Scripture? What is the orientation of your heart toward obeying Scripture?
5. How does the psalmist’s love for Scripture, and for obeying Scripture, impact his worship of God (7,12) and his love for God? Which words and phrases from today’s passage support your answers? How does this compare to the New Testament’s view of obedience to Scripture being an indicator of one’s love for God? What does your level of obedience to Scripture and your attitude toward obeying Scripture say about your love for God? Is your love for God reflected by your obedience to Scripture? Explain, in your own words, the relationship between loving and obeying Scripture and loving and obeying God.
6. Which parts of today’s passage can you accomplish in a way that’s pleasing to God withoutthe indwelling and empowering of the Holy Spirit? Is it possible for a lost person to truly love and obey God’s Word? Is it possible for a saved person not to truly love and obey God’s Word? What does this tell you about people who claim to be Christians, yet live in unrepentant sin, or have an unbiblical worldview?
7. Notice the verses that mention body parts (eyes, heart, etc.). How does the psalmist use or relate each of those body parts to his love for Scripture? How does this reflect the idea that love for God isn’t just a private feeling we have internally, but that we use our bodies to love God externally by acting in obedience?
8. How does storing up God’s Word in our hearts guard us against sin? (11) How can we be intentional, purposeful, and proactive about storing up God’s Word in our hearts?
Have you ever tried praying the psalms? I want to encourage you to try praying part of Psalm 119 back to God each week of this study. (If you’re familiar with my other studies, this will take the place of the weekly “Homework” section.)
The psalms are uniquely suited for praying back to God, both verbatim and conceptually, because they are often written as prayers – as though the psalmist is talking to God. Did you notice that about today’s passage? In which verses?
What is a concept or thought for your own life that the Holy Spirit impressed on your heart or convicted you about from today’s passage? Is there a particular verse(s), or maybe the whole passage, that you would like to pray back to God verbatim? Whatever your “prayer point” from today’s lesson, pray it at least daily until we get to the next lesson.
