CORNERSTONE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
  • HOME
  • 'LIVELY STONES' MEDITATIONS
  • 'WRITE THE VISION' MEDITATIONS
  • A-Z ARCHIVE
  • BIBLE VERSE ARCHIVE
  • LINKS
    • AUDIO
    • VIDEO
  • ABOUT CORNERSTONE

LIVELY STONES MEDITATIONS

Psalm 119: Aleph

18/7/2020

 
ALEPH
1  Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD!
2  Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart!
3  They also do no iniquity; they walk in His ways.
4  You have commanded us to keep Your precepts diligently.
5  Oh, that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes!
6  Then I would not be ashamed, when I look into all Your commandments.
7  I will praise You with uprightness of heart, when I learn Your righteous judgments.
8  I will keep Your statutes; Oh, do not forsake me utterly!
[Psalm 119:1-8 NKJV]
When we read the Bible we do not always see how beautifully structured it is. Nowhere is this more easily ascertained than in the Psalms.

The Psalms are actually 5 books, each book in order corresponding to the first 5 books in the Bible, ‘The Pentateuch’. Psalm 119 comes from — for want of a better description — the Deuteronomy Book of Psalms.

It is in a form known as an acrostic. The verses are divided into 22 sections of 8 verses, each section representing the 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet, and each line in a section beginning with that letter.

The Psalm glorified God and His Word, concentrating on 8 words to do so. These are:
  • His Law
  • His Word dabar (God’s spoken or revealed word)
  • His Judgements
  • His Testimonies
  • His Commandments
  • His Statutes
  • His Precepts
  • His Word imrah (God’s promises)

Psalm 119 can be seen as 22 short prayers, each extolling His wonders and goodness. The first prayer is established by the first letter of the alphabet, Aleph; thus each line — in Hebrew, of course — begins with that letter.

The theme for this first letter’s verses has been described as QUICKENING BY THE WRITTEN WORD, and the lines follow this pattern ...
119:1. The way.
119:2. Condition. Happy. Third Person
119:3. They, upright.
119:4. Command.
——--
119:5. My ways.
119:6. Condition. Not ashamed. First Person.
119:7. I, upright.
119:8. Promise.
You can see that the second four lines brings the general expression of the first four lines and makes it personal.

And is this formality in presentation important and rewarding? I find it so, although it is not essential to knowing our loving and compassionate God. However, He is a God of order — He is nowhere to be found in chaos or confusion — and in such expression of order shown right throughout scripture, we have the pure uncluttered untainted dependable word of God, revealing much to us about His nature. You cannot trust chaos.

“Blessed Be Your Name” — Matt Redman

OSWALD CHAMBERS — RUN TODAY’S RACE
Saturday 18th July 2020
The new life will manifest itself in conscious repentance and unconscious holiness, never the other way about. The bedrock of Christianity is repentance. If you ever cease to know the virtue of repentance, you are in darkness.

    RSS Feed


    MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS…

    Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
    PHILIPPIANS 4:8-9

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    July 2019
    April 2019
    November 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018


    Archive by Title

    A-Z List of Meditation posts

    Archive by Bible Verse

    Meditation posts in book and verse order

    Authors

    GEORGE and GILL STEWART
    for Cornerstone Christian Fellowship, Kilmartin
    (unless post shows otherwise)

Home

About

Picture
Logo copyright © 2019

Weblog

Contact

  • HOME
  • 'LIVELY STONES' MEDITATIONS
  • 'WRITE THE VISION' MEDITATIONS
  • A-Z ARCHIVE
  • BIBLE VERSE ARCHIVE
  • LINKS
    • AUDIO
    • VIDEO
  • ABOUT CORNERSTONE