His Yoke Is Easy

This recent story on CBN News caught my attention.

To summarize: a major University in California has begun to deny classroom credits to students who have attended Christian High Schools that use text books teaching Creation and the Inerrancy of Scripture. To make matters worse, the courts have upheld their right to do so.

This development does not bode well for America, as she continues to penalize those citizens she needs the most as her day of judgment draws near. The surprise to me is not that America is moving away from any Christian heritage she may have had, but how rapidly she is doing it.

Scripture says that ALL nations shall gather against Jerusalem (Zech 12:3). That "all" doesn't leave much room for allies, so up until recent years it has been a wonderment how Israel has had such a staunch supporter in the USA. It has seemed as if the US would be by Israel's side through thick and thin.

The news of this aggressive action by a government-run school, serves to raise the red flag of concern for those watching for signs of the last days tribulations. As I see it, Christians in America are the last obstacle to the unrestrained, world-wide assault on Israel and the Jewish people. In WWII Germany, before Hitler could begin seriously thinking about the wholesale annihilation of European Jewry, he had to silence the Evangelical Church. This was done through the regulation of Churches, State-mandated education and later, outright persecution. Interestingly, the next article at CBN is on Germany's recent crackdown on home-schooling there, in an attempt to remove the type of citizen that is sensitive to God's Word.

The anti-christ spirit is becoming more emboldened with each "successful" battle. It brings to mind the words of Daniel:

As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and defeating them, until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom. Daniel 7

The people who know their God will firmly resist him. Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered. Daniel 11

We need to prepare ourselves for such a defeat; begin to anticipate it just as Christ Jesus instructed His disciples about His sufferings that must come to pass. At the Cross, Jesus suffered the greatest defeat of all time. But, in the wisdom and power of God it was turned into the greatest victory. The Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgement in favor of Him, and the time came when He possessed the Kingdom.

He is bringing us into the reality of what He purchased for us at the Cross. We will drink from His cup, as He told James and John, but first we must come to be as concerned about our enemies as Christ was: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

more to come

²⁵ I am laid low in the dust;
- preserve my life
- according to Your Word.
²⁶ I recounted my ways
- and You answered me;
- teach me Your decrees.
²⁷ Let me understand
- the teaching of Your precepts;
- then I will meditate on Your wonders.
²⁸ My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to Your Word.
²⁹ Keep me from deceitful ways; be gracious to me through Your law.
³⁰ I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on Your laws.
³¹ I hold fast to Your statutes, O LORD; do not let me be put to shame.
³² I run in the path of Your commands, for You have set my heart free.

"I am laid low in the dust..." could be the statement of rebellious man reaping the consequences of the tragic decision to doubt the character and integrity of God. However, here we have one who boldly asks God to preserve His life. On top of that, the reason he gives God to consider the request is that God might be faithful to His own Word. That is remarkable considering that it is God's Word that declares:

Cursed is the man who does not uphold the words of this Law by carrying them out. Deuteronomy 27:26

These words actually explain why the unrighteous AND the righteous must suffer. It was for the sins of Israel that the lives of innocent lambs were required in sacrifice day after day, year after year. Those holy prophets of God, whose purity allowed them to see into the purposes and character of God, suffered great persecution from the very people they were sent to warn.

New Testament Scripture says that Jesus was "the Lamb slain, before the foundations of the world." Before He said, "Let there be light!" God had counted the cost of creating a universe in which the crowning glory of His work -- mankind -- would have the ability to say "Yes" or "No" to any Word that came from His own mouth. In His foreknowledge, He knew that men would yield to the temptation and that He Himself would be the only hope for redeeming us from the deadly consequences of the "NO" that was to come.

HE was wounded for OUR transgressions,
HE was bruised for OUR iniquities,
Surely HE bore OUR sorrows,
And by HIS stripes WE were healed. Isaiah 53

So our Psalmist appears to be one who is on the path of righteousness. He is measuring his life according to the standard of God's Word - "I recounted all my ways..." and he is aware that mere knowledge of the Word is not sufficient, as he is pleading for the Lord to teach him and cause him to understand.

That God given revelation initially brings distress - "My soul is weary with sorrow..." - Remember Isaiah (Is. 6) when he had a vision of the Lord high and lifted up and was moved to cry out "Woe is me! I am a man of unclean lips amidst a people of unclean lips." Or the yet-to-be-fulfilled vision of Zechariah:

They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great... Zech 12:10-11

"My soul is weary with sorrow... strengthen me according to Your Word." The marvelous and wonderful thing about coming to God on His terms is that after we recognize our pitiful condition we can freely receive that Everlasting Life that is actually the life of the LORD.

"Be gracious to me through Your Law." - We don't often think of the Law of God as a source of unmerited favor, but it is hidden there, in the sacrifice of the innocent for the guilty. "Come let us reason together - though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow." Is 1

This favor is meant not simply to cover our sin, but to energize us for life, and you can see that in the conclusion of this section of Psalm 119.

"I have chosen...
I have set...
I hold fast...
I run in the path..."

The Psalmist is full of resolution and strength to do the commands of God, and the reason he gives for it is entirely to God's credit:

"For YOU have set my heart free."

This is all about the altar where God's Anointed One laid down His life. It is here and here alone that the wondrous exchange takes place: His life for our death; His righteousness for our sin; His clean garments for our filthy rags; His strength for our weakness.

This is an offer that is almost too good to be true, and it explains the harsh sounding statement: "if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins." John 8:24

_{Listen to the music of Psalm 119 - Daleth - I Am Laid Low In the Dust}

¹⁷ Do good to your servant,
- and I will live;
- I will obey your word.
¹⁸ Open my eyes that I may see
- wonderful things in your law.
¹⁹ I am a stranger on earth;
- do not hide
- your commands from me.
²⁰ My soul is consumed
- with longing for your laws at all times.
²¹ You rebuke the arrogant, who are cursed and who stray from your commands.
²² Remove from me scorn and contempt, for I keep your statutes.
²³ Though rulers sit together and slander me,
- your servant will meditate on your decrees.
²⁴ Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.

"Do good to Your servant and I will live." The implication of this statement is that if the Lord does NOT do good, we will NOT live. We are utterly dependent upon His goodness, His mercy, His unmerited favor for any life that we have. You might even say that without the intervention of God's goodness we would remain in a state of death like those in Ezekiel's Valley of Dry Bones.

"Open my eyes that I might see wonderful things in Your Law." Wonderful things in the Law? Is there something besides stuffy legalism to be found there? We Christians have almost made the word "Law" into a dirty word, but seen in the right light, interpreted by the Holy Spirit of the God who inspired it, the Law contains mysteries of the Lord's character and person. Wonderful mysteries. Precious eternal truths that we will be living by throughout the ages. But approach the Law with the attitude that it is something that can be fulfilled by natural human effort and it becomes a curse.

"I am a stranger on earth, do not hide your commands from me." The truth must be revealed to us from God Himself. It is hidden to the natural mind. As Jesus told Peter, "Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father which is in heaven," after Peter confessed that he believed that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. Once we have been shown something from the heavenly viewpoint, immediately we become strangers and pilgrims in the earth like our predecessors in the faith as described in the book of Hebrews. Through Christ we have crucified to the world and the world to us.

The Psalmist cries out for the removal of scorn and contempt, which could be read two ways. Most obviously, it implies the desire for deliverance from those who express scorn and contempt toward us. But there is a second reading that is perhaps more important and that is for the removal of those attributes from within us. Remove from ME scorn and contempt! I am believing You for it.

The principalities and powers will mock and ridicule us for even
entertaining the thought that we might obey the laws and statutes of
the Living God. We are to be perfect, even as He is perfect, and it is
through His spoken Word that it is going to take place. He speaks into
the nothingness of our being and something creative happens. The
mockers try to get us to look at our nothingness rather than the power
and faithfulness of God. It is a last ditch effort to keep us in
bondage to the things of this earth.

This Psalmist, by the Spirit of the Lord, delights in the testimonies and statutes of the Lord. This is only possible by the power of God, because the Law first and foremost testifies against us declaring that we deserve to be cut off from God and the Israel of God. But if we receive His testimony against us and acknowledge that He has taken our death penalty upon Himself in Christ, then that same Law becomes sweetness and delight, and that new Spirit that He has deposited within begins to council us as to what the Law is truly requiring of us.

_{(Listen to the music of Psalm 119 Gimel - I Am A Stranger On Earth.)}

⁹ How can a young man
keep his way pure?
By living according to your word.
¹⁰ I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray
from your commands.
¹¹ I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
¹² Praise be to you, O LORD;
teach me your decrees.
¹³ With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.
¹⁴ I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.
¹⁵ I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.
¹⁶ I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.

Who has kept Himself pure and undefiled but the Lord Himself? I can almost see Jesus as a young man, or perhaps even a boy, sifting through the Scriptures, meditating on them so that He might discover His identity there and find God's purpose for His life. According to our view, the Scriptures are written about Jesus and by Him, through Moses and the Prophets. The Gospels clarify that Jesus IS, in fact, the Word made flesh. Would it be a stretch to add that the Scriptures were also in place FOR Him, so that He might have a witness in the earth to the Spirit of the Father in Him?

From the Gospels we can sense the regard that Jesus has for the Scriptures. When He was tempted by Satan, He responded, "It is written... It is written... It is written..." The things stored up there are more real to Him than what His senses tell Him. We can tell that He "knows" Abraham and Moses, David and Solomon. Through the eternal Spirit, He has had fellowship with them.

Only HE has kept Himself pure, but now God has given us His own Spirit through Jesus when He raised Him from the dead. So now we can look for our identity in Him as WE search through the Bible. "How can a young man keep his way pure?" By living according to His Word of course. But then the Psalmist qualifies this effort a cry to God for help. Even though he seeks with ALL his heart, he does not but his trust in the seeking, as he cries out "don't let me stray from Your commands," and "teach me Your decrees."

Without the Spirit of God, even our efforts to seek God are tainted with sin and subject to feeding pride. Thankfully, as Romans 5 declares, while we were still sinners and powerless to please Him, Christ died for us (the ungodly). And if He did this for us when we were still His enemies, now that we belong to Him will He not freely give us everything we need to fulfill His desire in us?

Only He is pure and yet, if WE have been born from above then GOD's Holy Spirit is living in us, and we will have this reverence and hunger for the Scriptures in OUR own heart. "Be YE holy as I am holy." This section of Psalm 119 indicates that there should even be a "delight" in His decrees. Jesus says, "I delight to do Thy will" even though the Father's will is to send Him to a horrible death for the sins of the world. What is it that delights you? What is your top priority in life right now? If it isn't in fulfilling God's Word, then may I recommend the parable of the sower to you.

A number of years ago I was considering the statement that some would bear 30 times, some 60 and some 100 times what had been sown in their lives and I was wondering where I fell in these groups. It had not occurred to me that I might not even BE among those bearing fruit, as there ARE other options in the parable. And the Lord spoke to me, as clearly as I have heard anything from Him, that His Word in me was being choked out by the CARES of this world. After the initial sting, those words sparked something in me to seek Him with a renewed intensity, and by His grace I have been ever since that time.

I am not saying this to condemn (as "there is no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus), but perhaps to be a catalyst to cause you to re-evaluate whether you are walking in His Spirit. His grace is not a license to sin, but is rather a liberating force to strengthen us to walk in the wonderful freedom of who God is.

May we give the Spirit of God something to feed on besides the half-truths and full-fledged lies that bombard us from the world system around us. May His Spirit in us give us the determination NOT to neglect His Word.

_{(Listen to the music of Psalm 119 Beth - How Can A Young Man Keep Himself Pure?)}

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

In the last year of Art Katz' life, one of the few passages of that he ministered on multiple times was Isaiah Chapter 6. His emphasis was always upon apostolic sending, as in Isaiah's cry, "Here I am, send me!", but there was always mention of the crisis that was the catalyst for Isaiah's encounter with the Lord. That crisis would be the death of King Uzziah.

I believe that Art was aware that to some of us, he was as one who was sent from the throne of heaven, and, as such, ran the risk of being given a place of honor in our lives that was beyond that of the One who sent him. Personally, I cannot think of a single individual in our time who has impacted my Christian walk more than Art Katz. [For honor's sake, I should, once again mention Annette Marsnik and Jewell Courtney, who sold everything they had to start an informal Bible School/Christian Community where I lived for two and a half years.] This morning while perusing some pictures that Art's wife Inger posted on the family web site, I ran across the photo of Art's grave stone and realized that today is officially one day over a year since Art went on to receive his reward. And so the wondering began: Did I encounter the Lord in a greater measure this year that could constitute a basis for the kind of "sending" that Isaiah received?

That begs the question: Did I hold Art Katz in a place above that which the Lord deemed appropriate? If I did then certainly I wouldn't have the vision or ability to discern it. So that consideration will itself have to be committed in the Lord's hands. And perhaps the Lord Himself dealt with it when He kept me from going to Ben Israel in 1985 when I pleaded with Him in prayer and fasting to let me be a part of what was going on there. Or the second time when Art was kept from coming to my Church in January of 2006 due to the onset of his illness. [I said more about that last year in this blog in "How God Used Art Katz in My Life".]

I'll leave that question alone, but I would like to ponder the nature of Isaiah's sending and the message he was told to give. Preceding Isaiah's sending he received a revelation of the Lord's holiness and his own uncleanness. He saw the angels crying "Holy, Holy, Holy! The whole earth is filled with His Glory!" Here he is, perhaps lamenting the death of Uzziah, when the glory of the LORD is in fact filling the earth and not being spoken of by men. Something else is coming out of our lips, but not the right confession of "Holy, Holy, Holy!" No wonder he exclaimed: "I am a man of unclean lips amidst a people of unclean lips..."

Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, THIS has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."

I believe that this was a coal off of the altar of the eternal sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Himself. Even though in history, Isaiah's life preceded Jesus, his vision was a glimpse into the eternal, much like Moses when he saw the pattern which was in heaven and constructed the tabernacle based on what he saw there. A coal off that perfect altar: "THIS has touched thy lips." After this Isaiah has a different confession. He is in agreement with God's assessment of the situation. He has seen the Lamb upon His throne.

And Isaiah overhears an eternal question that is always being asked: "Whom shall I send? Who will go for us (note the plural)?" There seems to be an element of willingness rolled into the issue of sending, as if it were critical for the sent one to be a volunteer, not just a hireling. Isaiah does not seem to hesitate with his "Here I am, send me," and neither does God with His response, "Go and tell this people..."

The message that God gives to Isaiah is further evidence that what Isaiah saw was something of the eternal horrendous sacrifice of the Lord Jesus, because Isaiah does not argue with it. Listen to what God asked him to say:

"Go and tell this people:

'Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
be ever seeing, but never perceiving.

Make the heart of this people calloused;
make their ears dull
and close their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.'"

Not a whimper from Isaiah. However, knowing God's promise to establish His kingdom in Israel, Isaiah does ask an appropriate question: "How long O Lord?"

The answer is even more devastating:

"Until the cities lie ruined
and without inhabitant,
until the houses are left deserted
and the fields ruined and ravaged,

until the LORD has sent everyone far away
and the land is utterly forsaken.

And though a tenth remains in the land,
it will again be laid waste.
But as the terebinth and oak
leave stumps when they are cut down,
so the holy seed will be the stump in the land."

Isaiah's vision in chapter 6 was certainly a precursor to chapter 53's "Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?" He has been asked to proclaim a message that no one wants to hear at first. And he must wait for the Lord to do the work in the hearts of men. There are no accolades or "Thank you's" from the hearers. The messenger himself becomes despised and rejected. And yet it is that rejection that leads to the greater vision of chapter 53 and beyond when the Kingdom IS restored.

So to answer my initial question: Did I encounter the Lord in a greater measure this year that could constitute a basis for the kind of "sending" that Isaiah received? That I cannot answer for certain. There has been no seeing with the eyes. But perhaps there has been a greater measure of clarity, an increased ability to articulate what is transpiring in the heart and a keener realization that it must be the Lord that sends.  Knowing that He is our exceeding great reward is not optional, because the  reward we receive from those to whom we are sent just might be the same reward Jesus and the prophets received.

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.

In many of the Psalms you will run into phrases like, "Blessed is the one who fears the Lord," or "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly." When I encounter that kind of speech, I immediately think of that one with a capital "O" and that man a capital "M" - Blessed is the One..." and "Blessed is the Man..." for in another Psalm it is said, "There is none righteous, no, not one." So that righteous man must in fact BE the Lord.

But here in Psalm 119, it starts out immediately with a declaration of a company of the righteous. "Blessed are THEY, whose ways are BLAMELESS..."

How can both of these statements be true:
1) All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. Ps 14:3
2) Blessed are THEY whose ways are blameless. Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.

What a contrast and contradiction.

When asked, "Who can be saved?", Jesus once said, "With man it is impossible, but with God ALL things are possible." And that is where we are in these first verses of Psalm 119. We have God declaring (directly into the face of the impossible to resolve contradiction) that there WILL be a generation of the righteous. This verse comes to mind: "He who knew no sin became sin so that WE [who knew no righteousness] might become the righteousness of God IN Christ Jesus."

"They do NOTHING wrong, they walk in His ways." And so this Psalm becomes even more absurd to the natural mind. I doubt that this group will even perceive themselves righteous, except in brief moments of encouragement, but rather will feel themselves small and despised. God will be the judge of this righteousness, and I am convinced that it has more to do with believing in God until the end than in some outward display that will impress onlookers. Psalm 22's cry, "I am a worm and no man!" comes to mind. Or, "He was despised and rejected of men..."

"You have laid down precepts to be fully obeyed." Jesus' declaration: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I
tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest
letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from
the Law until everything is accomplished."

Full obedience requires everything we have and is impossible without the enabling power of the Spirit of Christ in us. "Christ in YOU the hope of glory."

When seen in this light, it is not surprising that this section of Psalm 119 ends with the words, "Do not utterly forsake me." When I hear these words I immediately think again of Psalm 22 (which Jesus quoted in His dying gasp): "My God, My God why hast Thou forsaken Me?"

He WAS forsaken for one eternally horrible moment, and yet because of His clean hands and pure heart, God was able to raise Him up out of the ashes tranforming that utter forsakeness into the fountain, by which, this company of the blessed shall make themselves clean and blameless.

_{(Listen to the music of Psalm 119 Aleph)}

Back in January of 2006, when the ministry trip of Art Katz through the southeastern US was cancelled due to his illness, I was put into a new place of encouraging myself in the Lord. The timing of his scheduled visit had SEEMED to be the handiwork of the Lord. Looking back, if that kind of language is still to be used, one would have to say that it was the timing of the cancellation of the visit that was His handiwork. In the heat of the moment, however, it was cause for dismay. Distress with the direction of our Christian Fellowship of 20 years, a continuing burden for the impossible task of reaching out evangelistically to the Jewish community in our area, frequent fasting, a recent job change, and, being nearly two months into the worst cough / recurring fever of my life were taking their toll.

I had discovered a music group a few months earlier by the name of the Sons of Korah. I cannot remember exactly how I ran across them, but I suspect that I had done an internet search for music to the Psalms. For whatever reason I was not immediately attracted to this group. I vaguely remember that the first music sample that I heard would be what I would still categorize as one of my least favorite of their works.

As my crisis intensified over the months, my hunger and thirst for the Word (and specifically the Psalms) was growing. [06-28-2008 - In retrospect, I think I owe much of my interest in the Psalms to the encouragement of Art Katz to ponder and "luxuriate" in the Psalms. Read or listen to his "Gleanings from the Psalms" at AKM] I revisited the Sons of Korah website and listened to some additional (perhaps new?) samples. This time I was blessed enough to risk the purchase of a couple of their albums: Resurrection and Redemption Songs. These albums turned out to be just what the Doctor ordered; music and lyrics that not only expressed the joy and adoration of the Lord, but also the dismay that arises when afflictions come.

I was like a dry sponge soaking up newly available water and I soon ordered the other two available albums: Shelter and Light of Life. This music became my continual meditation on the way to and from work. That remained so for at least a year and a half. I cannot think of another time in my life when a relatively small library of music was able to satisfy for such a long period. I had also purchased the sheet music to some of the songs and had picked up the guitar, after years of lapse, to try and play the music for myself. Despite the technical difficulty of the music (SoK is made up of quite accomplished musicians) I was able to get some satisfaction doing this and my own technical expertise on the guitar, though modest, was increasing through the love of it.

In the fall of 2007, as I learned that there would probably not be any new music coming from the Sons of Korah for close to a year, I felt inspired to try and tackle a Psalm myself. How I picked Psalm 119 I cannot exactly put my finger on. The sheer size of it was daunting. If it is hard to read through, how much more difficult would it be to sit down and write music to it? I don't think I actually had any hope when I started with Aleph, verses 1 thru 8, that I would someday actually complete all 22 sections. It was simply a beginning point and I thought that I might be satisfied with doing a section or two.

My initial approach to writing melodies was to NOT write anything down unless I could remember the tune from session to session (I use the term "session" loosely). My reasoning: if it wasn't contagious enough to remember for one day, then I probably wouldn't want to be singing it very often anyway. That seemed to work, and within a week "Aleph" (v. 1-8) was born.

Section 2 (Beth: v. 9-16) went smoothly and I like the way it turned out, but with section 3 (Gimel), I stumbled upon a melody that really appealed to me and infused a fresh vigor to keep going. I shouldn't say "stumbled upon", as I actually believe that Lord inspired this project and has given me some, if not all of these melodies.

After I had written five or six sections, one Saturday afternoon it occurred to me that I had - in my possession - the ingredients to make a recording of the music. I had never even entertained the idea. My voice wobbles and my guitar playing is sometimes slow to make chord transitions. But I had Garageband, a recording application that comes with all Macintosh computers, and an external microphone that I had actually purchased to digitize old cassette tapes, so I could give a try and see what happened.

The microphone was not good enough to record myself both playing and singing at the same time. Both parts were muffled and distant, not to mention the undesirable noise that it picked up from the internal computer fans. So I recorded one track playing the guitar only and then another track of singing, putting the mic VERY close to the guitar and my mouth respectively. That worked! - except for the anticipated problem of my voice not hitting the right notes. Then this question popped into my mind: What would happen if I recorded a second track (third counting guitar) of me singing the same part? Four minutes later I had the answer. It was the difference between night and day! Somehow, by singing a second time, the imperfections in each rendition were different and so cancelled each other out.

That began the process and adventure I've been on for 9 months now. I've now completed the music and I have not grown tired of listening to it as I go to and fro from work. There is always something new and fresh in the Word, that is convicting, refreshing, encouraging. Musical styles may come and go, but His Word is eternal.

As I have been meditating on these Words for so long now, I believe that I may have a little to share about each section. So don't be surprised to find some more structured content coming forth in the weeks to come.

As I began working on the music to Psalm 119, I chose the NIV translation as a spring board. There were a couple reasons for that. First of all, that is my preferred version for regular scripture reading. With the King James I get easily bogged down with the Kings English, which in turn shortens my Scripture reading time and thus is counter productive even if the KJV is a superior translation. My main Bible is an NIV/KJV parallel so I do have the KJV there to keep the NIV honest.

Secondly, a brother by the name of Charles Ciepiel has already written music to the KJV version of Psalm 119.

As I got into the project I immediately became aware of a key difference between the NIV and the KJV. Namely, the Hebrew word that KJV translators render "testimony", was replaced by "statutes" in the NIV. "Statues" does nothing for me. One encylopedia give this definition: "Statute law is written law (as opposed to oral or customary law)... set down in response to a perceived need to clarify the functioning of government." I suppose that there could be a few nuggets in there that one could latch onto for meaning, but my point is that this word pales in comparison to "Testimony", because Psalm 119 is not talking about just anyone's testimony here. It is the Testimony of God! I can see Him in court giving His irrefutable eye witness testimony concerning our lives. In fact, I immediately think of a few passages from Deuteronomy concerning the Law:

"Now write down for yourselves this song and teach it to the Israelites
and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness for me against them. Deuteronomy 31:19

"After Moses finished writing in a book the words of this law from beginning to end, he gave this command to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD : 'Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant
of the LORD your God. There it will remain as a witness against you. For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you have been
rebellious against the LORD while I am still alive and with you, how
much more will you rebel after I die!'" Deuteronomy 31: 24-27

Yowser. There is no flattery going on here. If God were running for President, I don't think He would even make it out of the Primaries. The curious thing is that in Psalm 119, these same "Testmonies" are referred to in the most glowing terms. For example: "Your testimonies are wonderful, therefore my soul has obeyed them." (v129)

How is it that the Psalmist can praise something that testifies against him? Without making God out to be a liar, I can find only one solution, and that would be the Gospel ("Almost too good to be true news") found in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only one who could read this Psalm with a straight face. He is the one and only Law KEEPER. In fact, when Moses put the Law into words, it was in obedience to the heavenly pattern. Moses was actually verbalizing and describing the character and attributes of God. Therefore Jesus (who claimed Divinity) embodies every aspect of it, down to the last jot and tittle. "I did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it."

But the truly amazing part is that He (Jesus) in His obedience TO the Law took the required punishment of Lawbreakers (like me) upon Himself. Now, I no longer approach God based upon my own performance or lack thereof, but based upon what God has done for me through Jesus.

I like the way that Timothy Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian in New York City sums it up:

The Gospel in a nutshell is this: YOU are more wicked than you ever imagined, but... in Christ, you are more loved and accepted than you ever dreamed."

So now... when I sing Psalm 119... and when I am making statement like, "Your testimonies are WONDERFUL..." I am thinking of Jesus. I am casting myself upon Him. I am consciously receiving the gift of HIS righteousness. "He who knew no sin became sin, so that WE [who knew no true righteousness] might become the righteousness of God in Him."

It was recently brought to my remembrance, perhaps by the Lord Himself, that several years ago, I asked the Lord for prayers that He could answer YES to. I am a firm believer that all prayer is answered. But "No" and "Not Yet" are answers just as legitimately as "Yes" is. As appropriate as the first two responses might be, they become discouraging if those are the only responses you get. I speculate that it is just as wearying for God to continually receive requests that cannot be answered affirmatively.

So, as I was contemplating Psalm 119, which I have now written melodies to and listen to in the car almost daily, it occured to me that this Psalm is full of requests that God has been longing to hear.

v12 Teach me Your decrees
v18 Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law
v19 Do not hide Your commands from me
v21 Remove from me scorn and contempt
v26 Teach me Your decrees (again)
v27 Let me understand the teaching of Your precepts
v28 Strengthen me according to Your Word
v29 Keep me from deceitful ways, be gracious to me through Your law
v31 Do not let me be put to shame
v33 Teach me to follow Your decrees
v34 Give me understanding
v35 Direct me in the path of Your commands
v36 Turn my heart toward Your statues and not toward selfish gain
v37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things
v38 Fulfill Your promise to Your servant, so that You may be feared

I'll stop there, but the Psalmist goes on. If you are looking for something to pray for that God is eager to fulfill, take an inquiring, meditative look at Psalm 119. Don't rush through it. Pay attention to the things that the Psalmist is asking the Lord for.

Psalm 37:4 says: Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.

One of the most blessed results of regeneration (being "born again") is the fact that if we abide in Him, He will abide in us and begin to tranform the desires of our hearts. We will begin to desire the things that He desires. When that happens, then there is no force on earth, or above and beneath the earth that can keep God Almighty, the LORD of hosts, from answering the requests of His children. Jesus once prayed, "I thank You that You ALWAYS hear me," and when those kinds of prayers become the foundation of thought life, we will be able to say the same.

Psalm 119, the subject of my consideration and meditation for several months now, is set apart from its Psalm peers in a number of ways.

To begin with, 119 is not only the longest Psalm but also the longest chapter in the Bible. It is divided into 22 sections of 8 verses each. Every one of the 8 verses in each section begins with the letter of the Hebrew alphabet that corresponds to that letter's position in the alphabet. For example, every verse in the first section begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet called Aleph.

Each one of the 176 verses in Psalm 119 makes reference to either God's Law or a synonym of it (His Word, His promise, His decrees, commands, precepts, testimonies (statutes:NIV), etc.

My interest in Psalm 119 is bound up in the person Jesus, the Messiah, who said:

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." Matthew 5:17

John began his gospel account by saying this of Jesus:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

In 1st
Corinthians 5, Paul comments:

“Christ our Passover is sacrificed for
us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with
the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of
sincerity and truth.”

The Law describes and reveals the character and attributes of God. It is about Him, inspired by Him and, to be interpreted correctly, must be interpreted by Him through the presence of His very own Holy Spirit. Revelation 19:10 says this:

"For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

To quote from another blog I stumbled upon: "As you read this Psalm (119) don't just read into it the OT law. That is not, primarily what the author has in mind. He has in mind the higher Law of God that the OT law reflects. Christ himself is that Law. In Him the testimonies, the precepts, the ordinances of the LORD come alive. When you read this let your heart fly toward the Law of Christ Jesus our savior." [emphasis mine]

Jesus is my portion (v. 57). He is the Lamp unto my feet (v.105). He is the unfailing love of God that comes to me (v. 41). With Him I can say, "Oh! How I love Your Law! (v. 97). Without Him I am left to face my legal punishment alone.

With Him, I am able to say (with Paul):

"The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:2