Psalm 119:2 promises blessings for people who obey God’s Word (or “testimonies”) and seek Him wholeheartedly. The 176 verses of this song name or allude to many of these benefits:
• Avoiding sin and pursuing godliness (Ps. 119:3, 11, 36, 102, 133).
• A motivation and basis for praising God (119:7, 171).
• A pure lifestyle (119:9).
• Adjustments in our priorities (119:14, 92) and values (119:16, 20, 37, 48, 72, 103, 111, 127).
• Insight into our purpose on earth (119:19, 32, 125).
• Avoiding and learning from God’s rebuke (119:21, 22, 67, 71, 75, 118).
• A basis for evaluating criticism and opposition (119:23, 41, 42, 51, 61, 69, 84–88, 98, 161).
• A source of wisdom and guidance for real life (119:24, 66, 105, 130, 176).
• Encouragement, hope, and comfort (119:25, 28, 41, 49, 50, 52, 55, 61, 81–83, 114, 166).
• Something valuable to occupy our minds (119:27, 55, 62, 97, 147, 148) and conversation (119:46, 164, 172).
• A basis for truth, honesty, and integrity (119:29, 30, 99, 100, 104, 163).
• A sense of freedom (119:45).
• A source of new songs (119:54).
• An accurate basis for self-examination (119:59).
• Fellowship with like-minded believers (119:63, 79).
• A solid foundation for our faith (119:66, 89, 90).
• Protection and peace (119:114, 165).
• The ability to discern right from wrong (119:136, 138, 139, 158).
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Psalm 119 may have been written during the Babylonian captivity, a time when God’s people had few rights and many opponents. They were strangers in an unfamiliar land (Ps. 119:19) and victims of slander and harassment from foreign rulers (119:23). They struggled under terrible hardship (119:50, 61, 67), but they learned to survive by placing their hope in God’s Word, a constant theme for all 176 verses of Psalm 119.
The psalmist laments and fears problems from within and without. His antidote for his pain and worry is the Torah, or Law, which gives solutions for the full scope of life—from Aleph (119:1–8) to Tau (119:169–176), the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. This song shows that nothing—no crisis, no conspiracy, no horrible affliction—is beyond the range of Scripture’s teaching. The Lord’s instruction imparts strength to handle whatever life brings.
More: Joseph, Daniel, Nehemiah, and Esther all emerged victorious from their hardships. See “Models of Faith in Hostile Societies” at Dan. 2:48, 49.
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Godly discipline yields benefits for this life and for the life to come (1 Tim. 4:7, 8), giving the writer of Psalm 119 and us good reason to study God’s Word regularly and apply it consistently. This lengthy psalm has twenty-two stanzas arranged according to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet (see “Acrostic Psalms” at Ps. 112:1). This English translation uses eight words to describe God’s truth, with each term suggesting a distinct motivation for our efforts to study and apply Scripture:
Translation | Motivation for Study and Application |
1. Law | God’s Word mandates obedience (compare James 1:25). Of the eight words in this list, law is the term used most often in Psalm 119 (for example, Ps. 119:1, 18, 92). |
2. Testimonies | God’s Word witnesses and warns against disobedience (Ps. 119:31, 152; compare Deut. 31:26). |
3. Precepts | God’s Word oversees us like a shepherd tends sheep (Ps. 119:4, 15; compare Jer. 23:2). |
4. Statutes | God’s Word endures and obligates us to obey (Ps. 119:8, 12; compare Is. 30:8). |
5. Commandments | God’s Word takes authority over all of life and requires obedience (Ps. 119:10, 47). |
6. Ordinances | God’s Word sets the standard for life’s relationships and duties (Ps. 119:43, 91; compare 1 Sam. 10:25). |
7. Word | God’s Word beckons us to listen and respond (Ps. 119:11, 16, 17; compare 33:4, 6). |
8. Judgments | God’s Word discerns right from wrong and good from evil (Ps. 119:75). |
Just as our bodies need regular exercise to stay healthy, our hearts, souls, and minds need the consistent discipline of God’s Word. By putting ourselves under the instruction of God’s Word each day, we will find peace and security (Ps. 119:165).
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Fifteen psalms are labeled as “a song of ascents” (Ps. 120–134). They were probably composed for worshipers making a pilgrimage “up to Jerusalem” (compare 1 Kin. 12:28; Zech. 14:17) for religious feasts. One tradition suggests that these songs were sung by Levites as worshipers ascended the fifteen steps of the temple leading from the Court of Women up to the Court of Israel.
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Lamenting the fact that he was surrounded by warmongers, the composer of Psalm 120 compared his neighbors to the belligerent Meshech and Kedar tribes.
The Meshechites presumably descended from Meshech, a grandson of Noah through Japheth (Gen. 10:2; 1 Chr. 1:5). They reportedly traded in slaves and copper (Ezek. 27:13) and may have invaded the Middle East from the north. Often associated with the tribe of Tubal, they were infamous for their violence (32:26).
The tribe of Kedar descended from Ishmael (Gen. 25:13; 1 Chr. 1:29). As nomads in the desert east of Israel, they controlled caravan routes between Palestine and Egypt, tending large flocks (Is. 60:7) and living in black tents. One of Nehemiah’s enemies may have been a king of Kedar (see “Combatting Resistance” at Neh. 4:7).
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David declared that he was glad to “go into the house of the LORD” for worship, but today many Christians seldom enter a church building. Reasons for dropping out of communal worship vary, but David’s joy gives us reason to consider why we should make attending church a habit:
• Because Christians need help to reflect on the past week and see it as part of their journey with God.
• Because they benefit from being taught and led in worship by others rather than feeding on a constant diet of their own choosing.
• Because they need regular reminders of their standing in Christ, help in acknowledging and confessing sins, and fresh teaching about God’s truths.
• Because they need to hear how God’s followers in the past struggled, grew, and lived out their faith.
• Because they need to experience artistic and creative expressions of faith through music, ritual, prayers, architecture, or creeds.
• Because they will benefit from silence before the Lord.
• Because they need help to face the issues of life and faith.
• Because they need to hear about the experiences of fellow followers of God.
• Because they need an alternative to the constant messages of a culture that ignores God.
• Because they need a deliberate break from work and self-interests in order to concentrate on God.
• Because they need to hear reminders of God’s love.
• Because they need help in praying.
• Because they need to belong to a community of faith that includes others trying to live out the gospel.
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• The capital city of Israel during the reigns of David and Solomon, located in the territory of Judah 31 miles east of the Mediterranean Sea and about 18 miles west of the north end of the Dead Sea.
• Absorbed the city known as Salem (Gen. 14:18) and Mount Moriah (22:2; see also “Mount Moriah” at 2 Chr. 3:1).
• Its southeastern portion was the Canaanite city of Jebus until captured by David (see Jebus’s profile at 1 Chr. 11:4, 5).
• Site of Solomon’s temple, Israel’s central worship site; became a key symbol of God’s presence and of His special relationship with the Israelites.
• Remained the capital of Judah during the divided monarchy.
• Eventually destroyed by the Babylonians (c. 587 B.C.), fulfilling the warnings of prophets such as Isaiah and Jeremiah.
• Largely rebuilt in the time of Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah.
• Often referred to as Zion (see the profile for Zion at 2 Sam. 5:7) and the holy city (see the other profile for Jerusalem at Matt. 23:37).
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Peace and Prosperity for the City
Psalm 122 is one of several songs likely written for going up to the temple in Jerusalem. Pilgrimages to the Lord’s house were a regular obligation and joyous occasion. The march through the city gates and ascent to the temple complex was spiritually uplifting and essential to building community.
One of the peak moments of this worship experience was a prayer for Jerusalem’s peace and prosperity, an act of intercession for everyone who was part of life in the holy city. It also asked God’s blessing on government decision-makers and their policies and programs.
The pilgrims’ concern for Jerusalem did not end with prayer. Worshipers also pledged to look after the city’s well-being. This suggests that Christians today should pray and work for the benefit of their communities. By promoting “peace within [the] walls” and “prosperity within [the] palaces” (122:7), we will fulfill Paul’s charge to “do good to all” (Gal. 6:10).
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Fowlers used a variety of traps and tools to capture wild birds. In Scripture the fowler appears as an enemy who uses evil schemes to take advantage of righteous victims. For more on fowlers, see the entry for “Fowler” in the Jobs and Occupations index.
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Psalm 127 links the good of the family to the health of the city, connecting both to God, who empowers parents and urban planners alike. Those who build their homes with God’s wisdom aim to raise children who can “speak with their enemies in the gate,” or public arena (Ps. 127:3–5; see also “The Gates of Hell” at Matt. 16:18). This psalm implies that God’s people belong in the public sector and that God’s followers are to raise children able to speak to community issues.
There is a chasm, however, between theocratic Israel and modern society. Some Christian parents look at contemporary culture, for example, and argue for private or home schooling. Others advocate for public schools. Some believe that children are a valued gift from God not to be thrown into a hostile environment. Others believe that children are a valued gift from God not to be taken from a place where they can have a positive influence.
Wherever we choose to educate our children, Scripture suggests that we do not have the option of total reclusion from the world. God’s Word calls us to engage our communities.
More: For more on the complex issue of applying your faith in modern society, see “Faith for Modern Life” in the front matter.
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Work and family are two great callings that can cause one giant conflict. This paradox appears in the Bible’s first pages with the painful account of Adam and Eve (Gen. 2–3). They found joy and significance in tending the garden and in their relationship with each other. But sin turned their work into “toil” (3:17), and their family life bred sorrow and estrangement (3:16; 4:8, 16).
Abraham, too, struggled to balance work and family. He let his wife Sarah be taken to Pharaoh’s harem in exchange for a dowry of food, supplies, and servants (12:10–20). Later, Abraham and his nephew Lot accumulated so much wealth that they had to part ways in order to maintain their friendship (13:1–18).
In fact, virtually every figure in the Old Testament, including Noah, Jacob and Esau, Rachel and Leah, Joseph, Moses, David, and Solomon, experienced profound family troubles. Solomon ultimately found both work and family unsatisfying (Eccl. 1:1—2:26), even though he believed that both were treasures from God (3:12, 13; 5:18–20).
Psalms 127 and 128 teach us that we can find fulfillment in our work when we commit it to the Lord. Likewise, we can find peace from family struggles when we build our homes on a godly foundation.
More: To learn more about biblical families and their stories, see the articles under “Family” in the Themes to Study index.
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The Book of Psalms includes many prayers offered out of the depths of heartache and moral misery. These cries for help and songs of confession are a source of comfort to anyone in need of reassurance that God welcomes the brokenhearted and the penitent, and they lend us words to speak to Him.
Psalm | Application |
A plea for help in the midst of illness. | |
An expression of perplexity over the success of the wicked and a prayer for blessing. | |
A cry for help when under attack or facing conflict. | |
A heartfelt confession of sin and plea for cleansing. | |
A prayer voiced in the midst of depression. | |
A cry to God out of overwhelming guilt. | |
A prayer about inadequacy and failure. |
God is not limited by our troubles or failures, and He delights in forgiving our sins (Luke 15:1–7; 1 John 1:8, 9). We have nothing to gain by denying or hiding our spiritual needs or by delaying coming to God. He knows our deepest hurts and He longs to heal them.
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Psalm 131 expresses the childlike faith and humility before God that Jesus encouraged in His followers (compare Matt. 18:2–5). The psalm is one of several that speak to children:
Psalm(s) | Application for Children |
An evening psalm assuring us that God watches over us whether we are awake or asleep (see “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep” at Ps. 3:5). | |
The “shepherd’s psalm,” a much beloved expression of trust in the Lord. | |
A celebration psalm that helps children picture coming to God in worship. | |
Two family psalms that help children see themselves in the Bible. | |
One of the shortest psalms, spoken with sincere, childlike faith. | |
A favorite for its refrain, “For His mercy endures forever.” | |
A praise song fun for children to perform with musical instruments. |
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David lived with a strong intention to build a house of worship for the Lord (compare 1 Chr. 17:1, 2; 28:2). Despite David’s plans, the task of constructing the temple would not fall to him but to his successor Solomon. Nevertheless, David kept his commitment to the Lord by designing the temple, collecting money and materials for construction and ornamentation, and even creating plans for the worship ceremonies that would take place there (1 Chr. 23–26; 28:11—29:9). We do well when we live up to our promises as David did. Scripture strongly cautions against making hasty commitments to the Lord. See “Making Promises to God” at Numbers 30:2.
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Rather than expressing gratitude for the good gifts we have received from God, we often act as if we have a right to far more. We complain about the privileges God gives and covet what belongs to others (compare James 4:1–3). The Psalms combat our selfishness by calling us to thank the Lord by …
• Rehearsing what God has mercifully done for us (Ps. 107, 136).
• Challenging us to express gratitude for what we have (92:1).
• Reminding us of the source of our possessions (Ps. 104).
By illustrating the dangers of ingratitude, Psalm 106 urges us not to minimize the importance of offering God our heartfelt thanks. It reviews Israel’s history of faithlessness, from unbelief in Egypt to idolatry in the Promised Land. The psalm ends with a plea for God to save His people so that they will give Him thanks. We can avoid great pain and loss in this life by thanking the One who gives us life and every good gift (James 1:17).
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How Can We Sing in a Far-Off Place?
Psalm 137 sums up a question that perplexed the exiles in Babylon and all Jews who were becoming dispersed throughout the ancient world: How can we worship and serve the Lord in a foreign land? Cut off from their homeland, the Jews were far from the magnificent temple that was the heart of their spiritual geography. They had no king to guide them, no high priest to offer sacrifices, no ark of the covenant to assure them of God’s presence.
No wonder Judah’s people sat down and wept by the rivers of Babylon (Ps. 137:1). Taunted by their captors to sing songs of Zion, they could think of nothing but their beloved Jerusalem laid waste (137:3). They sang a vengeful lament calling for curses on the Babylonians who had destroyed the holy city (137:8) and on the Edomites who celebrated the city’s fall (137:7).
Nevertheless, despite the sorrow and anger conveyed in this psalm, several positive results came of the Jews’ dispersion. Lacking a temple, they invented the synagogue (see “The Synagogue” at Mark 1:21). They collected their writings, eventually forming the canon of the Old Testament. And because they were forced to learn new languages and adapt to foreign cultures, they translated the Old Testament from Hebrew into Greek, the common language of Christ’s day (see “The Septuagint” at Acts 18:24). Many good things came from the Lord because His people were forced to “sing the LORD’s song in a foreign land.”
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The closing lines of Psalm 137 may well cause us to wonder why such harsh expressions exist in a book of worship dedicated to a benevolent God. One way to understand these bitter prayers (similar passages can be found in Psalms 35, 55, 58, 59, 69, 83, 109, and 140) is to consider what authentic worship means. Rather than ignoring or painting over our feelings, no matter how dark they may be, the Bible shows us that God desires us to approach Him with honesty.
Scripture presents several accounts of people who bared their whole hearts before God, even when the truth must have been painful to admit. These figures include:
• Job, whose cries of pain and loss were welcomed, heard, and responded to by God.
• Solomon, whose bleak reflections on the meaninglessness of life can be found in the Book of Ecclesiastes.
• Habakkuk, whose despair over Israel’s plight was answered by God (Hab. 1:1–17).
• Jeremiah, whose descriptions of Jerusalem’s destruction and his own agony make up the Book of Lamentations.
• Paul, who felt trapped and tormented by his sinful inclinations until he discovered that God’s strength is “made perfect in weakness” (Rom. 7:14–25; 2 Cor. 12:7–10).
True worship requires speaking the truth, including the facts about how we feel. After all, God is all-knowing; the truth cannot be hidden from Him. And if we hope to find freedom from our vengeful or hopeless feelings, we must first lay them down before the Lord, whose grace is sufficient to heal all hurts.
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Having formed us from the womb, God intimately knows every individual who has ever lived. Yet here the Hebrew word translated “formed” (or “created” in some translations) is not bara, which conveys the idea of creating from nothing (compare Gen. 1:1), but qanah, which connotes ownership. God knows our every detail because He owns us, like an inventor who painstakingly designs and builds a device and then becomes the owner of its patent. Paired with qanah is a word translated “covered” (or “knit together”), a term that communicates the idea of a person’s body and soul being intricately molded, a process that involves time, skill, and craftsmanship.
People are not thrown together haphazardly, nor do they come together through random processes. God intentionally and masterfully creates human life. He works everything together according to His plan.
More: God has crafted you carefully, intentionally, and individually. See “You Are Unique” at Ps. 33:15.
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Proclaiming God’s Word
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834–1892) had been a Christian for only four years when in 1854 he became pastor of New Park Street Church in London. The young preacher led the congregation through explosive growth, often speaking without amplification to audiences of more than ten thousand.
While Spurgeon’s oratory gathered enormous crowds, his style was not ornate. He made plainspoken appeals to his listeners that they consider Christ’s teachings found in Scripture. He carefully explained passages verse by verse, upholding the authority of God’s Word and defending against cultural influences that he found incompatible with the Bible.
He did not go unnoticed in secular media; Spurgeon’s sermons were printed in the Monday editions of both the London Times and the New York Times, though some were offended by the energetic preacher’s bombastic style and, at times, immoderate views. Spurgeon replied, “I am perhaps vulgar, but it is not intentional, save that I must and will make people listen. My firm conviction is that we have had enough polite preachers.” Today Spurgeon is revered by many as the “Prince of Preachers,” and most of his prolific writings are still in print.
Spurgeon spent his earliest years with his grandparents, sent to them by his parents as a toddler due to extreme financial strain. Though his grandfather was a preacher, Spurgeon was not easily persuaded to follow Christ. He admitted, “I must confess that I never would have been saved if I could have helped it. As long as ever I could, I rebelled, and revolted, and struggled against God. When He would have me to pray, I would not pray.… And when I heard, and the tear rolled down my cheek, I wiped it away and defied Him to melt my soul. But long before I began with Christ, He began with me.”
Spurgeon finally turned to Christ one Sunday morning when a snowstorm forced him to take refuge in a little church with fewer than fifteen worshipers. The preacher looked straight at Spurgeon and told him that he looked miserable and would die miserable—but that he could be saved in that moment. This time Spurgeon heeded God’s call.
Before long, the young new convert had become a pastor. His congregation’s rapid growth spurred criticism that he cared only about his own fame. Two years after Spurgeon began to preach, ten thousand people had gathered inside a large music hall to hear him. Someone’s random shout of “Fire!” caused a panic that killed seven people. Spurgeon walled himself away for weeks, and for the rest of his life he struggled with bouts of depression that would move him to tears without warning.
Nevertheless, Spurgeon’s oratorical style was consistently upbeat and magnetic. He acted out Bible stories and paced the platform as he spoke. He became England’s most popular preacher, and when he died in 1892, one hundred thousand people lined London’s streets for his funeral procession.
Though he lacked formal theological training, Spurgeon built a personal library of more than twelve thousand books. He preached almost 3,600 sermons and wrote forty-nine books of biblical teaching and other practical Christian content. His most monumental work was The Treasury of David, a commentary on every verse of the Book of Psalms. It was released in weekly installments over a period of twenty years, with enough text to eventually fill seven volumes.
Spurgeon has been remembered as “a burning and shining light that suddenly burst upon the moral world,” and in addition to his preaching and writing, he founded a pastor’s college, an orphanage, and an institution designed to promote uplifting literature. Throughout his days, Spurgeon dedicated himself to serving God through every means available to him, always with devout reverence for the Word of the Lord who had broken through his defenses and melted his soul.
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From One Generation to Another
Faith is never more than a generation from extinction, making it crucial that parents help children understand who God is and how to take their first steps with Him. The many ways of doing that include passing on stories about the mighty things that God has done. For more on cultivating the faith of new generations, see “The Faith of Our Children” at Deuteronomy 6:7–9.
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Some people harbor a belief that God’s goodness extends only to certain people. These people should consider a key truth of Psalm 145: the Lord is good to all (even the number of times the word all is used in this psalm is instructive). God is the source of all goodness (Luke 18:19; James 1:17), and He reaches out to all the world’s people with the good news of His love (John 3:17; 2 Pet. 3:9). For that reason He is near to “all who call upon Him” (Ps. 145:18).
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Powerful Creator, Compassionate Savior
As we praise God for saving us from sin, we should also thank Him for creating us—a two-part reality that gives us more than enough reason to worship Him every day of our lives. Many later psalms were written to help Israel keep in perspective both dimensions of God’s work—His powerful work as Creator and His compassionate work as Savior.
God the Creator
• He brought everything into being (Ps. 146:6; 148:5).
• He sustains the world and its creatures with intimate care (147:4, 5).
• He provides water (147:8, 16, 17).
God the Savior
Once we have trusted in the work of God’s Son Jesus Christ and received salvation from sin, there is much more of God to experience. Conversion is merely the beginning of a lifelong spiritual journey. The Lord invites us to know more and more about who He is and who we are, opening our understanding of how He has created us and how He continues to care for us over the years.
More: The fact that God has created us is vital to our self-understanding. Psalm 139 expresses some of those fundamental truths. See also “You Are Unique” at Ps. 33:15.
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The Book of Psalms declares that “it is good to sing praises to our God” (compare Eph. 5:19). Whether sung or performed on instruments, music has a unique way of both expressing and nourishing our devotion to God. Many musicians and singers included in the Bible are shown in the table below.
Person(s) | Musical Activity |
Jubal (Gen. 4:21) | The father of musicians. |
Led women in song and dance after God’s defeat of the Egyptians at the Red Sea. | |
David (1 Sam. 16:23; 1 Chr. 16:42; 23:5; 25:1–8) | A master of the kinnor (“harp”) and other instruments; also a designer of instruments. |
Israelite women (1 Sam. 18:6) | Praised the exploits of their rulers with dancing and singing. |
Solomon (1 Kin. 4:32) | Composed hundreds of songs. |
Elisha (2 Kin. 3:15) | Assisted by a minstrel in his work. |
Levites (1 Chr. 15:16–24; 16:5, 6, 42; 2 Chr. 5:11–14) | Included musicians organized into musical guilds by David. |
Asaph (1 Chr. 16:5; Ps. 73–83, titles) | He and possibly his descendants (see “The Sons of Asaph” at 1 Chr. 25:2 and “The Psalms of Asaph” at Ps. 73, heading) were leaders in developing and performing psalms. |
Nehemiah and Ezra (Ezra 3:10, 11; Neh. 12:35, 36) | Used musicians to dedicate their reconstructed city. |
Will celebrate God in song throughout eternity. |
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