PSALM 119 “SONG FOR A HUNGRY HEART” Songs of the Heart

Psalm 119 “Song For a Hungry Heart” acrostic psalm acrostic psalm – This means that the author wrote each verse starting with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. – There are other acrostic psalms such as 25, 32, 111, 112. – The purpose of these acrostic psalms was that they might be an aid to memory.

Psalm 119 “Song For a Hungry Heart” Psalm 119 is a super acrostic psalm. – It has not just one verse for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet, but eight verses beginning with each letter of the alphabet. – There is one strophe or paragraph for each of the 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet. – There are 8 verses in each of the 22 paragraphs and therefore a total of 176 verses.

Psalm 119 “Song For a Hungry Heart” Hebrew Term English Translation Meaning Times Used TorahLaw instruction providing a basis for life or action 25 DabarWord A general term for revelation 24 Imrah Promise, word God committed to fulfilling his Word 19 Mitsvah Commandment, laws An authoritative order 22 Chuqqim Statutes, decrees Enacted laws or thing inscribed 21

Psalm 119 “Song For a Hungry Heart” Hebrew Term English Translation Meaning Times Used Mispotim Judgments, laws Judicial decisions of a judge 23 PiqqudimPrecepts A principle or guideline 21 Edut / edot Testimony A declaration of God, to affirm something as true 23 DerekWay(s) Referring to the pattern of life marked out by God’s 7 OrahPath Synonymous to “God’s way” marked out by God’s Word 1

Psalm 119 “Song For a Hungry Heart” I.What The Bible Does For Us.  The Bible is an eternal and unchangeable source of truth. – 119: 152 “Long ago I learned from your statutes that you established them to last forever.” – 119: 160 “All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.”

Psalm 119 “Song For a Hungry Heart” I.What The Bible Does For Us. The Bible blesses us The Bible blesses us – 119:1-2 “Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD. Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.”

Psalm 119 “Song For a Hungry Heart” I.What The Bible Does For Us. The Bible gives life and strength The Bible gives life and strength – 119:93 “I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life.” Matthew 4:4 “Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Matthew 4:4 “Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" 1 Peter 2:2 “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,” 1 Peter 2:2 “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,”

Psalm 119 “Song For a Hungry Heart” I.What The Bible Does For Us. The Bible gives us freedom The Bible gives us freedom – 119:32 “I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.” – 119:45 “I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.”

John Bunyan Referring to the Bible: “This Book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this Book.”

Psalm 119 “Song For a Hungry Heart” I.What The Bible Does For Us. The Bible gives wisdom The Bible gives wisdom – 119: “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts.”

Psalm 119 “Song For a Hungry Heart” I.What The Bible Does For Us. The Bible gives comfort The Bible gives comfort – 119:50 “My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.” – 119:92 “If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.”

Psalm 119 “Song For a Hungry Heart” I.What The Bible Does For Us. The Bible gives us guidance The Bible gives us guidance – 119:9-11 “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” – 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”

Psalm 119 “Song For a Hungry Heart” II. What We Must Do With The Bible. We must value the Bible We must value the Bible – 119:72 “The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.” – 119:97 “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.”

We must hear the Bible We must hear the Bible -- Romans 10:17 “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”

We must read the Bible We must read the Bible – Revelation 1:3 “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy…”

We must study the Bible We must study the Bible – Acts 17:11 “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

We must memorize the Bible We must memorize the Bible – Proverbs 7:1-3 “My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.”

We must meditate on the Bible We must meditate on the Bible – Psalm 1:2-3 “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”

Psalm 119 “Song For a Hungry Heart” II. What We Must Do With The Bible. We must obey the Bible We must obey the Bible – 119:34 “Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart.” – 119:56-57 “This has been my practice: I obey your precepts. You are my portion, O LORD; I have promised to obey your words. Notice the strong emphasis that the psalmist gives to obedience.

Psalm 119 “Song For a Hungry Heart” II. What We Must Do With The Bible. We must obey the Bible We must obey the Bible James 1:22-25 “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-- he will be blessed in what he does.”

Psalm 119 “Song For a Hungry Heart” II. What We Must Do With The Bible. We must share the Bible We must share the Bible – 119:13 “With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.” – 119:46 “I will speak of your statutes before kings and will not be put to shame,”

Psalm 119 “Song For a Hungry Heart” II. What We Must Do With The Bible. We must share the Bible We must share the Bible – Deuteronomy 32:46-47 "Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you-- they are your life….” – 1 Peter 3:15 “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.

Psalm 119 “Song For a Hungry Heart” Conclusion – 2 Timothy 2:15 “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” “do your best” - spare no effort, work hard “do your best” - spare no effort, work hard

Psalm 119 “Song For a Hungry Heart” Conclusion – Ezra 7:10 “For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.” – Notice Ezra’s three part commitment: He set his heart to study God’s Word. He set his heart to study God’s Word. He set his hart t to practice God’s Word. He set his hart t to practice God’s Word. He set his heart to teach God’s Word. He set his heart to teach God’s Word.

Psalm 119 “Song For a Hungry Heart” Conclusion Pick up a copy of the handouts or or