Examine It - Part 3

Psalm 119 Example - In Conclusion

First section alliterated with first letter of Hebrew alphabet. The Psalmist here, or using more popular terminology, the singer/songwriter is doing what singer/songwriters do and that is they sing and they write songs about what they know, what they have experienced what they have seen in life. This singer who in psalm 119 is singing about the word of God and its place in his life observes life. The first thing he observes about the word of is how great things go at least in the sense of living a successful and fulfilled life, how great things go for the individual who is living God’s word, who is obeying God’s Word. The singer/songwriter as he looks around himself at life, at what he has seen of life, he has seen a group of people who are happy, successful, prosperous, even if things are going difficult in life, they are individuals who appear to be blessed because they are satisfied and content in life when a lot of people aren’t. As he is looking at these individuals he recognizes that their blessedness is centered on their relationship with the word of God. They are individuals who are keeping it or trying with all of their heart and all of their being to do what is right, and that is where their satisfaction and contentment in life is found. As the singer/songwriter is singing about these people and this thing he has learned about in life, his mind turns to himself. Vs. 5 he sees that in his own life there is a lacking in this area and he cries out the emotions of a singer/songwriter, songs being an emotional language, “oh that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes”, as he sees this group of people who are blessed he desires to have that same blessing on his life. He recognizes that it comes from keeping the word of God, he has a deficiency in this area and his heart is crying out desiring that in itself, it too would have that kind of whole hearted obedience to God’s Word and the blessing that comes with that. He knows that, as he goes on in the psalm, he won’t be ashamed. He will have a right view of what he should and shouldn’t do. His whole life as these blessed people who are keeping God’s word, then his whole life, as there’s will praise God. His life will be a testimony. He will understand what is right and what isn’t. AS he ends this song, going from his observance of those who are satisfied and blessed in life to a viewing of himself and his need and desire to follow God’s Word that way, a lacking that is there he wants to overcome, he recognizes and sets his heart to “I will keep thy statutes”. He recognizes that it is not his doing; it is not of works, that it is not in his own heart to direct his heart this way. Even though in vs. 8 “I will” he desires to keep the statutes, his emotions cry out to, “Oh forsake me not utterly. He recognizes that he needs God’s help in this, he is failing in this, and it is not by his own works or his own strength. These individuals who are blessed, they are setting there will to keep God’s word, but God is the one who really has to do the work and the person who is humble and seeks God with his whole heart will find that God doesn’t forsake them even though they fail, God will give them satisfaction, success, blessing in life that will be a testimony to his names sake.
This is like the first stanza of a song.

Thank you to Mr. Dick Emberley for his insight into this particular chapter of Psalms!  It's been eyeopening for me and has helped me understand the passage better as I memorize it.