Psalm 119

I'm reading this chapter for my devotions the last few days, and it is a veritable gold-mine for the heart well-tuned to long for God.

As is my custom, here are some nuggets that connect with the New Testament:

a) Verse 103 - "your words are sweeter than honey to my mouth." See Revelation 10:9, where John eats the scroll that is like honey to his mouth.

b) Verse 115 - "depart from me, you workers of iniquity." See Matthew 7:23, where Jesus says many will assume they can enter, but God will say He never knew them, and also say, "depart from me, you workers of iniquity."

c) Verse 122 - "Be surety for Your servant for good." See Hebrews 7:22: "Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant."

d) Verse 133 - "let no iniquity have dominion over me." See Romans 6:12, 14 - "do not let sin reign over your mortal body..."

e) Verse 137 - Righteous are you, O Yahweh, and upright are Your judgments." See Revelation 16:5,7.

f) Verse 139 - "My zeal has consumed me, because my enemies have forgotten Your words." See John 2:17 - how appropriate, hearing Jesus say them in the temple, whip in hand. I also took away a new perspective from the textual note: "also, 'My zeal has put an end to me..." It was

g) Verse 142 - "Your law is truth." See John 17:17.

h) Verse 164 - "7 times a day I praise you." See Luke 17:4, where Jesus calls us to forgive "seven times in a day." I know it's a different context and subject, but I've seen enough of this literal-word connection to wonder if Jesus in Luke 17 is making a connection between forgiving your brother and praising God.

i)Verse 165 - "those who love Your law... nothing causes them to stumble." See 1 John 2:10 - same concept as in h) above, here. Since those loving God's law won't stumble, and since those loving your brother won't stumble, there is probably a connection between loving God's law and loving your neighbor (Leviticus 19:18).

j) Verse 176 - "I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant." See Matt 18:12; Luke 15:4; 1 Peter 2:25.



And there are gems like these:

a) Verse 136 - "Rivers of water run down from my eyes, because men do not keep Your law."

b) Verse 158 - "I see the treacherous, and am disgusted, because they do not keep Your word."