Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

Through the unfailing love of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit the law of the Father becomes a part of our human experience.

The psalm has traditionally been attributed to Ezra who was a ‘teaching priest’ during the rebuild- ing of Jerusalem. Spurgeon contends that it is a psalm of David. More modern scholars say it is psalm written during the exile in Babylon or after the return to the land and date it as being one of the last ad- ditions to the Old Testament. The only ‘acrostic’ poems outside of the Psalms is the description of the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31:10-31 and the Lamentations of Jeremiah 1-4. The life of Jeremiah, who authored the acrostic masterpiece of Lamentations, fits the description of the author of this psalm. He was persecuted for his faithfulness to the law of God during the decline and collapse of Judah. This is a profile of the writer pieced together from the various verses: He is a servant of God, (124) who seems to be young (9). He appears to be in a royal family (40) with access to wealth (72). He has suffered deep pain in his life (107) that caused him to wander away from God’s path (67,176). God dis- ciplined him (75) and now he is resolved to follow the Word (105) despite times of discouragement (25) and the opposition of the ungodly (157). He loves to meditate on the word (117) rising early in the morn- ing to put his hope in the word (147) and reflecting upon God in the night. (55). His relationship with the word of God is not purely informational but affective and a deep matter of the heart. It is the motivation of his life! All of this love for God and His word is expressed in music and is the basis of his worship: “Your principles have been the music of my life throughout the years of my pilgrimage.” (54) The Psalmists life is filled with praise for God all day long: “I will praise you seven times a day because all your laws are just.” (164) He sings for joy as the word brings him closer to God: “Let my lips burst forth with praise, for you have taught me your principles. Let my tongue sing about your word, for all your commandments are right.” (171,172) Praising God is the core of his life as he receives sustenance from the word of God: “Let me live so I can praise you, and may your laws sustain me.” (175)

The Psalm is outlined by the 22 sections of 8 verses based on the Hebrew alphabet and since it has been described as a ‘necklace of verses’ we will look at each gem individually:

ALEPH a

“Happy (Blessed) are people of integrity, who follow the law of the Lord.” (1)

This is one of the ‘Blessing’ psalms and its root is found in Psalm 1:1, 2… ”Blessed is the man…his de- light is in the law of the Lord…” (NIV) The word translated “integrity” is the Hebrew word “perfect” . Through his word God is able to mature us into perfect humility, perfect repentance, perfect obedience, and perfect spiritual attitudes as we walk joyfully with him. “Integrity” is a process, not a destination. “But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Mt. 5:48)

“Happy are those who obey his decrees and search for him with all their hearts.” (2)

This verse introduces the critical theme of obedience that is mentioned 17x in the psalm. It is also translated “keep” in other versions with the identical meaning of holding it firmly. Of the 15 references to the heart in the psalm, “all their (my) hearts” or “whole heart” is mentioned 5 times. Only whole-hearted searching for God is effective in the spiritual realm. ‘God is not truly sought by the cold researches of the brain: we must seek him with the heart. Love reveals itself to love…’ 4

“They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths.” (3)

This is the Hebrew word ‘Dabar’ that describes the law of God as a ‘way’ or ‘pathway’. It is a con- sistent, unchanging commitment to practice the values of God in everyday life. Jesus claimed to be the fulfillment of ‘the way of the law’ when he said: “I am the way…”(Jn. 14:6) This became one of the early names of Christianity: “But some rejected his (Paul’s) message and publicly spoke against the Way.” (Acts 19:9)

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