Congregation at Prayer

Catechesis Notes for the Week — Psalm 119: Teth and Yod— Meditations on the Word of God—The Lord always deals with the Christian rightly. His ways are always good, no matter what He permits to come into our lives. His discipline is good. His chastening is good. His merciful and forgiving Word is good. His patience and longsuffering kindness is good. In the Teth section of Psalm 119, the psalmist declares how the Lord did good to him, even when he went astray. The Lord sent affliction that the Christian might learn the humility of faith, be delivered from arrogance and pride, learn the statutes of the Lord, and love the Word of the Lord more than all other treasures. Affliction is sent to drive us into the Word of God. In this section, word, good judgment and knowledge, commandments, statutes, precepts, and law are the references to God’s Word.
In the Yod section of Psalm 119, the psalmist confesses that the Lord has created and fashioned him and prays for understanding to learn the Lord’s commandments. Fellow believers rejoice when they see the believer who has hope in God’s Word. The Christian acquiesces to affliction laid upon him, because he knows that the Lord is faithful to him, and the Lord’s mercy and kindness will be for his comfort. In this section, commandments, word, judgments, law, and precepts are the references to Gods’ Word.

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Catechesis Notes for the Week — Psalm 119: Zayin and Heth—Meditations upon God’s Word—The Zayin section of psalm 119 calls upon the Lord to remember his servant based on the Word upon which God has caused the believer to trust. The comfort of every Christian is the absolute trustworthiness of the Lord. He keeps His promises. In this section, word, law, judgments, statutes, and precepts are references to God’s Word. He remembers us in our affliction according to the promises of His Word. God’s judgments of old comfort the Christian as we see the Lord’s faithfulness clearly demonstrated countless times throughout salvation history. Though gripped at times by fear, yet His statutes give us a song to sing on our earthly pilgrimage. Every day the psalmist closes his eyes in prayer, remembering the name of the Lord and trusting in His precepts. The Heth section of psalm 119 teaches us that the Lord comes to us through His Word. He is the content of the Word. To trust in the Word of God is to trust in Jesus and to cling to Him for all of life and salvation. This section extols the baptismal life of daily contrition and repentance in which we die to sin and flee to the Lord for forgiveness and renewal. This is what it means to “keep His words…commandments…and precepts.” It is not that we have no sin, but in the spiritual warfare we are constantly returning to the Lord in repentance. By His mercy and forgiveness, we are raised up and refreshed. The earth is full of the Lord’s mercy in the preaching of the Gospel. To be “taught His statutes” is to be tutored by the Word to learn to believe in His mercy as the fountain and strength for our lives. In this section, words, word, testimonies, commandments, law, righteous judgments, precepts, and statutes are the references to God’s Word.

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Catechesis Notes for the Week — Psalm 119: He and Waw — Meditations upon God’s Word—The He section of psalm 119 teaches us that God’s Word “teaches faith” and out of faith comes obedience to walk in the way of the Lord as His disciples. Out of the teaching of God’s Word comes delight in the ways of the Lord. What our eyes “look at” follows either the way of faith or the way of rebellion. So the psalmist prays, “Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way.” In this section, statutes, law, commandments, testimonies, word, judgments, and precepts are the references to God’s Word. Ultimately, we long for His precepts because they revive us in the righteousness of Christ.

The Waw section of psalm 119 begins with the assertion that the Lord’s mercies and salvation not only revive the life of a Christian but also gives us the way to defend ourselves against those who attack and persecute us for our faith. God’s Word gives us an answer for those who attack us and the words by which we confess the truth. We love the Lord and His Word because it gives us true freedom. In this section, word, word of truth, ordinances, law, precepts, testimonies, commandments, and statutes are the references to God’s Word. Meditation, love, and delight in God’s Word is the cause of true joy for the believer.

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Catechesis Notes for the Week — Psalm 119:17-32—Meditations upon God’s Word—The Gimel section of Psalm 119 teaches us that God deals bountifully with us through His Word. Throughout the entire psalm there are many words that refer to God’s Word. In this section, word, law, commandments, judgments, testimonies, and statutes are all references to God’s Word as the fountain and source of all blessings from the Lord. Each of these words describes the nuances associated with the blessings that God’s Word gives. The believer longs to hear God’s Word and delights in it. God’s Word gives us understanding and turns us away from covetous desires. God’s Word is our counselor. Though persecuted by the proud and political on account of God’s Word, the believer holds fast to the Word.

The Daleth section of psalm 119 teaches us that God’s Word is that which revives our soul. When we are separated from God’s Word our soul clings to the dust and melts from heaviness. God’s Word strengthens us in the way of truth, the certainty of God’s Word and protects us from the lying way. In this section, word, statutes, precepts, way of truth, judgments, testimonies, and commandments are the references to God’s Word. God’s Word fortifies our hearts against attacks upon our faith. The psalmist petitions the Lord not to be put to shame for holding fast to His Word, a petition He most surely hears and answers.

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