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PSALM 119:81-88
The kaph file: THE PROVISION FILE
The letter kaph means the palm of the hand.
It represents PERSONAL PROVISION.
The same hand that puts me in the plan provides for me with everything I need
to survive in a spiritually antagonistic environment.
Verse 81, The Deliverance Entry
1. My soul languishes for your deliverance:
The verb is kAlAh as a qal perfect. It means to complete, fulfill, exhaust, or
use up.
The perfect tense indicates a completed idea.
”My soul has expressed itself fully; has become exhausted.
It indicates total soul involvement with a crisis
situation.
It is as at verse 123, “my eyes are used up for your deliverance.”
The word, deliverance is teshu`Ah.
The believer recognizes that only God’s resources can provide true peace, joy
and inner stability in the antagonistic environment.
2. I wait for your word: The verb is yAchal and refers to
the faith-rest attitude directed toward truth as the solution to a humanly
hopeless and helpless situation.
God’s word (dabhAr) gives orientation and understanding to deal with any and
every situation in life.
Verse 82, The Comfort Entry
1. my eyes fail: The verb is kAlAh again and indicates
great fatigue from constant diligence in waiting and looking for God’s answers
in a crisis situation.
God’s word provides His wisdom and timing to understand what is going on.
2. While I say, when will you comfort me?: This is a faith-rest
prayer that depends on God for the answers needed to understand and endure the
crisis.
The word, when, is mAthay, and expresses the believer’s trust in divine timing
for the administration of divine justice toward the persecutors.
This prayer is not DOUBT, but it is an attitude of total dependence on God’s
wisdom and timing.
The COMFORT involved is not a fellowship issue, but a vindication issue as at
verse 84,
“when will you render justice on those who persecute me.”
Verse 83, The Stability Entry
1. Though I have become like wineskin in the smoke: It is
blackened and shriveled, and indicates severe physical adversity.
2. I do not forget your statutes: The verb is shAkach as a qal perfect. The
perfect tense speaks of past and continued mental activity that applies God’s
truth (statutes – choq) to the soul, and results in confidence and stability
in the face of persecution.
Verse 84, The Timing Entry
1. How many are the days of your servant: This expresses
dependence on divine timing and humility recognition of the believer’s purpose
for being on earth.
2. when will you execute justice on those who persecute me:
This is the verb, `AsAh plus mishpAt - do or express justice. It refers to
applied consequences expressed by God as at Psalm 7:11-13.
Verse 85, The Persecution Entry
1. the arrogant have dug pits for me: The pits are traps
to capture and destroy.
The destruction is first through discrediting and neutralizing his spiritual
impact. Then, ultimately it is to physically destroy him.
We see a similar situation at Jeremiah 18:18-23.
In fact, if there is any one person who fits the bill for the authorship of
this Psalm, it is Jeremiah, but this too is speculation. It was God’s intent
to keep the authorship unknown.
2. men, not in accord with your law: They operate opposite to the standards of
God for human life. These are the spiritual rebels we have already seen many
times in this psalm.
There character is amplified at Psalm 7:14, 10:7, Job 15:35.
“Behold, he strives to cause trouble,
And he conceives affliction, and gives birth to deception.”
FACTS ABOUT The Spiritual Rebels in Psalm 119
1. v. 21a, they are under the rebuke of God.
2. v. 21b, They wander from His commandments and are under a curse.
3. v. 23, they sit and talk together against the believer.
4. v. 51, they utterly deride the believer
5. v. 53, they forsake Your law.
6. v. 61, they persecute the believer.
7. v. 69, they forge lies.
8. v. 70, their heart is spiritually blind – insensitive.
9. v, 78, the subvert with falsehood.
10. v, 85a, the dig pits for the believer.
11. v, 85b, their life is not in accord with God’s law.
12. v. 86, they persecute with lies.
13. v. 87, the pursue death.
14. v. 95, they lie in wait to destroy the believer.
15. v. 110, they lay snares for the believer.
16. v. 118a, God has rejected them.
17. v. 118b, they are hypocritically deceptive.
18. v. 119, God will purge the wicked from the earth.
19. v. 126, they have broken Your law.
20. v. 136, they do not keep your law.
21. v. 139, they have forgotten God’s law.
22. v. 150, they follow after wickedness.
23. v. 155a, spiritual deliverance is far from them.
24. v. 155b, they do not seek God’s statutes.
25. v. 158, they are treacherous and do not keep God’s word.
26. v. 161, the persecute unjustly.
Verse 86, The Faithfulness of God Entry
1. All your commandments (mitswAh) are faithful: ’emunAh is
an adjective to communicate the reliability of God’s word in the life of the
believer.
2. They have persecuted me with a lie: The verb is rAdaph. Lie is sheqer and
refers to either falsehood or deception. At verse 161, it is WITHOUT CAUSE.
The word there is chinnam and indicates that there is no grace understanding
in their soul; no orientation to the character and plan of God.
3. help me: Again, he expresses the imperative of humility dependence on the
character and plan of God for protection in the antagonistic environment of
this earth.
Verse 87, The Death Entry
1. They almost destroyed me in the earth:
The verb is kAlal as a piel perfect and it means to bring to an end or
physically destroy.
The term, in the earth, indicates the PHYSICAL DEATH aspect of the
destruction.
2. But as for me, I did not forsake your precepts: In the midst of imminent
death at the hand of the persecutors, he still maintained his focus on the
value of God’s word.
The verb is `Azabh with the negative and indicates the fact that no matter what
kind of pressure is faced, this believer will continue to follow the standards
of God’s word in every area of his life.
Verse 88, The Physical Life Entry
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Revive me (keep me
alive): The verb is chAyAh as a piel imperative, and is one of the examples
where this verb and this stem (piel) is used to indicate the preservation of
the believer’s physical life in the face of violent persecution.
The imperative is once again, the command of humility dependence on God.
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According to your grace
provision: Again, chesed is used to indicate all the resources that God
provides for the believer to function efficiently as His servant here on
earth.
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And I shall keep the
testimony of Your mouth: The verb is shAmar again, but this time, as a qal
imperfect to indicate his intended future action. The believer realizes that
continued service to God depends on God’s wisdom and timing for the
preservation of his physical life.
The word for testimony is `āduth again, and means the same thing as `ādAh;
principles of truth which reflect the historical expressions of God’s
character.
This is not a PROMISE idea. That is, the believer is not making a promise to
God, or “making a deal” with God. He is simply stating the fact that if his
physical life is preserved, he will be able to continue functioning as an
efficient servant of God.
SUMMARY OF THE PROVISION FILE
1. Verse 81, The Deliverance Entry
The believer’s faith-rest attitude toward God’s truth is the solution to any
humanly hopeless and helpless situation.
2. Verse 82, The Comfort Entry
The believer depends on God’s wisdom and timing for divine vindication over
the persecutors.
3. Verse 83, The Stability Entry
Even in the face of extreme physical pressure, stability is
based remaining focused on God’s word.
4. Verse 84, The Timing Entry
Vindication of the believer’s testimony is based on the perfect timing of
God’s plan.
5. Verse 85, The Persecution Entry
The spiritual rebels who persecute the believer are characterized by
antagonism to God’s law.
6. Verse 86, The Faithfulness of God Entry
The believer’s faith-rest attitude in the faithfulness of God’s word is the
basis for trusting in God’s deliverance.
7. Verse 87, The Death Entry
Even in the face of imminent death, the faithful believer does not forsake
God’s word.
8. Verse 88, The Physical Life Entry
The believer realizes that continued service to God depends on God’s wisdom
and timing for the preservation of his physical life. |
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