The Beauty and Strength of God's Word

The Hebrew letter pe is the title of the next section of Psalm 119:129 – 136. The theme of this prayer section is the beauty and strength of God’s word. The confessions and requests of this section all relate to this theme. It begins with a powerful confession; “Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them. The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.” The Hebrew word translated “wonderful” is pele. It has the meaning of astonishment beyond understanding. It describes something so marvelous, it is hard, if not impossible, to imagine.

This word is used throughout the Old Testament in describing the works of God and the name of the Lord. In Psalm 77:14 this word describes the work of God; “You are the God who works wonders you have made known your might among the people.” And in Isaiah 9:6; “For to us a child is born…and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor…” The amazing thing to note is that the works of God and the names of God are beyond understanding in wonder and amazement, and so God reveals them so that you might know them and Him through them! Hallelujah!!!

The word “unfolding” is the Hebrew word paytak, which means to open a door or to open the mouth. It is also used to describe the opening of a cave. In this context it refers to the way God reveals the wonderful truth of His word for those who lack wisdom and understanding. In James 1:5 this truth is revealed with these words, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”  

It is also given in the words of Jesus when He said, “And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it will be opened.” When you are deep in a cave, groping for light, the mouth of the cave from inside the cave is a beautiful sight. So it is with the light of God’s word; it imparts bayin, understanding and discernment, to those who ask and depend upon it.

Another request in this prayer is found in 119:133, “Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me.” The word “keep steady” is the Hebrew word koon, which means to establish with preparation. It is the solid foundation of proactive preparation. This is the activity of God’s word in your life. He gives you what you need before you need it. He prepares you for the trial before it arrives. But God will not do this without you. Ask Him for what you need before you need it. You can because He has promised, and He will do it.

The thing that is requested the most in Psalm 119 is to learn from God. You find it again in 119:135, “Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes.” There are twelve different words for learning in Hebrew, but the most common is the one used here. It is the Hebrew word lamed. It describes a particular way of learning. The root of this word is the word for a yoke, which points to its meaning. The training for a young ox entailed yoking it to an older, more experienced ox, with a training yoke. Yoked together, the younger one would learn from the older one, as they would plow together. The older ox would steady the younger one and keep it on track.

The prayer request “…teach me your statutes,” uses this word. When you pray this, you are asking God to bind His word to your life, to steady your steps, to guide you, and to keep you from wandering. Your desire is to learn from Him, of Him. Jesus said in Matthew 11:29 -30, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Today, ask the Lord Jesus for His yoke to be upon you. Ask to learn from Him of the Father’s love and joy. Ask for the light of His word to become brighter and brighter until you are led completely free from the bondage of sin and walk in the full light of glorious face. This is what it means to worship the Father in spirit and truth.