Psalm 119:9-16 Beth
According to Rabbin Deborah Brandt in her book “A Devotional Study of Psalm 119”, Beth, the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet symbolizes obedience to the Law of God.
Rabbin Brandt declares:
Only the Word cleanses us - Jesus is the Word of God
We are to seek Him with our whole heart-mind, will and emotions.
Hide the Word in your heart.
Declare His Law (Torah)
Meditate on His precepts (guidelines for the Redeemed)
Delight in His statutes (relating to the laws, regulating life and society)
The Rabbin’s final view of this stanza of Psalm 119 takes a more intimate tone. She says that the letter Beth points to “Home: a place to come alive, a place to unite with your bride!” This is an amazingly relationship view of these verses.
Charles Spurgeon, in his book “The Golden Alphabet” opened about Psalm 119:9-16 with these words, “These verses start at the beginning of life. Though written by an old man, they were written for all young men. Only he who begins with God in the greenness of youth will be able to write like this from experience in the ripeness of age. No sooner did David introduce his subject with one octave of verses, then he felt compelled to look after young men in the next set of eight stanzas. How much he thought of youthful piety!” Then Spurgeon concludes with this: “Oh, to be with God early in life! To give Him the dew of the day of life is to make the most of life.”
While I did not become a follower of Jesus until my mid to late thirties, my years prior to that was trying my best to be a good, moral, nice guy. That was me manufacturing my own righteousness which ended with me surrendering my life to Jesus as my only hope for salvation.
But now, thirty years later, I do feel that I have truly walked alongside, in relationship with my Father in “the dew of the days of life” and He has caused me to “make the most of life.”
When counseling these eight verses of Psalm 119, one can see a pattern of instruction. “Guard, do not wander, store up, teach me, declare, delight, meditate, and do not forget.” These are foundational words for young men to pursue on a path that leads to life. Jesus said in John 10:10
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” — John 10:10 ESV
Since I did not learn such wisdom in my youth, it is a passion of mine to help men understand these simple, child-like truths in order to build these truths into their lives so that they move from consuming the “milk” of the Word and begin feasting on the “meat” of the Word. Please pray with me that men would feed on these truths and each one would individually receive “what is needful” in their walk with God, their perfect Father.
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! — Romans 11:33 ESV
