Psalm 119--A Maxi Psalm--176 Verses

Psalm 119--A Maxi Psalm-- The Longest Psalm with 176 Verses!

What a Psalm!  From a mini-Psalm-- the two-verse Psalm 117-- to a maxi-Psalm of one-hundred-and seventy-six verses with twenty-two stanzas all beginning with successive Hebrew letters this Psalm could keep one busy for weeks with its many verses and topics.  

This ABC Psalm or acrostic Psalm starts with Aleph and ends with Tau.  Some Bibles even include the Hebrew symbol beside the letters.  Each part is eight verses in length. How perfect it is for learning the eight times table!

This Psalm has one grand theme that is in almost every verse--but 84, 121, and 122-- centers round "The Word of God!"  Throughout its entire length it uses seven or eight synonyms for the Word of God.  In this article we'll use these seven synonyms: law, word, statues, precepts, judgments, testimonies, and commandments.   

Our story for Psalm 119 revolves around "The Psalm Lady"--Jeanie of Okahumpka.  If you read the intro lesson, you'll recall she had a plan to memorize all of Psalm 119.  Though I never learned if she actually accomplished her mission, one thing I know she inspired me to memorize more of the word!  On top of all her memorization aspirations she was also a strong prayer warrior!

While digging into the Psalms I began to use round woven placemats to visualize these Psalms--called "The Stat Mats"-- which contain the basic statistics of a particular Psalm: its superscription, its book location, its number of verses, its Selah's, its history, and so on.  After the Stat Mats came "The Chat Mats."  Chat Mats have objects, and verses, and interesting photos and pictures that make the Psalm con-verse-sations come alive.  Anyone can make them and use them.  This one has a new addition to its Chat Mat, that is a Kid Extension which focuses in on a particular part of the Chat Mat.

Remember in order to view either type of mat up close click on the photograph and you will be able to see a larger version of it.

Psalm 119 presents older and younger people with great opportunities to increase Biblical knowledge, vocabulary, and math skills at every turn. Besides, what a variety of verses to memorize as well.   As a long-time educator, mother, and grandmother I can't say enough about early memorization of as much Scripture as possible!!  That is the legacy you can leave with your children or grandchildren that can't be taken away from them--for as Psalm 119:11 tells us "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."  Should every Bible be banned it cannot be removed from one's heart.  Ditto this for singing the Psalms as well. 

Stat Mat:  Psalm 119: 22 parts: 176 Vvs.: Book V: (Teach kids Roman numerals!): 8Xs table (8, 16, 24 etc.): acrostic (Define!), and A to Z (Aleph-Tau).  Notice the music note background.  

Chat Mat n' Kids' Extension  

The yellow mat begins at the right with Aleph (Hebrew reads right to left; English left to right.) and next is Beth.  Then it skips to Mem and Nun and Tau.  Also notice the magnifying glass, honey jar, and red flashlight on the left while on the right is the Trinitarian Bible Society Colourbook 14 with its Ps.119:105 train picture.  Also, this neat little color book is entitled "The Word of God"--the theme of Ps.119!  This The Word of God coloring book is part of a larger series of color books that both children and adults can use.  Order books here:      Series 2 Coloring Book։ The Word of God [CB2] - Trinitarian Bible Society - USA (tbsbibles.org)

In the center circle of the mat is a pic of a Bible scroll and a Bible which is the focus of our psalm. See the seven synonyms arranged from the three-letter "law" to the twelve letter "commandments" and the other five in between.  The youngest can count the letters or match other word cards to them.  By the way "thy law" is the synonym most often mentioned in the text. 

A Psalm 119:105 Story:  Many years ago, when I was in junior high school, I joined a girls' club known as "Pioneer Girls."  Complete with uniforms, a guidebook, and badges it was saturated with Scripture memorization as a part of every activity. Our guides were godly mentors, and each of us girls were also assigned a special older lady that wrote to, prayed for, and met with us.  It was in Pioneer Girls where I found some wonderful young Christian friends.  Two of our key verses were Psalm 119:11 and 105 which I've never forgotten. Surely, I can attest to this club's major impact on my young life.  Always I am thankful for the gospel verses so easily memorized then.  Timothy reminds us that from a child one can know the Holy Scriptures which are able to make one wise unto salvation. 

A Psalm 119 Color Book Cover and Page:  Its train cover picture reminded me of some Swiss trains on which our family traveled through both winding alpine tunnels, and across some very high mountain bridges.  It also reminded me of the brightly lit Austrian silver mine carts we took inside some inky dark underground passages.  For as Psalm 119:105 tells us God's word will guide us and provide light for our way.   

The Psalm 119 Psalm Stanza or Section Names include:  Aleph, Beth, Gimel, Daleth, He, Vau, Zain, Cheth, Teth, Jod, Caph, Lamed, Mem, Nun, Samech, Ain, Pe, Tzaddi, Koph, Resh, Schin, and Tau.  How many sections are in Ps. 119?  How many letters are in the Hebrew Alphabet?  In our Alphabet?  What section is first? last?  How many verses are in each part?  Do number the sections in your Bible. 

Chat Mat Stanzas: Here are the sections highlighted on our Chat Mat:  Aleph, Beth, Mem, Nun, and Tau. 

Aleph:  Psalm 119 begins with Aleph.  Its first three verses are a special introduction to the whole Psalm. Two of verses begin with "Blessed" or "Happy."  What is the last verse in Aleph?  

Beth:  After Aleph is Beth.  Once again it has eight verses altogether.  It begins with a question.  What is it? Beth has a very famous Ps. 119 verse--verse 11.  It reads: "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."  What is the "Word of God" synonym in this verse? "Thy word."  Do memorize this verse!! 

Mem:  Now we'll skip ahead to stanza thirteen or Mem.  This section has two "how" verses which incidentally I used as valentine verses that I made for our granddaughters.  Especially I like Mem's first verse: "'O how I love thy law, it is my meditation all the day."  By it on the Chat Mat is a small heart for love--see how the verse is used in the mat extension.

O How I Love!  Tune: "Brother John" 

O how I love, O how I love,

Love thy law, love thy law,                                                              

It's my meditation, it's my meditation,

All the day, all the day!

Motions:  Line 1; Form heart with index fingers, and thumbs.  Line 2; Make a hand scroll.  Hold hands with palms up and slide four right hand fingers under left hand fingers; raise thumbs.  Line 3:  Tap head with both hands.  Line 4: Raise hands; sway.  When finished repeat verse aloud!

Make sure kids/adults alike understand what true meditation involves-- thinking and turning words over in one's mind and not chanting and emptying it. For more read this brief but especially helpful article.

ABC: Bible Meditation for Me!: M Is for Muse!    Learn to Discern Granny: ABC: Bible Meditation for Me!: M Is for Muse! (whputnam00.blogspot.com)

A second Mem verse to converse about is:  Psalm119:103:  "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth."  Taste some honey--discuss words.  Can you discover another Psalm 34 verse that talks about the word "taste?"  What is at the end of both sections of this verse as well as verse one?  Exactly, an exclamation mark.  How then should we read these verses?   

Nun:  The very first verse of the Nun section is the Pioneer Girl Club verse: Ps. 119:105 which reads: "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."   How special to have this verse featured on the cover of the Trinitarian Bible Society Scripture color book.  View the page I colored and cut apart.   Before you leave Nun do repeat the verse, sing it, color it, and discuss it.  Listen to the verse sung here:  Bing Videos

Tau:  Ps.119 ends with Tau Passage. Do take apart this prayer stanza two verses at a time.  Look for its "let" lines, its "lips/tongue" lines, its "I" lines, and lastly its "let" and its final line!   In verses 169/170 the psalmist cries "Let my cry come before thee...."  and "Let my supplication (request) come before thee ...."  These cries and requests ask the Lord "give me understanding" and deliver me" followed by "according to thy word."  Next in verses 171/172 it says: "My lips shall utter praise ...." and "My tongue shall speak of thy word."  In 173/174 The writer says: "I have chosen thy precepts.... " and "I have longed for thy salvation."  Finally, in verses 175 he asks the Lord to: "let me live and I'll praise you, and let thy judgments help me."   In v/176 "I've gone astray like a lost sheep, but I do not forget thy commandments."  May these lines be our prayer as well.  How we need these reminders like this powerful psalm in this mixed-up world."  May we remember we have a Shepherd the Lord Jesus to guide us.

How I would challenge you to set aside a period of weeks to ponder each and every stanza in this amazing maxi-Psalm, and may you be blessed as you do!  Perhaps, your goal, may be to memorize one key verse from each of its twenty-two sections!              

           

             

  

   

       Always click on the photographs to make them much larger!