Psalm 119: Personal Revival
We are giving thorough study to each of the eleven occurrences of “revival” in the 119th Psalm.
The Hebrew word includes the following ideas:
- revive
- the people of God
- by God Himself
- with fulness of life
- in His favor.” https://biblehub.com/hebrew/2421.htm
Barnes Notes on the Bible
Cause me to live; give me vigor and strength to break away from this which binds me fast, and to rise above these low propensities.
Pulpit Commentary
Raise me up to life and health and vigor.
Psalm 119:107 is today’s text.
I am severely afflicted; give me life, O Lord, according to your word!
Verses 105-112 comprise this portion of this poetic Psalm.
- Before we celebrate the lamp and light, let’s remember the lamp and light are needed because it is extremely dark.
- It is so dark as to be called “extremely afflicted.” An interlinear reading is “very afflicted, very.”
- The Psalmist says, “I hold my life in my hand continually.”
- Exposed to perpetual and extreme danger, as any precious and frail thing is which a man carries openly in his hand, and which he may easily let fall, or be deprived of by violence. Benson Commentary
- The idea in the original is that his soul – his life – was always in jeopardy. The expression seems to be proverbial. Anything taken in the hand is liable to be rudely snatched away. Thus a casket of jewels, or a purse of gold in the hand, may at any moment be seized by robbers. Barnes Notes on the Bible
- It is also extremely dark because “the wicked have laid a snare for me.”
There are two primary experiences for the Christian under the heavy weight of extreme affliction, 1. God infuses His strength into the Christian and/or, 2. God removes the extreme affliction and strength and vigor naturally return to the Christian.
The Treasury of David
According to the last verse he had been sworn in as a soldier of the Lord, and in this next verse he is called to suffer hardness in that capacity. Our service of the Lord does not screen us from trial, but rather secures it for us. The Psalmist was a consecrated man, and yet a chastened man; nor were his chastisements light; for it seemed as if the more he was obedient the more he was afflicted. He evidently felt the rod to be cutting deep, and this he pleads before the Lord. He speaks not by way of murmuring, but by way of pleading; from the very much affliction he argues for very much quickening.
Alfred John Morris, 1814-1869
We can recommend so persuasively the cheerful drinking of the cup of sorrow when in the hand of others, but what wry faces we make when it is put into our own.
Jean Baptiste Marie Vianney, 1786-1859
The Christian lives in the midst of crosses, as the fish lives in the sea.
Into this extreme darkness of affliction comes the most glorious lamp and light of God’s Word.
I am severely afflicted; give me life, O Lord, according to your word! Psalm 119:105
Extreme affliction is met by an even more extreme life-giving word of God!
God’s word is more powerful than human words can adequately reveal.
Consider this paragraph from the Treasury of David by C. H. Spurgeon.
- Quicken me, O Lord, according unto thy word. This is the best remedy for tribulation;
- the soul is raised above the thought of present distress,
- and is filled with that holy joy which attends all vigorous spiritual life,
- and so the affliction grows light.
- Jehovah alone can quicken:
- he has life in himself, and therefore can communicate it readily;
- he can give us life at any moment, yea, at this present instant;
- for it is of the nature of quickening to be quick in its operation.
- The Lord has promised, prepared, and provided this blessing of renewed life for all his waiting servants:
- it is a covenant blessing, and it is as obtainable as it is needful.
- Frequently the affliction is made the means of the quickening, even as the stirring of a fire promotes the heat of the flame. In their affliction some desire death, let us pray for life. Our foreboding under trial are often very gloomy, let us entreat the Lord to deal with us, not according to our fears, but according to his own word.
- David had but few promises to quote, and probably these were in his own psalms, yet he pleads the word of the Lord;
- how much more should we do so, since to us so many holy men have spoken by the Spirit of the Lord in that wonderful library which is now our Bible.
- Seeing we have more promises, let us offer more prayers.
The challenge?
- Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lorddelivers him out of them all. Psalm 34:19
- In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials. 1 Peter 1:6
The Overcoming Victory?
- God revives the soul through His word!
Paul’s call to the Romans is his call to us. (12:12-13)
- Rejoice in hope,
- be patient in tribulation,
- be constant in prayer.
- 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
May God grant to you a deep and abiding personal revival.