A Lamp to My Feet: Psalm 119 Week 1

H.M. Coker

3 May, 2024

A Lamp to My Feet: Psalm 119 Week 1

Click here for the free download of “A Lamp to My Feet: A Study of Psalm 119” Week 1 Homework.

Week 1, Day 1:

Pray: Dear Lord, “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).  “Make me to know Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths.  Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You I wait all the day long” (Psalm 25:4-5). 

Hear: Let’s begin our study by reading Psalm 119.  Don’t rush.  It only takes about 15 minutes to read, so savor it.  The first day of a new study is always one of my favorites.  I love to think about how different reading these same verses will be to me by the end of the study– how much more intimate I will be with every word, how God will give me understanding on the tricky passage I don’t yet grasp, how my life will have changed to align with the Word of God.  So, go ahead and fix a cup of tea, get cozy and read Psalm 119.

Do:  In Matthew chapter four we learn that Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1).  Three times the devil tempted Jesus and all three times Jesus responded with, “It is written” (Matthew 4:4, 7, and 10).  Jesus fought temptation with the Word of God.  We must do the same.  Therefore, each week we will memorize a passage from Psalm 119, storing up God’s Word in our hearts, that we might not sin against God (Psalm 119:11).  

This week’s memory verse is Psalm 119:1-2, “1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD!  Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart.” 

Week 1, Day 2

Pray: Dear Lord, “Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statues!  Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments” (Psalm 119:5-6). 

Hear: Read Psalm 119 again.  Today, try reading the book in a different way from yesterday.  You could read it aloud with a friend, listen to an audio recording of it (the BibleGateway and BlueLetterBible apps both have free audio versions of the Bible), or read the book aloud to yourself.  But whatever you do, don’t skip this second read.  This is why you are doing a Bible study, not to read man’s words but to read the wonderful Word of God.  When you have finished, answer the questions below.

  1. The Bible is composed of different forms of literature.  For example, Genesis is a book of history and Philippians is a letter.  What kind of literary writing is Psalm 119?
  2. Who are the principal people or groups of people you see in this Psalm?
  3. At this point, what do you think motivated the Psalmist to write Psalm 119?  What is he experiencing?
  4. What is Psalm 119 about?  Don’t overthink this, just answer like you would a friend who had asked you, “What are you reading? What’s it about?”

Do: In Christ we, though many, form one body (Romans 12:5a).  Believers are called to live in community with each other, united in one mind and encouraging each other in our faith (1 Corinthians 1:10, Romans 1:12, Hebrews 10-24-25, 1 Corinthians 12:25-27).  Today, pray and ask God to show you at least one person you can invite to study the Word with you. 

Week 1, Day 3:

Pray: Dear Lord, Everyone Who hears Your words and does them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  And when the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, it did not fall because it had been founded on the rock (Matthw 7:24-25).  Teach me to guard my way according to Your Word, that I may keep my way pure (Psalm 119:9). 

Hear: Verses one through four are the overture of Psalm 119.  Understanding these first four verses will lay a foundational framework for the rest of our study.  If you have never read “A Note of Biblical Interpretation and Application” then stop and do so now (this article can be found on the Surpassing-Worth.com website).  Then, read Psalm 119:1-4 and answer the questions below.

  1. The Hebrew word translated “blessed”, as used in verses one and two, is esher.  Use a Hebrew word concordance book or app to look up the definition of the word esher (Strong’s #H835) and write what you learn below.
  2. According to this passage who is blessed?  Be thorough and answer using the exact words given in Psalm 119:1-4.
  3. In order to best understand this passage as written in the original Hebrew, use a Hebrew word concordance book or app to look up the definition of the following words.  If you don’t have access to a Hebrew word concordance then try looking up these verses in different English translations to glean what you can from the way different English translators handled each word (I recommend the NKJV, NASB95, and CSB).  Blameless: tamiym (Strong’s #H8549), Walk: halakh (Strong’s #1980), Keep: natsar (Strong’s #H5341), and Seek: darash (Strong’s # H1875).

Do: So many people base all of their decisions on doing whatever they think will make them happy.  Their own desires are their only guide and yet they are miserable.  But here the Psalmist is saying, “How happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD! How happy are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in His ways!” (my own translation based on our word studies this week).  In light of what you have learned today, what will be the guiding light to making your decisions? Write your prayer below.

Week 1, Day 4:

Pray: Dear Lord, You are good and upright.  Therefore, You instruct sinners in the way.  You lead the humble in what is right, and teach the humble Your way.  All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep Your covenant and Your testimonies.  (Psalm 25:8-10)

Hear: Today we will continue our study of Psalm 119:1-4.  First Read Psalm 119:1-4 to refresh your memory then follow the instructions below.

  1. Psalm 119:1 says, “Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD!”  Read the following verses and take notes on anything you learn which correlates to Psalm 119:1.
  1. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
  2. Philippians 1:9-11
  3. Philippians 2:15-16
  4. Colossians 2:10 (If you have an NASB95 or NKJV translation I feel they translate this verse the best.  Be sure to look back at what the definition of the word “blameless” is.)
  5. Colossians 1:9-12
  6. Ephesians 5:8-10
  7. 1 John 1:5-10

2. Psalm 119:2 says, “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with their whole heart.”  Read the following verses and take notes on anything you learn which correlates to Psalm 119:2.

  1. Romans 3:9-26
  2. Hebrews 11:6
  3. Matthew 22:37

3. Psalm 119:3 says, “who also do no wrong, but walk in His ways!” Read the following verses and take notes on anything you learn which correlates to Psalm 119:3.

  1. 1 John 2:1-6

Do: In the book of Deuteronomy when the Israelites were about to cross over the Jordan to enter the promised land, Moses addressed them and said,  “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13).  James 1:22 instructs us to be doers of the Word and not hearers only.  He then goes on to say, “the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing” (James 1:25).  We are to obey because it is for our good.  Write Psalm 119:1-4 on a notecard (you may want to write James 1:22-25 and Deuteronomy 10:12-13 as well).  Today when you are tempted to disobey the Word of God, read your card aloud.  Blessed are those who obey. 

Week 1, Day 5:

Pray: Dear Lord, “Blessed are You, O Lord; teach me Your statutes” (Psalm 119:12).

Hear: Read Psalm 119:1-4 and answer the questions below. 

  1. How has God commanded His precepts to be kept?
  2. The Hebrew word translated “diligently” is meod (Strong’s #H3966).  Use your Hebrew word concordance to look up its definition and write what you learn below.
  3. Read the following verses and take notes on anything you learn which correlates to Psalm 119:4. Matthew 7:24-27, James 1:22-25, and Psalm 1.

Do: As we saw yesterday, James 1:22 tells us to be doers of the Word and not hearers only.  The letter to the Colossians teaches us to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord by bearing fruit in every good work (doing) and increasing in the knowledge of God (hearing) (Colossians 1:10).  Faith without works is dead (James 2:26) and it is the Word of God which equips us to do good works (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  Therefore, believers are called to do both.  We must both study God’s Word and obey what It says—we are to hear and do. Read Psalm 119:1-4 one final time (for today anyways) and underline in pencil, all of the action verbs (the things you do) used by the Psalmist.  Then, in the space below journal what you are being led to do according to the Word of God.

All Scriptures Taken from the ESV unless otherwise noted.