THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Psalms: God's Nurture Of The Inner Man In The Life Of Faith

CXIX: Appreciating And Applying Scripture For Every Spiritual Need, Psalm 119

D. Daleth - The Use Of Scripture In Overcoming Depression

(Psalm 119:25-32)

I. Introduction

A. Psalm 119 is all about the profitable use of God's written Scriptures, with the psalm being formed as an acrostic where each section contains a Hebrew letter that begins each of the eight verses in that section.

B. Section Daleth in Psalm 119:25-32 reveals the great value and use of Scripture in overcoming depression, so we view the section for insight and edification (as follows):

II. The Use Of Scripture In Overcoming Depression, Psalm 119:25-32.

A. The verse numbering system in the Hebrew text matches that of the English Bible (Kittel, Bib. Heb., p. 1080), so we stay with the English Bible's numbering system for this lesson.

B. We thus translate Psalm 119:25-32 (as follows):

1. "My life principle (nepesh, Ibid. and p. 3 in citing Gen. 2:7 where God created man a nepesh with mental, emotional, spiritual and physical life) cleaves (dabaq, B. D. B., A Heb. and Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 179-180) to the dry earth, dust ('apar, Ibid., p. 779); revive (hayah, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 310-311) me in accord with (ki, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 453-455) Your Word," Psalm 119:25.

2. "My ways have I rehearsed (sapar, Ibid., Kittel, p. 1081; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 707-708; Piel = intens.) [unto You in a prayer of petition] and You answered [me]; teach me Your statutes," Psalm 119:26.

3. "[Of] the ways of Your appointed charges, precepts, give me understanding (bin, Ibid., p. 106-107); then will I meditate (shiha, Ibid., p. 967) on Your extraordinary things [of Scripture truth]," Psalm 119:27.

4. "My life principle (cf. v. 25) drips [weeps] (dalap, Ibid., Kitttel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 196) from grief; in accord with (ki, cf. v. 25) Your Word, firmly establish, confirm (qum, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 877-879; Piel = intensive) me," Psalm 119:28.

5. "The way of deception, falsehood (sheqer, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p .1055) cause to depart (sur, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 693-694; Hiph. = caus.) from me; in giving Your Law be gracious to me," v. 29.

6. "The way of faithfulness, trust ('emunah, Ibid., p. 53) I have chosen; Your verdicts (mishpat, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 1048-1049) have stilled (shawah, Ibid., p. 1000-1001; Piel = intens.) me," Psalm 119:30.

7. "I cleave (dabaq, cf. v. 25) to Your testimonies; Jahweh, do not let me be ashamed," Psalm 119:31.

8. "[In] the way of Your commandments I run (rus, Ibid., p. 930), for You have enlarged (rahab, Ibid., p. 931) [grown in vigor, health] my heart [inner man] (leb, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 524-525)," v. 32.

C. We consider significant observations regarding this psalm (as follows):

1. The psalmist describes his state of depression and hope of relief from it by applying Scripture in v. 25.

2. The process of gaining this relief through applying Scripture is described in Psalm 119:26-32 as follows:

a. First, the afflicted believer expresses his trouble to God in prayer, exposing them to God's Word, v. 26.

b. Second, the afflicted gains insight from God's Word into what truly caused his depression, v. 27.

c. Third, the psalmist's grief expressed in his depressed state is stilled through the strengthening insight of God's written Word, the Scriptures, Psalm 119:28.

d. Fourth, and the heart of the matter, what deceit had led to misguided viewpoints and actions by the psalmist that had produced his depression is faced and graciously critiqued by God's Word, Psalm 119:29!

e. Fifth, the psalmist chooses to believe the truth of God's Word regarding the matter in which he had been deceived, v. 30a. Consequently, he agrees with the truth, thus SHIFTING from error to reality, v. 30b.

f. Sixth, the psalmist decides to hold to that truth of God's Word versus relapsing into again believing the troublesome falsehood he had before believed and that had produced his depression, Psalm 119:31.

g. Seventh, he finds that he can now face life on the run versus lying in the dust of depression (contrasting v. 25a with v. 32a). God has so revived him and made him whole by the application of Scripture truth to dispell the troubling eror that he has overcome depression and become joyful, Psalm 119:32b.

Lesson: The psalmist learned from Scripture that the cause of his depression was his adoption of a falsehood as reality, and the solution was his application of Scripture to replace the errant view with actual reality -- the truth!

Application: May we overcome non-physically-caused depression by supplanting false views with Bible truth!