Psalm 119 emphasizes the sufficiency of the Word of God. It utilizes the Hebrew alphabet to say that from “A” to “Z” – the truth of God is perfectly manifested for all mankind. It reveals the heart and mind of God for every contingency of life. No one knows what a day may bring, but the Word of God deals with all of the possibilities. The acrostic style of the Psalm is observed in Hebrew. The first eight verses all begin with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet “Aleph”. Then, the next grouping of eight verses begins with the second letter – all the way through the Hebrew alphabet. In this way the Psalmist is declaring the eternal value of the Word of God. However, in Israel’s day, the Word of God was often neglected – even lost.
In the days of King Josiah of Judah, the book of the law was found in the house of the LORD. Shaphan the scribe read the words of the book of the law in the presence of the King. When Josiah heard the words, he tore his clothes and immediately commanded, “Go, inquire of the LORD for me and the people and all Judah concerning the words of this book that has been found, for great is the wrath of the LORD that burns against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us” (2 Kings 22:13). The LORD answered the king and promised him peace and prosperity because he had heard the word of God.
This Word that was sufficient for Judah and for King Josiah is sufficient for us as well. As the children of God, we live our lives by faith. This means that we believe and trust the Word of God – and the God of the Word. The day will come when we see the Lord and hear His voice. We all look forward to that great day. But now, we communicate with our God by hearing His Word and praying to Him. Psalm 119 reminds us that God has spoken all things that are necessary for us to know Him and how He would have us live. All wisdom related to every possible circumstance we might encounter in life is clearly revealed in Scripture, the all-sufficient Word of God. The Lord God has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. We must be diligent in hearing and obeying His Word.