Psalm 119 - Tau (T)

Psalms 119:169-176

169)  Tears fall from my eyes as I come near before thee, O LORD: give me understanding according to thy word.

170)  Turn my life into freedom me according to thy word: Let my supplication come before thee.

171)  Teaching me thy statutes I will learn, and My lips shall utter praise.

172)  Tongues shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.

173)  Thine hand will help me; for I have chosen thy precepts.

174)  Thy law is my delight, O LORD; and I have longed for thy salvation.

175)  Train my soul to live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me.

176)  Turning from the way like a lost sheep I have gone astray; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.

Meaning of Tau or Tav

The meaning of the letter is  - a Mark, Life, and resurrection.

It is the last letter of the word Emet, which means truth.

It is also the last letter. As the saying goes we have gone from Aleph to Tau. Or Alpha to the Omega. That is Jesus!

Even the shape of the letter, from which we get the modern T, was originally the sign of the cross. How is a cross representing life and resurrection? Only through Jesus Christ!

I said that it also represents the Mark, in this case, the mark of Christ.

Ezekiel 9:4-6

4)  And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

5)  And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:

6)  Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.

This is like the passover, in Egypt, with the mark on the door posts, but instead a mark on believers who will escape the judgement of God.

And so our theme for these final verses is the cross, and the salvation it brings.

Cry for Salvation

Psalms 119:169-170

169)  Let my cry come near before thee, O LORD: give me understanding according to thy word.

170)  Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word.

We start the stanza with a call for understanding and deliverance. The common cry, “how can I be saved”?

Romans 10:12-13

12)  For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

13)  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Somehow we often think salvation depends on the words of a prayer, but the truth is the individual must cry out to God. If we do not, then we are not calling on his name.

Saved Response

Psalms 119:171-172

171)  My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes.

172)  My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.

The response is immediate, I will praise you.

Romans 10:15

15)  And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

Let’s have some examples of salvation.

Acts 2:46-47

46)  And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

47)  Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Acts 10:44-46

44)  While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.

45)  And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.

46)  For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,

The common theme is they went praising God. If repentance is not followed by praise, I question the salvation. We were on spiritual death row, and we have been set free!

Walk on

Psalms 119:173-175

173)  Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts.

174)  I have longed for thy salvation, O LORD; and thy law is my delight.

175)  Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me.

While returning to the theme of salvation and the cross, the closing verses are also a prayer that God will keep us strong in him.

1 Thessalonians 4:1-2

1)  Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

2)  For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

Psalms 119:176

176)  I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.

Psalms 23:1-6

1)  A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2)  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3)  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4)  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5)  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6)  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.