ס Samekh
113 I hate double-minded people,
but I love your law.
114 You are my refuge and my shield;
I have put my hope in your word.
115 Away from me, you evildoers,
that I may keep the commands of my God!
116 Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, and I will live;
do not let my hopes be dashed.
117 Uphold me, and I will be delivered;
I will always have regard for your decrees.
118 You reject all who stray from your decrees,
for their delusions come to nothing.
119 All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross;
therefore I love your statutes.
120 My flesh trembles in fear of you;
I stand in awe of your laws. NIV
What makes the writer of this psalm think it is justifiable to "hate double-minded people"? How does a love for God's law keep us from being "double-minded" ourselves?
Look at verse 115. If you were to have the next 24 hours entirely free of evildoers, would it make it more possible or less possible for you to keep God's commands? Why do you think so?
Most of Psalm 119 focuses on both a love for God's commands and also a personal benefit from following them (e.g. 114-117). But what other consideration of God's word is represented in verses 118-120?
For what reasons did the author take time to write a 22-stanza-176-verse-long psalm dedicated to God's law? Couldn't the writer have expressed the point in just 2-3 stanzas? In other words, what do you think is the unique contribution of this chapter to the practice of God's commands?
After having studied the first 120 verses of Psalm 119, what has been the most important aspect of spiritual growth for you personally?