169. Let my cry come before you, O Lord;
give me understanding according to your word!

170. Let my plea come before you;
deliver me according to your word.

171. My lips will pour forth praise,
for you teach me your statutes.

172. My tongue will sing of your word,
for all your commandments are right.

173. Let your hand be ready to help me,
for I have chosen your precepts.

174. I long for your salvation, O Lord,
and your law is my delight.

175. Let my soul live and praise you,
and let your rules help me.

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

The Shepherd who hears our call

This final stanza of Psalm 119 connects us back to the beginning of the psalm. The very first verse of the first stanza pointed us to the blessings of joyful satisfaction (ashrei) when walking “in the law of the LORD” (v. 1). The final verse in this psalm points us to the uncomfortable reality that we tend to wander and stray like lost sheep (v. 176).

The first Hebrew word in verse 176 is Ta’ee-tee (תָּעִיתִי), meaning I have gone astray, and begins with the letter Hebrew taw (ת). This tendency to stray, even with the best of intentions, is David’s honest admission of his weakness along with a precious and unashamed cry for help. Thankfully, God is an ever present help when we call upon Him. David had learned this lesson and in another psalm wrote that “The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth” (Ps. 145:18). In the first verse of this final stanza of Psalm 119, David cries out for help, “Let my cry come before you, O Lord” followed by a request for God to “give me understanding according to Your word” (v. 169).

Long after David had died, God declared through the prophet Isaiah that “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way” (Isa. 53:6). Furthermore, through the prophet Ezekiel, God declared He would send one like David to shepherd God’s people who naturally stray (Ez. 34:23). Jesus declared Himself to be that greater David, the Good Shepherd (Jn. 10:11), and the One who will always answer our cry when we cry out like David at the end of this psalm, “Seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments” (Ps. 119:176). May His good shepherding be magnified in our straying as we surrender and submit for His glory and our good!

Hebrew Treasure excerpt written by Thomas Boehm.
From The Psalm 119 Journey by Steve Allen, ©2022.
Used with permission.