"For Ever, O Lord, Thy Word Is Settled in Heaven" (continued)
The Living Word: The Alpha and Omega (continued)
Psalm 119 consists of 176 verses, and it is divided into 22 groups of eight verses each. In the original language, the eight verses of each group begin with the same successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, for example: the first eight verses begin with the letter "Aleph," the second eight with "Beth," and so on throughout the whole Psalm. What a marvelous way for the Lord to express to us the importance of His Word, which is the controlling factor and creative agent of all that God has purposed. "For ever, O Lord, Thy Word is settled in heaven": 8 Alphs! 8 Beths! 8 Gimels! 8 Daleths! etc. Twenty-two eights! - the power of the resurrection personified through the living Word - "Which Is, and Which Was, and Which Is To Come" - The Alpha and Omega - He That Liveth, Was Dead, and Is Alive For Evermore. This Psalm is the Living Word Himself emphasizing the importance of the Written Word: "In Whom (In Christ) are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3), and it is a Royal Work to search out that which God hath concealed.
Lamentations, chapters one through four are particularly expressive of the Acrostic figure of speech, for in these chapters we have the Holy Spirit expressing, through Jeremiah's intercession, the broken heart of the Lord over His people who have been led away from the direct course. When one reads Lamentations, it seems that all is lost as far as Israel is concerned; and all that is left is to lament over their failure. But "The Alpha and Omega," The Aleph and The Tau, The Great High Priest Who eve liveth to make intercession unto the uttermost is not through with them; and, even as Jeremiah laments, we find "The Beginning and The Ending" Is Expressing Himself. There are twenty-two verses in chapter one, and each verse begins with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet, which says: "This is not the end, Jeremiah - I AM the Ending - I AM the Fulfillment of Perfection." The same is true of chapters two and four - except, that in both chapters, the order of the Hebrew alphabet in verses 16 and 17 are transposed (reversed), which figuratively speaks that the order is not set and this intercession will reverse the failure of Israel!
Lamentations, chapter three is different, for it consist of sixty six verses. The first three verses commence with Alpha and the second three verses commence with Beth and so forth, throughout chapter three, until the whole Hebrew alphabet is used. And in chapter three, verses 46-48 and 49-51, the order of the alphabet is again designedly transposed to reveal that things are not as they seem; because THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA, THE LIVING WORD, will complete that which hath been purposed in Himself - and this is true whether it concerns Israel or the Church. Each letter of the alphabet is repeated 3 times, signifying that God The Father in and through The Son by the Power of the Holy Spirit will sum up and complete all things in The Christ. Thus, in Lamentations, "The Alpha and Omega" emphasizes the importance of intercession, for many years later Jeremiah's words will be fulfilled and a remnant of those such as Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Mordecai, and Esther will be used to further God's Purpose - Great is Thy Faithfulness. The Lord is my portion ... therefore will I hope in Him (Lam. 3:23, 24).
Brethren, the Holy Spirit has led us and many of God's children to pray the above Psalms and Scriptures over and over again. Now when we do this [whether we are conscious of it or not] we are proclaiming Christ, The Living Word, "as the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the Ending" (Revelation 1:8).
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 20 - (He Is Lord)
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