So I’ve been blazing through the Psalms lately, until just today when I noticed I was facing what I’m calling the ‘beast’ of Psalms – the 119th Psalm, the longest one.
I decided to take on it today, taking my time, not really expecting to finish the entire thing, when I thought, maybe I should write something substantial out of all of this – maybe, I should journal my thoughts on this intimidating Psalm.
I mean, it’s perfect – it’s split into small, kind amounts of verses under each letter of the Hebrew alphabet… and I could go through one letter at a time. The ESV notes do mention the following: ‘This psalm is an acrostic poem of twenty-two stanzas, following the letters of the Hebrew alphabet; within a stanza, each verse begins with the same Hebrew letter’
Astonishing. Here I was thinking that only the first verse began with the Hebrew letter in question… but, apparently, there’s a possibility that the Psalmist preceded EVERY verse in each set with the same letter. I say ‘possibility’ because I tried looking really quick in eSword to see if each verse DID start with the same letter… but it turns out I really just need to learn Hebrew.
Speaking of eSword, here’s what it had to share about the Psalm, coming from F.B. Meyer’s Commentary. This is what was mentioned for verses 1 through 16:
This long and noble psalm is devoted to the praise of God’s Word, which is mentioned in every verse but one, Psalm 119:122.
And this is why I wanted to go through this in the first place – to emphasize the authority of the Bible over everything else we count as ‘resources’ to our ministry in the body of Christ, here in this reality.
Probably if we were to substitute Will for Word we should not be far wrong. The earnest desire of the writer was that his will should be brought into blessed and unbroken union with the divine purpose in his life.
Here’s an interesting idea, but I would insist we stick to the Word. You probably already know why but I’ll definitely point it out later.
In its structure the psalm is an elaborate acrostic. In the original, each verse in a given section begins with the same letter, so that the twenty-two sections present the complete Hebrew alphabet.
Confirmed. Every verse in every section begins with the same letter.
It needs to be often used to be understood and valued. Chrysostom, Ambrose, Augustine, and Luther have left on record high tributes to its worth. There are several key expressions, which recur again and again, such as quicken and teach me thy statutes.
So, apparently, this Psalm, and consequently, the Word, need to be read and re-read – there’ll always be some value to extract and/or gather.
It is interesting, also, to construct the psalmist’s biography from his confessions. He had gone astray like a lost sheep, was small and despised, had many adversaries, was like a bottle in the smoke; but he accounted God’s will and service more than food or gold, and his one desire was to be taught to do that will.
And isn’t this exciting? We’re going to probably learn a little more about ourselves as we go through it.
I’m pretty sure it’s no accident that we’re going to set out on this new, lengthy adventure… and I’m excited to share this with all of us. We’re all going to be learning as we go along.
So let’s give it a shot, shall we?
Psalm 119:1-8
ALEPH
1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD!
2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart,
3 who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!
4 You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently.
The way I see this now, in light of Christ and His finished work, I could say that I am blessed, because through Christ, who is my Way, I have been proclaimed blameless.
I am blessed, because I walk with Christ, who (1) did not come to abolish, but to fulfill the Law (Matthew 5:17), (2) is the end of the Law for all who believe in Him (Romans 10:4), and (3) who Himself is the Living Word – the Law, the Scripture, God’s Word, God’s Precepts and God’s Testimony – made flesh, once dwelling among us (John 1:14), now dwelling IN us (John 14:21, John 15:12).
Moving on, I venture to say I am blessed, because I do not only ‘keep’ the Living Word diligently, but He also keeps me (Psalm 121:7-8) diligently; Consequently, I am blessed, because more than seeking Him with my whole heart, this new covenant Christ has brought us into proclaims that we KNOW Him (Jeremiah 31:34)
5 Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!
6 Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
7 I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules.
8 I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me!
We ARE blessed by keeping Christ, and knowing that He keeps us, and here we see that it is so by way of our own ways being made steadfast.
But, another more proper way of reading that and responding to that is, because we are with Christ, and He is with us, our ways are naturally ‘steadfast’, or other translations say our ways are ‘directed’, ultimately calibrated to keep His statutes. Through Christ, who is our Way, our own ways are directed accordingly.
We’re attuned, our eyes are fixed on His commandments (not the ones of the Torah, but the new law Christ has set us free to follow, see Romans 8:1-3), and through this we are not put to shame.
We project our being uprightness even more when we allow the Way to teach us His righteous rules and statutes.
At this point, I ask myself – is there a point to me going through all this? Perhaps it’ll make more sense as I go through the rest of the Psalm.
I may go through Aleph again tomorrow, but I’ll just go ahead and declare this as a substantial start. I do hope I made some sense here.
Praying for this venture. Until the next post, I pray that the Lord just continues to bless us greatly. I sincerely hope your week is good so far. Stay strong and vigilant!
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