October 19 / Psalm 119:49-64

Psalm 119:49-64

Psalm 119, Day 4. You may recall three days ago that my intro to Psalm 119 included seven or eight synonyms for “the Law”. Those synonyms that I listed were “testimonies”, “ways”, “precepts”, “statutes”, “commands” / “commandments, “judgments”, “decrees”, and “word”. Six of those synonyms are straightforward substitutes, with no modifiers needed. Two however – ways and word – are awkward synonyms without a helping article or pronoun. A good “helper” for both of those synonyms is “My”, as in “My ways” and “My word”. We are fairly familiar with “My word” when we see it in either the first person (So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void…, Isaiah 55:11) or the second person (Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path…, Psalm 119:105).

Which brings me to “My ways”… This phrase is, I believe, my favorite synonym for “the Law” (notwithstanding John’s comment yesterday about “comfortable translations”). To me “the Law” and precepts and testimonies and other synonyms can indeed sound rigid if we don’t dig deeper into the loving meaning that the Lord had for us – again, thanks to John for initiating that discussion yesterday. But “My ways” brings me immediately into God’s heart. What are “His ways”? Everything that is good and wonderful and righteous and holy and…whatever descriptors you want to add. I find that I can more easily seek “His ways” than “His decrees”. I know it’s just semantic, but if I want to remember what Psalm 119 is all about, I want to remember it as reflections on “God’s ways”, not on His Law. It’s a warmer feeling!

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