Psalm 119:161-176
Psalm 119, Day 11, the end. It seems fitting to me that the focus I see in today’s reading is praise. See Ps. 119:164,171,172,175. This has been a joyful 11-day trip for me through Psalm 119. Seeing the psalmist’s use of all those synonyms and his alphabetic acrostic mode… Even though we don’t see the Hebrew, we know it’s there, and what an effort the psalmist made to put it together!
We do need to praise God regularly for His Law – His Statutes, His Decrees, His Precepts, His Commandments, His Ordinances, His Testimonies, His Word, His Ways – however we see them. Francis Schaeffer once wrote a book entitled How Should We Then Live? A good question. Psalm 119 provides the answer, 176 verses worth! Great peace have those who love Your law; nothing can make them stumble. (v. 165)
How right you are, Fred! Praise God for giving us His Word!
Early on in our journey through Psalm 119, I asked what the psalmist really means by “the law” and posited that he doesn’t mean just a list of rules and regulations. I asked us all to ponder what the psalmist is really talking about. The following day Fred offered that he finds “ways” (i.e., God’s ways) to be his favorite of the synonyms — less rigid than “law” and some other synonyms.
So how about you? What do you think? What is the psalmist really getting at with “the law” and all those synonyms? I would very much like to hear what others have to say.
I still think of them as laws. From these basic laws come rafts of man’s interpretations. Just look at all the “laws” on the books in British and American legal systems. And those are just two countries’ systems. We have found lots of ways to dilute God’s basic laws – for the good of man. Although we know these laws, how far have we strayed, or twisted the law to suit our needs?
That’s a great final question, Tom! Thanks for contributing to the conversation.
I like to take Scripture verses personally and look for specific messages for me. I used to think of “laws” and “rules” as things to try to avoid or ignore or bend to suit my needs and desires. After all, I have free will, don’t I? And why shouldn’t I bend the rules to conform to what I wanted?! I did that and got away with it (whatever “it” I was trying to bend to my own will, whether it was speeding on the highway or underage drinking, or ??). My rebellious years…
Over the years, as the bent rules piled up in my life, the consequences of my actions caught up to me, and I eventually had to deal with fixing the wrongs my ignoring the rules cost me. Sad and painful indeed, laced with guilt and anxiety and damaged relationships about the wrongs I had done.
I reflected on and took the Psalmist’s words to be passing on some of their hard-won experience so those of us reading those words may not have to go through a painful lesson; a sharing of wisdom and knowledge and God’s grace to bring us peace and maybe help ease us through a rebellion. Yes, I still rebel from time-to-time, but now I read and listen and modify my behavior so the consequences don’t break me down like before. I’m a work-in-progress…
Thanks for that personal word, Bruce. That’s where the rubber meets the road!
So what about my own thoughts as to what the psalmist is talking about in reference to “the law” or all of its synonyms? As I said, I don’t think “the law” is just a bunch of “dos and don’ts”, just a list of rules and regulations. The psalmist seems to have something much richer in mind, which I think is one reason for the use of all the other synonyms. I think Fred is headed in the right direction in favoring “(God’s) ways” as more expressive than “the law”. For my part, I’d like to suggest “fundamental Truth” as a reasonable substitute for “the law” and all the other synonyms. It seems to me that “fundamental Truth” fits pretty well throughout this psalm. But, of course, as soon as I say that, I am reminded of my own cautions against any such substitution as a form of fiddling with Scripture, which can be dangerous, especially if it is just to suit our own preferences.
Another thought I have, though, is to connect Psalm 119 with John 1, recognizing that “(God’s) Word” is, of course, one of the synonyms and that Jesus is “the Word”: (In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us… — John 1:1,14a) So let’s think about that. Isn’t the law and God’s written Word an expression of God’s character and His love for us? Similarly, as the Word, Jesus likewise expresses Who God is, but Jesus is the ultimate such Expression, the ultimate Revelation of God, and the “exact imprint of His nature.” (Heb. 1:3) Jesus says, “Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9) We also know that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law. (Mt. 5:17) So, what if we think of Psalm 119 as not just about the written Word, but really about the Living Word, Jesus Christ? All the praises of the law, all the delight in God’s ways, all the dedication to keeping God’s testimonies — could it (and should it) not all apply to our Lord Jesus Christ? Food for thought.
(And since Jesus is “the Way, and the Truth, and the Life” [John 14:6], perhaps “fundamental Truth” would be a legitimate substitute synonym after all…)
You are quite deep in the “keep” with this post, John!! Very thought-provoking!! Your “fundamental Truth” sounds almost like a midpoint between the “harshness” of statutes (commandments, rules, decrees, etc.) and the softer sense of “His ways”. Surprisingly, however, it sits as a good synonym for both the harsh and soft levels. Nice!