As we continue through Psalm 119, we're pausing one more day in the aleph stanza, verses 1-8. Today I'd like us to look at two verses in particular.....the first verse, "How blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord," and the eighth verse, "I shall keep Thy statutes; do not forsake me utterly."
Let's begin at the beginning, in the first verse. What does that mean? I asked you to consider more closely two of the words in that verse, blessed and blameless. Let's focus on them.
Here's some of what I discovered about the word "blessed", translated from the Hebrew word eser. This word is always used to refer to people and never refers to God. It means a state of bliss, and is frequently connected with wisdom or used to describe a person or nation who enjoys a relationship with God.
The word "blameless" is a translation of the Hebrew word tamiym, meaning blameless, complete. In some of its occurrences in Scripture (in Exodus and Leviticus, for example) it is used to describe an animal to be sacrificed to the Lord. It is also used in a moral sense, as linked with truth, virtue, righteousness, and used to describe one's relationship with God. The Hebrew Lexicon defines it as complete, whole, entire, innocent, having integrity.
So, let's put all that together. How blessed......what a state of bliss, relationship with God......are those whose way is blameless.....righteous, complete, whole, entire, having integrity. Looking further into the text, who does the psalmist say are blessed?
v.1 those who walk in the law of the Lord
v.2 those who observe His testimonies, who seek Him with all their heart
v.3 those who do no unrighteousness, who walk in His ways
v.4 those who keep His precepts diligently
OK.....now that we know all that, should we just pat ourselves on the back because we looked up the definition of a Hebrew word and made a list and have gained some knowledge? I think not. Rather, I think we need to check to see where we each line up against that list. And I don't mean checking to see where your friend/neighbor/co-worker lines up! This is time for self-examination!
The psalmist has told us there are blessings that come when I follow God's way. How do I know what that way is? I know by spending TIME in God's word......not just reading what someone else has written, or hearing what someone has to say about it, but by spending time in His word. We need to be more like the Berean Christians about whom we read in the New Testament....."examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so." (Acts 17:11)
If you have time, you might want to do some further research to see who in Scripture is described as blameless. Here's a hint....look at the life of Noah, or the life of Abraham. Being blameless, following God's way, is not just about keeping the law, keeping a set of rules. Both Noah and Abraham were around BEFORE the law was given.
Finally, let's look briefly at that last verse in the stanza......"do not forsake me utterly". What???? Doesn't Hebrews tell us that God will never leave or forsake us?? So what does this mean?? To fully understand the phrase, I think it is helpful to have some background in Old Testament studies or to have studied Covenant. If you don't have that, let me try to break it down for you. The psalmist, a Jew, would have understood God's covenant relationship with His people Israel. He would have known that covenant is a solemn, binding agreement. In "Sweeter Than Chocolate", Pam Gillaspie says, "The psalmist knew the Law. He knew the covenant required obedience. When the psalmist says, 'Do not forsake me utterly', he is asking God to keep His end of the covenant. The psalmist plans to keep God's statutes, and when he does, God will not forsake him." In other words, the psalmist is saying, "I will do my part...I will keep the Law...I will obey You. I'm asking You, God, to keep Your part...to keep Your promises....to not forsake me."
What does all this have to do with you and me? Look back through this stanza and see what the psalmist's prayers are, the requests he is making for himself. And what promises or commitments is he making? What about you? As you have read and studied this portion of the Psalm, what requests and commitments are you making?
We're ready now to move ahead to the second stanza, the Beth stanza. In the first eight verses, the psalmist has talked about keeping God's way so as not to be ashamed, which implies a contrast with those who don't keep God's way. The second stanza opens with a question......how? Read verses 9-16 and note any observations, repeated words, things you might not understand. How does he answer the question how?
I would love to hear how your study is progressing, what insights you are gaining. Please leave a comment!
"For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it." (Ezra 7:10)
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