119: Aleph

Hebrew proverbs frequently involve line pairs, with the second line being some kind of restatement of the idea expressed in the first, or else providing a contrast, clarification or correction to it. In an extended series of these, such as we find in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, context is generally irrelevant, though there are occasional exceptions. The subject may change twenty times in the course of a chapter.

Psalm 119’s 22 sections are not like Hebrew proverbs, though many of our Bibles present them in a similar visual layout. This can be unfortunate, because while the structure is comprised of predictable patterns, the content is not. In many cases, the “second line” of a pair scans as the conclusion of a sentence, with neither contrast nor reinforcement involved. Sometimes a sentence actually extends into the next verse, as it does between verses 2 and 3, or a thought may continue though the sentence does not. Thus, a visual layout that presents the psalm like a series of proverbs is no aid to comprehension.

Accordingly, I will try to break up our psalm in line with the ideas it expresses rather than with rigid deference to the poetic structure. Each of eight lines may start with the same Hebrew letter but, clever as it may be, drawing attention to those first words gives us no useful information in any other language.

Let’s dive in. Of the ten Hebrew “synonyms” for law that we discussed last week, this opening section has seven: law, testimonies, ways, precepts, statutes, commandments and rules. “Statutes” is the only one repeated.

Psalm 119:1-3

“Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!”

On Being Blessed

The psalmist uses the word “blessed” only three times in the entire psalm. These first two apply to men; the third occurrence is in verse 12, where the psalmist blesses God.

In our English Bibles, “blessed” is a very common term. We find it 75 times in the Psalms alone. In English, “blessed” is also a distinctly religious term. The moment we apply it to a man, it automatically invokes a relationship with Heaven. We can’t get away from it. We can call a man content, happy, fortunate, affluent, joyous, well-off and dozens of other things, none of which need imply the involvement of deity in his positive state of being. The moment we substitute the word “blessed”, however, we have brought God into the picture and made him responsible for the man’s pleasure in his circumstances, because the blessing of human beings is by definition God’s work. Even when we speak of men blessing other men in scripture, the idea is always that God will hear the blessing and do the necessary heavy lifting. This probably explains why the word “blessed” irks unbelievers in a way “fortunate” does not.

The same is not universally the case in Hebrew, where two words are most frequently translated “blessed”. The first is bāraḵ, which, when applied to men, carries the traditional English meaning of a blessing received from God. The second is the one that appears in these first two verses of Psalm 119, which simply means “happy”. The emphasis of the psalmist is on the outcome of a particular conduct. He is telling the reader two courses of action are guaranteed to profit him.

1/ Blamelessness

The first of these is walking in the law of the Lord, which is to say living in accordance with the divine plan as revealed by God. The result of this pattern of behavior is blamelessness, which is the same word used to describe a sacrifice “without blemish”, one that has been fully examined and found to be without fault in any respect. The term carries the sense of completeness or wholeness. A blameless man may still be strongly disliked by his peers, as the example of the Lord Jesus demonstrates, but he never has to worry about what he sees when he looks in the mirror because his conscience is always clear. In this sense, he is happy.

2/ Seeking God

The second “happy man” is the man who seeks God with his whole heart. He keeps God’s testimonies. He does no wrong. He walks in the Lord’s ways. He does these things not because he is fearful of punishment for failing to obey, or out of a grudging sense of duty, or even out of big-picture view of the world in which things will not “work out well” unless he does, but with the delight and enthusiasm of a lover looking for opportunities to serve his beloved. His whole being understands that “if you love me, you will keep my commandments”, and that’s what he sets out to demonstrate. Because he is engaged in doing what he loves most, he cannot help but find himself fulfilled in the process.

Psalm 119:4-6

“You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.”

Again, the psalmist requires three verses to express his full idea. First, he reminds the reader that God did not intend his precepts to be observed half-heartedly or in part, but with all one’s being. The word “diligently” means “exceedingly” or even “vehemently”. Perhaps you are reminded of Deuteronomy 6, which the Lord quotes in the gospels: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Then he adds this: “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.” Love can only properly express itself through occupation with God’s commands and wholehearted obedience to them. If it’s not consistent with the word of God, it’s not love.

Second comes a statement of personal aspiration, the first of many throughout the psalm. Having established that God requires certain behaviors carried out with a particular attitude, the psalmist now expresses the hope that he will be able to live up to the standard God is setting. By keeping his eyes fixed on the entire spectrum of God’s commands, he hopes to avoid being shamed. The word for “be put to shame” literally means to turn pale, to be so disappointed that your body revolts and expresses itself involuntarily.

This can be avoided if only the psalmist is able to keep the Lord’s precepts consistently.

Psalm 119:7-8

“I will praise you with an upright heart when I learn your righteous rules. I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me!”

I Will

Next, we go from aspiration to promise. The words “I will” occur fifteen times in Psalm 119, the vast majority in its first six sections. These are the translators’ best attempts to express commitment, but in fact the words “I will” are inferred; they do not directly translate any single word or words in the underlying Hebrew. We might think the writer is making a sort of oath here, but that is not the case. He is simply giving voice to what he believes is appropriate to the circumstances: if God will enable him to learn his righteous rules, then he will respond with praise from a heart that is oriented Godward.

An Upright Heart

When we consider the “upright heart”, David is the biblical example. When God appeared to Solomon a second time after the dedication of the temple he had built, he did not make abstract suggestions about how Solomon should conduct himself. He simply said, “Behave like your father”, and then specified the things David did that pleased God: he had an upright heart, he did what God commanded, and he kept the Lord’s rules. Praise from an upright heart is praise that has no secret motives, subtleties or hidden agendas. Being thoroughly schooled in the righteous rules of God enables our worship to be sincere and genuine, appropriate to a God who is faithful.

Do Not Forsake

The section finishes with what may seem a rather strange disconnect. The psalmist has been aspiring, promising and committing himself to pursuing the knowledge of God. Now he adds a strange request: “Do not utterly forsake me.” We might be forgiven for thinking his concern comes a little out of the blue.

Still, the word of God addresses the fear of abandonment repeatedly. The Lord knows we need to be reminded of his faithfulness. So he promised Jacob, alone in the wilderness, “I will not leave you [same word] until I have done what I promised.” Moses promised it again in his final speech to Israel: “He will not leave you or forsake you.” The Lord then made the same promise personally to Joshua when he undertook the responsibility of leading the nation: “I will not leave you or forsake you.”

Perhaps then, we should think of this last line not as a lack of confidence in God’s faithfulness, but as the psalmist claiming a promise God has made repeatedly for his comfort.