119: Gimel

The third letter of the Hebrew alphabet is gīmel [ג], which means “all”. Gabriele Levy’s Alefbet says gīmel signifies “a dynamic balance between opposing powers … constant transformation, change and motion, and translates literally as camel, an animal we associate with motion and travel between faraway places”.

I think that image may help with these next eight verses of Psalm 119, which, as I read them, are all about sojourning, an obsession with truth and otherworldly priorities.

Psalm 119:17

“Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word.”

Mutiny on the Bounty

Once we get past chocolate and coconut, the word “bounty” is in modern English most often associated with a windfall, like a pirate coming across a heavily laden merchant vessel conveniently undefended. “Deal bountifully” seems an odd request to make, inconsistent with the psalmist’s frequent mentions of service, devotion and, later on, of affliction and suffering. I struggle with the idea of the self-described servant of God looking for a comfortable lifestyle or a sweet deal.

However, I don’t believe the author was praying for a life of financial abundance. As is often the case with modern translations of familiar poetic passages, older readers are sentimentally attached to the traditional King James wording, so translators are extra cautious about going too far afield even when there are sound linguistic reasons to emend the English text. This is very much the case with Psalm 119. Thus, we get “bounty” in our modern translations because the Victorians had “bounty” in theirs. However, a careful look at the way gāmal is used throughout the Hebrew scriptures, not to mention the description of the significance of gīmel above, strongly suggest the psalmist is not asking for a lottery win, a mansion or a Ferrari. He’s merely looking for the ordinary requirements of life. As the Lord Jesus taught, those who serve God’s kingdom can trust him to meet their daily needs such as food, drink and clothing as they sojourn in this world. These are not outrageous expectations or requests of a loving Father.

We can come to the same conclusion from context, as the psalmist goes on to explain his reason for asking. The writer’s objective, after all, is not his own comfort. He simply wants what he needs to continue in undistracted obedience to God. That’s not a bad motive, and it’s one the Lord promises to honor.

Psalm 119:18-20

“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me! My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times.”

Wondrous Things

“Wondrous things” are not fanciful, mystical things. When we come to the word of God, our desire should be to understand the message God intended to communicate, not to read into the text exciting novelties that are more imagination than diligent attention to a practical message. Still, in keeping with the nature of God, there are wonderful things in his law, infinite depths of beauty, wisdom and symmetry that unpack themselves to those who devote themselves to understanding. It’s not inconsistent for a God of wonders to write wonderfully. We should expect it.

The Queen of Sheba came to test Solomon with hard questions. She had heard of his wisdom and the wonders of his kingdom. The Lord Jesus implied her desires were appropriate, even commendable. Greatness should not be a secret. Her conclusion: “The half was not told me!” She heard and saw wonders because she determined to find them.

Two things are necessary to behold wondrous things in the law of God. First, you have to go where it is. You won’t benefit from scripture if you don’t sacrifice the necessary time to read and study it. The Queen of the South came from “the ends of the earth”, and she also brought gifts that demonstrated her level of personal investment. It cost her both time and other valuable assets. It didn’t come free. Understanding was worth it to her, and she went south again wealthier than she arrived. Second, as the psalmist says here, you need the Lord to open your eyes. If the Spirit of God does not personally inform your understanding of scripture, what you take from it will just be novelty and fancy, as when someone spontaneously opines about the meaning of a word or phrase in the Bible without comparing scripture with scripture.

I Am a Sojourner

How is a man’s restless spirit relevant to the understanding of God’s commandments? The psalmist declares, “I am a sojourner”, not just “in this land”, but on the earth. No matter where this man goes, he is not putting down roots or building an earthly legacy the way others aspire to.

There’s much we might say about sojourning, but probably the most important is that the sojourner is different from both settler and invader. Invaders arrive to take possession of property they may not have earned or deserved. They are probably only staying if someone more powerful insists on it, and when they leave, your goodies are going with them. Settlers occupy themselves with the good things around them, and how to produce more of the same, eventually building a safe, happy domicile for family and offspring.

The spiritual sojourner cares for neither spoil nor permanence. Like Abraham, he is looking for something of transcendent importance. He’s not planning to stay and he’s not asking for anything he hasn’t earned. He’s passing his time on earth undistracted until he can get to what really matters to him. The psalmist prays, “I am a sojourner on the earth”, therefore “hide not your commandments from me.” We might pray, “Lord, I’m not attached to anything here. Please give me the privilege of seeing what really matters without distraction.”

Of course, to do so with integrity, we’ll have to live as if that’s true.

Psalm 119:21-22

“You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones, who wander from your commandments. Take away from me scorn and contempt, for I have kept your testimonies.”

The psalmist seems to be contrasting his own devotion to the word of God with the frivolous treatment it receives from those who do not value it. “Insolent” and “accursed” are harsh descriptions, but very much biblical ones. I do not believe he’s asking the Lord for personal relief from the scorn and contempt that spews out of the mouths of the insolent and accursed. They will think what they think of the faithful and say what they say. Nobody will tell them any different, and only the judgment will sort it out. Rather, as Abraham, pointed out that it would be unjust for God to judge the righteous with the wicked, I believe the psalmist is appealing to God not to treat an obedient servant with the same divine scorn rebels and scofflaws richly merit. God rebukes the insolent before the world. If and when he must rebuke his servants, he does not do so in public.

Psalm 119:23-24

“Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes. Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.”

If any of these 176 lines bring King David to mind as the psalm’s potential author, these might be the most likely. He was the target of several plots cooked up by powerful people from the time he began to faithfully serve Saul until, on David’s deathbed, Prince Adonijah plotted to seize the throne from the king’s chosen successor. However, the psalmist does not claim to be king, he merely says powerful people are plotting against him. Several OT faithful non-royals fall into that category, including Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah and no end of other less notable prophets.

Still, whoever the writer may have been, he is minimally concerned about those scheming against him. He plans to take his direction from the words of God whether the outcome of his faithfulness is favor, disgrace or something worse.

May we all cultivate that sort of spiritual fortitude.