A couple of months ago I mentioned that I was reading in the early part of Luke’s gospel using Search the Scriptures to guide my reading and questions. I’ve since completed that, done some reading/studying in 1 Peter using a different method and have recommenced Search the Scriptures reading in Genesis.
In just the second week of readings from Luke I came across three instances where the Bible text didn’t accord with what I been told it meant over the years. It’s my fault because I had blindly accepted and believed what people had told me without checking and without question. These three teachings or statements are:
My first use of a fountain pen (aside from the obligatory use of ‘cartridge pens’ back in primary school in the mid-70s) was around October 2015. At the time I was doing some journaling along with my Bible reading and recognised that my handwriting was pretty ordinary. I did some research and came across the idea that writing with a fountain pen can improve one’s handwriting because you generally slow down a little and take more care with the letters being formed.
For some reason every six or twelve months I tend to switch Linux distros. Some of that history can be read here, here, here, here, here and here.
My mid-2021 switch has been from Fedora 32 running Gnome 3 to Arch running i3. What precipitated this flip? A couple of things: a new release of the Gnome Desktop Environment had been released and Fedora seemed a little slow (to me) in making it available in their stable branch. Whilst I can appreciate the stability and certainty that brings many users, in this case I wanted to try out Gnome 40 a little sooner. I realise I could have moved to the development branch (called Rawhide), but I instead opted for a clean install of something else. Interestingly (to me, anyway), that decision to move to Gnome 40 is what also moved me on from Gnome to re-look at some tiling window managers. But more on that shortly.
Over the past week-and-a-half I’ve been spending time reading the early stages of Luke’s gospel. I’m not reading aimlessly or randomly but have begun using Search the Scriptures - which is a book first published in 1934 and revised in 1949 and 1967 that seeks to encourage regular, systematic Bible reading and study.
The material in Search the Scriptures covers the entire Bible and contains studies to take exactly three years if it is used daily. A day’s study involves reading a portion of Scripture and then answering two or three questions about that day’s reading.
We’re looking at the eleventh stanza of Psalm 119 - verses 81 to 88 prefixed with the letter kaf. This will bring us to the half way mark in the Psalm.
These verses, from the NASB®, interspersed with my comments are:
81. My soul languishes for Your salvation; I wait for Your word.
- Interesting to see the words ’languishes’ and ‘wait’ in this verse. It runs counter to the idea common in Christian (and other) circles that we always need to be doing something.
- The word languishes is from the Hebrew kalah (H3615) and expresses the idea of ending or completing, to faint or to fail. It is more than just lying around and strikes me as the idea of fading away.
- And this languishing soul is looking for the salvation that comes from the Lord. It can only come from the Lord. So David waits hopefully and patiently for the Lord’s word to be fulfilled.
82. My eyes fail with longing for Your word, While I say, “When will You comfort me?”
- Continues this idea from yesterday’s verse of waiting expectantly and hopefully.
- This time David is seeking comfort from the Lord’s word - the fulfilment of the word of the Lord.
- Matthew Henry observes that:
- ‘The salvation and consolation of God’s people are secured to them by the word, which will certainly be fulfilled in its season.’
- ‘The promised salvation and comfort may be, and often are, long deferred, so that they are ready to faint and fall in the expectation of them.’
- ‘Though we think the time long ere the promised salvation and comfort come, yet we must still keep our eye upon that salvation, and resolve to take up with nothing short of it.’
83. Though I have become like a wineskin in the smoke, I do not forget Your statutes.
- I’m not sure what this simile is pointing to. What are the characteristics of a wineskin in smoke? Wrinkled? Grey? Blotchy? Smelly? Unusable until cleaned? Permanently damaged?
- The reference to not forgetting the Lord’s statutes would point to age or the passing of time.
- Regardless of the cultural transference of the smoky wineskin analogy, the point is that the Psalmist is declaring he doesn’t forget the Lord’s statutes. These are a part of his identity and direction because he has long been reading, memorising, studying, meditating on and seeking to live by and abide in these statutes.
- Matthew Henry suggests that, ‘a leathern bottle, which, if it hung any while in the smoke, was not only blackened with soot, but dried, and parched, and shrivelled up. David was thus wasted by age, and sickness, and sorrow.’ Despite that unattractive picture, he continues, ‘Whatever our outward condition is we must not cool in our affection to the word of God, nor let that slip out of our minds; no care, no grief, must crowd that out.’
84. How many are the days of Your servant? When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me?
- There seems to be a a common thread through this and the preceding three verses - that David is getting old and/or frail and he wants to see God’s vindication before he dies.
- David’s soul is languishing (v. 81), his eyes are failing (v. 82), he has become like a wineskin subjected to smoke (v. 83) and now he is asking how many days he has.
- David is seeking justice to be mete out by God on those who persecute David.
- The first clause reminds me of Psalm 90:12, ‘So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.’ They are coming from different places and have different emphases, however.
85. The arrogant have dug pits for me, Men who are not in accord with Your law.
- Continues the theme of affliction by David’s enemies.
- The pit that has been dug is (hopefully) metaphorical. The Hebrew words translated as ‘dug pits’ can also be read as plotting a fall - so it is conspiring to bring about David’s downfall or at least a fall.
- David draws a comparison between those who are digging the pits and those ‘who are not is accord with Your law’.
- This idea of being ‘in accord with Your law’ isn’t referring to those who pay lip service to God and His laws, but to those who are living consistently as God would have them. It’s those who aren’t wilfully sinning but instead intentionally seeking to live holy lives.
86. All Your commandments are faithful; They have persecuted me with a lie; help me!
- Further commentary on those who are persecuting David. The pits they have dug (from verse 85) are lies. The intention is to discredit David.
- There is a strong contrast between the commandments of the Lord - which are faithful, trustworthy and true, and the lies of those seeking to persecute David.
- David seeks the Lord’s help against his persecutors. He anticipates some relief because the Lord’s commandments are faithful.
87. They almost destroyed me on earth, But as for me, I did not forsake Your precepts.
- David lets God know (and us) that the plotting and digging and persecution and affliction against him almost succeeded - ’they almost destroyed me’.
- The qualifier ‘on earth’ is interesting because it points to a knowledge that there is something more. Perhaps it is because his thought or prayer is expressed to God ‘in heaven’, but it strikes me that David has an understanding that his eternal future could not be destroyed.
- And the basis for that confidence is because he did not forsake the Lord’s precepts. David was obedient to the word of God and trusting in God’s revealed character and nature.
88. Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.
- The Psalmist is again seeking/praying for personal revival (not in the sense it was/is used in Christian circles today) - for the Lord to preserve and restore David.
- And this request is consistent with the Lord’s lovingkindness - because of His demonstrated love for His people and His creation.
- David concludes the stanza by stating the reason for his request - so he can keep the testimony of the Lord’s mouth - to be able to attest to the Lord’s goodness and trustworthiness.
This brings us to the end of the first half of Psalm 119. I intend to take a break from meditating on the verses from this Psalm and posting those reflections for the next few months and resume the second half in July.
We’re looking at the tenth stanza of Psalm 119 - verses 73 to 80 prefixed with the letter yod.
These verses, from the NASB®, interspersed with my comments are:
73. Your hands made me and fashioned me; Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.
- Begins (as all sensible thinking should) with an acknowledgement of God’s creatorship and, therefore, a prayer for understanding.
- Here the understanding is sought to enable the Psalmist to learn the commandments. Usually one would learn the Lord’s commandments to gain understanding (what we may call wisdom for right living), but David asks for understanding to provide the imperative for him to learn.
- In a sense David’s thinking is ‘give me understanding so I may gain even more understanding by learning Your commandments’.
- It is akin to an earlier verse in the Psalm - verse 18 - ‘Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law.’ My comments on this earlier verse are here.
74. May those who fear You see me and be glad, Because I wait for Your word.
- An interesting flow of thoughts here. Because David waits for the Lord’s word (we’ll get to this in a moment), he prays that those who cross David’s path with be glad and respond favourably.
- This may be conveying a general gladness when one believer sees/meets another, but it may be more specific because David has been vilified by ungodly people for his faith and the favour God has shown him.
- The idea of ‘waiting’ is from the Hebrew yachal (H3176) which means to wait (no surprise there!) but, by implication picks up the idea of hoping and trusting. It is not a forlorn wait, but an expectant one which will be satisfied.
75. I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are righteous, And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.
- David returns to the theme of affliction which has been referred to in verses 50, 67 and 71. I would be careful in attributing the affliction in verse 50 to the Lord, but I think it becomes clearer from 67 to 71 to 75 that David identifies the source of the affliction/correction/discipline as the Lord.
- Here David is more explicit about both the Lord’s righteous judgements, and the source/purpose of David’s afflictions.
- The purpose of the affliction is to build faithfulness in the recipient. The source of the affliction is “You” - the Lord. And the basis is God’s righteous judgement/assessment of David’s condition and need.
- This verse sounds like it was written in a clear moment, not a clouded one.
76. O may Your lovingkindness comfort me, According to Your word to Your servant.
- Almost a follow up to the previous verse - that, once afflicted and corrected, David will be comforted by the Lord’s lovingkindness.
- The source or basis for seeking this comfort is the Lord’s word.
- Is the word of the Lord the source of the comfort itself; or the source of the knowledge of where (and why) the comfort will come? Both.
77. May Your compassion come to me that I may live, For Your law is my delight.
- Sounds like David is trying to bargain - ‘have compassion and let me live, because I love your law’. As mercenary as it sounds, it does recognise God’s sovereignty and rule over all things.
- By the same token it also recognises our responsibility (response-ability) to God’s creatorship and authority.
- David also recognises (or verbalises) that the life he wants to live is one that is fuelled by God’s compassion. He wants to live on the right side of God and indicates that faith, humility and obedience are at the core of that.
78. May the arrogant be ashamed, for they subvert me with a lie; But I shall meditate on Your precepts.
- The Psalmist returns to the theme of being slandered and maligned by his enemies.
- The idea of ‘subversion’ is the Hebrew avath (H5315) and means to wrest, to deal perversely, to subvert. David’s enemies are attempting to paint a false image or, in today’s parlance, ‘create a false narrative’.
- David’s solution is not to turn to the civil courts, social media or a PR manager, but to the word of the Lord. David will meditate on the Lord’s precepts.
79. May those who fear You turn to me, Even those who know Your testimonies.
- Another somewhat weird verse today (I think, anyway) - that David would seek that people who fear the Lord would turn to David.
- I think David is seeking support or empathy from believers within the Israeli nation. It seems this is tied up with David being afflicted and slandered by his enemies and is seeking some show of support and kindness from other ’true believers’.
- Matthew Henry comments that, “He does not mean so much that they might side with him, and take up arms in his cause, as that they might love him, and pray for him, and associate with him.”
80. May my heart be blameless in Your statutes, So that I will not be ashamed.
- David makes an interesting connection between blamelessness and being subject to shame.
- The blamelessness David is seeking is in or compared to the Lord’s statutes. So he is seeking justification before the law.
- I think the idea of not being ashamed is relative to approaching the Lord. David is seeking purity of heart so that he can approach the Lord with confidence. This is reminiscent of Hebrews 4:16 where the writer speaks of having boldness to approach the throne of grace.