Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Bountiful Dealings in Psalm 119

I love Psalm 119. It always hits home to me. The person who wrote it clearly dealt with great hardships. It was likely written by a person taken captive and deported in Nebuchadnezzar’s third and last removal of the Jewish people taken to Babylon.

"[Gimel]
Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word. 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. You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones, who wander from your commandments. Take away from me scorn and contempt, for I have kept your testimonies. Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes. Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors." - Psalms 119:17-24 ESV

This Psalm has a portion for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This is the third portion. It would be 'C' if we compared it to our English letters 'C' of ABC... third. Aleph speaks of blessing, Bet of purity and now there is Gimel which involves 'dealings'.

Here is a person taken away captive but God's word is their focus.

Each line blesses me. Realigns me. God's gracious bountiful dealings... I need to see them. My eyes must be opened. Scorn and accusation must be removed from me. I settle into meditation and rehearse God's testimonies (accounts of past redemption in peoples and nations.) Then delight fills me.

We are sojourners in the Earth filled with Heaven's light.

Lord give us words that are born from meditation on truth. Let us speak of your bountiful dealings. Open our eyes and our mouths today.

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