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ה (He)： What we should seek from God
Series: Finding the Gospel in Psalm 119ーA Hymn to the Law 5/22
Psalm 119:33-40
Andy Nagahara
The fifth in the series of Psalm 119, called Hymn to the Law, is the fifth paragraph in the entire series. It is verses 33 through 40, where the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, he, is placed at the beginning of each line. The origin of this script is unfortunately not known.
Today, we will read each of the verses, with a focus on the psalmist’s requests to God. hey have actually always been and still are not only good requests that God is pleased with, but they are essential for our souls to live just like breathing. And they are so important requests for our daily walk that we can make it a habit to pray it when we wake up.
Today I would like to talk about it verse by verse.
1. Teach me, O LORD (33)
Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end.
It says “the way of your decrees”. As it has been a little while since I last spoke to you, so I just want to confirm that “decrees” is a paraphrase of the word “law”, as are the other underlined words in the verses. For the Israelites who lived in the Old Testament times, the law was more than a law or a moral code; rather, it was God’s voice to them, a light that illuminated their path of life.
We read the Bible and try to find our way or confirm it, but if we could do that without difficulty, we would all have a comfortable life now. But we are not the ones who can attain enlightenment simply by reading the Bible. “Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees” is an important request that we must continue to ask daily until we finish our life here on earth otherwise we will not be able to maintain the health of our souls.
2. Give me understanding (34)
Give me understanding,
and I will keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
The Japanese word “satoru” simply means “to understand,” but it is not an understanding that can be attained by thinking on one’s own. It is an understanding that God teaches us. That’s why we have to hope for it. It is an understanding that makes it much easier for us to follow God, and to follow Him joyfully from the heart.
However, this part of the sentence omits the object that corresponds to `what’. Well, apparently it is a broader term than “the law.” I wonder if it means “God Himself”. Unfortunately, however, as creatures, we cannot ” understand” everything about God. On the contrary, the misconception that it is possible to “understand God” in such a way would make us arrogant. This is because as soon as a person thinks they understand God, they will lock God up in their thoughts.
Rather, what we can hope for and understand is a relationship between “God and me” that no one else can interfere with. When something troubling and upsetting happens to us, we easily feel that our relationship with God, which should have been certain until then, is an illusion. So, this is another prayer and request that has to be repeated.
3. Direct me in the path (35)
Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
Can you feel that you are now being led by God’s commands in your life? This psalm was written before Jesus came to this world as a person. So, how were the people who lived during this period led by God?
They memorized what was written in the books of the Law and set it in their hearts as a guidepost for their lives. However, I think it was quite difficult for them to do so. Compared to them, we have a more obvious and definitive guide. It is Jesus himself. We can pray to Him, “Lord Jesus, direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight”.
4. Turn my heart toward your statutes (36)
Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
Although the Japanese translation translates as ” unjust benefit,” in English it is ” selfish gain”. The human heart seeks self-interest. And you are not alone in this. It is the nature of sin that we all have. But if our hearts are set on our own benefits, God’s thoughts and intention will not reach our hearts. The essence of God’s law is the opposite of pursuing this “unjust benefit”. It is about seeking God’s benefits. God’s benefits are not in conflict with our benefits.Rather, it brings us far greater benefits than we selfishly seek. It is not material benefit or gain. No matter how much material gain we obtain, we will never be satisfied, and instead, it will bring about conflict and discord. Therefore, let us continue to pray, “Turn my heart toward your statutes” so that we do not make the mistake of turning our hearts in the wrong direction.
5. Turn my eyes away from worthless (37)
Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.
The ” Unjust Benefit” that I just told you about is one of the “worthless things” that I will talk about in this section. I told you that it conflicts with God’s benefit. Then, those who are too serious may mistakenly think that everything that pleases them, rather than God, is empty and worthless, and that they must pray, “Turn my eyes away from xx,” in almost all things.
Here, what the psalmist is requesting is that God deliver him from a situation in which he has become so focused on something other than God that he cannot take his eyes off of it. When it comes to following Jesus’ back in the walk of life, it does not mean that we should never take our eyes off of his back and enjoy the scenery around us. We should enjoy life with Jesus. But if we don’t watch what Jesus is doing when it looks like we’ve come to a fork in the road, we could be in trouble, like a child getting lost with his parents while they’re preoccupied with something else.
Now, I would like to talk to you about one thing regarding this text itself. Where the Japanese translation reads “your way,” the English translation reads “your word”. It does not necessarily mean that either one is wrong. Before the invention of printing technology, the Bible was copied and transmitted by people. In the process, we have come to have multiple texts that we cannot determine which is correct. And, such differences arise from the choices made by the team that translates each Bible.
Another reason is that the translation is from an ancient language, so that differences arise in places that could be taken either way. As such, the Bible is God’s word, not in the sense that every word of the Bible is God’s word without error, but in the sense that it guides us without error as a whole.
6. Fulfill your promise (38)
Fulfill your promise to your servant,
so that you may be feared.
Pursue love, justice, and peace. In other words, we are encouraged by God to seek His Kingdom. From our point of view, this world may not seem to be getting there at all. But the Kingdom of God is coming in our midst. Where? Here. Right here in our midst! The world is not easily changed by us. We are not even held responsible for it. Yet here in Your Church we have a responsibility to represent the Kingdom of God that is love, justice, and peace. We are the “showcase” for the Kingdom of God. Join me in praying that God would fulfill His will in us.
7. Take away the disgrace (39)
Take away the disgrace I dread,
for your laws are good.
Fear of being slandered is a natural feeling we all have. But if we do not do what we should do and do what we should not do for fear of being slandered by someone else, it will grieve God. Whatever it is, some will slander you for doing it and others will slander you for not doing it. Instead of watching out for someone else’s face, let’s listen to God’s thoughts. This, however, does not mean that we are not encouraged to listen to anyone’s advice and live as we please. There are times when God teaches us through someone else. Of course, we can pray that God keeps us away from slander that is too unreasonable for us and that He protects our hearts from such voices.
8. Preserve my life in your righteousness (40)
How I long for your precepts!
Preserve my life in your righteousness.
We are too small and too weak to survive in this world that is full of dangers and problems. It seems that if God’s justice is not real, we will be swallowed up. But there is no way that those who adore God, who created this world, can be defeated by the forces that rule this world. Even though each one of us is small and weak, Jesus is the one who cares for, protects, and guides us. Our walk is protected by God’s justice. At the same time, God’s justice is realized in the world through us, the believers.
(Prayer) Thank you, God, that you are the one who responds to our requests. Teach us the way of Your law. Give us understanding in our hearts and guide us. May we keep you in our thoughts and never lose sight of you and continue to walk with you. May Your Kingdom shine in us and be the hope of the people. With thanksgiving, we pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Summary
Prayer is a dialogue with God. Because we are children of God, we should feel free to make requests as this is an important form of prayer. We sometimes ask for things that we shouldn’t seek. We don’t need to worry because God does not grant requests that bring us harm. We should focus instead on the things the psalmist says we should seek and keep asking God to grant those requests.
For Discussion
- Of all the requests in today’s psalm, which one resonates with you the most?
- What does it mean for our lives to be preserved in righteousness?