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ו (Waw) “I trust in your word”
Series: Finding the Gospel in Psalm 119ーA Hymn to the Law 6/22
Psalm 119:41-48
Andy Nagahara
The sixth in the series of Psalm 119, called Hymn to the Law, is the sixth paragraph in the entire series. It is verses 41 through 4８, where the sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Waw, is placed at the beginning of each line.
Although there are different theories, this character is supposed to derive from the “וו” (hook) in its form.
This paragraph consists of two parts: the first half is the psalmist’s requests to God, and the second half is the feelings of those who trust in God.
Now, let’s read the first half up to verse 43.
A. Trust in God’s word (41-43)
41 May your unfailing love come to me, O LORD,
your salvation according to your promise;
42 then I will answer the one who taunts me,
for I trust in your word.
43 Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth,
for I have put my hope in your laws.
1. Accept mercy and salvation (41,42)
While in the previous paragraph, each verse contained a request to God, this paragraph contains two requests.
At first the psalmist asks, “O Lord, may your mercy and salvation come to me according to your promise”.
Are you experiencing God’s mercy and salvation for you? Here, it seems that the one who humiliated the psalmist was one-sidedly hurling insulting words at him.
I am sure you are well aware of the fact that our hearts will wilt if we are accused in such a way. That is why the psalmist asked God for help. Whether the psalm is sung about a personal event or about the experience of a people is not so important.
Because for us, too, this can be applied to our personal events and to what we experience as a church. When things don’t go the way we want them to, when we find that what we envisioned doesn’t come true, then we can easily lose the feeling of trust in God. Has God abandoned me? But the psalmist knows that is not true. He knows with his rational mind that he just can’t feel it.
The same is true for us. “I trust in God’s word.” Please let me experience your mercy and salvation so that I can say that from the bottom of my heart.
There is absolutely no need to refrain from crying out and asking for such.You don’t have to force yourself to say, “I trust in God’s word,” even though your heart doesn’t feel that way. Instead, let us seek God as this psalmist did. The singing time after the sermon is a time for that as well. This is something I urge you to seek seriously. Worship is not a ritual. Worship is meaningless unless your souls come before God and talk with Him face to face. Even if you want to walk in trust in God’s Word, you cannot fulfill that desire unless you make worship the most important time of all the things you do in your life.
2. Walk in truth instead of lies(43)
In the next verse, verse 43, another request of the psalmist is stated as “Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws.” What makes this request different from many other requests is that it is not a request for oneself, but for others. Living a life of trust in God” is not just about you living a healthy and happy life, but it is also about you talking to someone so that they will receive God’s mercy and salvation through you. It is the way of life of “loving the world” that is our third covenant. In order to reach out to the world, we need to have words of truth in our mouths. As we continue to do so, we should continue to expect that God will show us His judgment, even though it may not happen while we are alive on this earth.
Through the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S., the descendants of those who were brought over as slaves have largely regained the human rights that had been taken away from them. Today, discrimination still persists. But that does not mean that anyone underestimates the civil rights movement. It was a great example of God’s judgment on earth in response to the long-awaited desire of the people.
Lets imagine how Jesus would look at the various problems of this world with His thoughts and feelings. As for our own lives, Jesus assures us. We are never swallowed up in our problems alone and without help from anyone. For the Lord Jesus is with us, and here His body is with us. That is why we can put our trust in the Lord’s word and continue to speak words of truth.
I would like to share with you some words from the Your Church website.
“We are an Open and Affirming church. We welcome people of any gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, race, ethnicity, faith background, physical and mental ability, marital, political, and socioeconomic status. We invite all to join us in worship, friendship, and leadership. Whoever you are and wherever you are on life’s spiritual journey, you are welcome here.”
If someone is being restricted in their rights, discriminated against, or persecuted for any of the reasons raised here, I believe Jesus would be on their side. We therefore want to use words of truth and walk the path of truth to be with that Jesus. Each one of us does not necessarily speak of the same thing. We are all different in how we approach the things we do. Also, Pastor Ikeda’s main concern and my main concern are different. There are also pastors in the neighborhood who are helping those who are being treated inhumanely at the immigration office, and churches that are working on children’s cafeteria for children from families with financial difficulties.
B. A law that gives freedom? (44-48)
44 I will always obey your law,
for ever and ever.
45 I will walk about in freedom,
for I have sought out your precepts.
46 I will speak of your statutes before kings
and will not be put to shame,
47 for I delight in your commands
because I love them.
48 I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love,
and I meditate on your decrees.
1. The freedom of Christians (44-46, 1Cor. 9:19)
In verse 45, we read, “I will walk about in freedom.” Didn’t it seem to contradict the verse right before that, “I will always obey your law, forever and ever”? What I would like to learn from this part is that truly keeping the law and living freely are not only not contradictory, but are one and the same thing.
The Protestant Church, which we are also a part of, started out with the “Reformation” that took place about 500 years ago. The Reformation began in 1517 by Martin Luther, who was a priest and theologian in the Catholic Church at the time. In the third year of the Reformation, Luther wrote a book with the title “On the Freedom of a Christian.” It is not a large book in volume, but it is one of the “three great documents of the Reformation” that tells the meaning of the Reformation.
It begins with two seemingly contradictory statements, “The Christian is the freest master of all things, and is not enslaved to anything. The Christian is the most obliged servant of all things, and is subject to all things.” It seems that Luther had in mind the word that Paul mentioned in his first letter to the Corinthians, that is, “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.” There is a crucial difference between the freedom that is generally used and the freedom that the Bible teaches. In the common sense, freedom is freedom from something. But the freedom that the Bible teaches is freedom toward God. You can never be truly free from something, because as soon as you are free from it, something else comes up, and then something else, and then you face endless new inconveniences.
But freedom toward God is not the same as freedom “from something”. Since our freedom is freedom “toward” God, we are always on our way to it. In that walk, we sometimes have to shake off the inconveniences that seem to cling to us as we move forward. At times, it may seem easier to live if we stop speaking the words of truth that I spoke about earlier. In verse 46, just as the Old Testament prophets did, God expects us to be free and equal to kings (authorities) and to speak against them when necessary. And we also know what struggles the prophets took upon themselves when they admonished the king. It is not easy to serve people as a “free” servant. So where does the power come from? The answer is found in the two remaining verses. Let us read them again.
2. Turn my eyes away from worthless (37)
for I delight in your commands because I love them. I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees.
What is portrayed here is the essence of the worship we offer to God. It is when we all sing to God together after this sermon, and it is also something that we dedicate ourselves to, both alone and with others, in the place where we are each placed.
For the people of the Old Covenant, God’s words, commandments, and admonitions were those recorded in the Book of the Law. However, it has been misunderstood and used as “legalism” to make people suffer. Jesus came as God’s Word to reclaim God’s Word from “legalism” and to once again restore man’s connection to God.
Let me read a few verses from the first chapter of John’s Gospel.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.
11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
16 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.
This is how the Law was corrected in its misuse as “legalism” and communicated to us as “good news (the gospel)”. So for us who live today, knowing Jesus Christ and walking in obedience to Him is the most important way to follow the “law”. For this reason, please get to know Jesus better and get to know him more intimately through worship.
(Prayer) Dear God, thank you for coming to us as Jesus and for making us followers of you. Please fill us with your Holy Spirit so that we too can realize your mercy and salvation in a real way. Use each of us so that through us, Your word of truth may reach the suffering and the sorrow of this world. And please use us as Your Church to spread God’s word to many people. Please show yourself and speak to us in the worship services we offer. Gratefully and hopefully, we pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Summary
In “On the Freedom of the Christian,” Martin Luther teaches that because we are free individuals and do not submit ourselves to anyone but God, we have the freedom to serve all people and to love as Jesus loves. That is “legalism” in the true sense of the word, where you trust in God’s word. God’s word is not meant to be used to judge others by our interpretation, but frees us to serve others freely. Worship is an essential part of building our trust in God’s word.
For Discussion
- How have you experienced mercy and salvation?
- Why does following Jesus give us freedom?