Psalm 119:17

Psalm 119:17

Be good to Your servant

So, now we come to the third letter of the Hebrew alphabet, “Gimel”. It might be a good moment to consider further the hidden meaning of these semitic letters that start each section of the Psalm. 

·      Aleph (v1-8) is derived from the word for Ox and is the father of the Aleph-Bet. It has a numerical value of one and it is symbolic of the strength and oneness of God.

·      Beth (v9-16) represents a tent or a house and its shape, in Hebrew, suggests this. So, Beth-lehem is the House of Bread. Beth-saida means House of Fishing. 

·      Gimel (v17-24) represents the number three and is believed to symbolise a person in motion, like a rich man running after a poor man to give him charity. The word is also associated with the giving of punishments as well as rewards.

Our psalmist is seeking charity in today’s verse. He asks the Lord to be good to him throughout his life so that he might obey His Word. This might initially read like a form of bribery, how many of us would dare to say to the Lord “You be good to me, and I will obey Your Word”? However, when you think about it, it’s far easier to obey the Lord and His commands from a position of gratitude and blessing than when we are facing injustice or any kind of deprivation. I don’t think the psalmist is saying, “You be good to me Lord, or else,” I think he is inferring that experience has made him realise that he is more prone to obedience when the goodness of the Lord is all around him. May the Lord be good to us if the outcome is increasing delight in His Word and conformity to His Will. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Psalm 106:13

Psalm 106:13 Do not forget We need to remember that Israel’s relationship with the Lord God was based on His laws and their obedience. It was possible for them to live lives that were highly blessed, that incorporated the provision of God in every tiny detail of their national and individual existence. God was prepared to give them everything they needed, He would provide food and water for them and their flocks. He would guide them on their journey. He would protect them from their enemies. He would inspire and direct their leaders. He would keep them from the heat of the sun and the terrors of the desert night. He would take them to the land that He had promised, in double quick time. There was no reason why they could not be in situ in just a few months. Everything they could possibly need was His to provide and He was willing to sacrifice anything to see them gratefully settled in Canaan.  There was just one snag, it all depended upon their obedience and faithfulness. God insis...
Read more

Psalm 51:4

Psalm 51:4 Deliberate sin In Genesis 20 we read the story of Abimelek and Abraham. The latter had passed off his wife Sarah as his sister and Abimelek had taken her with a view to her becoming his wife. The relationship was not consummated, and the Lord used a dream to reveal to Abimelek just what was going on. The insulted king pleaded innocence,  “I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands ” he said, to the Lord. And God agreed,  “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me.”  This is a big subject but there is clearly a difference between sinful intentions and deeds where the participant knows that he/she is doing wrong, and those occasions where an action is carried out in innocence.  David knew all along that every detail of his relationship with Bathsheba was sinful, as were his actions in the cover-up. Therefore, he sinned against the Lord God and broke the commandments which said that  “Y...
Read more

Psalm 84:3

Psalm 84:3 All about sparrows Any visitor to Jerusalem will know that the city is a haven for sparrows. Houses and other buildings in Middle Eastern cities are not built to keep out the cold with double-glazing and UPVC everywhere. There are literally millions of little holes and crevasses and places where birds can hide and build their nests. As a result, the air is filled with the sound of the sparrows at all times, and in the summer months, swallows, swifts and martins swoop across the rooftops. (Along with many other birds that I would love to mention but that would be totally irrelevant). Evidently nothing has changed for centuries, because these sights and sounds greeted visitors to the Temple back in the day when Psalm 84 was composed. And the author is envious. These winged avian residents and visitors can enter where he cannot! They nest and congregate around the Temple Courts, high up and out of the reach of man’s interference and so they occupy a place closer to God than any...
Read more