Psalm 119:73

Psalm 119:73

Your hands made me

Another letter of the Hebrew alphabet beckons! Having explored the meanings of Teth, and of the Lord’s goodness against the backdrop of darkness and evil, we are now ready to explore the significance of the tenth letter, which is Yodh. It’s the smallest letter in the Hebrew language and it simply means “arm” or “hand.” In Hebrew writings it often represents a hand reaching up to heaven in prayer, or a person humbly bowing down in prayer. It is part of every other letter in the Hebrew alphabet and is said to signify God’s omniscience, His knowledge of and involvement in all things.

The author takes some of the above on board in this verse. He recognises the complexity and glory of his earthly body and acknowledges God’s creative power in bringing him into this world, now he prays for the understanding needed to obey the Lord’s commands. In other words, he is asking the Lord to complete His creative works by helping him to conform to God’s laws and in that way, he will be complete. He understands that we are all made in God’s image, but what’s the point in being so if our lives are spent pleasing ourselves and pursuing our own agendas, that makes a mockery of what God has made! The only way to fulfil our potential as human beings, is to be completely governed by the laws and commands of the One who made us. Obedience is the perfection of the work that God began when He formed us.

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 106:30

Psalm 106:30 Well done Phineas! As we saw in the previous verses, it was Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron the High Priest, who intervened and brought God’s wrath upon the couple who brazenly had a sexual liaison in an Israelite’s tent. The judgement of Phinehas was brutal, he rammed a spear through both bodies and brought instant death upon them. But his actions stemmed the wrath of God, the plague that had killed 24,000 Israelites ended and peace and normality returned to the Camp. The Lord said to Moses that  “Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites.”  (Numbers 25:11) The Lord then vindicated Phinehas for his actions.  “Since he was as zealous for my honour among them as I am, I did not put an end to them in my zeal. Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him. He and his descendants will have a covenant of lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honour of his God and made atonement f...
Read more