Theology and Poetry

Psalm 119.129-136

 ¹²⁹ Your decrees are wonderful;

   therefore my soul keeps them.
¹³⁰ The unfolding of your words gives light;
   it imparts understanding to the simple.
¹³¹ With open mouth I pant,
   because I long for your commandments.
¹³² Turn to me and be gracious to me,
   as is your custom towards those who love your name.
¹³³ Keep my steps steady according to your promise,
   and never let iniquity have dominion over me.
¹³⁴ Redeem me from human oppression,
   that I may keep your precepts.
¹³⁵ Make your face shine upon your servant,
   and teach me your statutes.
¹³⁶ My eyes shed streams of tears
   because your law is not kept.

Psalm 119 is the longest psalm in the Bible.  In fact, with 176 verses, it is the longest chapter in the Bible.  I turned to some of my colleagues who give their life to studying the psalms to try and find something that I could connect to with these words today.  And here’s what connected with me. 

 The theme that goes through these 7 verses is the Word of God, or Scripture.  In these 7 verses there are 7 synonyms for Scripture. Your decrees…your words….your commandments…your promise….your precepts...your statutes….your law.  All these synonyms for Scripture.  So there is a theological theme going on, and

 At the same time there is a bit of poetic theme going on here.  Notice the poetry that references the body:  my soul (literally – my throat)…  open mouth….my steps….your face….my eyes…

 At the center of these verses is a living relationship between God and the psalm writer. 

 “Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your custom toward those who love your name.”

 Is there a more refreshing word than that?  Whoever wrote these words knew something about himself – that he could not on his own believe in God or keep God’s word, or defeat the power of sin.  That on his own he could not maintain a relationship with God.  That this person needed God.  And so do we.

 To lead us.  To guide us.  To rescue us from ourselves. 

 And so we pray:  Holy God, you are just in all your ways and your Scriptures are the greatest of treasures.  Teach us to love you with all our hearts and to love our neighbors as ourselves, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.  Amen.