Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Co 1:3). Amen.
This coming Tuesday is Valentine’s Day. You are aware of that I am sure. Stores have been pushing it and promoting it since the day after Christmas. If not, this is your official two day warning. I am sorry if that takes away your excuse for not knowing. Now you either have to go along with the mushy holiday or come up with a different reason for forgetting.
If (and that is a very big “if” for anyone in my house), if you get one of those sappy cards, you probably wouldn’t remark: “Well, that’s odd. It has a red heart on it.” It is almost expected, isn’t it? (It would only be strange if it were a blue ear on a lined notebook paper.)
It was peculiar to me then for someone to comment: “It is ironic that the longest chapter in God’s Word is about God’s Word.” I would contend that it is more along the lines of intentional—like red hearts on Valentine’s Day. And it is instructive. Finally, we are not here to argue the point about it, but to appreciate one part of it.
Psalm 119 is 176 verses long. It is often called the “alphabet psalm” because each line of the 8 verses in a section begins with the same letter of the Hebrew alphabet, working through all 22 of them. (You can see that in your Bibles when you look later.) We cannot match that in English in translation, but we can meditate on it with time. In a sense, it could almost be called “a study of God’s Word from A to Z.” The Lord puts together those letters of the alphabet to form words for our contemplation of his Word.
As we mull over the Aleph unit, we do it with this thought: Blessed are the blameless.
We have to define “blessed.” Have you ever heard someone respond to the question that way? We ask, “How are you?” What are the common answers?
“I am fine.” (That may or may not be true, but that is where the conversation usually ends. There are not too many details that follow.)
“I am tired.” (That gives us the chance to reply, “You think you are tired.” And then begins a rant or a recital.)
“I am busy.” (Who isn’t?)
How about, “I am blessed”? We are. It is a reminder of the joy that we have.
So what does that mean? It might be along the lines of “How happy is the one …!” But that is hard because we associate happiness with the circumstances around us. If the concept were an emoji, we might assume that it would be the one with the smile and sunglasses because everything is so bright. But “blessed” or “happy” doesn’t mean we have a smile on our face or a skip in our step all the time. There are still problems and pains. I don’t have to convince you of that. But we realize the Lord’s love and God’s goodness in anything and everything.
“Blessed are they whose ways are blameless” (Ps 119:1). Once we determine “blessed,” we have to define “blameless.” It is one who is complete or whole. There is integrity in such a one. How? “Who walk according to the law of the LORD” (Ps 119:1). Not occasionally, but often—like a well-worn path in the woods. The “law” here is God’s teaching, his instruction. It includes all of what he has to say. And that leads to the godly wisdom about Christ crucified that the apostle Paul had in mind. It is not something that we come with on our own. He quotes from the prophet Isaiah: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Co 2:8). But it comes to us from the Holy Spirit. We recognize that God gives us his mercy and forgives us our sin—all in Christ Jesus.
Again the idea of gladness: “Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart” (Ps 119:2). It sounds as if the burden is on us. But “to keep” is “to protect and preserve” like a watchman on an ancient city wall, scanning the horizon for an attack of the enemy. We guard God’s truth as he warns of our sin and welcomes us as his own. And not half-heartedly, but whole-heartedly. We turn to him and trust in him completely and entirely, filled with love from him and then full of love for him.
“They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways” (Ps 119:3). That sounds as if we are perfect. Not yet. Not this side of heaven. But the emphasis is on how the Lord guides our ways. “You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed” (Ps 119:4). God has authority like a supervisor at work who directs what is to be done and when it is to be done. And there is to be careful attention from us. And so Jesus enlightens: “You have heard that it was said. … But I tell you …” (Mt 5:21, 22). It is not just a wrong action, but an incorrect attitude. For example, it is not just a matter of adultery, but also of lusting (Mt 5:27,28). We are to be diligent and determined not just with our hands, but with our hearts. And it is the Holy Spirit who supplies such a mindset that this is not oppressive (1 Jn 5:3).
And then the reality: “Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands” (Ps 119:5,6). If only, but not always. God’s Word is permanent and binding. We have failed and fallen short. We swallow hard at the reality. He commands and I contradict.
But we don’t stop there. We can’t. We won’t. “I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws” (Ps 119:7). We give thanks for who the Lord is—gracious and compassionate (Ex 34:6,7)—and for what he does—removes our guilt in Jesus. God educates us about his “righteous laws”—his judgments of rightness (Ro 3:21,22). God declares us right with him through Jesus who died for our disobedience on the cross and delivers his holiness to us. That is something that can make its way into our ears frequently. And there is always room to grow in that grace (2 Pe 3:18).
And so we join the psalmist in committing our lives to the Lord: “I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me” (Ps 119:8). Like Moses encouraged that new generation of Israelites as they were about to head into the Promised Land after the 40-year detour in the desert. “For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws” (Dt 30:15). That brings blessing in life. And God will not reject us, but restore us, supporting us and strengthening us along the way.
Valentine’s Day may or may not be exciting to you. More so if there is dark chocolate rather than dainty cards. But that doesn’t make us happy or blessed as the psalmist depicts it. And instead of the longest chapter being something curious, if is constructive. God reveals his love in his Word and we respond in love to that Word.
Blessed are the blameless. We read from Psalm 119:1-8:
1 Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD.
2 Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.
3 They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways.
4 You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed.
5 Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees!
6 Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands.
7 I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws.
8 I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you (1 Co 16:23). Amen.
February 12, 2017
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