Skip to main content

ג Gimel (Psalm 119:17-24)

 I am not going to go through all of the stanzas of this, the Bible’s longest Psalm, but I will take a quick look at the third letter of the Psalm 119 Alphabet Book. The third letter – with which every line of this stanza begins – is Gimel. This page in the Alphabet book reads:

 

ג Gimel

17 Be good to your servant while I live,

that I may obey your word.

18 Open my eyes that I may see

wonderful things in your law.

19 I am a stranger on earth;

do not hide your commands from me.

20 My soul is consumed with longing

for your laws at all times.

21 You rebuke the arrogant, who are accursed,

those who stray from your commands.

22 Remove from me their scorn and contempt,

for I keep your statutes.

23 Though rulers sit together and slander me,

your servant will meditate on your decrees.

24 Your statutes are my delight;

they are my counselors.

 

This stanza does not offer as much new information as the first to stanzas which is understandable – they formed the opening argument from which the rest of this book arguably flows and there is much to be said after Gimel as well.[6]

 

Gimel does offer us this encouragement. Gimel states that we are strangers on this earth (Philippians 3:20: For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, cf.1 Peter 2:11). We are God’s servants. As God’s citizens we long to follow His laws and decrees over and above all else. Gimel offers us this comfort: there will be people who choose not to experience the blessing that comes from following the Lord and His Word. There are those who, because of this, will scorn those who do follow the Lord. There will be leaders of various countries – maybe even our own now (I don’t know) or at some time in the future – who will slander believers in the Word of the Lord. Gimel offers us an encouragement to perseverance: even if the most powerful people in this country slander us, even if most of the people scorn us, even if it seems as if the whole world is against us, the Lord will be our delight and He will be our salvation.

 

Friends, sometimes life is hard. Sometimes life is tragic. This week alone I can’t tell you how many people have come to me with stories of addiction and illness and injury coming upon them and/or their loved ones. Here is the encouragement of Gimel: as bad as things get we can delight in the Lord. His Word can counsel us to what is right, what will get us through it and He will be with us through everything.[7] He will be with us in all our trials and tribulations.

·        Gimel expresses lament but we can be encouraged for as we turn to Him, in even our most difficult times, we will see that He is indeed with us.

·        Beth contains Divine teaching on Wisdom: as we do seek Him with all our heart, we will experience His purity, blessing, and blamelessness and…

·        Aleph gives us a full appreciation of the Law of the Lord[8]: As we continue in the Lord’s blessing, we will continue to experience the Lord’s blessing both now and forever.

 

Let us pray

 


www.sheepspeak.com
www.facebook.com/salvogesis

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Low Saturday (Genesis 3, Revelation 21)

  Hello, I am Major Michael Ramsay from TSA. As well as running The Salvation Army, the Bread of Life soup kitchen, shelter and The Salvation Army thrift store, I am a Christian pastor / teacher. This weekend is Easter. That is the most important time on the Christian Calendar. Christians acknowledge Jesus as God. Our teachings tell us that God, as creator, created the whole world. And when He did it was perfect. Not only did we not harm each other, ourselves or the earth; but we never got sick, we never got injured; and the earth itself – the trees did not fall to the ground and die. Animals did not eat animals. All of creation was in perfect harmony. The Creator even walked in this Garden He created with people He created. Then something happened. The first people created made a choice.   Because of this choice, death, decay, harm and hurt entered the world. Where there was none before, now there was illness, injury and death for all of creation. Plants, animals and al...
Post a Comment
Read more

Luke 24:38-34: Revelation of a King

James V, the King of Scotland used to go around the country disguised as a common person. That is because he wanted to meet the everyday people of the country not just the rich and powerful. He wanted to see how the normal people lived. One day he was dressed in very old clothes and was going by a place known as Cramond Brig, when he is attacked by robbers who don’t know who he is. There is a fierce struggle and he is nearly overcome when, at just the right moment, a poor farm worker - Jock Howieson - hears the commotion comes to the disguised king’s aid. Now Jock, the poor labourer, who works on this portion of the King’s land, Cramond Brig, unawares takes the undercover king home and gives him a dinner of broth and Jock - as the king is recouping – naturally asks the man who he is. The King responds ‘I’m a good man of Edinburgh.’ ‘And where do you live in that city and where do you work?’ ‘Well,’ says James, ‘I live at the palace and I work there too.’ ‘The palace, is it?...
Post a Comment
Read more

Judges 13:1-7: Strength

Covenants are important to the Lord. I am reminded of Samson. Samson was bound by a covenant without an expiry date (Jdgs 13:7) that he did not even willingly enter into (Jdgs 13, Cf. 1 Sam 1, Lk 1, Lev 27.28-29) and he struggled to keep. Samson was not to drink nor was he to defile himself. Samson was however a liar at times (Jdgs 16:7ff) and a killer (Jdgs 14:19). He visited prostitutes (Judges 16:1). He put himself and others ahead of God at times (Jdgs 14:17). Samson disobeyed his vows. Samson transgressed his covenant with God. The Lord did not forsake him though (Jdgs 16:22, Rom 3:3,4). At times Samson did follow the Lord’s direction. At times he experienced the blessings that accompanied his covenant. At times Samson drew on the strength of the Lord and was used greatly by God to accomplish His purposes. At other times Samson sinned. Every time Samson turned to and drew on the strength of the Lord, the Lord delivered him. No matter what Samson did, the Lord did not leav...
Post a Comment
Read more