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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

 


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