Today's section of the psalm has so much to it. I practiced a little bit of lectio divina, a contemplative, meditative reading of the Scriptures. I would highly recommend trying it sometime with a few verses, by the way. It's my favorite way of reading the Bible.
I'm going to go through the passage verse by verse and write my thoughts on each.
89 Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.
Here, "word" could be taken to mean the Scriptures- which are eternal, more so than any other religious writings- or it could mean the Word made Flesh: Jesus Christ himself. So, Christ is eternal, lasting forever in heaven, and so is the Scripture eternal, lasting forever.
90 Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures.
What I find wonderful about this truth is that despite humanity's constant unfaithfulness to God, which has happened since the beginning of time, God's faithfulness continues- through all generations! Not only that, but the earth that he created has endured despite man's continued unfaithfulness. What grace!
91 Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you.
This could be taken to mean God's law in Scripture, which does endure just as all Scripture does. I think it also applies to the laws which God set in creation: the sun rises every twenty-four hours, our lungs brreathe in and out, things are born and grow and die, and it all continues: because all things do serve God.
92 If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.
I had to check my notes on this one. God's law teaches us the way to live, and without delighting in his law, we would perish in the affliction of our sin. Verse 93 repeats this in a different way, and it says:
93 I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life.
94 Save me, for I am yours; I have sought out your precepts.
The first phrase of this verse is one that is quoted in the Luther movie. Luther is arguing with Satan and desiring a merciful God, "one who loves me and who I can love". His father confessor tells him to pray, "I am yours. Save me." I didn't know till today that that prayer is Psalm 119:94b! It is a prayer that I can pray all the time, daily, to remind me that I am God's and to beg him to save me.
95 The wicked are waiting to destroy me, but I will ponder your statutes.
Honestly, I don't really understand this verse. Maybe it is clearer in the original Hebrew. I suppose it could have something to do with the fact that when we know, understand and live by God's law, we are less easily ensnared by sin and those who would deceive us.
96 To all perfection I see a limit, but your commands are boundless.
My notes have a good interpretation of this: "boundless. Lit. 'very broad', i.e., an inexhaustible source of wise counsel for life." Most perfect things can only get to be so perfect and then they are as perfect as is possible. God's commands, his "wise counsel for life," are so broad that they are uneclipsable. (I don't know if that's a word, but it describes well what I'm trying to say.) In other words, God's commands are so perfect that they have no limits! God himself is like this also. He's so good that he transcends all other perfection and then some!
It is this completely perfect, fully eternal, forever faithful amazing God who saves us and whom we belong to.
Today, I am going to remember that I belong to this incredible God who has saved me.
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