Monday, September 10, 2007

THE WORD - IN OTHER WORDS

Last week I was reading Psalm 119, which is all about God’s word, and I noticed that in the first nine verses this word is referred to with different words:
Psalm 119:1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.
Psalm 119:2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.
Psalm 119:3 They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.
Psalm 119:4 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.
Psalm 119:5 O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!
Psalm 119:6 Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.
Psalm 119:7 I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.
Psalm 119:8 I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.
Psalm 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

In order according to verse: law, testimonies, ways, precepts, statutes, commandments, righteous judgments, statutes, word.

Last night with the youth at my apartment (we had 10 last night) we explored this interesting facet of God’s word. We noticed that all the words refer to the same thing, yet each has a different ‘flavor’ and some have radically different connotations for us. For example, law, or statute, has a rather negative, heavy connotation, while testimony has a positive one.

What we came to realize is that all these words are used to describe how God presents himself to us. He presents his character (testimonies), his likes and dislikes (judgments), and his instructions on how to live the abundant life he created us to have. We also noticed that different versions of the Bible have some different words.
When we wondered why all these different words in the very beginning, we thought that we were being introduced to all the different words which would be used throughout this long psalm. We decided to check this out, choosing verses at random, and even went around the group choosing verses according to birth day or year. All had some reference to the word, and usually a specific application.
All agreed that reading Psalm 119 was tedious and boring, but that with this study it came alive and meaningful. One said that v 71 had ministered to her during a time of trouble. Two favorites, v 11 and 105, are well known and most had memorized them.
This study gave me a new perspective on God’s laws. It reveals who he is. Before, because of the words ‘law’ and ‘commandment’ and such, I had a view of heaviness, of burden, of ‘better do this or else . . .’ Now I see it just reveals his character, the character which he desires me to have as his child. It’s not threatening at all!