August 25, 2023 — Psalm 119 

Happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD. 

Happy are those who keep his decrees, who seek him with their whole heart, 

who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways. You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. O that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous ordinances. I will observe your statutes; do not utterly forsake me. 

How can young people keep their way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; do not let me stray from your commandments. I treasure your word in my heart, so that I may not sin against you. Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes. With my lips I declare 

all the ordinances of your mouth. I delight in the way of your decrees as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts, and fix my eyes on your ways.  

I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. (Verses 1-16) 

Psalm 119 is shaped in an interesting but formal structure. First, it is composed of the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet — meaning it  has twenty-two sections, one for each letter of the alphabet. The Psalm also has a thematic structure involving eight terms: “law,” “decrees,” “statutes,” “commandments,” “ordinance(s),” “word,” “precepts,” and “promise”. Each section is composed of eight lines, and the first words of each line always have the same first letter — that is, eight aleph lines and eight beth lines, and so on. 

Knowing that this psalm is set up in this formal structure, you would either think the Psalm must be a work or Genius, or it has the reputation of being considered artificial and boring. As is the case with all of the Psalms, this one was meant to be read aloud to others. And because of the way the Psalm is composed, each part (eight lines) can stand for the whole, but the whole is needed for the Psalm to hold its true power.  Perhaps this is the time to talk about the importance of the Psalms. C.S. Lewis, in his book Reflections on the Psalms” says this: 

“What must be said….is that the Psalms are poems, and poems intended to be sung: not doctrinal treatises, nor even sermons. Most emphatically the Psalms must be read as poems; as lyrics, with all the licences and all the formalities, the hyperboles, the emotional rather than logical connections, which are proper to lyric poetry. They must be read as poems if they are to be understood; no less than French must be read as French or English as English. Otherwise we shall miss what is in them and think we see what is not.” 

As such, the Psalms are perfect for worship, and they are perfect for what I have been doing for the last 118 Psalms — offering them up for meditation and devotional usage.  

Let us pray: 

Holy God, you are just in all your ways and your commandments are the greatest of treasures. Teach us to love you with all our hearts and to love our neighbors as ourselves, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. 

Amen. 

Pastor Dave

August 24, 2023 — Psalm 118 

O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever! Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Let those who fear the LORD say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me in a broad place. With the LORD on my side I do not fear. What can mortals do to me? The LORD is on my side to help me; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to put confidence in mortals. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to put confidence in princes. All nations surrounded me; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; 

in the name of the LORD I cut them off! They surrounded me like bees; they blazed like a fire of thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! 

I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me. The LORD is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.” (Verses 1-14) 

“I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me. The LORD is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.” 

This small verse from Psalm 118 is one of our selected readings for a graveside committal service as per the rubrics from the Occasional Services Book.  

I tell people at a funeral that death often feels like this — that we are being pushed hard in a direction we do not want to go. Death affects us like that. Every death has an impact on our lives. No matter how old the person is who has died, or how old we are when someone dies, death has a lasting impact. We often find out who are true friends are when death hits our lives. So many people are afraid of death, or do not know how to react when someone dies, they just choose not to respond except to say “I am praying for you.” Prayers are nice, but actions of love are nicer.  

The Psalmist says “…I was falling, but the LORD helped me.” This is the hope we place ourselves in when we come to the Lord in times of both loss and blessing — grief and joy. When we feel as if our whole world is shattering around us, it is the Lord who lifts us up through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. And how does the Lord do this? Well, to begin with, the Lord comes to us through each person who offers words of condolences, each person who listens to our words of grief, and each person who prays for, but more importantly “with” us. This is how we lift each other up — actually the Lords lifts us up through the community of believers.  

Let us pray: 

Holy and mighty God, your Son’s triumph over sin and death has opened forever the gate of eternal life. Save us, we pray, when we are in distress, pressed to the point of falling. Let the joy of your salvation resound through your church and in our lives, and let the whole creation reflect the brilliant light of Jesus Christ, our risen Savior and Lord. 

Amen. 

Pastor Dave