Today’s Superverse is Psalm 119:2 – Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart
This Psalter Psalm describes a path towards happiness. As its title indicates, this lengthy piece examines God’s Word’s impact on human lives from various viewpoints. It praises and thanks God for the Torah (law and instruction), explains why we must abide by it, laments its consequences when broken, finds solace in its consolation, begs wisdom to understand and uphold it and asks God to establish (i.e. make permanent). There is nothing here about Mount Sinai or the Giving of the Law; an emphasis on Israel as God’s chosen people; references to Temple or other institutions related to Law enforcement or its observance; or emphasis on God’s faithfulness towards His Word.
The Psalmist acknowledges the fact that his happiness depends on his relationship to Scripture, an objective reality he can choose whether or not to accept. According to him, obedience to God’s law and passionate pursuit of Him are the keys to happiness.
Next he acknowledges the difficulty of living out his faith according to Scripture. The Hebrew term for “law,” torah, appears 25 times in this Psalm and usually denotes an entire body of teaching such as Pentateuch or Book of Deuteronomy. But here it’s used specifically as one commandment and thus directly refers to God’s instruction as such.
In this stanza, the Psalmist continues his examination of the relationship between happiness and obedience to Scripture from three additional angles:
He notes that those blessed are those who seek God with their whole hearts and obey His law, an objective truth which they may choose to accept or not – either way they won’t experience salvation.
The final view of the Psalmist shows his deep desire for his lifestyle to align with that of Yhwh; that is, for him to become one with God.
The Psalmist was confident that by adhering to Scripture and following its guidance he would find comfort. Scripture offered him promise in times of trouble that only can be fulfilled through total commitment. Consequently, happiness could only come by following its teachings and following its path. Dr. Mark Bailey of Concordia Seminary St Louis offers this advice: no matter their current circumstances, people can find hope in God and rejoice in him despite anything that comes their way. Therefore we should read and apply this psalm today in our daily lives – which is why this psalm was written! This article originally appeared in Bible Study Magazine Vol 40 No 2 available online via BibleStudyMagazine.com with all rights to Concordia Publishing House retained and all rights are reserved by them.
