Thursday, July 9, 2020
Scripture for the Day
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
I have sworn an oath and confirmed it,
to observe your righteous ordinances.
I am severely afflicted;
give me life, O Lord, according to your word.
Accept my offerings of praise, O Lord,
and teach me your ordinances.
I hold my life in my hand continually,
but I do not forget your law.
The wicked have laid a snare for me,
but I do not stray from your precepts.
Your decrees are my heritage forever;
they are the joy of my heart.
I incline my heart to perform your statutes
forever, to the end.
Psalm 119 has 176 verses, so the lectionary breaks it into chunks we can better digest as modern hearers. Today we read only verses 105-112, which continue a theme from the full text—this is a whole psalm about the law. More specifically, it is about God’s law. In the ancient world, students would have memorized this psalm as part of their Torah studies (all 176 verses!), committing themselves to God’s law as the rule for their lives. They would have repeated and practiced God’s law and instructions until they were second nature.
This probably sounds tedious to many of us—176 verses to memorize? About God’s law? But not to the psalmist. God’s law is a comfort and a guide. The writer does not see God’s law as oppressive or as a burden; it isn’t keeping people from living well or doing what they want. This psalm describes the law of God as a gift. God’s law is lighting a path that would otherwise be dark. It is guiding the psalmist’s feet so s/he doesn’t make a wrong step. The law is actually a shield, protecting the psalmist from the acts and temptations of the wicked. S/he holds onto God’s law for dear life, counting on it to define a good life. In fact, God’s law is the “joy of [the psalmist’s] heart,” and God’s “decrees are [the psalmist’s] heritage forever.”
We tend to think of the heart as a place for our emotions, especially for love. But the ancient Israelites thought of the heart more as we think of our minds—the place of understanding, will, and determination. It brings this psalmist joy to know and to follow God’s law. It gives the psalmist’s life meaning and a heritage beyond his or her own lifetime.
As we have all experienced in one way or another, we are more likely to follow those lessons that are second nature for us—those we know by heart. What lessons or practices did your parents or teachers instill in you? What did they make you repeat back to them or do so many times that it is now automatic for you?
Some lessons were for safety and well-being—ours and others’—like looking both ways before crossing a street. Or not moving the car until seatbelts are on. Cutting with the knife facing away from our bodies. Covering our mouths when we cough or sneeze (or wearing a mask to protect others from our coughs and sneezes).
Other lessons were about how we live in God’s world, as members of a family of faith. As I observe how people speak to and about each other these days, I often hear in my head something my mother has always said: “No one ever looked good by making someone else look bad.” In our household, we memorized the Golden Rule: “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31) and Luke 12:48: “From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.” We surely stumbled from these precepts, but we knew them in our hearts and they are second nature all these years later.
In our world, people are somewhat obsessed with law. Some see it as an oppressive force, impeding their rights. Others see it as justification, confirming that they are right. But this psalm calls us to a different paradigm. It reminds us that we have God’s law to light our path and guide our feet. God’s law isn’t about us or what we want or don’t want. It is about God’s purpose to bring justice and reconciliation to the world and God’s call on our lives to participate in that work.
In a time of uncertainty, I find comfort in God’s instruction. When the path is dimly lit and my next step isn’t clear, I can ask myself “what does the Lord require?” And I know that answer! The Lord requires that I seek justice and love kindness and walk humbly with God. (Micah 6:8). As I write this reflection, I am remembering so many things my parents and others have taught me and am thinking about scriptures that challenge and guide and call me all the time—those precepts of God that are written on my heart. If some of those come to mind for you, send me a message. I’d love to hear them.
Dear God, as we keep living through times when the path before us is uncertain, turn us back to your law. Let your instruction take root in us and be the joy of our hearts. Let your decrees shield us from the actions and temptations of the wicked. Let your Word be the lamp to our feet and the light to our path. Amen.
