Standing on the Promises
Forever, O Lord, Your word stands firm in the heavens. Psalm 119:89 Chabad
Stands – The Hebrew verb nāṣab has two meanings. The first is “to stand (upright);” the second “to establish.” Perhaps you can see the relationship. What’s important here is that the English translation chooses one but not both, while we need both to appreciate the strength of the poet’s claim. It’s not simply that God’s dābār is established (note that dābārcan mean written word, spoken word, speech, or thing). It’s that God’s dābār is (figuratively) standing upright, the equivalent of completely righteous. Other English translations use the verb “settled.” It’s permanently fixed, unwavering, towering over the creation.
Where? “In the heavens.” But, of course, that isn’t in Heaven, as we Westerners are likely to assume. Šāmayim is plural. It encompasses both the physical cosmos and the place where God resides. We should not assume that the poet intends only the latter. “Heaven and earth” is the doublet that means “all the creation” in Hebrew parlance. To say that God’s dābār is established in the heavens could mean that God’s creative, spoken power surrounds all that is. Paul expresses a similar idea in his phrase, “in Him we live and move and have our being.” The point is that there is a foundation to everything, and it is not the Big Bang. What provides the framework of all that is, for all the time that it is, is God’s declaration, “Let there be . . .” In Hebrew thought, nothing is divorced from the animating action of the divine.
Why does this matter? How does this make any difference to our humdrum ordinary lives? The psalmist reminds us of the invisible but absolutely essential bedrock of life. Lest we forget. Lest we forget what provides us with being. Lest we forget our obligation of existence. Lest we forget Heschel’s primary existential question, “What does God demand of me?” And yet, how easily we forget. What did we learn at the halfway mark? “. . . prayer is the soul’s yearning to define what truly matters and to ignore the trivialities that often masquerade as essential (Siddur Avodas HaLev).” What truly matters is that life itself is loaned to us from God. “Loaned,” not “given.” Our lives are not ours to do as we please. Life is the loan of the spirit, and at some point it will be recalled and examined. God’s dābār guarantees the process for everything under the heavens.
As we read this verse, we should contemplate the vast reaches of the cosmos, the magnificence of His visible handiwork and at the same time mediate on the scope of eternity, that time from beginning to end to bring about His final intention. It all depends on His word, and the psalmist reminds us that His word will not fail, will not vacillate, will not fade or be defeated. It is the measuring stick of everything else. Our humdrum reality is transformed when we recognize that every moment is a loan with divine interest. How does that change things?
Topical Index: nāṣab, stand, establish, foundation, dābār, loan, Psalm 119:89
