Forest and Trees

Aleph . . . Hey   Psalm 119:1-40

The Acrostic Thus Far

It’s easy to not see the forest for the trees.  We’ve been looking closely at the trees for forty verses, and we’ve discovered amazing things.  The details of word choice, the interesting and commanding twists in grammar, the skill of the poet to create emotional connections, and, of course, the continuous praise for the Law—these are branches and leaves, trunks and roots of our forest.  But there’s still the bigger picture, the bird’s eye view of the poem’s development.  We’ll need that if we’re going to appreciate the goal of this very long acrostic.  So, let’s step back and observe the topography.

Aleph—opens with the amazing effects of righteousness.  “Blessed are those,” begins the psalm, and by the time we’ve read the first eight verses, we see that blessing is intimately tied to walking according to God’s instructions, so much so that reputation and public acknowledgment follow.  Everything points to obedience.

Bet—the way to find this pure life is simple: stick close to God’s Torah.  And what is that?  The poet offers an expansive view of the “Law.”  It’s not just the written code.  It’s the history, the divine governance, the oral tradition, the rules and regulations, the customs, and the decrees.  In a cavalcade of Hebrew terms, the psalmist provides the vocabulary of life lived well—all connected to God’s acts.

Gimel—the personal application follows, but now the psalmist recognizes the difference between the ideal of aleph and bet, and the reality of the daily experience of gimel.  He pleads for God’s intervention.  “Open my eyes” for I feel like a stranger, a wanderer, someone abused and rejected, heartbroken, crushed.  Yet Your absolute commitment to Your people, Your continued faithfulness, and Your benevolence give me hope.

Daleth—I need Your forceful participation.  I’m weak.  I know the ravages of the yetzer ha’ra all too well.  Rescue me from myself.  Revive me.  Teach me.  Strengthen me.  Cleanse me.  Choose me.  Make me as compassionate as You, and I will run after You and Your ways.

Hey—my heart’s greatest desire is to be found ṣaddîq (righteous).  How can that happen?  You, O Lord, must instruct me, give me insight, keep me on the path, push me forward, engrave Your teaching into my personality, and remove all those things that oppose You.  My heart longs for conformity to Your character.  Do whatever must be done to bring me closer to You.

What’s the forest look like so far?  The soil is rich with the expanded Torah.  The trunks of all those trees hold the firm promises of God.  The branches cast their arms toward the heavens, begging His mercy and correction, and the leaves cover our faults.  Above it all, the clouds of righteousness rain relationship.  It’s a good day in the woods.

Topical Index: acrostic, summary, Psalm 119:1-40