I have done what is just and right;
do not leave me to my oppressors.
Guarantee your servant’s well-being;
do not let the godless oppress me...
Trouble and anguish have come upon me,
but your commandments are my delight.
Your decrees are righteous for ever;
give me understanding that I may live.
If I have not done what is just and right, how might God's guarantee, surety, pledge on my behalf be executed?
I see nothing in scripture or experience or (most)tradition that suggests God guarantees everyday well-being... mine or others.
Instead I see a God who is with us in trouble, inspires hope in oppression, and cultivates a very realistic understanding of good and evil.
In the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus we may perceive a guarantee of ultimate well-being, but this is not what the psalmist seems to seek.
Psalm 119 is a long litany of complaint, defensive justification, and asking for vengeance, but from this eventually unfolds, "Give me understanding that I might live."
God will work with us to cultivate discernment, understanding, and wisdom. God is not a lucky charm.
Psalm 119
The image is God answering Job by William Blake.
Psalm 119 is a long litany of complaint, defensive justification, and asking for vengeance, but from this eventually unfolds, "Give me understanding that I might live."
God will work with us to cultivate discernment, understanding, and wisdom. God is not a lucky charm.
Psalm 119
The image is God answering Job by William Blake.
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