Psalm 119:73-104

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POST L OF LX

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The Book of Common Prayer (1979) includes a plan for reading the Book of Psalms in morning and evening installments for 30 days.  I am therefore blogging through the Psalms in 60 posts.

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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:

Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,

that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,

which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 226

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This is the third of five posts on Psalm 119 in this series.  The first is here.  The second is here.  The fourth is here.  The fifth is here.

How pleasing is Your word to my palate,

sweeter than honey.

–Psalm 119:103. TANAKH:  The Holy Scriptures (1985)

The imagery of honey occurs also in Psalm 19:10 or 11 (depending on versification) and Ezekiel 3:3.

The fear of the LORD is pure,

abiding forever;

the judgments of the LORD are true,

righteous altogether,

more desirable than gold,

than much fine gold;

sweeter than honey,

than drippings of the comb.

–Psalm 19:10-11, TANAKH:  The Holy Scriptures (1985)

At the calling of Ezekiel to be a prophet we read:

I saw a hand stretched out to me, holding a scroll.  He unrolled it before me, and it was written on both sides, back and front, with dirges and laments and words of woes.  Then [the LORD] said to me, “O man, eat what is in front of you; eat the scroll; then go and speak to the Israelites.”  I opened my mouth and he gave me the scroll to eat, saying, “O man, swallow this scroll I give you, and eat your fill.”  I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey to me.

–Ezekiel 2:9-3:3, The Revised English Bible (1989)

The judgments of the LORD (YHWH) might not always be to our liking, even if we are among those who seek to follow divine teachings.  The wicked of Psalm 119 are those who do not follow the torah, or law of God and teaching of the wise.  Of course they will consider the torah of God bitter.  Even for the most devout of us, however, not finding certain divine decrees and rules bitter can be challenging.  Yet accepting them and finding them fulfilling is discovering that they taste as sweet or sweeter than honey.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

AUGUST 21, 2017 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF JOHN ATHELSTAN LAURIE RILEY, ANGLICAN ECUMENIST, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR

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