Psalm 119:89 – Word in Heaven
Forever, LORD, your Word
is established in heaven.
This is an important verse to start the next section (Lamedh), and also the second half of the psalm.
Too often we diminish the idea of God’s Word by making it the equivalent of the written words that we have. This is sometimes presented as great respect for those written words, making them more important, but I believe the effect is the opposite.
In scripture (that written word), we have a much broader, deeper, and higher idea of what God’s word actually is. I have been seeing in various verses in this Psalm the idea that the law, as understood in this psalm is a presentation to us of who God really is. The word/words we have here are derived from that heavenly word. The instructions God gives through story, poetry, and yes, laws, are derived from who God is.
If we extend this to points made more directly in other psalms, that the Word is all-encompassing. Psalm 33:6-9 tells us that the worlds were made by God’s Word.
Psalm 119 can be seen as a celebration of the creator of the universe, expressed in the form of God’s various ways of relating to us in that universe. In ancient near eastern thought, one of the key elements of creation was bring order to chaos, making things work in a way that would allow life, even good life. Chaos was the product of God’s enemies.
In Genesis 1, this order is produced by God speaking. That symbolism is important. God’s simple command brought order. God’s authority is presented as the result of God’s creative power, and after that from God’s redemptive power, which is also an aspect of God’s creative power.
Try meditating today on the fact that each thing you have is a gift. Be grateful!
(Featured image generated by Jetpack AI.)
