Psalm 119:98 – Wiser

Your commands have made me wiser than my enemies,
for they are mine forever.

There’s an interesting translation issue here as well, as there often is with poetry. The first part of the verse uses a plural “commands,” but the second half uses a singular. Most translations, starting way back with the Septuagint accommodate the first to the second, using a singular. I think it is more likely that the singular in the second half is intended as collective.

One of the great values of God’s revelation to us is good ideas. This may sound weak. We want to make lots of pious statements about scripture and God’s law(s), such as that they are eternal, authoritative, beyond human capacity. All these things may be true, but in elevating the law we can also miss its simple value.

I’m reminded of how I sometimes answer the question “How are you?” with “Functional.” Frequently I’m then asked, “Oh! What’s wrong?” Well, I thought “functional” was pretty good! It’s much better than not functional.

Thus with God’s law. There are some great theological points to be made, but in some cases we need to just look at the value of law in general and of the order that allows us to function. I’ve been emphasizing the more general idea of revelation, beyond rules. But we should stop and consider the value of rules.

Again I’m reminded of the humorous statement; 186,000 miles per second: It’s not just a good idea, it’s the law! The fact that there are constants like this in the universe is, to put it very mildly, critical! There are also things that are critical to living well and constructively as humans.

Laws are wise when they prevent things from going wrong. Good traffic laws, for example, save lives, and facilitate people getting where they need to go in predictable lengths of time. When these things don’t happen, we’ll talk about bad laws or ineffective enforcement.

It’s quite possible to have bad laws. Bad laws make things function less effectively. (Amazing, I know!)

I’d suggest that when we properly understand God’s laws, we’ll find the laws that function best in the universe God created. This is the simple message of our verse. God’s laws are wise laws, and by making them ours we gain wisdom. It’s an eternal gift from God.

Look today for ways to handle your life that reflect God’s law. You won’t attain this perfectly, but you’ll be blessed by looking in that direction.

(Featured image generated by Jetpack AI.)