Psalm 119:2 – The Blessing of Seeking

Continuing with Psalm 119, which I began with Psalm 119:1 yesterday. There are some notes on this series there.

Blessed are those who preserve [keep] his testimonies,
who wholeheartedly seek him.

In the translation I use “testimonies” as in the KJV, though there are a number of other possible translations. I’ll comment on these various words for “law” in Psalm 119, though I don’t think the author’s intention is to discuss different types of law and say different things about them. Rather, he is pointing us to the whole of God’s law in its various manifestations through the use of these various types of law.

It’s interesting to compare two other passages that use the same word used here for “blessed.” One is Isaiah 30:18, which says those who wait on the Lord are happy/blessed. Deuteronomy 33:29 says Israel is blessed because the Lord is their shield.

There is a blessing simply in being able to seek. The history of Israel at the time of the Exodus shows us a time when we are told the people don’t even know who to call on. Moses has to ask for the name he is to give when the people wonder who sent him.

When the ten commandments are given at Mt. Sinai, they begin with the declaration, “I am YHWH your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”

This verse points us to the blessing there is in simply being able to seek God. This seeking is a result of the call of God. Those testimonies (covenant provisions) are the result of God’s choosing and opening to you the opportunity to seek.

What does seeking God with your whole heart mean for you today?