I've always had a nostalgic attachment to Psalm 119 (the longest of the psalms with an impressive 176 verses). When I was 13 years old, Psalm 119:9,11 was given to me to cherish as my baptismal verse: "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. ... Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." (KJV)
However, during my most recent rereading of this psalm, I was saddened by the rule-bound nature of the psalmist's relationship with God. It is all about his love of God's rules rather than his love of God. In the 176 verses of Psalm 119, the psalmist makes 163 references to his relationship with God's laws (45), word (30), statutes (23), decrees (22), commands (22), and precepts (21). Of the 18 references to "love", 7 affirm God's love for him/us and 11 affirm the psalmist's love of God's rules. In this psalm, the psalmist seems to seek comfort in the law of God rather than God himself. It lacks the intimate loving mutual relationship we see evident in David's psalms. Meanwhile, the Law of Moses, itself, in the Shema affirms OUR love of God as the basis for our relationship with him: "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." (Deuteronomy 6:5)
I am so glad that God offered us a new covenant rooted in a personal relationship with him through Jesus Christ, for my journey of faith did not arise from a love affair with God's law but rather a deep encounter with Jesus Christ. And while Scripture continues to inform my faith, it is my loving relationship with God in Christ that sustains it. My faith, in good time and bad, is made real and tangible not by laws and statutes but a crucified and risen Christ and the God whom I love.
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