TSADHE, THE TRIAL OF TROUBLE – Psalm 119:137-144

The righteousness of Yahweh is a six time repeated theme in the 18th stanza of Ps 119 – the great acrostic celebration of covenant revelation. Here each original verse beginning with the Hebrew letter 'tsadhe' extols the sufficiency of the Word of God in spite of the social standing of the author – 'small & despised', and the trials he faces fraught with trouble and anguish inflicted by his foes. Our author remains resolute. None of these woes compare to the superior zeal, love, and delight he enjoys meditating on and living according to the rules, testimonies, words, promises, precepts, law and commandments of his faithful and righteous Lord. In this stanza, we highlight the 143rd (by my count) reference to the covenant revelation of the Lord as this epic song reprises once again the glories of the Lord revealed in His word of truth. Later today we are meeting with representatives who are serving in the law-making body of our state. Given the occasion of this event, this stanza and all of Ps 119 appears all the more relevant. Even if we do not implement the memorization of Ps 119 as a requirement to serve in civil government, we should minimally require that the heart of the psalmist be reflected by all who presume to wield power in our day. And if they do not, let us continue to pray for those in authority and insist they repent of their idolatrous rebellion against the One True Sovereign, even as we search our own hearts according to the standard of reverence for the Word of God endorsed in all of Psalm 119.