Psalm 119:105-112; Exodus 3:1-6; Romans 2:12-16
Thursday 9 July - Rev. Jerry Eve
Psalm 119 is the longest psalm, and also the longest chapter in the Bible. But please don’t be put off by that. Because, traditionally, it’s thought of as by David for Solomon as a child to help him learn his alphabet. It’s an acrostic, with each of the 8 lines that comprise each of the 22 stanzas beginning with the same letter in the order of the alphabet itself. So that, if it was in English the first stanza would have 8 lines beginning with a, the second 8 lines beginning with b, and so on.
I have been offered the chance to study some Hebrew. A fellow Dad, and friend, at Williamwood High School, who’s from Jerusalem, has said that if I teach him a few chords on the guitar he’ll teach me his mother tongue. It is, though, all a bit daunting. Here, for example, just for starters, is the Hebrew alphabet, which I’m including today because some English translations begin each stanza in Psalm 119 with the appropriate Hebrew letter as a heading. Don’t worry if the spellings are a little different in your version:
‘Alef, Beth, Gimel, Daleth, He’, Waw, Zayin, Ḫeth, Ṭeth, Yudh, Kaf, Lamedh, Mem, Nun, Samekh, ‘Ayin, Pe’, á¹¢adheh, Quf, Resh, Åšin/Shin & Taw
Each word at the start of each line in verses 105-112 begins with the 14th letter of the Hebrew alphabet i.e. Nun. On reading it, the first question that springs to my mind today is just what little Solomon might have made of the references in this particular stanza to sufferings, risk to life, a wicked’s trap, and death. It does, though, start off exceptionally well.
Coming now to our reading from Exodus, I always like it when we get an object, and hear we have sandals. Sandal straps (at Genesis 14 and Isaiah 5) are referred to in both places as the least significant part of our dress, and yet we can hardly do without them. Amos at chapter 5 speaks of the poor as those who cannot repay even the price of a pair of sandals, and John the Baptist describes himself as not good enough to even untie (or carry) Christ’s sandals. In Exodus 12 those escaping slavery in Egypt are told by God to eat wearing their sandals (and I wonder if that holds true today for Jewish people celebrating Passover).
One other interesting reference to sandals, though, I think, is the way they are also used symbolically. If a man refuses to marry his brother’s widow then the Law states in Deuteronomy 25 that he is to be disgraced by having his sandals pulled off. And then in Ruth 4 an agreement is made in the city gates by one sandal (I’m not too sure what happens with the other one) being given as a sign. In these days when we can’t shake hands, maybe this can become standard practice for us as well!
Let us pray (and you might recognise this):
When you get in trouble and you don't know right from wrong
Give a little whistle
Give a little whistle
When you meet temptation and the urge is very strong
Give a little whistle
Give a little whistle
Not just a little squeak
Pucker up and blow
And if your whistle's weak, yell "Jiminy Cricket!"
Take the straight and narrow path
And if you start to slide
Give a little whistle
Give a little whistle
And always let your conscience be your guide
Amen.