6.01.2005

so that we may work the works of God

As everyone knows, Ps119 is long, really long. And because of its length, I don't know that I've ever fully appreciated its content. Because there is always the ease with which liar takes advantage of its length to discourage the reader. I've wondered on many occasion as to why the psalmist didn't split this psalm up.

One, the entirety of the psalm deals with the Word, and so for content continuity it's better to keep it together as a whole. But there are tons of psalms where David speaks of redemption and saving during desperate times and there's no call to combine those psalms into an epic.

Two, there are no real demarcations in this psalm -- no easy segues into a psalm beginning or psalm ending. But again, there are a couple of psalms whose beginnings or endings seem abrupt, ergo this is no reason for a uniting either.

I've heard said that just like there are "discrepancies" in the Bible, God often puts things in the Word to challenge us. And in a psalm about the Word, it is not ironic to have its length be a challenge. But that's just rationalizing. Why not challenge us with Genesis where we learn about who we are? Why not challenge us at the cross (although He certainly does that)? Why not just accept that this is how the psalmist was inspired, and how the convened council was inspired, and just shut up and focus and not let the liar use wonder for a reason to fail?

There's always that.

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