#870 Sin and Shin

Sin and Shin

Princes persecute me without cause,

but my heart stands in awe of your words.

162 I rejoice at your word

like one who finds great spoil.

163 I hate and abhor falsehood,

but I love your law.

164 Seven times a day I praise you

for your righteous rules.

165 Great peace have those who love your law;

nothing can make them stumble.

166 I hope for your salvation, O Lord,

and I do your commandments.

167 My soul keeps your testimonies;

I love them exceedingly.

168 I keep your precepts and testimonies,

for all my ways are before you. Psalm 119: 161-168 ESV

A continuation of Psalm 119, God's word inspires awe.

Shin is the 21st letter of the Hebrew alphabet with a numerical value of 300. In English it can represent the relative pronouns, that, which and who. 

According to Judges 12:6, the tribe of Ephraim could not differentiate between Shin and Samekh; when the Gileadites were at war with the Ephraimites, they would ask suspected Ephraimites to say the word shibolet; an Ephraimite would say sibolet and thus be exposed. From this episode we get the English word shibboleth. cited from Wikipedia

Shin also stands for the word Shaddai, a name for God. Because of this, a kohen (priest) forms the letter Shin with his hands as he recites the Priestly Blessing. In the mid-1960s, actor Leonard Nimoy used a single-handed version of this gesture to create the Vulcan hand salute for his character, Mr. Spock, on Star Trek. Cited from Wikipedia

Princes persecute me without cause - No request, just stated, this is the reality of the Psalmist life, whom I believe to be David. He was persecuted by King Saul, but also by a prince of his own loins, Absalom. 

ii. “It was well that the sufferer could truthfully assert that this persecution was without cause. He had not broken their laws, he had not injured them, he had not even desired to see them injured, he had not been an advocate of rebellion or anarchy, he had neither openly nor secretly opposed their power, and therefore, while this made their oppression the more inexcusable, it took away a part of its sting, and helped the brave-hearted servant of God to bear up.” (Spurgeon)

iii. “This division is remarkable in that it is one of the only two which contain no petition (other was Mem, 197-104). That fact is the more remarkable because its opening sentence shows that the singer is still conscious of the circumstances of trial.” (Morgan)

But my heart stands in awe of your words - The letter shin is seen by some to share the structure of the heart, and this is a heart ablaze. This will offend some, but I use to say how can there be a God when there is so much evil, pain and agony in this world? I have come to understand that there is death because of sin, that is the wages of sin, but that it persists in this world, even against men and women who have not wronged their assailants, that is love. Go back to the garden, everything that God created was called good, even our parents, Adam and Eve, directly created by God, were good. When man fell in the garden, a just and righteous God, Who is called Holy, Holy, Holy, has the right over His creation, and the right over what He has made, to uphold justice, and with a word, undo all that was made. He chose not to destroy everything at that time, but now every child born by procreation, coming out of fallen mankind, is born into sin. 

…4 Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You may be proved right when You speak and blameless when You judge. 5 Surely I was brought forth in iniquity; I was sinful when my mother conceived me. 6 Surely You desire truth in the inmost being; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.… Psalm 51: 4-6

Paul teaches us that love is patient, and herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and gave His son to die for our sins. The apostle Peter said:

…8 Beloved, do not let this one thing escape your notice: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance. 10 But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare.… 2 Peter 3; 8-10

I rejoice at Your word, like one who finds great spoil - The plunder after a battle, and one not won by him, one that overshadows present circumstances with princes and kings. We day dream of finding treasure, men turn great amounts of earth over, in pursuit of diamonds and gold. The Psalmist rejoices like a man, who having just lost his job, comes home to find that someone has left him a winning lottery ticket. They try to bring him low, but God's word brings him up. 

I hate and abhor falsehood, but I love Your law - If I hate this, then naturally I love that. If I come to know the word, love the word, then I will hate sin.

i. “If we keep clear of all lying, our song will be the more acceptable because it comes out of pure lips. If we never flatter men we shall be in the better condition for honouring the Lord.” (Spurgeon)

Seven times a day I praise You - He would not be a Sunday only worshiper. Seven is the number of perfection, which should not inspire legalism, because that would not be true worship. This is from a changed heart and often because.

Nothing can make them stumble - It is the gospel of peace. We love what we cannot attain unto outside of Christ perfection, atonement and glory. He is the keeper of our feet. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path, that I may not stumble blindly into the dark. 

I hope for your salvation, O Lord - He has believed the report.

ii. This hope is very much like faith. “Faith is the exercise of the soul in a sense of need, in desire, and in trust. Faith goes to God on the ground of the promise; hope in the expectation of the thing promised. Thus hope implies the operation of faith.” (Bridges)

For all my ways are before You - His bar is set at the highest set of eyes, so everything below is exceeded, and if accused otherwise, God will be the judge of his accusers.