Sin/Shin Stanza: “Those who love Your law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble” (Psa 119:165).
Great sorrow has come upon many of Yeshua’s disciples because of theologies built on verses taken out of context. Read in isolation, this verse could easily be used to defend a form of the prosperity gospel. The word “peace” (shalom) here could be understood as the absence of conflict. If I love God’s word, I will live at peace with those around me. On the flip side, if my life is an endless battle, there must be something wrong with me.
But let’s reflect on the meaning of this verse in its literary context. Indeed, the praying servant of Psalm 119 is the lover of God and his word par excellence (see vv. 47, 48, 97, 113, 119, 127, 140, 159, 163, 167). Based on a faulty interpretation of verse 165, we would expect the servant’s life to be without conflict, all smooth sailing, peaches and cream.
The abundant shalom promised to those who love God’s word in verse 165 cannot be peace from conflict.
But what do we find? A man persecuted by many enemies, even rulers, without a cause (vv. 84, 86, 150, 157, 161). The servant’s great love for God and his commandments brings him into conflict with those who reject them. Far from guaranteeing him a conflict-free life, his love is “rewarded” with afflictions (vv. 71, 75, 92, 107, 153), defamation (vv. 69, 78, 86, 118), and reproach and contempt (vv. 22, 39, 42).
The abundant shalom promised to those who love God’s word in verse 165 cannot be peace from conflict. It must be the kind of peace that guards our hearts and minds in the midst of conflict.
O God, please pour out upon us an extra measure of this peace to comfort our hearts in the midst of a fierce and sometimes bloody war against our souls. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:6–7).
