Psalm 119: First encounter

On my first read through the Bible, when I came to Psalm 119 I winced at a quick scan of its length. Then I started reading it and was so caught by the author's passion and reverence that I was finished before I gave another thought to its length. It remains to this day one of my favorite Psalms. (My first read-through was before I learned about some of the artistry that didn't survive translation: it's an acrostic poem in the original Hebrew. I remain impressed that the urgency and pace and devotion did survive the translation.)

Like the Sermon on the Mount, this Psalm begins with a focus on God as the God who blesses: The opening line "Blessed are the undefiled" is much like "Blessed are the pure in heart" from the Sermon on the Mount. And the Psalmist doubles down on beginning with blessings, as the second verse underlines the theme again: "Blessed are they who keep his testimonies." (It's not only this Psalm and the Sermon on the Mount that begin with blessings. God's first words to people, as recorded in Genesis 1:28, are likewise a blessing, as it says "God blessed them and said to them", etc.)

From the start, the Psalmist sees the blessings that come to us through God's word: being undefiled, being unashamed, and gaining an upright heart. Freedom from shame and fault come from respecting and delighting in God's commandments (mitzvah). Since the author uses the word mitzvah at that point (v 6), there's a nod also to delighting in God's righteous works. 

There's is more depth in this Psalm that I hope to explore. While the Psalmist may have been an engaging enough author to write such a lengthy work without trying peoples' patience, for my own part I think I'll pause here.