I do what is fair and right.
Do not abandon me to my oppressors.
Guarantee the welfare of your servant.
Do not let the arrogant oppress me.
My eyes grow tired as I wait for your deliverance,
for your reliable promise to be fulfilled.
Show your servant your loyal love.
Teach me your statutes.
I am your servant. Give me insight,
so that I can understand your rules.
It is time for the LORD to act—
they break your law.
For this reason I love your commands
more than gold, even purest gold.
For this reason I carefully follow all your precepts.
I hate all deceitful actions.
Psalm 119: 121-128 (New English Translation)
Aarrrrrgh! Frustration! Have you ever had a time in your life when you are trying to do what is right, trying to live the life God wants you to live, and yet everything is going wrong?! I think the Psalm 119 – Ayin section speaks to this type of time for the Psalmist. Can’t you just hear his frustration? He seems to have been in a discouraging time of life for quite some time. He gives us insight as to how we are to rely on God when life gets tough.
The first thing the Psalmist does, is assess his own behavior. Then he tells God that he has acted fairly and rightly, so it isn’t his own sin that is getting in the way of his and God’s relationship. When we are treated badly and are determined to do what is right, no matter how we are treated, we need to abide completely in God’s arms because we will face opposition from others who want to cut corners and act sub-standardly.
When we have been mistreated poorly for so long – right now I’m thinking of a boss that was impossible – it makes it really difficult to face going to work, let alone experience God’s joy and peace. The Psalmist asks the Lord to be his surety – to vindicate him and his right actions. Sometimes we need God’s vindication, and when it doesn’t come immediately, we become disheartened. We may shout as the Psalmist – God, it’s time to act! So what do we do when God doesn’t act in our timeline? We ask God for understanding by immersing ourselves in God’s Word and asking for the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s will to us.
The Hebrew letter Ayin means salvation and eyes (Raskin, 2003). And these are exactly what the Psalmist is asking God for – to be saved from his difficult situation and to have eyes to see God’s ways.
“…The ayin is actually two eyes united at the optical chiasma—the nerve center that receives and interprets visual impulses—at the back of the head. Two eyes attached to a central link can be clearly seen in the letter’s form. This offers us a new understanding of the mitzvah of donning tefillin: specifically to the positioning of the head tefillin. In Deuteronomy [6:8] it says that G d’s commandments shall be ‘between your eyes.’ In Jewish law, between one’s eyes means the point between the eyes as it travels up just above the hairline. In actuality, the proper position of the head tefillin is slightly above the hairline atop the soft part of the skull. Viewed from above, this soft spot is literally at the mid-point between one’s eyes and the chiasma. The head tefillin is thus set directly between the physical eyes of the body and the eye of the brain, just as the Torah prescribes (Raskin 2003).”
If you click on the tefillin link, you will learn that the tefillin contain the fundamentals of the Jewish faith. By wearing the tefillin each week day, Jewish men are reminded of who God is and how His plan for the Jewish people. Though this practice could be abused, and indeed Jesus spoke of its abuse in His day, when done as God intended, to reflect on Him and His ways, I can see its benefit. It really isn’t so different from taking communion in church. It is a time to reflect on who Jesus is, and how He is our Savior.
Speaking of Jesus, the other meaning of ayin means salvation. The ultimate salvation comes from Jesus, who died on the cross for our sins so we can have eternal life. How grateful we need to be for Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice. Talking about frustration – can you imagine how frustrated God gets as He experiences our unwillingness to accept His Son as our Savior?
How frustrating it must be to watch His children – us, act stupidly and cause ourselves and others pain as we think we can handle things on our own, and not even ask God for His help. He is waiting for us to gain understanding of Him and how His ways are so much better than ours. The next time I am frustrated, I’m going to recite Psalm 119-Ayin and delve into Scripture to gain understanding from God. At the very least, this will keep me from yelling at the object of my frustration.
Resources:
Raskin, A. 2003: Letters of Light. (audio book). Sichos Publishers.
Photo Credit: Gilson, T. Psychology Today © 2021 Sussex Publishers, LLC, https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-power-prime/201506/master-your-athletic-frustration. Retrieved on August 17, 2021.
The Hebrew Letter Ayin. https://www.cartoonhebrew.com/ayin. Retrieved on August 17,2021.
