The imagery mentioned in Ps. 119:83 is quite interesting.
“Though I have become like a wineskin in the smoke, I do not forget God’s teachings.”
I dug around a bit as I was baffled by the picture the Psalmist paints. It turns out that ancient people hung a wineskin inside a tent to absorb the smoke from the fire. As you can imagine, this kind of use led to the wineskin becoming dry, brittle, and of little use. This is the raw emotion of an honest believer who clings to God even when it seems insane.
If you presently feel this way, know that you are in very good company.
So. I just need to remove myself from the smoke? Yet….I keep jumping back into the fire!
Danny
PS….I’ve been looking forward to this blog for at least 5 years!!!
Thanks Danny…I am glad to finally start. It was the right time.
The Psalmist seems to imply that even old wineskins can be filled with the new wine of God’s truth. That’s comforting for one like me in his 70’s.
Well said, David–although I am not in my 70s. After reading the post, I read back through this section. The context is striking. The psalmist is looking for God’s rescue and not seeing it yet. But he still proclaims his adherence to God’s decrees.
Clinging to God’s word in the midst of suffering is the only thing that keeps us from getting dry, brittle and of little use.