Teth--Psalm 119:65-72 (The Aleph Tav of Psalm 119)

 

Teth ט is the 9th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  It rhymes with "mate" and makes the "t" sound.  It is the least frequently occurring letter in scripture.  Teth, also spelled Tet, can have a double meaning--good and evil.  From the evil angle, it looks like a serpent coiled and ready to strike.  But from the good angle, it looks like a man bowing in reverence.  It's the first letter in the word for purity; but also the first letter in the word for impurity.  It's the first letter in the word for good, as seen in Genesis 1:4 "And God saw that it was good"; but then God separated the light from darkness, putting them as opposing forces.  Our t word is tov, which means "good". 😊

This section has many contrasts.  The author hasn't shown good judgment and knowledge, but now he longs to learn.  Before the student knew the Teacher, he just wandered aimlessly, but now he stays nearby.  The disrespectful in the crowd have tried to pin every kind of blame on him, but he only concerns himself with study.  The heart that is far from God is unfeeling, but drawing near to God is delightful. He is thankful for the bad, because it drew him to the good.  God controls both good and evil, according to Isaiah 45:7.  How He uses evil for His purposes is a mystery, but the student is learning that, according to the trustworthy law of the Teacher, God is good and He does good.  

This section really makes me think of the comparison between good and evil, wrapped up in one letter.  How many times am I coiled up like a snake, ready to strike at the first thing that upsets me?  Or how often am I bowing in reverence?  They truly are opposite ends of the spectrum.  I can't  bow before God if I am ready to strike someone, even a friend.  I can't strike at anyone, even an enemy, if I'm truly bowed before God in praise.  Deuteronomy 30 is one of my favorite chapters in the entire Bible, and it addresses this choice.  To paraphrase: I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and good, death and evil, blessing and curse.  Choose life.  This commandment is not too hard for you, neither is it far off.  The Word is very near you.  It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. This is the choice our student is facing and the choice we face every day too.  Choose life and good and blessing.  It's worth far more than anything else.