Open my eyes, so that I may behold
wondrous things out of your law (Psalm 119:18 NRSV).
How would God feel about answering this prayer?
The psalmist’s chief concern here is that something would obscure their vision, so that they are prevented from beholding the beauty of God’s law. The psalmist is eager to see them. There’s no doubt they are there. The only problem is that somehow the psalmist wouldn’t appreciate them as they deserve to be seen.
What sorts of things are considered wonders? Natural wonders? The Grand Canyon. The 7 ancient wonders? The Great Pyramid of Giza. Not usually laws. But to the psalmist, God’s Torah is a wonder of the ancient world.
The psalmist already perceives wonders in God’s law, and doesn’t want the viewing of those wonders to be inhibited.
This is the second verse in Gimel section of Psalm 119. The Hebrew word that begins the verse, “open” (galah), could be translated as “uncover”. In Prov. 25:9 it is used to reveal a secret. The word used here for “wondrous” is used elsewhere for miracles (Exo 3:20; Judg. 6:13). The psalmist is asking God to reveal the miraculous wonder of God’s word.
God, help me see wonders in your word. What do you find wondrous about the Bible?