Translations
Psalm 119:19 (ESV) – I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me!
Psalm 119:19 LXX
πάροικος εγώ ειμι εν τη γη μη αποκρύψης απ΄. εμού mτας εντολάς σου
[a sojourner. I. am] in the earth you should not conceal from me your commandments
Psalm 119:19 Interlinear from the Hebrew – A stranger I [am] in the earth not do hide from me Your commandments.
Connections
Psalm 39:12 [ESV] Hear my prayer O Lord, and give. ear to my. cry; hold not your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers.
Isaiah 6:10 [ESV] Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed
πάροικος (paroikos) – sojourner/traveller – also in the New Testament mentions four times:
Acts 7:6 [ESV] And God spoke to this effect-that his ooffspring would be sojourners (πάροικον) in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and a afflict them four hundred years.
Acts 7:29 [ESV] At this retort Moses fled and became an exile (πάροικος) in the land of Misian, where he became the father of two sons.
Ephesians 2:19 [ESV] So then you are no longer strangers and aliens (πάροικοι), but your are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.
1 Peter 2:11 [ESV] Beloved, I urge you as sojourners (παροίκους) and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
The death of Jesus on the cross for our (my) sins changes everything – before we receive Jesus as our personal saviour, we are sojourners on the earth, where we are under the authority of our own flesh. We have no relationship with Jesus, God or Holy Spirit at this point, even if we do know about them. Then in an amazing moment. we are found by Jesus, and we accept that He is actually our Lord, Saviour, and friend. Now, we are still sojourners here on earth, and we recognize with fresh vision, that our true home is with Jesus in heaven and we are passing through here on earth.
Reflections
When we moved to Australia at first we were sojourners, on a 457 visa for 4 years, then we had to head back to the UK. But, when Wendy worked as a nurse, the Australian government realized that she was adding value to the country in a way that meant it would be good if she could stay. So they provided a permanent residents visa. This lasted for a few years, and during this time w e could not leave Australia for a lengthy period of time, or we went back to the beginning of the process again. But after a few years of working and living as residents, we were offered the opportunity to be come citizens, and have the same full rights as those born into citizenship in Australia – we are now Australians. we are no longer sojourners in Australia.
Strength Coaches comment – The talent of belief has strong core values, and from this same core values arrives a defined purpose in life. This sense of purpose sets them on a trajectory that will not be easily changed.
Blessings
Allan