Psalm 25:10 – Enjoying Blessing and Passing It On

Here is my literal translation of this verse:

“ All the paths of YHVH [are] love and faithfulness to ones keeping His covenant and His testimonies/warnings.”

“Paths” is the same word from verse 4, “Cause me to know Your ways, O Lord, and train me in Your paths …” I observed there that the Hebrew words for “way” and “path” (derek and arak) and basically synonyms. However, Adam Clarke notes that arak particularly signifies the ruts and wear observed where the ground has been frequently traveled, hence the English rendering of “path”.

And so, what are these rutted frequently traveled ways of the Lord? Love and faithfulness. Love is again the Hebrew word hesed, while faithfulness is the word emet. We could translate emet as simply "truth” and say “All the paths of the Lord are love and truth.” In English we might object that there is a significant difference between “faithfulness” and “truth.” However, that objection is born of our culture’s hopelessly obligate linear mentality. To understand, one has to get into the Hebrew “picture” mentality, to see the Lord’s way as “truth” in a picture. He is truth. All that He does is true. He is a true one. All He says is truth. You can count on what He says. He keeps His promises. He’ll always be there doing what He’s supposed to do, when He’s supposed to do it, the way He said He’d do it, doing what He should do. Basically, in Hebrew, you can take the word “truth,” throw it in the air, spin it every which way, and no matter what it means, you’ll find “All the paths of the Lord are truth.”

So, how can we translate that picture into English? Well, in one sense we cannot. English, being the language of a linear culture, simply cannot express the breadth and depth of words spoken in a picture language. It’s like we’d have to say all of the different ways “truth” can be true. But then it would take paragraphs to translate their sentences. Even in English we acknowledge “a picture’s worth a thousand (English) words.” (!) So what to do? I think “faithfulness” is probably the best single English word we can use here (while tearfully admitting its inadequacy).  I guess I’m suggesting, that where His way being “truth” becomes practical to us is seen particularly in His faithfulness.

Back in verse 9, the anavim are assured the Lord will teach them His ways. Now in verse 10, those same poor “crushed ones” are being assured those ways are good ways – that they are love and faithfulness – that as we go on being crushed day after day, year after year, we may rest assured that whatever the Lord is up to, it is always love and faithfulness to us. His rutted paths are love and faithfulness. Everywhere He goes, everything He does, He’s treading out a path of love for us “crushed ones.” He is being faithful to us “crushed ones.” We can count on Him – though all we see and feel is the crushing … day in, day out, year in, year out. Faith in His love and faithfulness fuels the hope that keeps us going and, not insignificantly, enables us to ourselves live out love and faithfulness to Him and others.

Which leads to my next thought: Perhaps now I’m extrapolating, but I think it enormously important that His love and faithfulness enables mine. As it says to us in Prov 3:3, “Let love and faithfulness never leave you …” Is it not true that “love and faithfulness” are two of the most essential ingredients to any real relationship? Add in forgiveness (since we all fail at love and faithfulness), and do you not have the makings of a really good relationship? Love, faithfulness, and forgiveness.

I certainly long to be loved, to have someone else actually like me. I certainly need others to be faithful to me, to be dependable to do the things I’m counting on them for. And I certainly need a big dose of forgiveness for what a lousy job I myself do at being loving and faithful. But then I turn the gun of conviction on my own heart and try to realize that people around me are no different. They too need my love, my faithfulness, my forgiveness. Again, are these not the very essentials of real relationships?

No wonder Proverbs says, “Let love and faithfulness never leave you …”

I guess my prayer is that, as I walk through my day today, I will remember that “All the paths of the Lord are love and faithfulness” and be encouraged to bear up under whatever I face, to love Him and trust Him no matter what. Then I hope that, as I enjoy the blessing of His love and faithfulness to me, I will in turn sincerely try to show love and faithfulness to everyone around me, that I will sincerely try to rise above my own self-consumed fetish and seek the best interest of those around me, try to genuinely care about them, listen to them, be aware of their needs, pray for them, be kind and patient with them; and be faithful to them, to do what I said I’d do, do what I should do for them, the things they’re depending on me for, to be “true” to them whatever that means. And again, I need to throw in forgiveness, since no one else is doing any better job than me of pulling it all off.

Lord, it is true that all the paths you tread out are love and faithfulness. Thank you. I need You to be that way. Help me to be the same to others. They need me to be that way. Help us all.