I have been offering my literal translation of these verses:
“Cause me to know Your ways, YHVH. Train me [in] Your paths. Cause me to travel in Your truth. Train me because You [are] the God of my deliverance. On you I wait/hope all the day. Remember Your mercies YHVH and Your loving-kindnesses because they [are] from ages.”
Looking closely at these verses, it’s interesting that David adds the “because You [are] the God of my deliverance.”
He’s saying, “Show me, lead me, teach me … because You are the God of my deliverance.”
I want to think about the “because.” The word translated “deliverance” is an interesting word. It is commonly translated “salvation” which is completely legitimate. I choose instead to use the word “deliverance” since, in Christian circles, we assign “salvation” to the actual event of being born again. But, as important as that is, I think the point in this verse goes on to include all of the daily deliverance that goes on throughout our human existence. I experienced salvation over 30 years ago. I desperately need deliverance today!
I think it is cool that the word itself is derived from the Hebrew word Yashah which is where Yeshua/Jesus comes from! The word picture is “to make wide.” It is the opposite of being pinched and smashed, crushed, bound up. To experience “Yasha” is to be brought out into a wide place where you’re free to jump and move. I love that picture because that’s how life is. All of our troubles and problems, other peoples’ cruelties, our own bad habits, whatever, hold us down and hold us back. It all crushes the very life out of us. But what we’re asking God to do is to Yasha us, to bring us out into a wide place where we’re free. And that is Who He is – the God of our Yasha(!).
David asks God for all the leading and teaching “because You are the God of my deliverance.” Certainly, ultimately only God can deliver us. And sometimes it is simply miraculous. But notice how, with the “because,” David connects the leading and teaching with God’s deliverance. In fact, to know God’s ways, to be trained in His paths, to travel in His truth is to be delivered, is it not? Would it not be reasonable to say that the number one way God wants to deliver us is that we walk in His way? If we walk in His way, we certainly avoid a lot of trouble. “When a man’s ways please the Lord, He will make even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Prov 16:7). Certainly many times, the only way out of trouble is to follow God’s way.
Sometimes it is totally okay to just beg God for deliverance. You know what I mean – I don’t care if it takes a miracle … just SAVE me!!! But it is equally valid even in our troubles to be asking God to teach us His way and realize that the learning may actually be the path to deliverance.
The good news is that He is the God of our deliverance; not just our hero, not just a powerful friend. God. Our deliverance is provided by One Who is far above this world, far above the people, the rulers, the powers, the sickness and everything else that so often oppresses us.
No wonder David adds, “On You I wait/hope all the day.” As I pointed out in an earlier post, the word translated “to wait” also means “to hope” so I just put both in the sentence. As I try to learn God’s ways, as I fail miserably, as I flounder around, my heart is waiting on God to somehow, someway bring me out of this. My heart’s hope is ultimately in Him.
If He delivers me, I’ll be delivered. Whether it is through me walking in His way or if it just flat takes a miracle, still, it will come from Him. I’m such a blockhead, I won’t even learn His way unless He teaches me and even if He teaches me, I’ll chicken out and fail somewhere along the line. Even if I know His way, I need Him to help me actually do it. And then I desperately need His blessing on my doing. I NEED Him. On Him I’m waiting/hoping all the day.
Along another line, I don’t know how much of deliverance we can be assured we’ll see in this world. I wish I could believe that, sooner or later, in this world, He’ll deliver me from all the things that crush me. But Hebrews 11 makes it clear that while some
“33…through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the alien…”
Yet others
“…wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented … these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, …”
I think part of His being the “God of my deliverance” is that I leave the timetable up to Him. I wish He would just deliver me from it all today. But He might not. In fact, I may die still afflicted by some of the things I’ve been begging Him to change for years. But then, to die in Christ is to live forever – finally totally delivered. God will make good on His promise to save me to the uttermost, whether in this world or the next. But bottom-line He’s God and I’m just a man. The schedule is His.
I just pray for His sufficient grace that, whether He delivers me or not, that I might love well.
“On You I wait/hope all the day.”
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