Psalm 25:12 – Choosing. Hmmm.

Here is my literal translation of this verse:

^“Who is this, the man fearing YHVH? He will teach/shoot him [in] the way he should choose.

K&D makes an interesting observation: “Among all the blessings which fall to the lot of him who fears God, the first place is given to this, that God raises him above the vacillation and hesitancy of human opinion.” Calvin makes a similar observation: “…in almost all our affairs we are held in suspense and doubt, unless God appear to show us the way.”

Certainly “the way he should choose” is a salient topic for discussion. It seems to me (and I suspect I’m typical) that most of my life I have spent in a quandary over some (or many) decision(s) I felt I needed to make.

I would agree with K&D that somewhere near the top of my list of blessings has been the freedom of knowing what is right. We seem to live in the age of  the “vacillation and hesitancy of human opinion.” Actually one should probably say “opinions” – plural, which is precisely the problem. Everybody has an opinion. Everybody thinks they know “the way.” Everybody writes a new book.

But first, a few technical details: “fear the Lord” – people argue whether this means simply “reverence” or actually to be afraid of Him. Of course today, “to be afraid of Him" is politically incorrect, so we have to run to the “reverence” definition. Personally, I think they’re both true and what it comes down to is consequences. We live in a world of truth and consequences. If you do what’s right, in the long run (at least) you will be blessed. If you do what’s wrong, you will suffer for it. I think we see particularly in the book of Proverbs that the man who “fears the Lord” is a man who has figured this out. God runs the universe. He is the Law-giver. He says what is right and what is wrong. A wise person is okay with that. And a wise person lives very aware that his choices every day will either enjoy God’s blessings or suffer His consequences. If I don’t do right for any other reason, I’ll do right because I’m afraid of the consequences – I fear the Lord. I think what people fail to see is that it is not a servile, groveling fear. I love Him. He loves me. I don’t doubt that. But His rod is very painful and He loves me too much not to draw it out and use it on me when I need it. So is that reverence? Yeah, I think so. But it is also fear. Once again, I think when one ponders the “fear of the Lord,” “consequences” is the word to keep in mind in the middle of it all.

Another detail to note is the word I translated “teach/shoot.” This is the same “to teach” synonym we observed in verse 8: “…therefore He will teach/shoot sinners in the way.”  To repeat some of what I said there:  This is the Hebrew word yarah. The root word means literally “to throw” or “to shoot” with a strong sense of control by the subject. It is the idea of someone shooting an arrow, but it cannot be randomly; it is the idea of shooting the arrow at a very specific target. In the Hebrew way of painting mental pictures, the same word becomes one of the synonyms for “to teach.” Certainly a good teacher knows why they’re teaching their students, they know exactly what they want them to learn, and so their teaching is seriously like shooting an arrow at a target. And so the Lord, the Master Teacher, “will teach/shoot sinners in the way.” His intent is in no way ambiguous or unclearly defined. He picks them up, aims them carefully at the target and sends them down the path of learning. Now in verse 12 we learn one of the benefits to be enjoyed by those who fear the Lord is the assurance that “He will teach/shoot him in the way he should choose.”

Finally, I don’t always comment on the “other” interpretations offered, usually because I personally don’t think they have merit and I don’t want to spend the time. In this case, though, I do want to note a couple of things, including the NIV translation: “Who, then, are those who fear the LORD? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose”.  Sometimes I am amazed at what a good job the NIV does of bringing out the meaning of a verse. And then there are the other times. I am afraid, in their determination to make the Bible readable, the NIV translators sometimes simply took way too much liberty with their translation. Many, many times as I study the Greek or Hebrew, I find it shocking how they just took it on themselves to seemingly ignore the text. This verse is one of those cases, in my humble opinion. It is not “those.” There is no plural whatsoever in the subject. It is literally, “Who [is] this, the man fearing YHVH?” I could not possibly, in good conscience translate this “those” and publish it as if it were a faithful translation of God’s Word. Further, the NIV translates the last phrase as “He will instruct them in the ways they should choose”. Again, there’s no “them/they” and no plural of “way.” I don’t know where they are getting their plurals from. Someone may argue I’m being petty. But this is the Word of God. Going back to our previous discussion, I would think there would be a little fear in such an endeavor – and certainly a fear that would restrain me from arbitrarily changing things like this.

Finally, should we translate it, “the way he should choose” or, as some do, “the way chosen for him” or even “the way He chooses?” There certainly is no textual basis, I don’t think, for “the way chosen for him.” I don’t know where that is even coming from. As far as whether it is “he” or “He,” I don’t know if it really makes any practical difference, since the whole point is that the man who fears the Lord wants to choose what God chooses. I think you can use either. So one might run across either and think it is a big deal to decide which it should be. But I’m saying I don’t think so. I want to choose what God chooses. The more the better those two are indistinguishable in my life.

So then. With all that said. As I related above, it seems I’ve spent the better part of my life in one quandary after another wanting to know “the way I should choose.” One of the blessings of knowing the Lord has been, in fact, knowing “the way I should choose.” He has certainly taught/shot me many, many times. But then there is now. It seems like my life lately has become a labyrinth, a cluttered snarl of too many questions for which I don’t have answers. The promise, “He will teach/shoot him [in] the way he should choose,” feels almost like a taunt or a tease right now. I am in my usual quandary(s) but right now it seems there are a record number of them weighing on me all at once, that they have remained quandaries way too long, that they are beginning to snowball on me, and though I cry out for direction, though I spend this time in the Word trying to “listen,” one day just turns into another and still I don’t know “the way I should choose.”

I’ve been here before. It’s just never been this bad.

It is to the point I feel tormented by it all. I feel wearied by the confusion. I read the promise, “He will teach/shoot him [in] the way he should choose,” and again it feels almost like a taunt or a tease right now.

Time for faith. Simply believe. Wait/hope. “Good and upright is the Lord, therefore He will teach/shoot sinners in the way.” He certainly is good and upright. I certainly am a sinner. He’s the One Who said, “Seek and ye shall find.” I need to keep on “seeking” and let Him orchestrate the “finding.”

So I will go on waiting. “There is a time and a season for everything, though a man’s misery weighs heavily upon him” (Eccl 8:6). Time for another Habakkuk: “I will stand at my watch …; I will look to see what He will say to me, …”(2:1).

Today I can love God and love people whether or not I have my own questions answered. Today, whatever comes, I can sincerely try to “let love and faithfulness never leave me.” Today I should be sensitive to the fact that probably everyone I encounter is suffering through their own quandaries. Perhaps a new measure of gentleness is on order. Today I can choose to simply trust my Father. I just definitely need His grace and strength to do it.

But it hurts. A lot.

Wait/hope.

Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight. May it be unto me according to Thy word.

Psalm 25:11 – Him and Me – Part 2

Once again, here is my literal translation of this verse:

“In answer to Your name YHVH, even forgive my perversion because it [is] great.”

As I wrote in my last blog, there are actually two stratospheric points that stand out to me in this verse. The first concerned Him, the second concerns me.  In the last blog, Part 1, I recorded how I’m amazed at the enormity of God’s forgiving heart. David asks forgiveness because His sin is so great. I’m still amazed.

But then there’s me, Part 2. In this Psalm, David is clearly moved to pray because of some kind of pain occurring in his life. In verse 2, he prayed, “Let me not be ashamed; Let not my enemies triumph over me.” Then later in the Psalm, in verses 16-20, he prays,

“Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me,
         For I am desolate and afflicted.
 The troubles of my heart have enlarged;
         Bring me out of my distresses!
 Look on my affliction and my pain, …

Consider my enemies, for they are many;
         And they hate me with cruel hatred.
 Keep my soul, and deliver me; …”

Clearly David is hurting in some big ways. And clearly he’s doing the right thing, bringing them to God.

Yet, in our verse 11, he says, “Forgive my sin, for it is great.”

(Once again, remember that, in the Hebrew the “it” is emphatic).

And, of course, this isn’t the only place he laments his sinfulness. In verses 7 and 18 he also raises the issue.

Here is my thought. I have no problem seeing my suffering is great. But do I really see my sin as great?

As I read this Psalm and as I pray, what fills my heart is the suffering. It’s almost like my sin is more of a factual assent on my part. “Oh, yeah … and while You’re at it, taking away all my troubles and filling my life with blessings, while You’re at it, forgive my sins too.”

Hmmmm.

Probably don’t need to say more. It’s just that those two things awed me as I began to understand the verse: the enormity of His forgiving heart and the apparently minimal view I have of my sinfulness. My sufferings and pain are gargantuan to me. I’m not so sure my sin is.

Parting thought. On the one hand, I want to be cognizant of my sin and, if I need to, I pray the Lord would help me to see it more clearly. On the other hand, I’m wondering if there isn’t a little mercy involved here. I wonder if the Lord really let us see the full enormity of our sin, would it be so desponding we couldn’t bear it? As I’ve said before, there is also a sense in which the memories of my (many) sins down through the years haunt me incessantly (mercilessly) and only add to my “suffering” in this world. What if I saw them more?

I think this is one I’ll leave in the Lord’s hands. If in fact my heart is in any way minimizing my sins, I pray the Lord’s help to see them more clearly, that perhaps I would strike a better balance between the recognition of my sins and that of my suffering. On the other hand, I’ll let Him choose the extent of that recognition. Maybe the constant haunting is enough. Maybe it is enough to keep me among the anavim. I don’t think I really know. Again, I’ll leave that call up to Him.

In the meantime, I’d rather focus on knowing “what is the breadth and length and depth and height of the love of Christ, which passes knowledge.” (!)

“Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee,

And Thy beauty fills my soul;

For by Thy transforming power,

Thou hast made me whole”.

Psalm 25:11 – Him and Me -- Part 1

Here is my literal translation of this verse:

“In answer to Your name YHVH, even forgive my perversion because it [is] great.”

And so we come to verse 11. I suspect this verse is the middle of the Psalm, perhaps the apex of a chiasm. Commentators for centuries have noted that this verse seems “out of place” in the middle of this long series (vv 8-15) of statements of faith about God. I suspect its very abruptness was deliberate, that it is part of the overall logical structure of the Psalm itself. Obviously, the structure is of significance, seeing this is an acrostic Psalm. As I study along, I’m gathering lots of mental notes (particularly of repetitions) but I will wait until I’ve studied it all before looking hard at its structure.

At any rate, since I strongly suspect this is the middle or apex, I will go ahead and presume the verse is highly significant to the overall meaning of the Psalm. There are actually two stratospheric points that stand out to me in this verse. In this blog, I’ll record my thoughts concerning the first, and call it "Part 1."

But before I record those thoughts, five grammatical observations: First, the opening phrase, “In answer to Your name YHVH” is structurally identical to the “in answer to Your goodness YHVH” in verse 7. Interesting. Second, in the Hebrew, a conjunctive vav precedes the verb “forgive.” I translated it “even” but only because I didn’t know what else to do with it. It seems an odd place for a vav. I guess for now I’ll just note it. Might be significant in the structure of the Psalm, especially if this verse itself is the middle or apex. Third, the word translated “forgive” is the Hebrew word salak, which is only ever used of God’s forgiveness of man. Hebrew had many words for “forgive” but this one was never used of people forgiving each other. Its occurrence is entirely of divine initiative. Again, interesting. Fourth, I think it worth noting that the word “it” is emphatic in the Hebrew: “Forgive my perversion, for it is great.” Last of all, I note the Hebrew word I have translated “perversion.” There are several Hebrew words for sin. This one in particular means literally “to be twisted.” I could translate it “my twistedness.” However, I think “perversion” is probably the best English word to express the idea, as long as one doesn’t necessarily limit it to some kind of sexual connotation. It is just “twistedness” or “perversion” in whatever way I have taken God’s good creation and wickedly contorted it. The word sees God’s perfect beautiful creation and it is as if someone took hold of the movie screen and twisted it. The beautiful picture is still there, it’s just “twisted.” It’s contorted. Things are out of place. Redemption, in one sense, is about smoothing out all those wrinkles and restoring the picture to God’s intended beauty.

So what do I learn in this Psalm?

First of all, Him: I am moved to marvel at God in a way I can’t say I’ve ever quite comprehended before. Note the “because.” David asks God to forgive his perversion because it is great. Would not human nature be to say, “Please forgive my sin … it was just a small one You know, and, uh, I was really tired at the time, and, uh, I was confused, and I didn’t really mean it, and, uh …?” Do we not naturally feel it important to convince others that they should forgive us because, after all, it wasn’t that bad? Yet David says, “Forgive my sin, for it is great”(!). And, as I noted above, he even says the “it” emphatically. No holds barred. No pulled punches. Just lay it out there for all its heinous ugly inexcusable evil. It is great. It is almost like suggesting it might be unforgivable(!).

But then I note this forgiveness is “in answer to Your name.” “Name” in the OT, of course, means something like “reputation.” Your “name” expresses who you are. David wants God to forgive his great sin in answer to Who God is. And Who is He? Exodus 34:6,7: “And the Lord passed by before him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in goodness and faithfulness, keeping love for thousands, forgiving perversion and rebellion and sin …’”

He is a God of forgiveness. It is His nature to forgive. He forgives because He is Himself forgiving(!). He, in fact, proclaims that is Who He is. Perhaps that is why David chose the word for “forgive” that can only come from God. Only God can be moved to forgiveness by showing Him the greatness of our offense(!). David understood this about God. He knew Him. He knew God. It probably sounds reckless to say this, but, when dealing with God, it is in a sense true that the greater the sin the more He is moved to forgive it. It is actually the more to His glory to forgive greater sin. Jonathan Edwards said, “It is the honor of Christ to save the greatest sinners, when they come to Him, as it is the honour of a physician that he cures the most desperate diseases or wounds.”

I don’t think I’ve ever quite seen it this way. Or at least the enormity of it. God is Himself a well of forgiveness. The deeper I must draw only magnifies the greatness of the well.

Wow. He is so amazing. There seriously is no end of knowing Him. To know Him better is to realize His perfections only run deeper than I’ve ever known before. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. Wow. This is, as Spurgeon described the last verse, another “pearl for a child’s neck,” of course. It doesn’t make me want to sin more, but rather so fills me with awe and gratitude, it makes me want to sin less. But what an amazing comfort, to know that forgiveness is not something God does; it is Who He is. That is why no sin is too great. My evil little heart is desperately wicked and deceitful above all things. It is a veritable well of corruption shockingly capable of the most unimaginable and unspeakable evil. I want that it should be redeemed and sanctified and given entirely to Him. Yet, when that evil heart gets out of control there is no sin it can churn out but what I may find forgiveness in the great loving heart of my saving God. Wow.

I need that.

 “… because”

“Jesus, I am resting, resting, in the joy of what Thou art.

I am finding out the greatness of Thy loving heart.”

Psalm 25:10 – Pondering the Qualifications

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.”

In my last post, I enjoyed pondering the truth that “All the paths of the Lord are love and faithfulness.” One could read the second half of this verse and be either encouraged or discouraged: It limits all the aforementioned blessings to “ones keeping His covenant and His testimonies/warnings.” At one and the same time I feel my own heart lifted and crushed; crushed because I’m too aware I “don’t qualify,” but encouraged knowing I do. “Ones keeping His covenant?” Me? Hardly. My heart rushes on to the very next verse, “For Thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.” If the Lord was to shout, “Everyone who keeps My covenant, line up over here,” I could only hang my head in shame. But at one and the same time, my heart knows it is covered in the blood of Jesus. Like Daniel, I say, “So I was left alone, …; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. Then I heard Him speaking, and as I listened to Him… a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. He said, ‘Daniel, you who are highly favored, … do not be afraid, … peace, be strong!’ When He spoke to me, I was strengthened …” Those words always amaze me as they so perfectly desribe my own relationship with God. For myself, I don’t know how He puts up with me. Sometimes I don’t know how I put up with myself. Yet still He calls me. My heart then is deeply aware that even my ability to respond to Him is a strength He gives me. His strength is made perfect in my weakness. And coming to Him I find myself not just tolerated but deeply loved. “Daniel, you who are highly favored …” A redeemed sinner walking with God.

I suppose this “ones keeping His covenant” is simply one of the paradoxes of redeemed sinners walking with God. On the one hand, the qualification is quite absolute: “to ones keeping His covenant and His testimonies/warnings.” You either do or you don’t.  That would seem painfully clear. Yet, David’s very next words are, “For Thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.” Back in verse 7 he was asking, “Remember not the sins of my youth or my rebellions.” Obviously, “ones keeping His covenant” is another name for the “humble ones” in verse 9, the anavim, the crushed ones, who, in that verse, are given discernment and trained in His way. Back in verse 8, it very clearly states “He teaches sinners in His ways.”

Yet the standard is still absolute, “…to ones keeping His covenant.”

Again, I think it simply a paradox of redeemed sinners walking with God. I feel like Paul, “The Law is good and the commandment holy … but I find another law at work in my members.” I agree with God. His standard should be absolute. We should keep His covenant. And we should only expect His blessings if we do. I want to do that. I intend to do that. Yet I don’t. And I think that is where the blood of Jesus enters. I want to. I try to. Yet I fail. And the blood of Jesus cleanses me from all sin. So I get up and try again. I want to. I try to. Yet I fail. And the blood of Jesus cleanses me from all sin. So I get up and try again … It is He Himself Who beckons me to “…come boldly before the throne of grace, that I may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

So I guess I would conclude that while the qualifications given in the verse are quite stark and absolute, yet only a redeemed sinner can really understand it. It can be understood only by those who can read it with hearts already strengthened and sheltered by the forgiveness and love of redemption.

Interestingly, Spurgeon said: “Yet this is not a general truth to be trampled upon by swine, it is a pearl for a child’s neck. Gracious souls, by faith resting upon the finished work of the Lord Jesus, keep the covenant of the Lord, and, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit, they walk in His testimonies.”

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

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.

Psalm 25:10 – On Being Amazed and a Naughty Little Heart

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.”

As I am studying this verse, I pause and think to myself, “Here I am again: Literally nursing on the amazing depths of blessings I find. Another string of pearls. Another unexpected chest of unthinkably delightful treasures. Already I don’t want this Psalm to end. Already I can see I’ll get to the end and wish it didn’t. Tearfully I’ll be saying, ‘Good-bye, old friend,’ as I move on to some other passage.” What a treasure chest is God’s Word. I still find myself, after more than 30 years of studying it, mourning when I finish one passage or book or Psalm, not imagining that I could ever enjoy such blessing again, only to find the next study a completely new treasure chest of blessing! I open the new lid, begin to fondle its precious truths, and, once again, don’t want it to end. Oh the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God. In Jesus truly are found all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge!

Then I find myself ashamed of my doubting heart – that there is deep within me some kind of evil unbelief as I open a new passage – a doubt that I’ll find anything there particularly helpful(!). It’s happened again and again and again, this opening of treasure chests, this doubting in my heart, only quickly to be overwhelmed by His amazing grace. I think of the poor silly Samaritan woman who foolishly said to Jesus, “But sir, the well is deep and you have nothing to draw with!” Jesus??? A well too deep??? Nothing to draw with?????  Her problem was she had no idea just how infinitely deep the well was; nor did she even begin to comprehend His limitless power to reach down into that well and draw out blessings beyond her wildest imagination.

Ah, naughty little heart of mine. Born of the same infirmity as hers.  But being amazed is part of worship. He is amazing. So, naughty little heart or not, we’ll just keep opening the treasure chest and enjoy being amazed!

Psalm 25:9 – The Anavim

Here is my literal translation of this verse:

“ He will cause humble ones to travel in discernment,

   And He will train humble ones [in] His way.”

This verse explains something that has eluded me personally for years. It also causes me to re-think a perspective I’ve had toward others.

First of all, what I feel is particularly noteworthy is the Hebrew word which I have translated “humble ones.” The word is anavim (pronounced something like ah’-nah-veem). As soon as I saw it there was something down deep inside of me that didn’t like it, having seen it before and knowing basically what it means. It comes from the root word anah. Get a load of what TWOT says about anah: “The primary meaning of anah is ‘to force,’ or ‘to try to force to submission,’ and ‘to punish or inflict pain upon’ … to find oneself in a stunted, humble, lowly position.” So the word itself carries the idea of being beaten down, crushed, afflicted. TWOT also comments, “This is the goal which God intended when He afflicted His people …”

That’s the anavim, the “humble ones” from our verse. Beat down ones. Crushed ones. Afflicted ones.

They’re the ones the Lord causes to “travel in discernment” and “trains in the way.” Like it says in the NT: “The Lord resists the proud; He gives His grace to the humble.”

So I suppose you already see why I don’t like it. I don’t like feeling beaten down. And I don’t like watching other people suffer, especially the people I love most. I don’t like that somehow suffering is necessary for them to be blessed. I wish there was another way. (Someone important once prayed, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from Me…” so I suppose my basic sentiments are not out of line(!)). I wish no one had to suffer. I wish I didn’t have to read about all the horrible tragedies in the world, that I didn’t have to walk through graveyards and see one stone after another bearing its tale of sorrow and heartache. I wish there wasn’t so much cruelty in homes. I wish it could be true that never again would any man ever hurt a woman. I wish no one ever had to feel alone or go hungry or be cold or thirsty. As for everyone else, I wish I myself could live without suffering.

All of that is why I don’t like to think about the anavim.

But we keep studying. The Lord is always right and His way is always best, even if in my little mind, I don’t understand.

Think about this: “It must, of necessity, be the anavim who receive the Lord’s instructions and blessing, due to the fact that we are all so naturally lifted up in our pride. The problem is that, in order to be taught, one must be teachable. The Lord wants to teach us, help us, lead us but as K&D notes, ‘Upon the self-righteous or self-sufficient He would be obliged to force Himself even against their will.’ He’s too loving and good for that. Thus, only the anavim can enjoy those benefits fully.”

John Calvin said, “Never will this docility be found in any man, until the heart , which is naturally elated and filled with pride, has been humbled and subdued.”

Oh. Yeah. That’s the part I forget. Pride. The ruin of our souls. The ruin of our lives. The devil’s sin. The sin that blinds the sinner to itself. The sin that clings to me like my very skin. The sin that robs me of everything that matters to me in this world. High and lifted up.Gaaak.

In this world, the only possible cure is to keep me beaten down. Yeah, I see that. It’s too bad it’s true. I’m sorry the Lord has to resort to such stern treatment, not because He wants to, but because I need it. It’s actually the most loving thing He could do. Crush me. Afflict me. Beat me down. And it’s interesting that the very name, the anavim, the crushed ones, connotes the idea of a long, long process. They aren’t anavim because a tree just fell on them. They’re anavim because being crushed is somehow their very life. And I understand that too. Being crushed once may “humble” me, but doesn’t make me “humble.” What makes me humble is when the pain goes on and on and on and on, grinding me to powder, wearing me out, sending me again and again to the Throne of Grace, begging God for help and strength and relief, seeing that I’m not better than anyone else, seeing that they suffer too, truly understanding their suffering because I suffer it too. That long grinding process changes our nature from proud, arrogant buffoons into gentle, kind, considerate, compassionate, teachable, humble humans. Into anavim.

As I said in the beginning, that explains something that has eluded me for years. It seems like my whole Christian life I have felt beaten down. I have prayed almost daily with Psalm 143:

³ The enemy pursues me,
   he crushes me to the ground;
   he makes me dwell in the darkness
   like those long dead.
⁴ So my spirit grows faint within me;
   my heart within me is stunned. .
⁶ I spread out my hands to you;
   I thirst for you like a parched land.

 ⁷ Answer me quickly, LORD;
   my spirit fails.

I’ve begged God to deliver me, longed for the day when “this will all be over” and wondered if I could even hope for that. All the while of course, I definitely “don’t like it.” But having studied the word here in Psalm 25, I feel like for the first time, I really do understand. It has to be this way. And it needs to be this way. I still don’t like it, but I understand it. I still wish it would all go away. But somehow in just a small little way, my heart says, “I’m cool with it.” I’m glad it will end, at least when I leave this world. I just realize it may not until then and I see why not. I see too why it was so common in the Bible, when the Lord did bless someone and give them an easy life, they invariably went down in pride. Hezekiah, David, Solomon, Asah, Uzziah. Yikes.

And then it corrects a perspective I’ve had toward others. As I said above, I wish other people didn’t have to suffer, especially people I love. For me that comes down to that I have a hard time being hard on other people. It’s easy for me to see that we should all be extra kind to clerks, be generous in our tips to waitresses, be quick to give someone else a break, to be understanding of their struggles. But it has always been hard for me to actually be firm, even rough with people, even when they needed it. It’s one thing that has kept me from being a coach. I love to run. I would love to coach a cross-country team. But I don’t know how to “push” the kids. I see really talented coaches and trainers who are unbelievable in how they can draw out of another person every last ounce of their capabilities. And that is a really, really good thing. But it’s so hard for me to see someone else suffer.

What this study does is maybe knock out just a little of my weakness. I feel I do understand. I feel like I really understand for the first time. I really do understand. I see that the suffering really is absolutely necessary. In order to succeed, really, one must become an anavim. And that includes the people I love. I need to love them enough to let God make them anavim. If it’s my job, somehow I need to love them enough to see that hardship is necessary to make them anavim … even if I’m involved deliberately in the affliction (youch. that one will still take some work).

I have to tell a story. When I was in high school, my track coach Louie Baker would sometimes make us run ten 75-second 440’s 30 seconds apart. He’d say, “Go!” and we were supposed to do one lap (440 yards = ¼ mile) in 75 seconds. Whether we did or didn’t, 30 seconds after the 75 ended, he’d say, “Go!” and we were supposed to do it again … ten times in a row. The deal was that if you could break four 75-second 440’s in a row, you were running under a 5:00 mile, which for high school students in a small school was major. Those things were horrific. By the last two or three your lungs would be on fire. I don’t think I’ve done any other workout in my life that hurt like those 75-second 440’s. But I loved them. I saw his logic. I wanted to run miles in the 4:00’s. He “inflicted” them on us. I had to suffer through it. And today I can look back and say, “When I was in high school, I ran the mile in the 4:00’s!” I’m really proud of that. Few can say that. But the analogy is so clear to me. I had to become a track anavim. I had to be crushed before I could rise. Cool. I’m glad that Louie Baker had the fortitude to put me through that, even if he could see how much I was hurting. How much more true it is of God and how much more important are the eternal issues that come and go in my life today.

One last thing I have to comment on. My translation is “He will cause humble ones to travel in discernment, …”  If I was being totally literal, I would translate it to say, “He will cause humble ones to travel in the judgment “The judgment” is pretty rough translation work, though.. The Hebrew word is the simple word for judgment, mishpat, but it is preceded by the article the, making it literally “the judgment” which makes an obscure sentence in English. What could He mean, “He will cause humble ones to travel in the judgment”? Barnes says the word describes, “In a right judgment or estimate of things. It is not merely in the administration of justice, or in doing right, but it is in judging of truth; of duty; of the value of objects; of the right way to live; of all on which the mind can be called to exercise judgment or come to a decision.” That makes sense. The combination with the article is making it a picture word. K&D adds, “[this] Mishpat is the right so far as it is traversed, i.e. practiced or carried out”. I think the picture is that the Lord enables His anavim to travel in the right way because they’re discerning of real truth and real value. Hmmm. That’s definitely one thing we’d all agree suffering does for us … we usually come away with a lot better grip on what is and isn’t important in life. So, again we see, it is a good thing for the Lord to make us anavim.

This is the same idea where Jesus said, “Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart and you shall find rest unto your souls” (Matt 11:28-30).

I hope I will be even maybe a little more cooperative with the Lord as He loves me enough to make me an anavim. I still don’t have to like pain, but, as with the 440’s, I see the logic. Then I need to let Him help me accept that same process in others’ lives, even when I need to be part of it.

“… for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

“Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight.”

Psalm 25:7b-8 – More Thoughts

Once again, here is my literal translation of these verses:

“ According to Your loving-kindness may You remember me, in accordance with Your goodness, YHVH.

 Good and upright [is] YHVH, therefore He will teach sinners in the way.”

Here are some miscellaneous thoughts from these verses:

I like the phrase “in accordance with Your goodness.” The “in accordance with” in Hebrew is really literally more like “in answer to” or “in response to.” I think there’s a measure of encouragement even in that slight difference, from “in accordance with” to “in response to.” “In accordance with” is sort of sterile. It’s like God’s goodness is sort of a yardstick and we measure against it. “In answer to” just seems more personal to me. It makes God’s goodness like something living and active, which of course it is. “Remember me, in answer to Your goodness.” I like that.

Another interesting word is the “upright” of verse 8, “Good and upright [is] the Lord.” The word in Hebrew is literally “straight,” which I think is really cool. I can’t use that as my translation since saying someone is “straight” has other implications in English. In English, we can say a person is “crooked” and that is exactly the opposite of this Hebrew word, just like “crooked” would naturally be the opposite of “straight”. We’ve all heard of the man who was so crooked, when he died they couldn’t bury him, they had to screw him into the ground.(!) Being “crooked” is a really bad thing. No one likes a man who’s crooked. But in English, to be “straight” isn’t the opposite; however, in Hebrew it is. God is not crooked. He is exactly the opposite. He’s “straight” in the sense that He’s true; He’s a straight-shooter; there’s nothing “bent” about Him; you can totally count on Him; He’s always exactly what He should be. That’s what the Hebrew word means. As often is the case, there’s just no way to say that in English without adding a lot of explanation. But I love the picture. The Lord is good and straight. People frequently accuse Him of not being good, that somehow sin and its consequences are His fault. But they also accuse him of being crooked. We don’t say it in those words, but that is what they’re thinking, that He is capricious, that it’s hard telling what He might do to them next. The fact is He is neither. He is good and He is straight. He’s totally dependable.

Even the word translated “therefore” is interesting here: “…therefore He will teach sinners in the way.”   It is actually a translation of two Hebrew words tied together. What is interesting to me is that one of those words alone would have communicated “therefore,” so why compound them? I didn’t find anything in my resources. I would surmise that, as is almost always the case, compounding of terms is intended to communicate some kind of intensity or added emphasis. If that is the case then we need to read the line placing a mental emphasis on the “therefore.” Try it: “Good and upright [is] the Lord, therefore He will teach sinners in the way.” It’s almost like saying, “ Of course the Lord is good and upright, therefore, duh!, of course He will do it!” When the Lord is involved the therefore gets underlined! It’s just more of His faithfulness to be Who He is, Who He said He’d be, that He keeps His very great and precious promises. His “therefores” could always be underlined. But, for whatever reason, that is exactly what I think David does here. Something to ponder, I think.

Another interesting word is the “teach” in “…therefore He will teach sinners in the way.” Back in verses 4&5, the “to teach” Hebrew word was lamad which was more literally “to train” or “to disciple.” This is a different word for “teach,” the word yarah. The root word means literally “to throw” or “to shoot” with a strong sense of control by the subject. It is the idea of someone shooting an arrow, but it cannot be randomly; it is the idea of shooting the arrow at a very specific target. In the Hebrew way of painting mental pictures, the same word becomes one of the synonyms for “to teach.” Now that is definitely cool, is it not? Certainly a good teacher knows why they’re teaching their students, they know exactly what they want them to learn, and so their teaching is seriously like shooting an arrow at a target. And so the Lord, the Master Teacher, “will teach sinners in the way.” His intent is in no way ambiguous or unclearly defined. He picks them up, aims them carefully at the target and sends them down the path of learning.

Interesting that He specifically teaches “sinners.” It is the general Hebrew word for “sinners.” That’s probably a good thing. Not even any special kind of sinners in view here. Just your average run-of-the-mill everyday sinners. Abraham Lincoln once said about common people, “The Lord must have loved common people; he made so many of them!” Well, in view here are just common sinners. That’s good. You and I immediately know we qualify. But then if you stop and ponder the verse it is another amazing grace verse. Think about it: If it was written about us, it would say something like, “He [or she] is good and upright, therefore they will only teach the gifted and promising”. The second we think we’ve risen to something, we easily start thinking we’re above this or that. Not so with the Lord. He teaches sinners. Peter fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Depart from me, I am a sinful man.” Jesus, of course, did not depart. He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Instead of departing, He stayed with Simon, trained him, shot him like an arrow, and turned him into Peter, the rock. What this verse is telling us is that it wasn’t just a matter that Jesus chose to do that with Peter. What this verse is telling us is that it is the very nature of God Himself to teach sinners. That is actually another very great and precious promise to build our faith and fuel our prayers!

Finally, it is interesting that He teaches sinners “in the way.” As we studied earlier, a “way” is extremely important. Ways always lead somewhere. To choose one’s way is to choose one’s destination, whether consciously or not. And there really are only two ways in this world, the Lord’s way and any other. To choose the Lord’s way is to live, though I die. To choose any other way is to die, even though I live. But His way doesn’t come naturally to me or you. We must be taught. The bad news is that we are all a bunch of blockheads stumbling along the way to self-destruction. The good news is, for those who will but look up out of the stench and filth of their sin, our God is a God Who wants “to teach sinners in the way.” David understood that. That’s why earlier in this Psalm he said, “Cause me to know Your ways …” The leper said to Jesus, “If You are willing, You can make me clean …” And what was Jesus’ response? “I am willing. Be cleaned.” What this verse teaches us is that we don’t need to even question whether He’s willing to teach us His way. Rest assured, “He teaches sinners in the way.” Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened unto you.

How much more meaning could you pack into eight Hebrew words?

More fuel for the altarfire!

Psalm 25:7b-8 – Prayer Fuel

Here is my literal translation of these verses:

“ According to Your loving-kindness may You remember me, in accordance with Your goodness, YHVH.

 Good and upright [is] YHVH, therefore He will teach sinners in the way.”

Once again you might note from my “bolding,” the word “good” occurs twice with only the Lord’s name YHVH in between. More on this later.

Verse 7 makes an interesting transition to verse 8, which I think I’m going to find is significant to the structure of the entire Psalm. Verse 7 is clearly a request, a part of the prayer which David has been offering throughout verses 1-7. Verse 8 however is a statement of fact, or should I say, a statement of faith. In fact, as I look ahead, basically from verse 8 through 15, the entire section is made up of statements of faith (with one request in the middle at v11), then David returns to prayer for the rest of the Psalm in verses 16 through 22.

As I have pondered these verses, it struck me that this is a profound combination: prayers and statements of faith. Metaphorically speaking, it occurs to me that faith is actually the fuel that keeps prayer’s altarfire burning. Think about it: Without faith, why pray? Is it not true that the very reason I am praying is because I believe certain facts about God?

David just got done in verse 7 appealing to God to “…remember me, according to Your goodness.” He then asserts, “The Lord is good.” Do you see how the one is a request, a prayer, while the other is a statement of faith? The request would really be meaningless if it were not for the faith(!). If it is not true that God is good, why appeal to His goodness? On the other hand, if I’m assured that He is good, I can appeal to His goodness. I can bring Him requests assuming on that goodness. I’m actually motivated to pray, because He is good.

Here is what I think is significant … and perhaps why David offers prayers for seven verses, makes statements of faith for seven verses (with one request in the middle), then returns to seven verses of prayers. Why the combination? I think it is because it is so easy to lose sight of faith. I actually need to be reminded that God is good, do I not? Especially in the midst of pain or fear or whatever, the problems loom larger and larger, till I can “barely whisper a prayer.” But what will lift my heart and bring me again energetically to the Throne of Grace? Is it not being reminded of the truths of Who God is?

If you’ve stumbled across this blog, I hope you’re following me here. I just think this is enormously important to even realize. It goes even deeper. What are we talking about really? Is it not the promises of God? II Peter 1:4 says God has given us His very great and precious promises “that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world …” Faith, which we said above is the fuel that keeps prayer’s altarfire burning, is built on the promises of God. Faith is the very act of observing a promise of God and believing it to the extent my plans, desires, values are immediately altered. Fueled by those promises and my faith response, I then can look to God confidently in prayer. In fact, that faith moves me to prayer.

This is so cool.

What is also really cool to me to realize is how the opposite is true. If I am praying, but my heart has lost sight of faith, the prayer itself becomes lifeless. “Why pray?” my evil doubting heart asks. “What’s the use?” My head sinks. My heart sinks. Hopelessness and despair begin to overwhelm me. What to do? If I understand what just happened in Psalm 25 from verse 7 to 8, I know exactly what I need. I need to feed again on the promises of God. Seriously. I need to open my Bible and read again Who He is and the promises that I know speak to my issues. Feeding my faith adds fuel to my prayers and will lift my heart out of that despair. Even though it is still incredibly painful, I may still be scared and confused, yet I can pray confidently once again to the “God of my deliverance.”

(For whatever it’s worth, when I refer to the promises of God, in my mind that includes His specific promises (like “All things work together for good …”) along with the statements of the certainty of his character (“The Lord is good …”). Both feed faith).

I put together the following paragraph to draw together these thoughts. Hope it’s encouraging to you:

“Faith is the fuel that keeps prayer’s altarfire burning. Prayer can become but words except it be fueled by the promises of God and the certainty of His character. Pray on, my friend, till you feel your faith falter, then read again the promises of God; allow their kindling to add anew faith to your fire, and see if you do not feel the vigor of your prayers burn brightly once more!”  II Peter 1:4

Pray on, my friends!

Psalm 25:6c-7 – Lots of Remembering

Here is my literal translation of these verses:

“On you I wait/hope all the day.

  Remember Your mercies YHVH and Your loving-kindnesses because they [are] from [the] ages.

  Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellions.

  According to Your loving-kindness may You remember me, in accordance with Your goodness, YHVH.”

As you might note from my “bolding,” the word “remember” occurs three times in these few lines. Repetition is always cause for pause in Hebrew.

Remembering is an interesting thing. The first thing that probably catches all of our eyes is the “Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellions.” It sort of jumps off the page. I think I’m probably typical if I relate that my “remembering” haunts me. It seems like my memory incessantly conjures up all of my sins and stupidity and bludgeons me mercilessly. It seems seriously to be almost non-stop. I wish I could “remember not the sins of my youth!” But then I guess what hurts is the fear that the rest of the world doesn’t “forget.” I certainly need for those around me to not “remember the sins of my youth.” I cannot be loved unless people choose to not remember my sins. I am keenly aware that my sins hang like a wall of ice ready to cut off every relationship I might have hoped for. They are there. And I certainly don’t forget them. But relationships depend on forgetting.

But then this same boding stands between me and God. I desperately need His help. I desperately need His love and grace. I desperately need Him to answer my croaking prayers. But there are my sins. I’m such an idiot. How He can stand me is itself a grand enigma. But I still need Him. Then I face those times where it seems He isn’t answering my prayers. What is the first thing that comes to mind? My sins. I am confident that the penalty of my sins was paid by Jesus. I know it is true that because of Him there is no way that God could love me more and nothing that could possibly make Him love me less. Yet still, this is a relationship. And my sins do frustrate the intentions of His grace.

What to do? Take it to Him. It’s okay. Tell Him. Lord, I need You to not remember my sins. I can’t forget them. I fear people around me hold them against me. But You. You are the God of my deliverance. I can’t save myself and I can’t even deliver myself. Here am I. I can’t change my past. I can’t promise anything for the future. I just desperately need Your help. Albert Barnes asked, “Who is there that cannot with deep feeling join in this prayer?”

Then it is interesting to go back to the passage and note again that the word “remember” occurs three times. The “sin” thing is only one of the three(!). In the first it is God’s hesed, His loving-kindness that is called to memory. And then David notes that it is “from the ages.” Here is something significant about God. He doesn’t just choose to be loving. He is loving. And He always has been. And He always will be. As we bounce up and down and thrash from side to side, blundering along in our foolishness, He is utterly unaffected and unchanged. He just goes on being our loving God. His love may move Him to draw out His rod and give us a good spanking. Or it may move Him to step into something and rescue us. But regardless of what kind of response we may perceive, He goes on unchanged. He is a Rock of love. His love is “from the ages” or “from eternity.”

The third remember is “Remember me.” Remember Your loving-kindness. Please don’t remember my sins. “May You remember me.” Ah, and so it gets personal again. It’s me and You.

That’s where it should be. All this “remembering” wears me out. I’d rather just sit in His lap, bury my head in His big chest, and enjoy the love and warmth and the security of Him.

The Priority of Love

As I read through and study the Bible I keep running across verses that emphasize the importance of love. In my current study of Psalm 25, David prays, “Lord, show me Your ways…” What is His “way?” I am more and more convinced that it is first of all a way of love.  In younger days I would have agreed with this statement but then I would have been quick to add, “…but it is a holy love!” and felt it important to remind everyone how important it is to “keep the rules.” The truth is that, like a true Pharisee, “keeping the rules” was more important than love. I’m ashamed now that I ever allowed myself to be part of their camp. The Pharisees were Jesus’ most bitter enemies. And why did they hate Him? Because He didn’t “keep the rules.” And what did He do? He loved. But that didn’t even register on the radar screen of their legalism. I want to be like Him, not them. Consider what He Himself says in His Word:

Matthew 22:37-40: Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

John 13:34,35: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Romans 13:8-10: “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

Galatians 5:6: “…The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”

Ephesians 5:1,2: “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, …”

Colossians 3:18: “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Psalm 25:4-6 – Pondering Deliverance

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.”

Psalm 25:4-6 – A Lament for Discipleship

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.”

The word translated “train” is “lamad.” It would be one of the Hebrew synonyms for “to teach.” However, its semantic range definitely includes more than just the idea of passing along knowledge. It includes the idea of staying with the person, working through their attempt to apply the teaching, going through it again and again until they’ve “got it.” In a local school setting, it would be more analogous to the wrestling coach than to the Algebra teacher. The Algebra teacher can teach the lesson then some people pass and some flunk. The wrestling coach shows the boys a move, then gets down on the mat with each boy individually and works through it again and again and again until that boy can do it smoothly, effortlessly. (I realize this is an oversimplification – I personally had an Algebra teacher who sat on the bleachers in the gym with me and helped me learn Cartesian coordinates. But you get my point).

Lamad is more than just passing along knowledge. It is actual, practical training. Interestingly, in Hebrew, an oxgoad was called a “malmad.” Hebrew was written in all consonants, no vowels, so Lamad was actually lmd. You can see the lmd in “malmad.” So, hopefully you “get the point” (no pun intended). To “lamad” could never be satisfied with simply passing on knowledge. It was to teach and then stick with an oxgoad. “There you go. Now let’s see you do it.”

In the Christian realm, the word for this is “discipleship.” I think we would all understand that “discipling” is more than just teaching. Somehow it has to include more than just passing along knowledge. To “disciple” someone involves the actual “life” training; staying with the person until they’ve “got it.”

My lament is that such activity is almost a forgotten art, and that not only in the church but in the rest of the world as well. Having said that, I hope this post does not come across as negative or hopeless. That is not my intent. I hope it comes across as simply factual and thought-provoking. If, in fact, discipleship or “training” is basically a forgotten art, it will only be revived if individual people join my lament, then resolve that, within their own sphere of influence, they will endeavor to change.

My lament is that basically “training” doesn’t happen anymore. Everyone today thinks you should be able to offer a class, stand in front of who-knows-how-many-people, give them the information, then turn them loose to do wonders with it. Once in a while, maybe, that works. But again and again and again in my life I have sat in such classes, received the info, the outlines, the tables, the charts, only to go back to my office and realize I don’t know how to put the info into practice. I don’t “get it.”

My father “trained” me. He showed so many things to my brother and me. He taught us things like how to take our bicycles apart clear down to the bearings, repack them with grease, and put them back together again. He taught me how to do vinyl siding. And my step-Dad did the same. He explained how to hang gutters, then came to my house and worked right alongside me.

But that is about it for my life. Basically, the last time anyone (other than my Dad or stepdad) actually “trained” me to do anything was in college. Our TA’s had office hours where you could go in and sit down and say, “I don’t understand how to do this problem.” Then they would actually take the time to walk through it and I would actually “get it!” I thought at work there would be older engineers who would explain things to me, like those TA’s. Mentors, you know. But that has not been my experience. And from talking to others, no one else has found anyone willing to “explain” things. Basically, you’re on your own.

It’s too bad. That’s not the way God is. Think about it. When He came to earth and lived as a man, what did He do? Called twelve disciples. And how did he “teach” them? He lived with them. He taught them orally, but then He was right there with them, constantly explaining things, answering their questions, cheering their successes, correcting their faults. He is THE discipler, the trainer. To be like Him means to be more of a discipler, trainer, wherever we might have opportunity, whether it’s our kids, our grandkids, at work, amongst believers, even in our community.

I am so much the richer for every single time anyone ever took the time to “show me” anything. As I go about living my life, I find myself feeling so confident as I do something that someone once “showed me” how to do. On the other hand, it seems like with the things where no one ever “showed me” and I just sort of “figured out” on my own, there’s always a sense of doubt, a feeling that I’m “not sure I’m doing this right.” And that is true though I’ve been doing those things for 30 years. There’s still a hesitation, a lack of confidence. Even if I “show” someone else, I am tempted to say, “I don’t know if this is the best way to do this, but it works for me …” Truth is it probably helps them enormously. Now they’ve been “shown.”

That’s my life anyway. It’s the way I see things. Maybe it isn’t the way others see it. If someone stumbles across this post and you totally don’t see what I’m saying … hey, it’s a free country! But if it does make sense to you and you too would lament for discipleship, then resolve with me that, as you work through your days, be praying the Lord would help you to see the opportunities to “show” someone else, to be a trainer, a discipler, even in the little unofficial, unstructured, unplanned moments of life. We’re asking Him to “teach us His way.” Jesus made it clear that His “way” means living a life of being willing to “show” others how.

You and I can’t change the world. But we can change us. And maybe someone will be the richer for it!

Psalm 25:4-6 – More “Ways … Really!”

In my last post I offered 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.”

I noted there what an important concept is this simple thing God calls our “way.” Again, TWOT says, “[In the Bible,] the contrast is between the way of sin/death and the way of obedience/life. These exhaust the options available to man. Man makes his own choice but he cannot choose his own consequences … The way which one chooses determines one’s destiny.”

“… No wonder the Lord admonishes us in Haggai 1:6, “Consider your ways …”

As I noted earlier, the Bible is filled from cover to cover with verses referring to this business of our “way.” There are a number of passages that especially touch my heart and I would like to quote them:

Gen 18:19 – “For I have known him, that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”

Exodus 33:13-15 – ¹³ “Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” ¹⁴ And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” ¹⁵ Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here”.

Joshua 1:8 – “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success”.

Psalm 119:9 -- How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.

Psalm 139:23,24 -- Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxious thoughts and cares; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Proverbs 14:12 -- There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

Isaiah 55:8,9 -- ⁸ “ For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. ⁹ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

John 14:6 – “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”.

“Lord, cause me to know Your ways. Train me in Your paths. Cause me to travel in Your truth. Train me.”

Really.

Psalm 25:4-6 – Ways … Really!

Here is 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.”

“Cause me to know Your ways.”

“Your ways.”

A “way” is a very important thing.

Back when I was studying II Peter 2:15,16, I stopped to ponder this concept of “ways.” I said there: “It strikes me that this thing of a “way” is a frequent subject throughout the Bible … In fact, it is frequent. A quick perusal of Strong’s Concordance shows the words “way” and “ways” occur hundreds of times. Logically speaking, a “way” is extremely important because “ways” always lead somewhere. In order to end up at the right destination, one needs to travel in the right “way.” No matter how much a destination may be desired, one will not arrive there unless they travel in the right “way.”… No wonder the Lord admonishes us in Haggai 1:6, “Consider your ways …”

Interestingly, commenting on the Hebrew word for “way,” TWOT says, “The contrast is between the way of sin/death and the way of obedience/life. These exhaust the options available to man. Man makes his own choice but he cannot choose his own consequences … The way which one chooses determines one’s destiny.”

I think that paragraph is worth several reads.

When we would sincerely pray, “Lord, cause me to know Your ways,” that prayer should be no mindless cliché(!). When I ask Him to teach me His ways, I’m asking for life itself! To fail of His way is to die, though I live. To walk in His way is to live, though I die!

My mind is kind of reeling with the enormity of it all.

I’m always on some “way” – every minute of every day. I am actually on a path as I go about my work, stop at the grocery store, run into an old friend, have a flat tire, answer the phone, eat my supper. But what way? The Lord’s way or any other? There are only two options. As TWOT said, “These exhaust the options available man.”

We actually desperately need the Lord to help us walk in His way, because the alternative is fatal! “… The way which one chooses determines one’s destiny.”

But again this is a very practical thing because I’m doing it all day every day.

Interesting the progression in the Psalm: “…cause me to know Your ways,” “train me [in] Your paths,” “cause me to travel in Your truth,” “train me.” The word I’ve translated “train” is more than just to teach. It is the idea of someone teaching you but then staying with it to work through it with you over and over until you’ve “got” it. There’s no interest here in any simple “head” knowledge. This is intensely practical business. I not only need to “know” the right way, but I need to very specifically and deliberately incorporate that “way” into my daily life.

We see that David is quite serious in his prayer here. It is no cliché to him!

Psalm 139:23,24 is a similar prayer:

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
         Try me, and know my anxious thoughts and cares;

And see if there be any wicked way in me,
         And lead me in the way everlasting.

Interesting too that Jesus said, “I am the Way …”

Interesting too that the Lord made it simple when He told us to love God and love each other; that fulfills the Law. My “way” is a way of love. Love to God and love to others. Minute by minute. All day. Every day.

I guess when I first read these verses, the enormity of it all didn’t impress me. Had I prayed the prayer then, it probably would have been at least somewhat cliché. But I don’t want it to be cliché. I want it to be real.

So let’s try it again.

“Lord, cause me to know Your ways. Train me in Your paths. Cause me to travel in Your truth. Train me.”

Really.