Psalm 25 - The ACT of Remembering

Today is a good day for another lesson in Hebrew. Psalm 25 is our first example of an acrostic psalm (each line starts with a consecutive letter of the Hebrew alphabet – in English, it would be line 1 starts with “A,” line 2 starts with “B” and so on). Sadly, that structure is lost in most translation/interpretations. I have attached a picture from my Hebrew bible so that you can visualize the psalm in its original language (except there are no chapters and verses in the original manuscripts) and so that you can see the purposeful use of the alphabet. The picture also shows that Hebrew is read from right to left. Therefore, the beginning of any book in Hebrew is the end of the book for us! In the picture, Psalm 25 starts at the bottom of the right-hand page and continues on the top of the left-hand page.

The acrostic gives structure to the theology of text. The psalm is a combination of petitions to YHWH seeking forgiveness and deliverance, and expressions of trust in YHWH’s faithfulness, mercy and integrity to save the psalmist. The acrostic structure reinforces the faithfulness, mercy and integrity of YHWH.

And since we are doing a Hebrew lesson today, I want to direct your attention to verses 6 and 7 where the psalmist petitions YHWH three times “to remember.” The Hebrew word is ‘ze-KHAR’ ( זְכֹר ) and is in my top five favorite Hebrew words. We are Western thinkers and words like ‘remember’ or ‘forget’ or ‘hear’ are cerebral “passive” verbs. The “action” takes place in our heads. But the Bible was written by Jews (Easterners) and their concept of ‘remember,’ ‘forget,’ or ‘hear’ always has an “AND” attached to it. The AND is an additional action associated with the passive verb.

So, when the petitioner asks G-d to remember (by the way, how can G-d forget us?), the petitioner is really asking G-d to remember AND act. There are many examples of this concept in the Bible, i.e.: G-d remembers Noah (and acts) after the flood (Genesis 8:1); G-d remembers His covenant with Abraham (and acts) when His people cried out in bondage in Egypt (Exodus 2:24) – we explored that story in yesterday’s Psalm 24 reflection.

As we continue our journey through the psalms, we will keep a sharp eye out on places where our Western lens limits the fullness and power of the text. In the meantime, today as you “remember” G-d, what positive action for Him will you take to complete the remembering? Your action of “remembering” Him will be a witness and testimony to all that is good about a relationship with Him.

Shalom שָׁלוֹם,

DWach

Psalm 24 – A Big, Big God!

Imagine being a Jewish slave in ancient Egypt, arguably the greatest empire ever to exist. You and your people work tirelessly to build great monuments to the gods of the empire like the Edfu temple in the attached picture (notice the height of the gate, which was built to accommodate the greatness of Horus, the Egyptian “protector god” of Pharaoh). You cry out to the unseen Creator of the Universe, the One True G-d, the One who was and is and is to come. You and your people cry out for hundreds of years. Every day you are confronted with the vast grandeur of the Egyptian empire and its gods. It is in your face.

Then, one day, G-d sends a deliverer … a messiah … and everything changes! He (G-d) remembers His people and acts in a mighty way. The Egyptian gods are vanquished! You and your people are free! And so, you sing, “Lift up your heads, O you gates! Be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of Glory may come in. Who is the King of Glory? YHWH strong and mighty!” (Psalm 24:7)

Sorry Egypt. Sorry Pharoah. Your gates aren’t tall enough to accommodate the King of Glory! And he is OUR God!

I should stop there … it is a powerful message. But there is more to say. We see in verse 3 a couple of those pesky theological questions: “Who can ascend YHWH’s holy hill and stand in His holy place?” And unlike what we have read before, G-d gives an answer: “he who has clean hands and a pure heart AND who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.” (v. 4).

In our “Egypt,” can we resist the temptation to succumb to the falseness of other gods? Can we wait upon YHWH until he “remembers” us?

Godspeed,

DWach

PS … DJ Revonda has selected one of our top five favorite songs from Aaron Shust and Joshua Aaron based on the words of Psalm 24:

Psalm 23

Close your eyes and create a mind picture of the iconic opening verse of Psalm 23: “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures.” Bask in the vision that you have created internally in your spirit. How would you describe that painting to someone?

Having grown up in a very rural area replete with acres upon acres of beautiful pastureland and hay fields, my description would focus on the “greenness” and tranquility of my homeland and would be supplemented by the next verse with a slowly meandering creek so common to my area (the “quiet waters” where YHWH leads me).

Then I went to Israel for the first time and visited the desert. And now my mind picture (along with my interpretation of this psalm) has changed dramatically. “Green pastures” in Israel aren’t green! And they aren’t grassy! Look at the attached picture that we took in the desert near Arad back in 2009 of a shepherdess and her flock.

The desert is Israel’s primary pastureland. Arable farmland is too valuable for raising crops. Using it to feed livestock (except after harvest) is not economically smart. You may be wondering if those sheep in the picture are special “rock eating” sheep. They are not! During the cool evenings, moisture from the Mediterranean Sea wafts across the desert providing just enough moisture for small grass shoots to poke through the ground. There are also small weeds that can survive the harsh conditions, especially around the scattered water sources that emanate from the ground or pool in the wadis after a flood (read more on that below). It is upon these meager rations that the sheep, under the navigational guidance of a shepherd (or shepherdess), are able to exist.

Think how this changes the meaning of Psalm 23. G-d does not promise us luxurious pastures of alfalfa and rations aplenty. He promises us just enough to get us not through the day, but only through to the next moment. And we, like the sheep, are TOTALLY reliant on the shepherd to lead us to that moment-by-moment source of life. And our shepherd is, of course, none other than Yeshua!

And those “quiet waters?” They are the vestiges of sudden deadly desert floods that cascade unannounced through the valleys, those valleys of the shadow of death. The water from those floods cascade miles and miles from the hilltops near Jerusalem after storms during the rainy season down through the canyons until they reach the Salt Sea. Every year people die in the desert from these floods. It’s hard to imagine people drowning in the desert, but it happens in Israel!

Thus, the shepherd must be on alert and knowledgeable about these floods to keep her flock safe. Again, my view has radically changed. Still waters were once dangerous and the area where the waters settle is still dangerous. It is best not to linger long lest the next flood arrives, and you are unprepared. It is best to follow the lead of your shepherd!

There is so much more to proclaim regarding Psalm 23. But I honor my commitment to avoid term papers!

Shalom שָׁלוֹם,

DWach

PS … note the shepherdess in the attached photo; she was no more than 12 years old; we watched her for an hour as she “sang” to her flock, and they followed her from the watering hole at the bottom of the valley up over the top of the ridge behind her; considering Psalm 23, it was one of the most moving experiences of my life.

PSS … DJ Revonda has dialed up two Psalm 23 songs, radically different in approach: one from the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir and one from MIQEDEM, one of our favorite Messianic Jewish Contemporary Music Bands. You will note that the second one is in HEBREW (practice time for those who have asked for it!):

Psalm 22 – Learn the Text, Live the Teach, Teach the Text, Pray the Text …

And Die the Text

The core of Jewish religious life centers on “the text” (the Hebrew Bible – what Christians call the Old Testament) and on the Rabbi-Disciple relationship. Disciples dedicate their lives to knowing G-d better and deeper and they do so by following a rabbi, “sitting at his (or her) feet” as the rabbi expounds upon the text. Knowing the text is an all-consuming endeavor. For the rabbi, the mantra goes like this: “learn the text; live the text; teach the text; pray the text; die the text.”

The opening lines of Psalm 22 may sound hauntingly familiar to you. In Matthew and Mark’s Gospel narratives, they record Jesus quoting Psalm 22:1as He died on the Cross, “My God, My God why have you forsaken me”? Jesus (Yeshua), the greatest rabbi to ever live, was dying the way a righteous rabbi should: he was reciting the text. Luke also records Jesus quoting the Psalms while on the Cross: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Ps. 31:5) And as He breathed His last in John’s account, Jesus seems to have the last words of Psalm 22 on His lips. He exclaims, “It is finished.” Psalm 22 ends with “for he has done it.”

It seems clear that this lament psalm has prophetic meaning. In their accounts of the Crucifixion, all four gospel writers allude to the metaphors of suffering and humiliation that are present in Psalm 22. Thus, it should not come as a surprise that this psalm is cherished by so many Christians.

But interestingly, it is not as revered in Judaism. They have not interpreted it in messianic terms, though this interpretation seems obvious. Rather, they view it as David’s lament over the future exile of Israel in Babylon or as a lament associated with the book of Esther where Haman threatens to exterminate the Jews (and thus, it is a custom to read Psalm 22 during Purim, the Jewish holiday commemorating Esther’s heroics during that event). It saddens me that our Jewish brothers and sisters have yet to recognize Jesus (Yeshua) as Messiah. My prayer is that one day, they will.

In the meantime, might I suggest this morning that we, who have trusted in Yeshua as our rabbi, follow His lead: learn the text, live the text, teach the text, pray the text, and one day … many years from now, die the text.

Shalom שָׁלוֹם,

DWach

Psalm 21

Psalm 21 must be read in conjunction with Psalm 20 (another small “mini-series”). We recognize the same superscript from Psalm 20 in this Psalm. We have the same translation issue regarding whether the psalm is ‘of David’ or ‘for/to David.’ We noted that Psalm 20 is a prayer asking for the king to be blessed before going into battle (and we made the bridge to the battles in our realities that each of us fight every day); Psalm 21 seems to be a ‘post battle’ prayer of exultation: the king has been victorious over Israel’s enemies. Twice the psalmist recognized the rich and eternal blessings bestowed on the king by YHWH (v.3,6). In Psalm 20, the psalmist asks that YHWH give the king the desire of his (the king’s) heart (Ps. 20:4) and in Psalm 21, the psalmist notes that YHWH has done so (v.2). And in both psalms, it is the saving power of YHWH’s right hand that accomplishes the victory.

This is the third ‘royal psalm’ to date (Psalm 2 is the other one) with several more to come. The idea of separation of church and state is non-existent in ancient Israel. The expectation that the king be G-d’s hands and feet on earth as a leader is clear. As the king’s obedience to Torah and trust in YHWH goes, so goes the fate of Israel.

And the theological message to Israel was/is the same: the people’s obedience to Torah and their trust in YHWH was the best way to support the king. And likewise, for us: our response to the blessings G-d gives us is to trust and obey. Only then can we be a witness and testimony to all that is good about G-d.

Godspeed,

DWach

Psalm 20 – The Blessing

Psalm 20 is categorized as a Royal Psalm (meaning that it is directed to the King of Israel). It is clearly a prayer of blessing, dedicated to a non-identified king who is ready to go off into battle to face Israel’s enemies. The superscript reads in every translation “For the leader; a psalm of David.” But given that David was the king who often went to battle and remembering the ambiguity of translating the preposition ‘le,’ it seems more appropriate to render the superscript as a “psalm for (to) David.” Oh, those pesky prepositions!

Psalm 20 is read/recited daily near the conclusion of weekday morning worship services in the Jewish liturgical/worship system.

While we may not be facing enemies in the same way that David did back in Biblical times, we all face “enemies” daily. In our modern context, this prayer of blessing makes for a great reminder that “YHWH saves His anointed … with the saving power of His right hand.” (v. 6)

Godspeed,

DWach

Psalm 19 – The Heavens Declare … His Commands Are Radiant

Psalm 19 is in my top five. Its style and structure create a theological statement that is awesome and inspiring to me. The structure is pretty evident. After a standard superscript “For the leader; of (for/to) David” (remember our preposition discussion from yesterday), we have two interconnected sections: the first is a Creation Hymn (v.1-6) that describes in majestic terms the magnificence of the Creation and the second is a Torah Hymn (v.7-11) that describes in very physical terms the beauty and significance of G-d’s Word (Torah). Each standing on its own provides some of the most beautiful poetry in the Scriptures. But notice the descriptors of Creation in the first section: the heavens “declare” (v.1), day makes “utterance” (v.2), night “speaks out” (v.2), Creation’s “voice” carries its “words to the end of the earth” (v.4). All of these ‘language’ descriptions are typically related to Torah, but here are ascribed to Creation.

Conversely, in the Torah hymn, Torah is described in physical “Creation” terms. His commands are “radiant, giving light to the eyes” (v.8); His ordinances are more precious than gold” (v.10); and they are “sweeter than honey” (v.10).

The reversal of descriptors provides our theology for today: G-d’s Creation and His Word are inextricably linked. They are awesome beyond description! One doesn’t work or even exist without the other.

And after this theological revelation is recognized by the psalmist, he realizes his imperfection in the face of G-d’s Creation and Word and falls to his knees in a prayer of self-petition and request for forgiveness (v.12-14).

May this psalm have the same effect on you!

Shalom שָׁלוֹם,

DWach

PS … We haven’t linked to a musical rendition of the psalms for a while; DJ Revonda offers the following Psalm 19 song produced by one of our favorite worship bands: Sons of Korah.

Psalm 18 – My Rock, My Fortress, My Deliverer

The superscript informs us that the psalm is “For the director (of music); of David the servant of the LORD.” Here is that text in Hebrew: לַמְנַצֵּ֤חַ׀ לְעֶ֥בֶד יְהוָ֗ה לְדָ֫וִ֥ד

Noteworthy is the preposition לְ (and its variant לַ)

Hebrew is read and written right to left. See if you can find the first and last uses of לְ and לַ. The first appearance of “li” is translated ‘for.’ The last “li” is attached to David’s name לְדָ֫וִ֥ד and is translated ‘of.’ Both translations are correct. How do we know when to translate ‘li’ as ‘for’, as ‘of’ or as its third sense, ‘to’? And is this important? It could be, because many superscripts include לְדָ֫וִ֥ד Are we to translate that as ‘for/to David’ (as in to honor him) or ‘of David’ (as in he wrote the text). I mention this because authorship of many psalms is traditionally attributed to David. A lot of modern scholars and theologians question that, partly from the linguistic vagary explained above. And just like yesterday’s psalm, we can see legitimate variations in how a passage is translated/interpreted. I like Robert Alter’s standard translation/interpretation best: “A David Psalm.”

Fun Fact about Psalm 18: most scholars consider this great psalm of thanksgiving to be one of the oldest in the psalter. Why? First, the text ‘feels’ primitive with the descriptions of what seems like a ‘warrior’ God riding in with the primal storm to rescue the righteous and blameless faithful one. Second, after reading this psalm (one of the longest in the psalter), compare it to II Samuel 22. The texts are virtually identical and exhibit the same Hebrew ancient linguistic style that could date back to Samuel’s time (approximately 1000 BCE).

With the II Samuel 22 comparison, we recognize another example of the Bible “conversing within itself,” a trait known as inter-textuality. We also observe in this psalm examples of other noteworthy topics that we have already discussed: the interplay of righteousness/justice/blamelessness/sin (see v.20-26) and an additional set of rhetorical theological questions: “Who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?” (v. 31)

And finally, to all our former students from Refuge/Embrace Student Ministry who are part of the Psalm A Day Keeps Satan Away community: this is the perfect opportunity to recite Ps. 18:2, as we did every Wednesday night for many, many years: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer; my God is my rock in whom I take refuge; he is my shield and the horn of my salvation; my stronghold.”

If you can’t do it, then drop and give me ten!

Godspeed,

DWach

Psalm 17 – The Apple of His Eye

We have our first translation decision right in verse one. One of our favorite Hebrew words, צֶ֗דֶק ‘tza-DEEK’ appears. Remember from Psalms 7 and 9 that the primary translation is ‘righteous,’ or ‘righteous one.’ The secondary meaning is ‘just/justice or just one.’ The word appears again in the last verse (v.15). In Hebrew, this inclusio (the bookend use of a word or phrase at the beginning and end of a passage) frames the text and gives it an overriding theological theme and structure. Your challenge is to review several translations, note the revision date of the translation you are using, and see if the inclusio is evident or is “lost in translation.”

The second translation exercise focuses on verse 8. The psalmist prays that G-d would “guard me as the apple of your eye.” Virtually every translation tends to this rendition. It is an expression that you likely have heard before. It appears in three other places in the Old Testament: Deuteronomy 32:10; Proverbs 7:2; Lamentations 2:18 (with one possible additional variation in Zechariah 2:8) It refers to someone who is cherished above all other things. In the Biblical context, “the apple of His eye” always refers to US, G-d’s faithful followers!

The Hebrew expression in these verses for “apple of the [His] eye” is 'iysh-OWN ‘AY-in (אישון עין). However, the Hebrew word for “apple” is ‘ta-poo-AH’ (תפוח עץ) and DOES NOT appear in the original Hebrew text in this or the other passages! The obvious question is this: almost every English version introduces “apple of the [His] eye” into the translation … buy why? The literal translation of the Hebrew expression is “dark part of the [His] eye” or possibly even “little man of the [His] eye” (given that ‘iysh’ is the Hebrew word for man, and 'iysh-OWN’ is possibly a diminutive formation). Apples are nowhere to be found!

It seems that in the late 1500’s, William Shakespeare first referred to the eye’s pupil as being an apple in his play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Apparently, this metaphor quickly became popular, and it found its way into the King James Version (1611) of Psalm 17:8 (and the other verses). This beautiful expression has become so ingrained in English culture that I believe modern translators felt it best to stay with the KJV translation/interpretation. This passage highlights the difficulties in translating ancient texts. As a translator, does one just translate a text literally word for word, or do you try to interpret it for modern times?

What is NOT lost in the inclusio style Psalm 17 is the focal point of verse 8: “[God], keep your eye on me.” (The Message, as translated by Eugene Peterson – the only translator I could find who didn’t reference apples!). May we join the psalmist today in that prayer as we seek His righteousness/justice in our daily living.

Godspeed,

DWach

Psalm 16 – The Outcome: Trust and Peace

In our Psalm 1 discussion, I mentioned that the first two psalms lay out a quasi-thematic outline for the psalter. Psalm 1 describes the benefits of a life lived according to Torah (the law/instruction/guidance/education of G-d’s Word); Psalm 2 mandates that we, the representatives of G-d in an often-hostile world, be a witness and testimony to all that is good about Him.

Beyond this quasi-introduction, scholars have tried in vain to detect a literary structure encompassing the complete psalter that would support the theological themes described above. If there were such a structure, it has been lost in transmission.

However, there are “mini structures” within the Psalms that seem purposeful. The triad of Psalms 14, 15, and 16 seems to be one of them. Psalm 14 decries the foolishness of living a life without G-d (the antithesis of Psalm 1). Psalm 15 promotes the virtues of a life lived oriented to G-d in obedience to Him (the mandate of Psalm 2 enacted). And Psalm 16 reflects the result of such an oriented life: trust and peace. “I am ever mindful of YHWH’s presence; He is at my right hand; I will not be shaken.” (v.8) “My body will rest securely.” (v. 9)

Those are good thoughts for the day. We will not and cannot be shaken when we orient our life towards G-d! And surely, we can rest securely!

Shalom שָׁלוֹם,

DWach