Tidy Answers
For our heart rejoices in Him because we trust in His holy name. Psalm 33:21
Trust – Remember the difficulties we found in Psalm 33:22. Trying to capture the meaning of ka-asher turned into a lesson about tidy answers and worldviews. But what we may have overlooked is the parallelism of Hebrew poetry. In other words, we probably should have started with this verse in order to understand what is happening in the next verse. Here the psalmist tells us that trust is parallel to hope. Rejoicing is connected with trust in the same way that hesed is connected with hope. So, what does it mean to trust in His holy name?
The Hebrew word is batach. The pictograph reveals “the house separated by the covenant.” What is the distinguishing characteristic of trust? It is to be under the covenant. It is being different than the rest of the world. Those who live according to God’s covenant have confidence in Him. They rejoice because their lives are not determined by their own efforts. They rest under His banner. In other words, trusting God is being set apart, precisely what God says about His people at Sinai. They are separated by His covenant.
Notice that the psalmist doesn’t say, “We trust in Your commandments.” Why not? God gave the covenant instructions at Sinai. He set His people apart by providing them with a distinctively different lifestyle. Why doesn’t the psalmist acknowledge this lifestyle difference as the basis of trust? The answer is found in the difference between legislation and person. No commandment is an end in itself. Yes, God’s rules for living provide protection, direction and confirmation, but they do not exist apart from His character. The purpose of the commandments is not to produce morally superior people. It is to reflect the heart of the Lord. That’s why Yeshua can castigate those who mechanically kept the commandments but lacked God’s heart as motivation. Keeping the commandments is supposed to be an expression of my abandonment to God’s character. Then, and only then, does the distinctive difference of my life radiate who He is. So, we don’t hope in His instructions. We hope in His name!
But wait! If it’s all about hoping in His character, why does the psalmist say, “His holy name”? Does He mean that we hope in the word YHWH? Of course not. In Hebrew thought, a name is the summary essence of a person. Adam isn’t just any name. It is the name of the one who comes from ‘adamah, the earth-creature, the first water of life. Adam is his name and his essential character. Just so, God’s name is the summary of who He is. His name is the shorthand way of referring to the very nature of God. And what is God’s nature? For that answer, we need to read Exodus 34:6 where God Himself declares who He is. Take the attributes found in Exodus and compare them to the qualities of your motivation for following Him. If the comparison reveals some differences, then corrective action is needed, because His people are called by His name.
Topical Index: name, trust, batach, Psalm 33:21
Even in the previous chapter (Ex 33:16), Moses asks “For how else is it to be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people, other than by your going with us? That is what distinguishes us, me and your people, from all the other peoples on earth.” (CJB)
Then, to go on to 34:6, and see that He says of Himself: “merciful and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in grace and truth”
Pondering this, I remembered the phrase “My Word is my bond.” Surely it was not coined at this time, but how well it describes YHWH. His Torah is His covenant, which reveals to us the qualities that He ascribes to Himself, and He will do what He has said.
–because we trust in His holy name. Psalm 33:21
In gold we trust. er.. In government we trust. er.. In G-d we trust. Amen.
Our trust in only as good as the object of our trust. What exactly am I trusting in? And Who (or what) am I depending upon? Our trust is only as dependable as the source of our trust.
“And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” (Luke 1)
Specific instructions were given for the naming of Jesus and his cousin John. Another interesting Hebraic study is in every single name since Adam. Abraham, Moses, Noah.. every Bible character, male and female has prophetic/instructive meaning in their name. Why?
“you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save (sózó) his people from their sins.”
(Mathew 1.21)
“Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 10:43) If I may be so bold as to ask the question: -Whose name are “all the prophets” bearing witness to?
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is NO OTHER NAME under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4.12) There is no other name? What name is this?
There is one G-d. There is also one mediator between G-d and human beings-a human, the Messiah Jesus.
(1 Timothy 2.5)
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2)
From the mouth of Yeshua: “Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.” (John 14.6)
“But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” He said to the paralytic,” (Mark 2.10)
“But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20.31)
That name again?
Mary was the first to hear it,
Name that came from heaven above;
Name that raises souls from darkness,
It’s the only name worth singing of.
Wonderful name, Jesus!
Wonderful name, Jesus!
Name angels sang the night all heaven rang;
Wonderful name, Jesus!
Heaven touched His name with glory,
Precious name of Jesus, our King;
In G-d’s Word is told the story,
of this wondrous name the angels sing!
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7.14)
For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor-Mighty God-Everlasting Father-Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9.6)
“for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between G-d and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many” (Matthew 26.28)
“He came unto his own, and his own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave he authority to become the sons of God, even to them that believe (pisteuó) on His name:” (John 1.11,12)
“For our heart rejoices in Him because we trust”
Just some random thoughts….and a little cost/benefit analysis.
Seems to me that in the final analysis we don’t know if we are saved or not.
Seems to me that we are told to “trust” in His holy name.
Trust is our “cost”, the price we pay for our heart to rejoice, a great “benefit”.
Trust is focusing on God and acting according to His will, whether it is in our “best interest” or not.
Looking back at my life, I was not always trusting in God or trying to act according to His will.
But He seems to have saved me from myself, anyway.
On many occasions 🙂
Wonderful commentary Skip … in Salvation (Y’Shua) we trust … and if we trust we walk in accordance to the trust. And if we walk contrary to The Lord in our hearts He will be contrary to us! And … of course it is only The Lord Who searches and knows the heart! Praise The Lord Who rebukes those whom He loves!
Give to us this day our daily bread …. lechem chayei … that is YOU MASHIACH … so that YOU will nourish and keep us! Strengthen us Lord so that we may remain faithful and trusting in the eternal covenant which YOU have executed on our behalf!
Oh yes we must indeed remain trusting in the source but remember (zakar) that this trust entails keeping (shomer with the right heart attitude) the covenant terms as handed down by the G_D of Yisrael to the citizens of HIS kingdom. How right you are Skip … trust is a verb and not an abstract concept … well at least in Hebrew anyway! 🙂
I suppose it is much easier to confess The Lord than to trust The Lord … praise Him for not vanquishing me before I realized the difference! 🙂