Tag-Archive for » Psalm 27:11 «

Rocky Road

Monday, October 19th, 2009 | Author: Skip Moen

Teach me Your way, O YHWH, and lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. Psalm 27:11

Smooth Path – The idea of a smooth path doesn’t seem to present any problems, does it? We know what smooth paths ought to be. Even if I translate the Hebrew beorach mishor as “straight path” or “even way,” I’m pretty sure we are all thinking about an easy road. That’s what we want, isn’t it? A nice, comfortable, straight highway so we can avoid all the bumps, pot holes and detours in life. But something interesting happens when we look a little deeper. Maybe the “smooth path” isn’t quite so gentle after all.

The Hebrew word mishor has the basic meaning of evenness. It’s associated with straight, righteous, plain and safe. It comes from the verbal root yashar which means “to be right, to be level, to be upright.” Clearly, this root is connected to the idea of a life pleasing to God. The consonants are Yod-Shin-Resh. The pictograph combines two Hebrew images, Yod meaning “hand” or “deed” and Shin-Resh, the picture of a prince. So, this verb displays “the hand of the prince”, i.e. righteous deeds done properly and in order. To be straight is to always act correctly. Here, of course, the imagery is about moral order, not about correct facts or calculations.

Now let’s reconsider the imagery. Do morally correct decisions make life easier? Probably not. There’s a reason we have the aphorism, “Do the right thing and get punished.” The path of delighting in God might be smooth from God’s point of view, but it is quite often a pretty rocky road from the human point of view. We admire Sha’ul’s willingness to embrace the call of God on his life, but we would hardly consider the result a “smooth path.” We will need a complete shift in perspective if we are going to understand the biblical imagery of “smooth path.” A lot of the normal expectations about life here and now will have to be put aside if we are going to define beorach mishor in the same way the Bible does.

For example, we might have to let go of the persistent pursuit of personal comfort. We might have to really embrace the needs of others ahead of our own needs. We might have to re-evaluate luxury and see it for what it really is – an enormous temptation to have it our way.

We might have to shelve some of those dreams we have been nourishing for years. You know; the ones about protected living, ample finances and personal independence. Where do those images come from? From the biblical account of God’s redemptive work or the insurance and consumption advertisers? If relationships are the heart and soul of Scripture, do our lives reflect a passion for people or an avid desire for things?

There are other questions, of course, but the final filter might be simply this: Rocky Road may need to become your favorite flavor of ice cream.

Topical Index: yashar, beorach mishor, smooth path, prince, hand, righteous, Psalm 27:11

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Mending Fences

Sunday, October 18th, 2009 | Author: Skip Moen

Teach me Your way, O YHWH, and lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. Psalm 27:11

Lead – When God leads, it’s all about fences. That doesn’t sound much like leading, does it? We think of leading as moving away from fences. “Don’t fence me in” and “Think outside the box” are the characteristics we seek in a leader. But we forget that God is interested in character, not competence. He sees fences as protection, not restriction. God leads into the areas of life that He has fenced because my character depends on paying attention to the boundaries. When we don’t pay attention to God’s fences, we soon discover that character is much harder to recover than it is to maintain.

The Hebrew verb here is nachah. While it is sometimes applied to human beings, it is almost always used in relation to God’s action. Everything God does is a lesson in leading. The consonants Nun-Chet-Hey paint the picture of “what comes from a fence around life.” Now that’s a fence worth having! God is the God of order. Order requires boundaries. God’s boundaries protect life. Living inside His fence assures me of His favor and His favor gives me life. Without fences, I am exposed to the chaos of an unordered world. Without fences anything can happen to me. Without fences I die.

Of course, God’s fences are described in the Torah. Because they are protective measure around life, these fences are never designed to restrict me from what I need to be full, satisfied and joyful. Quite the opposite! Without these boundaries, all the order that life requires slips away. This is the first lesson of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The Tree was the boundary of ordered life. Crossing the boundary led directly to chaos, disorder and death. The Tree was there for protection, but the serpent convinced Havvah and Adam that the Tree was a restriction. Our progenitors tore down the fence that protected life. When they did, they opened the gate, allowing sin into the world (Romans 5:12). What was once outside the protective fence now had a way to get in.

The Eagles gave us just the lyrics we need when it comes to fences. Go ahead and listen. Then remember that God’s fences are the answer to every desperate life. And by the way, it’s OK if you need to cry.

Topical Index: fences, lead, nachah, Eagles, desperado, torah, Psalm 27:11

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Archery

Saturday, October 17th, 2009 | Author: Skip Moen

Teach me Your way, O YHWH, and lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. Psalm 27:11

Teach – Did you ever take a class in archery at summer camp? It isn’t as easy as it looks, is it? You have to learn about holding the bow and the arrow correctly. If you don’t have the right grip, when you let the arrow fly you might end up with an injured finger and a missed target. If you’re going to hit the bull’s eye, you’ll need some instruction. “Teach me,” says David. The Hebrew verb he uses is yara, a verb about shooting arrows. But David isn’t asking for archery lessons, so why does he choose this verb?

Yara has two verb constructions in the Tanakh. The first is called the qal structure. It is close to our idea of present tense active. In this form, the verb means “to cast, to throw, to shoot.” It’s used for casting lots, throwing stones and shooting arrows. The emphasis of the verb is on the control of the action. But yara is also found in the hiphil, a form that changes the present to the causative sense. Now it means something like “to cause to shoot or to cause to throw.” Since it is still about the control of the action, the hiphil of yara takes on the sense of teaching. That’s the way David uses it here. Lord, cause me to learn Your way. For a man who knew a lot about weapons, yara is the perfect verb. Take my skill with the instruments of death and convert it into instruments of life. Let me shoot straight according to Your intention. This concept of hitting the target is also found in the Hebrew idea of sin because sin is literally missing the mark.

But this isn’t quite the end of the story. You see, yara is the verbal root of another Hebrew word, torah. You can be sure that David was well aware of this connection. When he asked the Lord to teach (yara) him, he is at the same time expressing his desire to know torah, God’s “teachings.” David isn’t asking God for a personal revelation or a mystical insight into heaven. He is asking God to illuminate Torah so that he might know the smooth path of living in harmony with the Lord. David isn’t demanding a special “word from the Lord.” He is acknowledging his need to understand God’s already-revealed instructions.

The Scriptures tell us that David was a man after God’s own heart. In spite of David’s sins, God considered David a friend. In fact, David’s relationship with the Lord was so firm that God deferred punishment on many generations after David for the sake of David’s faithfulness. Clearly, David’s appeal to be taught the way of YHWH had significant results.

Isn’t that what we want? Don’t we want to aim right at the center? Then join David. Let the Lord teach you His torah. Practice doing what He says and your aim will get better and better. One day you’ll shout, “Bull’s eye!” with a big smile on your face.

Topical Index: Topical Index: yara, torah, shoot, teach, Psalm 27:11

Category: Today's Word  | Tags: , , , ,  | 4 Comments