Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10 NASB Create – First let’s correct the syntax. The emphasis of this verse is not “create.” It is leb tahor, a “heart clean.” But even this needs a bit of explanation. The root taher is not about “spiritual”…
For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust. Psalm 103:14 NASB Our frame – God may be the only person in the universe who loves dust. Of course, He shaped that dust into something that resembles Him, but David reminds us that He hasn’t forgotten what we are made…
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27 NASB Created – Have you ever wondered about the construction of this verse? Why does it seem to repeat itself? Did you think it was just for emphasis? But then why would…
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them. Psalm 139:16 NASB Ordained for me – This verse is often used as a proof text for the idea that God has foreordained the days…
Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. Genesis 2:7 NASB Formed – The three verbs of creation each have unique features. Bara’ is exclusively a verb of divine action, a verb used of creative acts only…
Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. Genesis 2:7 NASB Formed – You don’t know what you are supposed to do until you know who you are made to be. That’s why the opening passages of…
And YHWH Elohim formed Man out of dry, loose earth dirt Genesis 2:7a (my translation) Formed – “To bring desire into existence.” That’s yatsar. God desired partnership in the regulation and enhancement of His creation. That desire was manifested in the formation of Man. Because the desire to bring into existence is the essence of…
And YHWH Elohim formed Man out of dry, loose earth dirt Genesis 2:7a (my translation) Formed – We’ve learned that this occurrence of yatsar contains a double Yod. The rabbis tell us that this indicates the two impulses of Man, the yetser ha-tov and the yester ha’ra. It’s pretty clear that tov (good) and ra…
“O house of Israel, am I not able to do to you as did this potter?” declares YHWH.” Jeremiah 18:6 Potter – God sends Jeremiah to the potter’s house. Jeremiah witnesses the potter making a vessel from clay. But something happens. The vessel is ruined. What does the potter do? He starts again with the…
