Taking A Stand
He shall not be afraid of evil news, his heart is fixed, trusting in YHWH. Psalm 112:7
Fixed – Who among us will not fear bad news? That’s a pretty important question these days. Of course, it’s all relative, isn’t it? Our version of bad news doesn’t come close to the bad news in places like Somalia or Haiti. Many people there would gladly trade any of their days for our worst nightmares. But, relative or not, bad news is still bad news – and a lot of people shudder to even think about it. The Psalmist has an answer. Stand straight up!
That’s the sense of the word kun. It’s used in all kinds of descriptions about standing upright, from setting up an idol to preparing weapons. There are a dozen metaphorical uses from establishing a kingdom or city to appointing someone to a position or creating the natural order. Here it is about standing on the promises of God. The Psalmist’s heart is certain that God will not fail.
Notice that the rationale for taking this stand is provided with the second verb, to trust. This is the verb batach, a verb that is used only one time in a positive sense for trust between human beings (Proverbs 31:11). In every other case, the only positive use of this verb is about trust in God. The verb is another example of the Hebrew connection between emotion and motion. It describes the sense of security and reliability that comes when a follower of the Way behaves according to God’s word in spite of circumstances. In other words, the reason that we can trust God is found in who God is. It does not depend on what God does. We have no fear in the face of calamity because we know the character of the sovereign Lord. So, three men can face certain death in the furnace of Nebuchadnezzar and exhibit complete reliance on the Most High God even if their lives are lost. This is standing upright because you know the God you serve.
There are a lot of fearful things in the world today. The news constantly reminds us to be afraid. Fear motivates and paralyzes at the same time. Fear drives us to self-protection and self-glorification (the fear of rejection, for example). If you really wanted to make a list of all the things that you might fear, your imagination could certainly get a workout. You could just leave the lights on, but that won’t make the monsters go away. How much better to be fixed on the love and compassion of God. How reassuring it is to know that His purposes wrap care around us like a robe of light. There is a reason that the sons of the righteous are not found begging bread. God is in charge.
Maybe today things seem out of control. Maybe today life is a little too close to the edge and a whiff of fear is in the air. Don’t be anxious. The One who made you, loves you. Take your stand on His side of the Jordan. Rejoice – and do not fear.
Topical Index: fear, afraid, kun, batach, Psalm 112:7
I John 4 tells us that love drives out fear (cannot co-exist). What kind of love? Well, it rests in God’s character (“God is love”). It rests in knowing that God was the initiator of this love (“He loved us first”). It rests in knowing that God made this love into demonstrable action (“Sent His Son”). And when this love is received by me (God’s love) as a conduit of His love to others, then God’s love is made “complete.” Fear simply cannot co-exist in this type of loving environment…no matter what our temporal circumstances might be. But we struggle with this, don’t we?
Yes, we do struggle with this. Maybe that’s why the Bible says “do not fear” or something like it more than 300 times. Maybe there is a direction connection between some kinds of fear and sin. Maybe being afraid is moving away from trust in God and that implies that I do not really know who God is. Of course, the Hebrew verb yare covers at least five different senses of “fear” and some are not associated with sinful actions. So, we have to be careful how we distinguish these senses in a language that lacks specificity.
Skip
To Tom White: Thank you for the comment. I tend to be passionate and misinterpreted at times. I figured out that what I type in this box as to the smiley face comes out much better after I push send. Thank you.
To Skip: What are the five different senses of fear. You just let me smell the food and leave me hungry.
To all: Jesus has his prayers answered, “I pray not that you shouldest take them out of the world, but that though shouldest keep them from the evil one.” In the last days the scripture tells us that fear will grip the hearts of men as they experience the wrath of God being poured out on the earth but like you said David, we hold fast to LOVE and trust in Him.
The Hebrew verb yare has five senses: 1. the emotion of fear, 2. the intellectual anticipation of evil without emphasis on the emotional reaction, 3. reverence and awe, 4. righteous behavior or piety, 5. formal religious worship.
#1 we find in fear of fire (Deut. 5:5) or of enemies (1 Sam. 7:7).
#2 is seen in 1 Sam 21:13 and Genesis 31:31
#3 is common in the OT – cf. Lev. 19:3, Ps. 112:1, Hab. 3:2
#4 can be seen in 2 Kings 17:32-34
#5 seems to be the sense in Job 1:9
All of this from The Theological Workbook of the Old Testament, pages 399-400 (Vol. 1)
Skip, thank you for this excellent glimpse into this passage. You made a statement that I think must be a reference to another scripture: “There is a reason that the sons of the righteous are not found begging bread.”
It is self-explanatory at a cursory glance, but I’m wondering if there’s more to this statement.
Thank you,
Anthony
Psalm 37:25
More to come.
Skip
“He shall not be afraid of evil news, his heart is fixed, trusting in YHWH.”
I’m wondering what folks mean by evil?
I read “evil news” as “bad” news and make a distinction between bad and evil that may or may not make sense.
Bad news would be my job is in jeopardy, my children are getting sick, or I lost my retirement in the stock market.
“Evil” news would be people are tortured, a woman was raped, people are selling people houses they can’t afford with loans that are too risky.
I tend to be afraid of bad news and turn to God for help.
I tend to think of evil as moral corruption; something that is “Other” to me and my friends for the most part.
I tend to think of sin as (immoral) corruption or (amoral) alienation from God.
For me, fear is a sign that I’m not connected to God.
But I rarely fear evil (thank God).
Just wondering what folks think 🙂
The Hebrew word here is ra. It has a very wide range of nuances, depending on context. It covers everything from disagreeable to absolute evil. So, the range can easily cover bad news about my job or news about genocide. It can even mean something of poor quality. Pretty much anything that we would describe as disturbing, bad, inferior, horrible, evil or repulsive can be captured with this word.
Skip
Thank you for the illumination on the word fear. The use where it is an intellectual anticipation without emotion I have trouble seeing when the example is fearing loosing your daughters. But….
Also, I didn’t see the fear in Ps 121:1.