Food For Thought
He satisfies the thirsty soul and He fills the hungry soul with good. Psalm 107:9
With Good – Did you expect that? Wouldn’t we expect the psalmist to say, “He fills the hungry soul with food?” After all, isn’t this verse about what we need to survive? The Hebrew mi le-tov is literally “He satisfies [fills or completes] good.” The economy of Hebrew requires that we add the preposition. Actually, the structure of the Hebrew shifts the emphasis for the entire thought. It’s more like billboard announcements. “For He satisfies nephesh thirsty and nephesh hungry He fills tov.” Since this isn’t really about the “soul” in the Greek sense, these statements concern the entire person. The psalmist proclaims, “One thirsty He satisfies; one hungry He fills.”
But what fills the nephesh? From the psalmist’s point of view, what fills us is tov (good). That covers the entire range of God’s grace. It’s not just daily bread. It’s the food that comes from another source which many do not understand (John 4). Of course, it is daily bread. That’s part of God’s provision. But it’s much more, isn’t it? It’s all the goodness of God – grace, mercy, benevolence, provision, protection, satisfaction, delight and patience. Real food is all this and more. When we hunger to be filled, we need to listen to the psalmist and not limit God’s outpouring of goodness. The pictograph gives us the proper perspective. The verb “to fill” (male) is the consonants M-L-A. These show us chaos controlled by strength. Isn’t that the image of God’s goodness?
There’s a crucial lesson in this Hebrew verse architecture. Too many times we seem to put the parameters around God’s answers. We come to Him having already determined how our needs should be met. We plead for a shovel full of grace when He is waiting with a dump truck load. Our lack of spiritual imagination constrains God’s goodness. He is willing to give but we are not prepared to receive. It’s like trying to capture the electrical power of a lightning bolt in a battery. More than anything, we need to strip away our tiny concepts of God. We need to enter into the Hebrew view of awe and mystery, magnificence and grandeur. We need the verb God, not the noun God. He just won’t be boxed. So, why do we try so hard to squeeze Him into our mold?
Meditate on God’s goodness. Reflect on His everlasting faithfulness. Remember all that He has done through countless generations to bring you to the place you stand today. Consider His commitment to your holiness. Be overwhelmed by His willingness to forgive. Ponder His sacrifice. David captured it when he said, “Who is Man that You are mindful of him?” The Hebrew point of view begins with the awesome wonder of God. Perhaps we need a great deal more time to meditate and a lot less time to pontificate. Perhaps the real purpose of worship is simply to stand in His presence in wonder.
Topical Index: good, nephesh, fill, tov, wonder, worship, Psalm 107:9
-Perhaps the real purpose of worship is simply to stand in His presence in wonder.- (barak!)
Ah.. brother Skip- (chef Moen).. -that, was a meal!! Nutritious and delicious. “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts. ” Yes,.. “feed my sheep”.
You are RIGHT ON, Carl Wait until you get the TW’s on wonder (and the comments by Rabbi Abraham Heschel). Wonder is the foundation of the Hebrew worldview – as opposed to the Greek mindset which is about explanation.
–the Greek mindset which is about explanation.–
explain YHWH.. that’s a laugh!!! first.. you find a test tube.. (lol !!!)
Skip, I LOVE what you quoted from that same Rabbi in an earlier TW: “…Wonder is an act in which the mind confronts the universe”.
As do I John!
What I love about “signs and wonders” from a Biblical and personal perspective is this: HE is in control!
You know “confronting the universe” can be as simple as realizing that the people we encounter today will not be an accident. As such I remain awed by a G_D of power, creativity, wonders and order …. and remain even more awed that HE loves us so much that HE orchestrates things in our lives to draw us back to HIMSELF.
“Who is Man that You are mindful of him?” – We people are HIS children! Barukh HaShem!
Ahmein! Ahmein! Let all with breadth Praise The Lord! “Hodoo L’Adonai Ki Tov”
“we need a great deal more time to meditate and a lot less time to pontificate.”
Meditiation is definitely more important than pontification; as Rabbi Gorlik likes to say in his own inimitable way: God doesn’t care much about our pontification, even when the points we make are theologically correct, “He’s not keeping track.” 🙂
Skip – this was just what we needed to hear. My husband is 52 and has no more passion/drive/purpose and we’ve been praying that God would give him HIS purpose, HIS desires, HIS dreams. THis was confirmation, that it’s okay to not know what you want and to turn to God and ask Him for ultimate satisfaction.