Combination Punch
Of David, a contemplation. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom YHWH does not charge iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. Psalm 32:1-2
Forgiven/Covered/Does Not Charge/No Guile – Now that we see the parallelism in David’s maskil, we must draw the connecting lines. We have already discovered connections between “lifted up” (forgiven) and “covered.” One is taken away. The other is hidden. One is private; the other public. One is what God does. The other is what I do.
Then we saw the parallel construction in “does not charge” and “no guile.” Notice once more that one is what God does, the other is what I do. One is private, the other public. One is taken away (removed from the books), the other is hidden from my spirit.
Now let’s draw the interconnections. Ashrei connects both of these insights. I experience a state of bliss under all of these conditions. Parallelism connects “lifted up” to “does not charge,” and “covered” to “no guile.” You can draw the relationships yourself. To be forgiven is to have my transgression lifted away. That is the same as having my rebellious nature not charged against me. Just as “forgiven” connects “does not charge,” so “transgression” (rebellion) connects “iniquity.” God deals with all this. He deals with the moral accounting. He deals with the rebellious heart. He deals with my Sin and my sins.
But now draw the rest of the connections. To have my hatta’ah covered, to have my sins removed from the public eye so that they are not a reproach to me or an insult to my Lord is the same as living a life without remiyyah. In other words, if faithfulness and reliability are characteristics of my way of life, I will experience the bliss of having my sins covered and placing a secure fence around my home. I will walk in the public arena without humiliation, without incrimination, for I will be true.
Blessing is not simply what God does for me. It is what comes upon me when I do what God asks of me. I have a hand in all this. I must live according to His benevolence toward me. Then I will be a man in a state of bliss.
David goes on to describe what happens when we do not understand and embrace these connections. That is an examination of inner and outer destruction. But for now it is enough to know that blessing does not fall from the sky in some unpredictable fashion. A state of bliss is a practical result of deliberate human acts, accompanied by divine involvement.
Enjoy bliss. Go do what you are taught to do.
Topical Index: maskil, forgiveness, covered, charged, guile, Psalm 32:1-2
Great lesson Skip!
Very neat- Very tidy- and Very dry. And to think it is all done by the arrangement of a few words. You see, if you understand what G-d “really says”, it’s all very simple. All we need to do is to twist these words to fit into a neat little package and we are able to have part in the process of redemption and deliverance.
Two things are missing from this simple equation this morning. As I said, it seems to be a very neat, very tidy and very acceptable package. All so intellectual. I just have to understand what G-d really means by what He really says. Get it? Got it? Good.
So, what’s the beef? What is missing here? What’s all the fuss about?
Here’s the hint: (I’m looking for something red). I’m looking for some red ink. Oh, nothing much… just the blood of the Christ crucified on a cross.
But that was so yesterday… today, we are “enlightened.” The cross of Christ is no longer needed is it? We can just simply forgive ourselves and live according to a set of principles and rules. Who needs a Savior? Only the guilty. Who needs a Redeemer? Only the lost.
That blood stuff is so messy and gruesome. Bury that thought. Let’s think “positive thoughts”. Ahh.. much better.. thanx. Thanks Dr. Feelgood.
Here are three more words for consideration. “It is written.” Some of my favorite words. You remember these three, Mr. Twister? (my apologies for being so..”harsh”)
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.(I John 1.7)
Now if we are able to understand black ink on a white background.. is the color red here? What is the meaning of- “the blood of Jesus purifies from all sin?” Blood? Whose blood?
Very messy and disturbing.. -don’t you think? That “blood stuff” shows up all through the book.- seems I read somewhere about the “blood of the atonement.” I think I’ll read it again.
If you will take me to the cross -(the tslav).. I can find my way home.
There are 66 books in one. If read syncretisticly there is a common them and structure throughout. Do we see it? Is there a red thread that binds this book together? Do we see the pages tinted with a red color? What does this statement mean to the Jew? “When I see the blood I shall pass over you”? or even to the Gentile- “Behold the Lamb of G-d which taketh away the sin (of the world).” Our G-d is One. There is (together) One Lord, there is one faith, and there is one baptism. Yeshua has made us (all) one. The Prince of Shalom- The G-d of unity- reconciling the world (through the blood of His tslav) unto Himself. YWYH (of the Old), is Yeshua (of the New). The LORD- He is G-d. G-d will provide (Himself) an (atoning) Lamb. He has promised- we will all know Him, “from the least to the greatest.” What a day that will be! Hallelujah! (a universal word!)
today I will…reserve my greatest enthusiasm for the things that matter to G-d.
Hey Brother Carl,
I hear you loud and clear, and yours is a truth for sure. But within many of the teachings, the obvious can be assumed because of its foundational standing, don’t you think? I hear Skip’s explanation of the text as from the heart of a man(David), who having experienced a real and true relationship with a holy God, realizes the duality of living a Spirit-filled life will carry the responsibility of sharing that with others. And God set the foundational principles for that sharing. We also know that David’s relationship with the Father, having been one of true faith before God became a man, did not directly speak through the actual propitiation manifest within the atonement of Christ. This was quite a bit before the chronology of the fullness of time occurrence, but David stood as one having a saving knowledge at that point in time, as God had directed and appointed. He (David) spoke as one who inherently knew of it without experiential knowledge of the cross. His Knower knew! I can imagine he knows now as one looking back and says….OK now I understand it better!
One of the few things I have learned so far is the rabinnic manner of teaching often involves components that are so basic that they are not repeatedly mentioned in every teaching. If I hear you correctly, you object to the proposing a works based righteousness, but true believers know that there is no merit with God for works-based righteousness. It is only through faith in the sacrificial death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Of course, there may be some here that do not know the manner of salvation changed when Christ appeared on the scene. It is STILL through faith, but now the sacrifice that once was the offering of animals, took place finally at the cross when Jesus, the precious Lamb of God, gave His life for our sin.
But the opposite end of the spectrum can be viewed through the lens of professing “Christians” who do not know how to live as a result of the newness of life in and through Christ. This is how I read these messages from Skip.
Lord Bless you richly, precious Brother in Christ! Shalom.
Brother Carl … consistent, relentless, loyal … Praise The Lord!
Clearly Skip’s elegant handling of the Psalm was in no way shape or form designed to detract from the Glory of Yeshua … but rather to shed light on why modern thoughts concerning “blessings … et. al.” are contrary to the handed down Hebrew understanding. To point out how a Hebraic/Biblical understanding of The Word can be applied towards our walk and ultiamtely to satisfy HIS good will and purpose.
As for what is missing? …. If Skip had to consistently reiterate the absolute basics throughout the TW messages he could never keep it manageable. Besides we assuredly know where Skip stands (rather kneels) on such matters 🙂
And then again we have brethren like you Carl who can be counted on to joyfully point out that all the other things we may possibly discuss are ancillary to Yeshua … that all other things are simply for HIM and because of HIM … may HIS NAME be praised forever and a day!
So please brother Carl … keep on adding … keep on reminding! At the end of the day our mental understanding of matters counts not for wisdom unless it is tempered by a circumcised heart … a heart that loves HIM because HE loved us first … so much so that HE took upon HIMSELF the sin of the entire world!
Carl, Carl, Carl…I would be surprised if there’s a one of us among the community that doubts that it is the blood of our Savior that covers, forgives, saves, and protects us. That said…there IS some responsibility on our part. That’s where the obedience comes in. Without it, we are just “takers.”
G-d delights in our giving back to Him in the form of obedience. Without it, we can’t grow in our walk with Him; our blessings will be diminished. I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know.
But, I think THAT was the point of today’s message. The blood is understood.
If I have misinterpreted your comment…my apologies.
Hi Carl,
Some time ago, I saw the great screenwriter and playwrite, David Mamet, being interviewed on the Bloom network.
Because I didn’t think DM was a Christian, I was surprised when he made the rather bold statement that the Hero of every story is Jesus Christ.
IMO DM probably should have said “at some level” or otherwise we would always say something about Jesus after every movie with a hero.
Hmmm … Maybe every story with a hero should be called “Let There Be Blood” 🙂
Well, this is totally off the subject for today, but since the community knows what Skip is working on, I had to send this in. I was reading this morning in I Chronicles 12, about the “mighty men who helped him (David) in war.” (RSV) Then, in verse 9, the chief’s name is – Ezer! I don’t know how many times I have read this passage, but it never meant anything to me before. I had to laugh!
very interesting; look what I found there:
1Ch 12:3 The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; and Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth, and Beracah
Barak is similar to the biblical term “Beracah” meaning the valley of blessing.
Barack O’bama, King of Amerika
Thank you family for your kindness and thank you Skip for your patience and your depth.
“Relationship” is the word of the day (for me). I cannot (and will not) ever forget, the sacrificial Lamb of G-d and will ever remember His cross and the power of the precious blood of Christ. It is because of this blood (so basic?) – I am washed, cleansed, sanctified, forgiven, covered and have “peace” with YHWH. Basic? lol!!
I love to think of the cross (the tslav for those who prefer Hebrew) as the crosshairs of a scope on a rifle. (again, let us think of “relationship”). If we align the center of the “crosshairs” of our rifle upon the target of hoiiness- we can align ourselves vertically and horizontally and be “rightly related” with G-d and man. None of us (none- smart, dumb, black, white, down and out, up and out, Sally, Joe, or Nicodemus, can enter into a relationship with YHWH except through the forgiveness offered (and received) through the shed blood of Christ. (Yes, very basic and yet..)
Okay, so now we’re “sons”. We’re “in Christ.” We have been “born again” into the family of G-d. We belong to Him and can pray to “our Father.” The question I have is this? What part does this very same blood which “saved me” have in the process of sanctification?
As I walk within this world and in and out and among the “nonwashed”, the unclean, is the blood of Christ still necessary for my daily living? (I have already asked for His “forgiveness”, and have entered into the family).
The cross is central, and the cross is vital to our daily living. It is the “proclaiming” of the cross that may be “foolishness” to those who do not believe, but unto to who are “being saved” it is the power of G-d unto deliverance. It is the “blood” that gives me strength from day to day.
We cannot enter in to the kingdom of G-d except through the very narrow and very low doorway of the cross. Whether a king or a pauper, this is the doorway to every blessing.
Where was the love of the Father demonstrated for us? What is the theme of our entire Bible?
Yes, obedience is the pathway of blessing, but even our obedience is in recognition of the value of “dying to self” as seen in what our Teacher did for us.
Maybe one day (soon?) we will enter into the teaching of Rabbi Shaul- “I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me”. This is the “pathway to blessing.” (Does this “crucifixion” involve a cross)
Abba’s blessings to all. Please forgive me, I am still (and forever) learning to “speak the truth in love!” lol! I love each of you because of Him. (it is sweet to know, as I onward go- the way of the cross leads home!)
Carl…I really liked your “word picture” of keeping the cross in the center of the crosshairs of our scope aimed at holiness. I’m going to carry that image with me as I move forward. Thank you.
Your thoughts brother Carl are not ideas that mandate patience from the community. Indeed they present some very good questions.
For instance we know that “life is in the blood” and we also know that the “light within the sons of Adam” is the Life of Yeshua …. the point being that we can never separate our life from Yeshua! And I don’t speak in terms of some abstraction … but rather He is the good and only life within me …. without Him I am dead!
On the broader issue my brother Carl you are not the only one who at times questions “what is missing from Hebraic understanding” …. indeed there have been occasions on which I (who embrace the Hebraic bias and order of our faith) have pointed out that – “yes we can and should return to the roots and understanding of our faith …. but we must do so making sure that we do not lose the revelation of truth of Pele-Joez-El-Gibbor-Abi-Ad-Sar-Shalom incarnate”.
I believe it is a difficult balance because (as Skip points out) the Hellenistic bias we have endured when looking at our faith for 1,800 plus years creates such hardened scales. As such the Hebraic minded teachers/commentators often focus on the grossly misunderstood perspectives. This is why so much focus needs to be centered upon the B’rit Chadasha with an understanding that the foundations reside in the Tanakh … the Two testaments are one Echad … there is only one corpus!
As can be surmised however it is quite difficult to view the proper context of the B’rit Chadasha without understanding how to even ascertain the correct context of the Tanakh! … So enter Skip and others who have been anointed to chisel off the scales upon the eyes of the blind … and facilitate a proper understanding of the foundation … lest we fail to understand the fullness of The Word!
Ultimately we must understand that the desire to recapture what has been discarded by the Gentile Church at large is by no means a desire to abandon the faith but rather a desire to understand how this faith should work in concert with the will and purposes of ELOHIM …. within the context and order He established …. through the set apart nation Israel!
So it really is patience that is needed on the part of everyone …. we (Skip included) are just sojourners making our way along the path as we run the race …. no one ever wants to lose sight of the prize but sometimes we need to be reminded how to run properly … if we don’t run properly we can get hurt, or not help the team as best we should …. or worse yet give up and stop running the race! After all we should want to know how to be effective Israelites if we firmly believe that we have been grafted into the nation of Israel.
So once again brother Carl I will continue to exhort you to “do what you do best”! We are many parts of our HUGE MASHIACH and if this is true then we all must have some light to shine and we are commanded not to hide the light … so shine on “achi” (my brother)
Shalom
Hey Brother,
This is part of walking it out, isn’t it? Followers can appreciate followers.
Much love in Christ,
Mary
the center of the “crosshairs”
Hi Carl,
It is my favorite metaphor, the crosshairs; no finer tool for applyng logic and proportion.
Everything can be analyzed in terms of the following logic:
It is either ‘this’ or ‘that’ or ‘not this’ or ‘not that.’
Virtually everything can be organized and put in this Box, which contains four boxes.
The so called “semantic rectangle” of A J Greimas; aka a “matrix”.
But remember the Jefferson Airplane, the sixties, and Grace Slick singing White Rabbit ….
When logic and proportion
Have fallen sloppy dead
And the White Knight is talking backwards
And the Red Queen’s “off with her head!”
Remember what the door mouse said;
Feed YOUR HEAD
Actually, I think the door mouse meant for Alice to “keep” your head (a pun).
To quote Alice in Wonderland: I grow at a reasonable pace,” said the Dormouse: “not in that ridiculous fashion.”
IMO Lewis Carrol is satirizing the Door Mouse.
At the center of the “crosshairs,” there is only “Nothing” to focus on, and the point is to lose your Head.
It’s about the Heart.