Maskil, Part 2
Blessed is the man to whom YHWH does not charge iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. Psalm 32:2
Does Not Charge – David’s insight into the relationship between “blessing” and righteousness continues. This verse is now a parallel to the first verse (the first occurrence of “blessed”). It begins with the same construction – ashrei. But now we know that this isn’t a verb. It is not “Blessed is.” It is “A state of bliss.” This changes the next word in translation. The next word is adam, not ha’adam. The definite article (“the”) isn’t found here. It is not “blessed is the man.” It is “A state of bliss a man . . .”
This state of bliss characterizes the man to whom YHWH has not charged iniquity. The Hebrew phrase is lo yakh.shov. The verb stem is Chet-Shin-Bet (H-Sh-B). It has a wide umbrella of meanings like to think, to devise, to reckon, to regard, to invent, to consider and to be accounted. Context must determine which meaning to apply. Here the verb is an imperfect. That means the action it describes is ongoing, incomplete and fluid. In other words, this is not a one-time act of forgiveness. It is a continuous action repeated over time. A man who enjoys bliss is a man whose iniquity is continuously removed from the accounting books. One-time dismissal isn’t enough to take care of the accumulation of guilt in life. Bliss comes from experiencing continuous renewal of favor.
The pictograph reveals something else. Hashab reveals the separation of what destroys from the house. It is a fence between destruction and safety (home). When God removes the charge of iniquity, He places a barrier between what would destroy me and what will secure me. That is why I experience bliss. I am rescued from certain destruction – destruction that I brought on myself.
But this is only the first half of the second parallel verse. What behavioral actions accompany this experience of bliss? Remember that ashrei is about what I do as well as what God does. What I do is found in the second part of this parallel poetry. “In whose spirit there is no guile,” describes my behavior. The first condition of my responsibility is ve.ein, a Hebrew word that means “no, none or nothing.” Bliss is contingent on something being absent from my actions. That something is remiyyah, treachery. Remiyyah is about what is not true. But in Hebrew, what is not true is not just what is incorrect. 4+4 = 9 is incorrect (not true) but this does not describe the Hebrew view of truth. In Hebrew, truth is about what is steadfast, faithful and reliable. It is a relational concept, not a cognitive concept. It is not so much about what I know as it is about what I do. So, what must be absent from my life if I am to experience the bliss of lo yakh.shov (not being charged)? Faithlessness! I must be a man of my word. Faithlessness must be absent from my life.
Here is the second part, my part, of God’s act of removing iniquity from the books. I must be true. I must put away all remiyyah, all deceit, unreliability and manipulation. Without my part in the process, iniquity remains.
Oh, by the way, the verse does not use the word nephesh for “spirit.” The Hebrew locates remiyyah where it first belongs – with ruach. It is my breath that needs correction, primarily because treachery begins with my words, what I breathe out. James was being thoroughly Hebrew when he discussed the terrible power of the tongue. Maybe he read David’s maskil.
Topical Index: maskil, hashab, remiyyah, charged to, deceit, treachery, bliss, Psalm 32:2
And this my friends is why I subscribe to this website. Meals on wheels. Look at the meat on this! Heavy?.. (exceedlingly).. above my head?- Every good gift and every perfect IS from above.. (lol!)
I just read yesterday, the parable of the ten lepers who were healed. (Luke 17.12-19). Do you not find it rather odd, only one returned to thank Yeshua for what He had done? What was the Source of their healing? Why did only one return? Does it “bother” me-only one returned? – (Yes..)
Brother Skip- (chef Moen), I read you words- “It is a continuous action repeated over time,” and I pictured myself standing under a waterfall of forgiveness, grace and mercy. I’m going to display my ignorance before all and confess openly- I do not know what I have..”in Christ.”
This “state of bliss” is a gift from the Giver. “Blessing” is not in having (or even in doing),- it is a state of “being.” I am now- right this very moment,-(and moment by moment), a man (one of many), living and abiding, because of the atoning, cleansing,propitiating blood sacrifice of Yeshua , “righteous” (rightly related) in the sight of YHWH- the Holy One.
This “state of bliss” was/is given unto me, (continually), this “righteousness”-(right-relatedness), is not only given by the Giver, it must be received by the leper..(me). I am given a choice in the matter. I have the “power” of choice! Wow!- don’t I feel “empowered” now! I can refuse the “state of bliss”, offered unto me by the Savior. (yes.. I speak as a fool..)
Why, on this green planet, would anyone (in their right mind) refuse the forgiveness and “state of bliss (or blessing)” offered to him/her by Yeshua? (Somebody,anybody please.. help me to understand this..) How can a leper, covered from head to toe with tzara’at, refuse the “cleansing” (will you be made whole?-John 5.6) offered by the G-d who heals?
Will you be made whole? (Er..uh..) -I can refuse this, right? Yes, brother Skip, I concur sir- “sin is a form of insanity.” “Ask, and you will receive” is G-d’s offer to any man. A gift may be given, but it also may be refused. We can turn as it were our faces from Him and walk away, or we have another choice to believe and receive His offer of redemption, restoration, renewal and revival. To go from stage four leprosy to a state of wholeness and wellness..hmm-let me think..
-“But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you.” (Psalm 130.4) -“Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me” is a wonderful prayer to pray, but then- I would have to ask Him, wouldn’t I?
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1.9).
The net result needs to be my continued desire to remain a “work in progress”. If my forgiveness was not perpetually necessary upon transformation than I would not need the eternal and perfect sacrificial blood of Yeshua (kapporah) or His perpetual intercession as my eternal High Priest (Kohen HaGadol L’olam )! No matter what my response is, or my actions taken, there is no hope without “G_D’s Salvation … Yeshua)
Re-visiting yesterday’s message …. my sin can be covered but not while I am in open rebellion … I need to be faithful and I must put away all remiyyah, all deceit, unreliability and manipulation. Without my part in the process, iniquity remains. (While remiyyah remains I am in rebellion.) (Nicely ochrestrated brother Skip)
Another nugget to be gleaned regarding the maskil is the simple act of pondering … of immersing into the wonder of the Lord of Creation. If we are pondering joyfully and in amazement and with thirst … there is a very good chance that we are a “work in progress” despite our failings! 🙂
In the ponderings of our Lord is “ko’ach lev” (strength of understanding) … may He give bliss to all His children! 🙂
On this topic … an observation! 🙂
Within the Amidah (traditional daily standing prayers) specifically the “Selichah” is prayed … asking Our Father to forgive us of our sins (chatanu) and asking Our King to pardon our rebellion (pashanu).
This construct (rebellion and sin) which Skip has exposed is undoubtedly fundamental within Hebraic understanding … as witnessed by its prominence in the daily prayers. It seems interesting that the Hebrews plead to Abba for forgiveness yet plead to the King for pardoning … it would seem that this is no coincidence when viewed in the context of judgment and punishment!
Shalom
Yes, and the fact that they continued to offer this prayer long after there was no king helps us realize that from a Hebrew point of view there has always been and always will be a King over Israel
Exactly …. in the Hebrew world view there is no change from the original relationship between G_D and His people Israel … He is the G_D of all creation but as it pertains to His children … we come to Him through Israel!
Thanks Skip … this nicely completes my thought which I had failed to adequately express! 🙂
Skip
What did Jesus say about this?
Your word studies have been very valuable to me, going deeper than the commonly accepted English translations. But I want to know how all of this ties into the New Testament and the life of Jesus.
How does OT/NT together apply to todays living?
Thanks
Dusty
Very VERY briefly, Jesus is a Jewish, Old Testament prophet, rabbi and Messiah. So, what he says is conditioned by what the Old Testament says (remember the road to Emmaus). So, if you want to understand Jesus’ words, you must first understand what these words mean in an Old Testament context. After all, the final author is the same person, right? If Jesus is your model for living, and he lives according to the Old Testament Torah, then isn’t that your model too?
A few years back, I used to play checkers with a friend, pretty much, every day. He “whooped my tail,” pretty much, every day. But as I played against him, I would “observe.”
As Yogi Berra said, “you can observe a lot, just by watching.” That’s what I do with this website and with these my dear brothers who also are following in the pathway of Yeshua.
I have grown more over the past five years of “listening/observing/doing” these daily words than I have in the previous forty years I’ve been a Christian. Why? Because Skip is preparing meat. He has been given the request (I say request because of “na”- Hebrew for “please”- I haven’t forgotten this brother Skip!) to “feed my sheep.” This is the “good stuff”. “Kosher meals!” lol!!
Allow me to say, once again- the Bible is an absolute gold mine when you learn to dig with a Hebrew shovel.” This is one awsome book we have been given by our good G-d. Even my spelling of God’s name by the elimination of the “o” is from the Jewish tradition of revering the holy name of Elohim or YHWH. When G-d said to Abraham, “through you shall all nations of the earth be blessed”, He meant it. (Of course, -G-d always means what He says and says what He means), it’s up to us to “know this.” (and yes, brother Skip- following again the Hebrew line of thought- we learn by doing! How do we learn to ride a bicycle? (that’s right- hop on and start pedaling!-lol!)
Drew- you’re an amazement to me. (I’d like to play a game of checkers with you sometime!) lol!
The other day I was at the gymn and witnessed a few guys playing with between 700-800 pounds of weights. We’re talking kavod! Glory! lol!!! (kavod means “heavy” or “weighty”- it is a word of weight or ‘value’) I did not approach these weights. As the famous theologian Clint Eastwood said, “a man’s got to know his limitations!” lol!!
The beautiful thing about our relationship with our Father (whoever we are) is this. We can never (none of us)- touch bottom or find the top of G-d’s love. As we enter deeper into our relationship with Him, we thirst for more. But in this case, as we become more and more in love with our G-d and with our Savior, He reveals more and more of Himself to us. Day by day and with each passing moment we are able (just as brother Lawrence) to practice His presence.
I’ve got such a long way to go and that is just okay with me. I can’t wait for tomorrow and at the same time I can glory in the G-d of the now. He is constantly working in me and in you to conform each of us into the image of the Son. Just makes you want to shout sometimes- (excuse me)- Glory!- there, I just had to let that out. Hallelujah for the cross! ” will bless the LORD at all times- His praise shall continually be in my mouth..”
It is “A state of bliss.”
Hi Skip,
Just to see if I’m understanding what you are saying, it seems to me that the “state of bliss” is a theological concept that describes a state of being.
This state is provided by God when the life of a [wo]man is characterized by integrity over an extended period of time.
At the same time, I’m thinking that there is also a phenomenological experience of bliss that can be achieved at least momentarily by walking, praying, meditating, and focusing on our breath.
Again “It is my breath that needs correction,” if I want to get into the here and now and experience the presence of God.
Yup, pretty close. Just don’t overlook this important element. In Hebrew thought, this “state of bliss” is not what God does for me but what I do in obedience to God that produces a state of being. So, it isn’t a “blessing” in the usual sense – where we wait for God to provide something for us. It is a direct result of my effort, and consequently, it isn’t really up to God at all. He provides the guarantee and the context, but I am the one who turns on the juice.
“the one who turns on the juice”
Hi Skip,
I went up to UC Berkeley last night to see a movie with my old friends from college, David and Michelle.
The movie was called Hurt Locker and the Hero takes the job of saving others, at extreme risk to oneself, to whole new level (in a realistic mode).
Speaking of turning on the juice. WOW
Unlike Avatar, which also shows us a hero as savior in the “state of war,” there is no beautiful alien comrad to inspire the hero in Hurt Locker on the one hand, and no beautifully crafted experience of bliss to offset the pain on the other.
Just the state of war and saving others.
Both are excellent movies IMO.