Fence Me In
For You are my rock and my fortress, therefore for Your name’s sake lead me, guide me. Psalm 31:4 (Hebrew text)
Lead me, Guide me – It is unfortunate that our efforts to produce a smooth-flowing English translation often result in hiding subtleties in the Hebrew. It’s unfortunate because those subtleties help us understand the depth of expression. When they are lost, we might find the translation easier to read, but we will have missed something God wanted us to know.
In Hebrew, David is crying out for guidance. He is desperate for God to show him the way. He employs two closely related verbs, nahah and nahal. Each verb expresses a particular nuance for David. In a pictograph, nahah means “what comes from a fence around life.” To be led by God is not to be given a goal to achieve. It is to be circumscribed in our behavior. God’s guidance fences me in! Far too often we tend to think that leading is sending us out on a path. But here David makes it clear that leading (guiding) is really enclosing my behavior. “God, put a fence around me. Lead me in the paths of righteousness. Close me in.”
Nahal also expresses guidance, but in this case the verb means “to lead someone by the hand.” It is the quintessential action of a shepherd, a gentle heading beside still waters. In fact, this verb is found in the phrase, “He makes me lie down in green pastures.” The pictograph means “to control the fence around life.” So we see that David’s view of God’s direction isn’t simply drawing a circle around us. It is also controlling the fence that encloses us. God sets the boundaries and He is the only one who is in charge of them. My job is to run inside the fence – and stay there. That is exactly what David says in the second verse. “I take refuge in You.”
There is one more facet of these verbal synonyms that we must recognize. They are not in the same tense. Nahah (lead me – fence me) is a Hebrew form that indicates causation. In other words, David is saying, “God, cause this to happen. Make a fence around me.” But the verb nahal is a Hebrew form that indicates a declaration of something that is the case. In other words, once God fences me, He becomes my controlling sovereign. He rides the fences. I enjoy the safety and protection from the inside.
Oh, yes. Both verbs are imperfect. That means they express an ongoing, fluid action. Fences don’t fall. God’s concern doesn’t quit. As Abraham Heschel said, “We are an object of God’s concern.”
Topical Index: lead me, guide me, nahah, nahal, Psalm 31:4
These words from G-d’s word today brother Skip are so crucial to our daily living. We must “see” the fences around our lives and respect the border lines YHWH has drawn. We must see these “fences”/restrictions as gifts of love from above. These “fences” channel us as we live and move and have our being into the pathways of G-d’s own choosing, and as we walk the pathway set before us, trusting and abiding in the providence of our Shepherd/KIng we are able to see, to understand, and to live Psalm 23, “He leadeth me beside still waters”, He restoreth my soul.” Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. (Psalm 116.7)
If we are “outside” of Christ, we do not accept these restrictions set in place by YHWH. We are wild and lawless mares and stallions running wild and aimlessly. Like a bull in a china shop we cause inestimable damage as we wildly run amok. This is “lawless” behavior. The very old-fashioned, out-of date word for this “lawless behavior is “sin.” We either do not know, are unconcerned, or worse yet, are “willingly ignorant” of G-d’s Torah. Torah is the fence. Torah is the blessing.
We cannot hardly read about fences without thinking about these words: “don’t fence me in” or as the battle banner proudly proclaimed, “don’t tread on me.” We just are not willing to voluntarily place ourselves under the restrictions of G-d’s Torah. We want to run wild (and what we erroneously think is free.) “do your own thing” is the mantra of today. We glorify the “wild child.”
The scripture states- “let all things be done decently and in order.” (1 Corinthians 14.40). Yes, brother Skip, G-d is a G-d of marvelous order.
Let us set a rebellious, wild and free-spirited child in front of any musical instrument and ask this young, fresh, undiscipled child to compose a song for us to hear. Well.. that didn’t work very well, let’s try something different. How about providing this same child with all the necessary brushes,paints and canvas to produce a painting. The end result of this action will be?
We didn’t produce a thing, but I’m sure this young child has a “good time” making a mess. This same child day after day “grows up” and enters into society as an undisciplined, unproductive, unskillful human being. Sometimes referred to as a “wasted life.”
Never exposed to the Torah of G-d. Never chastened. Never disciplined. Never taught. “Wild and free.” “Come,” they say, “let’s get some wine and have a party. Let’s all get drunk. Then tomorrow we’ll do it again and have an even bigger party!” (Isaiah 56.12)
Are we myopically challenged to where we cannot see the end result of this? Multiply this behavior times thousands and then behold the degeneration, the degradation, the devolution, the decay of society.
I feel my heart breaking up. I feel the crush, the press of G-d’s hand. I see a personal and national need to “repent and return” unto Torah. Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of G-d.'” (Matthew 4.4)
YWYH, fence me in. May I enter into the sheepfold. Guide me, guard me, gladden me by your Breath and according to your Torah. Amen.
In Tucson, AZ, this week i known as Western Week. Rodeos, a non-motorized parade and a rekindling of old cowboy songs. One that I recall has the line, “Don’t fence me in.” No wonder some of us have trouble with the concept of God protecting with a fence around us. We want to fight it. I guess this week I will have to sing, “Lord, fence me in.”
Skip states “Far too often we tend to think that leading is sending us out on a path. But here David makes it clear that leading (guiding) is really enclosing my behavior. “God, put a fence around me. Lead me in the paths of righteousness. Close me in.”
There are a number of key instances wherein “נְחֵנִי” (lead/guide me) is utilized in the Psalms.
[O LORD, lead me in Thy righteousness – Psalm 5:9];
[He guideth me in straight paths for His name’s sake. – Psalm 23:3];
[Teach me Thy way, O LORD; and lead me in an even path – Psalm 27:11];
[for Thy name’s sake lead me and guide me – Psalm 31:4];
[lead me to a rock that is too high for me – Psalm 61:3];
[Thou wilt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me with glory – Psalm 73:24];
[if there be any way in me that is grievous, and lead me in the way everlasting – Psalm 139:24];
[let Thy good spirit lead me in an even land. Psalm 143:10]
Additionally the verb form is used in other places throughout Scripture in the context of being led to or from a place or a land.
So of course Skip’s commentary is dead on with regards to what guidance herein means … to know and follow the ways of Adonai … the ways of righteousness. But … it would seem as well that the expectation of being guided is “to end up in a specific place”.
So as Skip declares: we run to the fenced in place of protection but how can this be if we are not seeking a path? How can this be if we are not running a race? How do we get to “the place”?
Perhaps we should not view “the path” in terms of us going out and forging a way but RATHER … we remain fenced in and meet what comes at us. Consequently what we individual believers experience is greatly different but we still walk a similar path because we are reacting to external stimulus in the same way. It is not a function of each has a different path but rather the same “fenced in ways” are applied to various external influences and experiences.
So like our Holy and never changing G_D … we remain the same as things move past us … and when all things are done moving … the believers shall be left by virture of “how we traveled as opposed to where we traveled”. But at the end we shall all be in the same place! 🙂
It would seem that living the Gospel is more important than preaching the Gospel. Perhaps putting ourselves into Adonai’s Hands and waiting on what He brings to us is more important than doing our thing and trying to apply the teachings of Mashiach along our way. Maybe our path is not as difficult to find as we think it is and maybe the place we are trying to get too is right where our feet are?
What a mind set change this is for a modern Western culture that lives by “taking the bull by the horns” and “being all you can be”. We are a mobile culture and perhaps we need to question if this is The LORD’s plan!
Skip, thank you so much for your insightful and timely message! I received a message from my son last evening requesting prayer for several situations he is enduring. After praying and sleeping on his request, I answered this morning with a quote and reference from one of your early studies and a link to this study as well. What a blessing your studies are! May YHWH continue to bless you with understanding of His words. And may He continue to bless us with your sharing of that understanding!
In the spirit of Yahushua, HaMashiach!
Isn’t this exactly why Havah (Eve) fell? Because she believed the lie of the serpent that she could do even better if she just stepped a little bit over the boundaries that God had set for her protection? How easily do we fall into the same trap. Thanks for the reminder, Skip.
We do well to realize that, as we set boundaries for our own children for their own protection, so God does with us. Inside the fence there is freedom, comfort, protection, provision and peace with God (that sounds pretty much like the definition of “shalom)”. Outside is danger.
So when we greet each other with “shalom”, we should be remembering, “stay inside the fence”, because that is where the freedom, comfort, protection, provision and peace with God is to be found.
Yes, inside the fence is shalom. So, here’s life’s big question: Why do we go outside? The answer lies in the meaning of yetzer ha’ra.