Do Me A Favor
Be gracious to me, O YHWH, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body also. Psalm 31:9
Be Gracious – What does it mean to be gracious? If we approach this word from a Christian evangelical perspective, we are likely to think in terms of grace. We might say that being gracious means forgiving or being compassionate or merciful. We might think that being gracious is the same as extending the love of God toward all Mankind. While those ideas are important, they don’t capture the Hebrew concept behind honneni (“Be gracious to me”). In Hebrew, the word hen is about favor extended from a superior to an inferior in a time of need. It is about saving intervention when it matters most.
If the Hebrew idea of grace is intervention in a time of need, maybe we need to rethink our New Testament concept of grace. We tend to associate grace with forgiveness – and inevitably with getting to heaven. But intervention doesn’t imply escape. It implies help right in the midst of our troubles. Intervention is associated with the actions of assistance, confrontation, tough-love, a sincere desire to see someone overcome obstacles and a willingness to risk feelings for truth. Hen doesn’t seem to imply escape. It’s more like the first step in rehab.
What would happen if we began to think of grace in these terms? Would we recognize that grace begins with the hard evidence of failure? Would we see that grace depends on willingness to not minimize, ignore or excuse moral foolishness? Would we act with grace if we knew that grace meant getting into the ditch with the one who is in distress? Yeshua certainly understood this. He spent his time with those who needed intervention and rehabilitation. A well man doesn’t go to the doctor. If you want to participate with God in the intervention process, you will have to live among the sick.
Perhaps the actions of hen really begin with our own cry, “Honneni.” Until we recognize that we are sick and in need of intervention, we really don’t have much to share with others who need rehab. People who are not addicts aren’t at home in a Twelve-Step meeting. And they can’t offer a lot of help even if they show up. They don’t know what it’s like to cry, “Honneni.” Often the strength of your intercession depends on the depth of your own need for intervention. When it comes to shalom, it’s the sick who are usually the best doctors.
Oh, and according to God’s Word, we are all pretty sick, aren’t we?
Topical Index: hen, honneni, be gracious, Psalm 31:9
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear. (Isaiah 59.2)
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1.14)
I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5.32)
O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? (Romans 7.24)
“But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ (Luke 18.13)
His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation. (Luke 1.50)
Grace, mercy, and peace from G-d the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. (1 Timothy 1.2)
For He is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us; (Ephesians 2.14)
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)
What does the Scripture say?.. (Romans 4:3)
In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; (Titus 1:2)
That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: (Hebrews 6:18)
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5.13)
-that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” (Mark 2.10)
Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. (Psalm 32.1)
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,.. (Romans 8.1)
It is one think to confess my own shortcomings, yet all my life I have been taught to be careful about with whom I spent time. The old birds of a feather flock together notion. Of course we can see that happened to Jesus from day one. Look how he consorted and socialized, ate and talk with the most dispicable of people. Now that is hard work. I guess it is time to get sweaty.
Is this not Psalm 31:10?
Anyway a real important shift of thinking here …. Skip is pointing out the contextual difference between grace as an esoteric abstraction (something in the distance) versus grace as one on one intercession for us … in the here and now!
An intercession that does not result in a continuance of addiction but rather an intercession that breaks the chain of addiction/slavery and death. What good is remaining sick after the doctor (Yeshua) has imparted the blessing … the Ruach HaKodesh? If addiction continues and prevails what can we say …. did the treatment work? Was the sick person healed? Or do we slink off and convince ourselves that what is important is knowing that I will be forgiven despite my continued addiction?
David pleads to be relieved of grief … in that day! Certainly this implies being saved from the reasons/cause of grief. The grief is internal … as such David is pleading to stop doing what causes his soul this grief … stop the iniquity!
If David wants to be treated differently than the wicked people, then David can’t be a complete hypocrite … David must be different. To not be ashamed means to be confident that “one has not mailed it in.”
David is not asking that the world be saved …. David is asking that the chain of corruption within himself be stayed so that David can then walk upon sure footing in confidence.
Given our willingness to partner with yetzer ha’ra …. it seems that we should be crying out for graciousness often …. like always! 🙂
David loves to talk of distress in the context of enemies but the root of danger is always traced back to his biggest fear and need …. LORD save me from myself! Strengthen and nurture me to the point where I can love this nephesh that you have given me instead of reviling it because of its weakness! Heal us YHVH and we shall be healed!
“Is this not Psalm 31:10”
Hi Drew,
My Bible says Psalm 31:9, but the wording is much different:
Take pity on me, Yahweh,
I am in trouble now
Not exactly a good sign, I was hoping things were getting better 🙂
I was an “active member” of a “church” for 20+ years. 2 years ago the LORD impressed me to ask the congregants to bring unperishable items for the sake of periodically distributing them to the neighborhood. The location of the church is in the midst of one of the more poverty stricken areas of the county. Before I ever presented this ministry to the pastor/board/congregation, I was further impressed that this ministry was, in reality, more for the people gathering in the Name of the LORD, than for the “poor and needy”. In all my years of having attended there, no one outreach ministry had been integrated in the The initial distribution proved how the “Christians” that gather together religiously in chronos time, segregate themselves from those they are “showing mercy and grace” to. All the “Christians” huddled together and looked/watched/sized up the “poor”. I then completely understood why the LORD impressed upon me as He did. Quite a few of the ladies (men were obviously absent with the exception of 2-pastor and my husband) initially became involved, but as the teachings we attempted to incorporate to train and equip and prepare hearts for intercession and compassion continued, many/most dropped out. Everybody wants to go to heaven but no one wants to die!
I read this message today and view the state of the status quo Christian community here in. However, the difference is they do not view themselves as David but rather cast aspersions to the “outsiders” instead. Is this UN-Christlike? Let our Father judge this one!
Now to reflect inwardly a bit, I must ask….am I guilty as well? If I am honest, I must admit……Thank YHWH for His Favor!
” Everybody wants to go to heaven but no one wants to die!”
Mary…I love this line. If it’s ok with you I am going to use it in my mentor trainings. I already let them know that God invited them to mentor not to “be” a blessing…God invited them to mentor so they can “receive” a blessing. Most don’t truly understand it until they have been mentoring an at-risk youth for about 6 months or more. It takes them that long to die! 🙂
The line is from a blues song by Albert King.
Last night I told my wife that I think I am lossing my empathy and compassion for “church going christians”. I told her that I would rather be at the soup kitchen serving those that come in or with the kids and the families I work with. The kids and families I work with and the people we serve at the soup kitchen know that they are sick and some of them even admit it and laugh about it, but they know…they accept the help and even at times ask for the help. I serve, eat, pray and laugh with these people. I guess I see myself as one of the sick.
The “church goers” try to do all they can to not show that they are sick. Sure they may say that they need prayer for thier job or prayer for their presentation their making to their boss but they never ask for true prayer for thier real sickness. They never just drop down to their knees and cry, “Honneni”.
In the past 2 months I have heard of 5 “church going christian” marriages splitting up. In 3 of them it is the wife, the mom, leaving and abandoning the marriages and the kids. I know these families. I pray for these families. I pray that thwy will realize that they are sick and need healing. I also know that none of these moms and also none of the other 2 families ever (as Roy above said) sweaty and visited the sick.
It makes me realize that in Matthew 25 in the parable of the sheep and goats, in verse 36 Yeshua mentions being sick and in prison. I believe that all the sick people are not in hospitals and all the prisoners are not in prison cells. They are in the streets of our cities; in seats at our soup kitchens; in the halls of our schools and in the pews of our churches.
I guess I never knew I wanted to be a doctor.
Sorry about this … a bit off topic but I was struck by your commentary!
Tim … a saddening commentary indeed … from the vantage point of what is happening in the church you speak of. I suppose it is because the church is really not functioning as a community. Certainly the plan is that the community helps its own sick … that it seeks the lamb of the flock that is lost or having problems.
Don’t get me wrong … I am not saying that we stay huddled in our little world … but at some point is the glory of HIS plan not to be readily discernable by those that come to HIM for protection? What better way do we have of giving HIM glory than taking care of the community of believers (as a community of believers) … as was being done in the first century? At least the believers are expressing a hope in HIS goodness, mercy and promises … yes?
And like all communities, regardless of size, there is need … much need! But as you state brother … we sick must declare this and let the community help us … and then when we are well we too can minister to others.
I still see a difference between blind charity versus taking care of the needs of believers. In one respect the needy (not depending on YHVH) do not really have a right per se to charity whereas the believers do have a right to provisions. Not as charity but as their due through faith in HIM!
b/t/w … please don’t take my commentary as being applicable at all to what you or anyone else does on behalf of others. They are just general comments in response to the lack of effectiveness that seems to plague many (not all) congregations/church groups.
Anyway … thanks for sharing! 🙂
Hey Drew,
“I still see a difference between blind charity versus taking care of the needs of believers. In one respect the needy (not depending on YHVH) do not really have a right per se to charity whereas the believers do have a right to provisions. Not as charity but as their due through faith in HIM!”
If you are saying that the needy are non-believers and there for do not have the right to charity which is the helping from a believer that I would have to ask did not our Redeemer heal 10 lepers but only one came back? Did not our Savior, Yeshua, heal the sick, the lame, the blind, the dead, all before they were believers? Did He not usher in a new view on the original plan of setting the captives free and losing the chains of the oppressed in Luke 4:18-19?
I read in My Utmost for Highest, I believe it was yesterday (forgive me if I am wrong I am getting old) that we serve and care for the needs of others, of man, of those in need of the lost, not because we love them…but because we love Him.
I believe that for us who are sick and who are believers the perscription is to “go and set the captives free”. As we help other get well and tend to their wonds, I believe our sickness is healed in the process. I am under the impression that God send out the sick to serve the sick to get well.
And btw Drew…I appreciate the reply. It makes me think and ask Him even more questions. And I always enjoy your comments and replys. Thank you brother.
Tim
My brother … no I am not saying that the needy = non-believers. In fact I clearly stated that believers most often have needs! …. While often we see in Scriptures the lament of beleivers because so many wicked people seem to be well provisioned!
What I am saying is that there is a difference between the needy who are believers and the needy who are not believers. Believers have a right to provisioning while non-believers quite frankly do not have the same right. This does not stop YHVH from raining upon them as well as believers (priase HIM) … but all the same there is a difference between the rights of a citizen and the rights of a non-citizen.
Additionally we as believers can not treat even our enemies outside the auspices of Torah as commanded by Yeshua. So there is no simple ignoring the needy or lost! We are to win them over with love!
I was just commenting upon the fact that way to infrequently the churches are willing to run forth in the name of the gospel and invest outside of the community when there are so many needs within the community that go unattended. Needs that (as stated) are not made known because we are too shamed to express our sickness or too prideful to let down our guards.
As for ministires that are geared to draw the lost into a relationship with Yeshua … Ahmein! But for the blind charity that does not specifically raise up YHVH … well I am not convinced this is the best use of our resources! (IMO)
Gotcha! And you are correct that there are needy in the church and because of pride and other reasons they go unattended. I encourage the partnering churches I work with to first look to the needs of the single parents and youth in the church first then their community. Unfortunately it seems that many churches either are reluctant to see the need or have a desire to admit the need exist. I have often been told that many in the church don;t want to share their needs and/or hurts with others in their church because they do not want to be embarrassed or don’t want others to know their situation that they will see on a continual basis. (There’s that pride) I aslo wonder if its a sense of feeling that they do not want to over burden others they see. I guess they do not understand Gal 6:2 very well…but I too have to admit that on occassions I too am confronted with my own pride and fear.
You are correct to say that unfortunately most churches donot seem to be a place of “community”. And you are right as well…all charity and for that matter ALL we do is wasted if it does not bring glory and honor to YHWH.
Thanks for the exchange. G_d Bless!
On another note…I received the donation from Skip from At God’s Table to help witht he mattresses for the 3 youth that needed beds. Thank you all so much and thank you Skip. Two of the beds went to two sisters who were sleeping on the floor and the 3rd bed went to “Charlie”. A 17 year old who is working hard to get his life on track and has never had a bed of his own…until now. Thank you all so much.
My friend who works with them said that he will ask them to write a thank you. When I get them I will share them all with you. God bless you all.
NASB
Psalm 31:1 In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; Let me never be ASHAMED; In Your righteousness deliver me.
The Jerusalem Bible
Psalm 31:1 In You, Yahweh, I have taken shelter; never let me be DISGRACED; In Your righteousness deliver me.
Although I don’t know what the correct translation is, for me there is a big difference in meaning between being “ashamed” and being “disgraced.”
For example, one can be disgraced as in “falsely accused” and have nothing to be ashamed of.
In The Jerusalem Bible, Psalm 31 has a heading that reads “Prayer in time of ordeal,” and I think the concept of “ordeal” frames the story line.
An ordeal is defined in the online dictionary as: “any extremely severe or trying test, experience, or trial.”
Both the NASB and Jerusalem versions of Psalm 31 seem to be about an ordeal, but neither version seems to me to be about “addiction.”
The implied author in the story is David himself as a “first person” narrator who is apparently without sin.
In any case, David does not seem to think he has done anything to be ashamed of; the evil doers are all his enemies.
In my reading of Psalm 31, David seems to be in trouble because he is an old and beaten man, who has lost his family, his power, and his health.
No longer King, David is extremely vulnerable to his adversaries, who are now thinking “payback time.”
David clearly feels like an outcast who has been unfairly disgraced by his enemies; but as a character Davis is redeemed by his devotion to Yahweh God.
In Psalm 31, David appears to be a noble, Kingly, character who is pleading with Yahweh to provide some shelter from the “storm.”
If David is an addict, then he is living in bad faith, blaming others for his affliction rather than taking responsibility for his self indulgences.