Who Trusts YHWH?

Blessed is that man who has made YHWH his trust, and has not turned to the proud, and to those turning aside to falsehood. Psalm 40:4

Man – We don’t have to repeat the lesson about the difference between barak and ‘ashar to remember what “blessed” really means.  We know it’s about something we do.  But here we find something else, something we don’t see in the translation.  If I asked you, “What do you think the Hebrew word for ‘man’ is in this verse?”, you might reply, “Adam, of course.”  After all, adam isn’t just a man’s name.  It is the word for all Mankind.  That would be a good guess, but it isn’t what our text says.  The word here is geber (pronounced ge-ver).  This word is also about men, but it means “mighty man, warrior” and in particular “one who exhibits spiritual strength.”  In other words, not just anyone is able to do what is necessary to experience the state of bliss that comes from putting trust in YHWH.  It takes a mighty man of spiritual valor to do this.  Perhaps it is better to say that the man who puts his trust in YHWH is characterized as a mighty man of valor.  Bliss is his reward.

David goes on to elaborate the behavior of such a spiritual warrior.  He is a man who does not turn to the proud.  He understands what it means to be humble.  He walks away from lies.  He is committed to the truth.

What does this man do in order to experience such bliss?  He has to make YHWH his trust.  However, the Hebrew verb here doesn’t exactly mean “make.”  It is sum.  It means “to appoint, to call, to bring, to put, to charge, to commit, to determine.”  Primarily, it is about putting something in place.  It’s the same verb used in the statement that God put the man in the Garden.  There is a real action here, not simply a cognitive assent.  The mighty man doesn’t simply say in his heart, “I will trust God.”  He puts YHWH in place as sovereign over him, and as a result, he acts according to his Sovereign’s instructions.  The reason this mighty man experiences bliss is because he lives as God directs.  That’s what it means to trust.  It’s not how I feel in my heart.  It’s what I do to demonstrate that I follow the King.  Bliss comes from obedience.

Now we see why David uses the term geber.  It takes valor to live God’s way.  Other men will cast doubt on such a commitment.  Other men will ridicule and attack this distinctiveness.  Other men will speak lies about its importance.  To live God’s way requires spiritual courage and perseverance.  Not everyone reaps the reward of the bliss of obedience.  But for those who put YHWH in first place, life is a journey toward righteousness, an adventure in rowing backwards and an expectation of victory that nothing can defeat.

Topical Index:  man, geber, mighty man, Psalm 40:4