The Wish List?
Delight yourself also in YHWH; and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
Desires – Well, this is more like it! This spiritual magic formula has some usefulness. If I just make myself happy with God, He’ll give me what I want. Since I have a long list of “wants,” this promise has enormous appeal. A quick way to the good life, right? Well, not exactly.
In 2004 we looked at this verse. The Hebrew mish’alot (plural of mish’ala) is translated “desires.” The root verb is sha’al, usually translated as “ask.” We make God’s role one of fulfilling wishes that we already have. God becomes our personal genie, a wish-granting provider, a heavenly Santa Claus. But what if the verse says something else? The root verb, sha’al, frequently describes the action of asking God for guidance. The supplicant does not come to God with an already-formed plan in mind, asking God to fulfill the request. Instead, the supplicant comes without the necessary direction and asks God to provide instruction. The supplicant is the one in the needful position. But the wish is not to fulfill one of the already existing options. It is to provide an option that is as yet unknown.
The Hebrew verb in this verse is in the imperfect tense. This means it describes an action that isn’t finished. If God were going to fulfill my desires, pretty soon the list would be done. But the verb indicates that this process is never done. In fact, another facet of this verb suggests that it is a fluid, dynamic condition, like stepping into a fast-flowing stream.
If we apply this meaning to the noun, mish’ala, we might argue that this verse is not that God fulfills one or more of the existing desires of the heart, but rather than God will give us the desires themselves. We stand empty, openhearted, delighting in His presence. And we discover that God fills us with inner desires – His inner desires for us. If my delight is in Him, I do not come with my Christmas list anticipating that He will supply my desires. I come without anything but my delight – and I discover that He alters my heart so that I am filled with desires that reflect my delight in Him.
If this exegesis is correct, then we are suddenly confronted with this amazing truth. The only way you can be passionate about life is to delight yourself in Him. Your previous wishes are no indicator of the desires God will place in a heart willingly submitted to Him. You will not find the passion of greatness by reading What Color is Your Parachute or any other of the dozens of self-assessment goal-setting books. You will only know the passion that God has intended to become the driving force of His purposes for you when you stand empty before Him. He is not waiting to give you what you want. He is waiting to give you your wants and then fulfill them.
We’ll take another look at this verse in a few days, after some cognitive digestion.
Topical Index: mish’alot, desires, Psalm 37:4
This is sometimes easier said than done. It certainly made me think twice about the things I keep wishing for. But it’s good to know my passion doesn’t depend on what I want because that would be disappointing… and if the question we need to answer is “What does God desire of me?” then it would seem that the answer is found in delight and emptiness-to-be-filled.
I wrote my blog on my thoughts if you care to read it. (http://www.godhunt.com/?p=1278)
Now I’m off to empty my hands… again.
Hi Amanda,
I’ve read your posts before, but never checked out your blog. Thank you for baring your heart and soul, especially in your poetry! I loved “Hitting Home,” and I really needed that one today!
Let us consider the man who had it all. The wisest person ever to have lived, King Solomon. How often have we driven through the neighborhoods and viewed the shiny cars that pass us on the street and longlingly look at these gorgeous home or powerful vehicles and think, if only. Of course, it doesn’t stop with the houses or cars, it extends to physical beauty or even to the grass on the other side of the fence.
Solomon’s answer to all this “bling?” Vanity of vanities- all is vanity- a chasing after the wind. A big ol’ pile of zero. One of these, plus one of these, adds up to nothing. (That’s a zero with the edges trimmed off!).
Just “remember” the man who had it all. Poor Solomon. Yes, poor guy. He just couldn’t “get no satifsfaction!” The dude had everything except for contentment.
Now, to bring it home. (you knew this was coming, didn’t you?) Today, right now- are you satisfied? Are you hungry?- go have a banana. Thirsty? – drink a cup. Tired?- get some rest. Just what are you needs? Go on ahead, make a list..- I’ll wait.
Yeshua- (to those who know Him) is bread. Yeshua is “living water”. Yeshua is “strength to the weary.” (I’m rather tired even as I write this- rough day yesterday..) – I am even going to be so bold as to venture to say – no matter who you are, (Jew, Greek or Martian)- you never will find what you’re looking for until you (I’m talking to you) come to the cross of Christ. The cross is the doorway to Paradise. The veil of the temple has been torn in two and you and I now have been given access to a previously forbidden place. Yeshua (Himself)now is and ever will be our “satisfaction.” (Those who know Him will know this.)
Friends all around me are trying to find
What the heart yearns for, by sin undermined;
I have the secret, I know where ’tis found:
Only true pleasures in Jesus abound.
Some carry burdens whose weight has for years
Crushed them with sorrow and blinded with tears.
Yet One stands ready to help them just now,
If they will humbly in penitence bow.
No other name thrills the joy chords within,
And through none else is remission of sin.
He knows the pain of the heart sorely tried.
Both need and want will by Him be supplied.
Jesus is all this poor world needs today.
Blindly they strive, for sin darkens their way.
O to draw back the grim curtains of night,
One glimpse of Jesus and all will be bright!
.. and when they saw Him.. they worshipped Him. (Matthew 28.17)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkO-D0fatRQ 4:41 minute You Tube of “Mighty Is the Power of the Cross” by Chris Tomlin… Enjoy!
This understanding of Psalm 37:4 would sure put a lot of preachers out of business; those who promise riches, life with no problems, pie in the sky by and by. I would also think that it would leave all who understand it speechless before God. I have learned to be careful what kind of a request I make to God, because he might just grant it to prove to me how foolish I am. Oh to be silent before God. What a joy!
I found this of interest in study a few weeks ago: Parshas Reah – Baal Shem Tov
START QUOTE:
[Serving HaShem] with fear causes [one’s mind] to feel restricted, while [serving HaShem] with love causes [one’s mind] to be expanded and uplifted.
“When HaShem will extend your boundary as He has promised you, and you will say ‘I want to eat meat.'” (Devorim 12:20)
It is well known that every person has a part of him tied to the physical world and a part that is spiritual. The spiritual part is the opposite of the part tied to the physical world. The physical part desires physical things and the spiritual part desires to break the power of physicality and increase the power of the spiritual.
If a person merits to achieve the level where his understanding is expanded, then he will understand and comprehend how disgusting the desire for physical things is when it is compared to the desire for spiritual things. Then the power of his spiritual desires will destroy the desire for physical things.
The truth is that the way for one to break the power of physical desires is through performance of the mitzvos of HaShem. The more the soul desires to do the will of HaShem, the desires for this
physical world become disgusting in his eyes. His whole desire will be for spiritual things. His heart will only desire to do the will of His Father who is in Heaven, because that is an eternal pleasure.
This is the meaning of the verse: ‘When HaShem will extend your boundary.’ This refers to the boundary of one’s mind. He shall have an expansion of understanding, and he will understand and have success in [attaining] the fear of HaShem.
“And you will say ‘I want to eat meat.'” The word ‘I want to eat’ [in Hebrew ‘achlah’] is written [in that verse] without a ‘vav’ and is similar to ‘akalah’ meaning ‘I will destroy.’ This means that he desires to destroy and break his desires for physical things, which are called [in this verse] ‘meat.’ The meaning of this is that it is always the case that the desire of the neshamah is to destroy the desire for physical things. The holy Torah teaches us that all his actions should only be to fulfil the will of his soul, which is learning Torah, doing mitzvos, good deeds and the fear of HaShem. END QUOTE
Sorry, I’m just having a quick break at work and don’t have time to expound on this. Blessings, Ian.
While I can appreciate some of the merit in this exposition, it has significant Greek and Platonic themes running through it, especially the idea of the conflict between the physical and the spiritual. Much of rabbinic literature has been influenced by Hellenism, including some of the prayer book, so always there is need for discernment. The idea of a “soul” in opposition to the “body” is certainly a left-over Platonic concept. My guess is that the biblical view deals with an integrated and homogenized person, not separate slices of embodied spirits.
Hi Skip, Sorry for the delay in making a further post… things have been very busy. I note your advice and concerns about “separate slices of embodied spirits” – it is true that some rabbinical teaching is more Greek than Hebrew, and we do need to be on our guard. However, I understood this Parshah (and other similar teaching) to be very much about the integrated person.
I will be very quick to say that I am only just beginning to understand the Hebrew perspective on the spiritual domains and, so, I admit, I may be confused over some elements… but I do find a great deal of rabbinic teaching is about the ‘oneness’ of man made in the image of God, and not about separate elements at all.
That said, I thought I would add a few general comments gleaned from many sources that reflect what I have understood concerning this topic, and then some thoughts on the Parshah I posted. Please, Skip, if you think that these comments will hinder another’s spiritual walk, do remove this post. I am posting it for interest’s sake and I do not intend to comment on it any further – as I say, I am not an expert.
OK, then: The Bereshit Rabbah Ch14 states: “The Soul (Nefesh) is called by five different names”. These names are given as: Nefesh, the lowest aspect of the soul; Ruach, the next higher; Neshamah, the next higher; and Chayah and Yechidah. In this, the Midrash is informing us that each of these is only one aspect of a larger entity – they are in no way ‘separate slices’.
Genesis Ch2 v7 “And Elokim (God) formed Adam (Man) from the dust of the ground; He then breathed into his (Adam’s) nostrils a Nishmat Chaim (a ‘living soul’ or a ‘breath of life’), and Adam became a Nefesh Chayah (living soul).”
The meaning of the word ‘nefesh’ in Hebrew is ‘ratzon’ (‘will’ or ‘desire’). The nefesh constitutes not only the foundation of man’s existence, but of every living creature. To understand the huge difference between animals and man, we read: “And Elokim formed Adam from the dust of the ground; He then breathed into his nostrils a Nishmat Chaim…” What is a Nishmat Chaim? It is God’s breath of life.
Man became a Nishmat Chaim after receiving a Nefesh Chayah – it is this that has the potential and desire to pursue that which is of value, i.e. spiritual and Godly, this is precisely what distinguishes man from the beasts. Animals only possess a Nefesh Bahamit, an animal soul, which has the desire and the instinct to preserve their species and to protect them against anything that endangers their lives.
OK – now to the Parshah Reay that I posted. Let’s concentrate on 2 or 3 of the named spiritual aspects. The ‘nefesh’ is the animating principle of the physical body and the senses; ‘ruach’ is the force that drives the emotions; ‘neshamah’ is the Godly soul and intellect.
The contrasts being made in this passage are not between the ‘soul’ and the ‘body’ – nor between the yetzer ha’ra and the yetzer tov – but between the nefesh (the part with ‘ties’ to the physical world) and the neshamah (the part that is spiritual). Judaism teaches, of course, that the body itself is ‘holy’ as man is created in God’s image – and that the nefesh is inseparable from it (the nefesh being associated with the blood). This is why the nefesh is described as being ‘tied’ to the physical.
Most of you will know that Jews believe that these two pull in different, but not opposite, directions. The nefesh, with its instinct for self-preservation, is created to be self-serving and self-seeking. The Godly soul, on the other hand, seeks to break away from the finite to connect with the infinite and the eternal and become ‘one’. The nefesh seeks to be free of restraint; the neshamah seeks to serve through commitment.
Note: the sage doesn’t actually say (in the parshah) that the desire for physical things is ‘disgusting’ – we know that most aren’t. Indeed, physical desires are very necessary… we’d die if we didn’t eat, for instance. The passage says that it is when a desire for spiritual things is ‘compared’ with a desire for the physical that it can be looked upon with ‘disgust’. The commonly used word for ‘disgust’ in Hebrew is [to’ebah] and, although this word can be used to describe any ‘thing’ or ‘act’ as ‘distasteful’, it is regularly used in Scripture in connection with those things that God thought of as idolatry. In other words, “to’ebah” would be quickly linked to idolatry’ and ‘abomination’.
Orthodox Jews believe that when the nefesh is not under the control of the neshamah that it is serving itself – that is, it is devoted to its own desires and, in doing so, is establishing another reality… and that is ‘idolatry’. The sage puts forward that the Godly soul looks upon such as abhorrent. He then suggests that the ‘human being’ can be brought under the dominion of the neshamah by making the choice to submit to the neshamah’s deep desire to please God. As John says, “… we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.”
The nefesh does not seek to be in rebellion to God’s will – it is just that it was created with a love [chesed] designed to please the physical desires of the body. However, the nefesh senses that the reality it creates – when left to its own resources – is an alternative reality… it does not feel at peace; it thirsts for the Truth. The truth that it is seeking is not outside of itself… and it is not in the liver (the domain of the nefesh; responsible for absorbing the outside energy that comes from food, filtering the toxins and converting it into spiritual energy in the blood), nor is it in the heart (the domain of the ruach) – it is revealed in the mind (the domain of the neshamah). By the way, it is seen that the initial letters of these three spell out the Hebrew word ‘Melech’ or King… with the kingdom being the spiritually-directed person.
The Truth (true love) that the nefesh is drawn to seek can be found in meditating on the Word and from the active choice to perform the mitzvahs. Why? Because the neshamah is the reflection, or mirror image of the nefesh. Faced with the Truth, the nefesh abandons the alternative reality as not being ‘essentially God’ and, being surrounded by a reality which is the very Essence of God, the love in the nefesh responds in repentance, and asks “What should I do?” Commitment to torah and mitzvoth are eagerly accepted. And, in this condition, the thirst for a deeper relationship with God ignites a love that is like ‘fire’ or ‘gold’… a love, the sages say, that can only be sensed and not described.
I agree that the commentator’s apparent strong emphasis on the term ‘destroy’ in the last bit of the excerpt from the Parshah gives reason for concern… however, with reference to the play on words, ‘kalah’ is more regularly translated as: “I will bring to an end…”, “I will cause to fail…” or “I will accomplish…” (in the sense of Jesus saying, “It is finished…”) than it is “I will destroy…”
The spiritual quality given when “Elokim breathed into his nostrils a Nishmat Chaim (a Living Soul)” is the spiritual potential through which we can develop ourselves and our will beyond the temporary and the physical, and direct ourselves towards that which is Godly and eternal. Through observing Torah and fulfilling the commandments, humans can raise themselves to a place where the will to do the Godly receives the highest importance (“transforming the mind”).
The sages believe that humans can do this because man has De’ah (the ability to reason) and Dibur (the ability to communicate in words). Mankind can, then, contemplate and speak about that which is spiritual, and so transform himself to the level of receiving and appreciating the spiritual De’ah (Knowledge), at which point the Nefesh grows in the higher quality of Neshamah. Every step we take towards bringing the nefesh, ruach and neshamah into harmony within our lives is another step towards bringing heaven down to earth.
And this is the small tip of a very big iceberg. By the way, this is about spiritual growth, not salvation. And I am way out of my depth! Ian. Shabbat Shalom!
I know that it is “agin’ the law to alter the word of G-d- but my (danger,danger) testimony of this particular verse goes something like this: “Delight yourself in the LORD and He will become (to you) the desire of your heart”. Very dangerous territory here and I am no walking with nothing beneath me to support this statement. This is only from personal experience. (Don’t look at me- look at Him) He (only) is the One who is Worthy!
But the more I delight myself in the LORD- the more delightful He becomes! (Am I making any sense?) Spend time with Him in prayer. Spend time reading His words. Review your history with Him and remember His lovingkindness, His goodness, His faithfulness. When our Bible says (it is His book- remember?- “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto Thy name (Hashem) – it really is “a good thing!” – (Try it.. you’ll like it!) He is worthy!
Before Christ- what was the desire of my heart? It was me. “Me,me,me”. Man centric. Carl centric. Very “Greek” indeed. How can “I” succeed? How can “I” excel? How can “I” prosper? I,I,I- this man has “I” trouble. (He is blind in one eye and can’t see out of the other!)
“Lord, that I may receive my sight” is a very good prayer for all of us.
“Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law.”- (Psalm 119:18). Do you recognize this as a prayer? Would YHWH be pleased to answer this prayer if you were to ask Him? “Ask, and you will receive!”- (that’s what He said!)
What are the things we delight in? What (or who) are you “passionate” about? What “floats your boat?”, “melts your butter”, heats your coffee? How do you spend your time? Where are you “druthers” located? (I’d “druther” be fishing!, etc..). Your want-to’s. I want to do this, I want to do that, I want to go here. I want to go there. I want, I want…What is it- that you want? – The question was asked- “how much money is “enough” money? The answer?- “just a little bit more!”
We all want more! The question is- More what? What do you want more of?- (Remember, Solomon had it all!- including 1,000 females! He had the gold and He had the girls. He had the glitz, He had the glamour, but what He lacked (yes, He did lack!) was a relationship with the ONE who gave Him everything!
What Solomon did not have is (fully) available to you and I today. This my friends is some “gospel”- good news!
We will find- “in Christ”- more than we ever hoped for or dreamed of. (yes, it is true- Amen!). We have more “in Christ” than we ever lost “in Adam!” Paradise lost- and Paradise restored! We (thanks to the second Adam) can once again- “walk with G-d in the cool of the evening!”. (Blessed be the name of the LORD!) And the child shall be called … “Pele-yoez-el-gibbor-Abi-ad-sar-shalom..”- But wait!– there’s more! – Is it our “desire” to know Him? Friends,- G-d does business with those who mean business.
“Ask” and it shall be given unto you. “Seek” and you shall find! “Knock” and it shall be opened unto you..
“If my delight is in Him, I do not come with my Christmas list anticipating that He will supply my desires. I come without anything but my delight – and I discover that He alters my heart so that I am filled with desires that reflect my delight in Him.”
Thank God for grace that covers a multitude of sins! Thank Him that He is the One who alters hearts. Php. 2:13 “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
We must present ourselves as living sacrifices and ask Him to receive us as an offering. Offerings are described as “willing giving”, not begrudgingly or with the idea what we will “reap a blessing”. It is done because God set up His economy in that way and has not changed His mind! We are to sanctify ourselves as He directs us and obediently lay down our lives in exchange for His! As His followers, we are seen fit to be a living sacrifice through the blood of Christ which has purified us and made us acceptable in the Beloved.
In order to come to him without anything, we must have been consumed by the fire of Holy God. Only He can accomplish this. AS the dross is burned away (often through the fire of trial!) we are left only with the essence of desire…Yeshua.
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Gal. 2:20
“and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all. Col. 3:10, 11
Could it be that these are what we should be asking for and then:
Santa will disappear from the lives of those who say they belong to the LORD (he died many years ago anyway…he is alive today due to propagating mythology and commericialism)
The true religion of the Scriptures will be more apparent to those who do not walk in Christ. Now we are a scourge to our neighbors rather than a blessing.
Shalom
Mary- I’ve never met you but I like your heart! (to borrow from “Avatar”- I “see” you!)
“we are to obediently lay down our lives in exchange for His!” – Amen! (Such a deal!) My life for His.. hmmm..- let me ponder this awhile!..
What am I “giving up?” and what am I gaining? Let me do a little “reckoning” here.. (I know- let’s make a list!) I won’t be posting this online tho’- it would take up “pages!”
Oh please, oh please!- If you think the only thing Y’shua (Jesus to us Gentiles), is good for is an entrance ticket to a place called heaven- (pie-in-the-sky by and by) then you do not know Him at all. He is our Savior, yes- but just a “bit” more than that! (How’s that list coming along?) – Go ahead.. I’ll wait.. – Let’s start with the “A”s. Author, Architect, Artist- warning!- this could take awhile..
This remains a most exciting concept to me. I have yet to practice a desire of my own that has not led me into disaster. If I could just have a peek at God’s desires I would be ecstatic. For Him to offer them to me and let them become my own is virtually intoxicating. My daily prayer begins with, “Abba let me think like you think, love what you love, and hate what you hate.” This promise affords me the opportunity to line up with Him in the most intimate way. That is the greatest Hallelujah to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdw5cvj5aws 3:22 minute video with lyrics to Rebecca St. James’ “Alive” WOW!
The crux of the matter is this: do I want God’s PRESENCE or His PRESENTS (answers to my prayers)? The choice is up to me. O God, help me to daily choose LIFE in Your presence!