David and Paul
Sustain me according to Your word, that I may live; and do not let me be ashamed of my hope. Psalm 119:116 NASB
Sustain – When Paul wrote to Timothy concerning rightly handling the word of truth, he could have footnoted David. Paul’s exhortation to Timothy almost perfectly reflects David’s plea to YHWH. Both are thoroughly Hebraic.
David begins with the verb samak, “to lean upon, to support, to sustain.” Here the verb is a Qal imperative, that is to say, it is present tense active exhortation. David pleads to the Lord. “You, YHWH, sustain me.” The implication is that David is completely willing to be formed by YHWH. David’s heart is malleable, anxious and ready. It requires only the hands of the Master to give it shape. But not any shape will do. David asks for, and God is willing to give, a shape that fits the Lord’s word. What can that mean to David in the 10th Century BC? It must mean what God has revealed through Moses and the prophets prior to David. And fortunately, we have that same revelation. David’s plea to be upheld and supported by YHWH’s word is precisely the same instruction that Paul gives to Timothy one thousand years later. Same word. Same willingness.
We noticed that Paul was concerned about the public aspect of Timothy’s faith. Paul and David agree. Living according to the word of YHWH exhibits a life without shame. David cries out to the Lord that he will be the recipient of YHWH’s concern and, as a result of YHWH’s action, be honored in his hope. Paul expresses the same desire for Timothy.
What is the hope that David so desperately seeks to see fulfilled? Ah, here we need to be cognizant of our theological spectacles. We will be inclined to read David’s “hope” as if it were yesterday’s sermon. We will see hints of the Messiah, clues about forgiveness, intimations of heaven. But David’s word, seber, should find its meaning in context, and we need look no further than verse 166 of this same psalm. “I hope for Your salvation,” says David. But then he adds something that might not fit so well with our view: “and do Your commandments.” For David, salvation and obedience are integrally connected. David has confident expectation of deliverance because he is a man who claims obedience to God’s instruction. This implies that David’s idea of salvation was not held in abeyance until the coming of some unknown savior. David fully expected to see his desire fulfilled by YHWH within the context of Torah obedience. For David, salvation (deliverance) was not an other-world reward. It is the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Paul is not so far removed from David. Doesn’t Paul admonish Timothy to be true to God’s words in order that he may experience approval by God? And how will the public arena know the Timothy is successful? David provides the answer one thousand years earlier: “that I may live.” To see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Topical Index: sustain, samak, Psalm 119:116, salvation. Psalm 27:13
When I look around this world, even who am I kidding, my area of influence how is it possible to see the goodness of Yaweh in the land of the living? Is it to see His ability to “sustain” us ” in the craziness and still somehow provide a little light in the darkness? I seem to have based a whole lot of my life looking to see that there has been purpose for living the life I live by the feedback of those who are reading my life, and the life of my children, the life of my spouse whether what I try to believe has been enough of an influence on them that they look like pretty good lights. Has His hand sustained YES! But have I looked to Yaweh to experience His approval? Somehow all the lines have gotten blurred in my thinking. So much stuff and to much reasoning. Maybe sometimes it’s better to allow our hearts to yearn for the sustaining and approval just on our desperation to know Him! Oh to have a heart that is soo in need of Him and to realize it.
Yes, I think we can lose something by dissecting out one concept from another,… such as “obedience” and “salvation”. I know my sin leaves victims behind. Obedience is the only way to stop hurting people and to start becoming a part of healing. When God brings about obedience in my life, I do consider that akin to “salvation”.
Time . . .
David lived at a time when . . .
Paul lived at a time when . . .
You and I live at a time when . . .
We all live at a time when God opens Himself to “whosoever”
believes and obeys His Word.
At no time has the Lord not been there.
“The Lord has made known His salvation; His righteousness
He has revealed in the sight of the nations.” Ps 98:2
He gives us all the time we need to get our eyes seein’,
our ears hearin’ and our hearts re-shapened . . . in His image.
And the world knows when this happens. They see the change.
They see the fruit such a change of obedience produces: love, joy,
peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness
and self-control.
It’s hard to miss in the land of the living.
David is reminding YHWH that he has with all his diligence and ability sought after Him, starting in verse 1 that blessed are the ones who walk in Torah, who seek Him with all their heart, those who walk in His ways, and guarded His laws, as he has done, as a passionate plea for YHWH to sustain him through the promises of His Word that he may live. That he may not be put to shame publicly, or be killed.
He reminds YHWH that He is his hiding place and his shield v 114, that all His commands are true!
Clearly like a child pleading not to be punished for doing right, but paints a picture of a lost sheep, v 176 to touch ABBA’s heart!
That would be our goal too, to have that confidence as David had to present himself to plead, and reason before YHWH . 🙂
Sometimes when things go so wrong, and it’s beyond my comprehension how things got awry, I have to plead with ABBA that He help me sort things out, so I won’t be falsely accused, put to shame, for walking in His ways yet got into such an awful situation.
Example-I was ‘dragged’ into a conversation I didn’t wish to participate in, knowing one of the party involved; as the conversation went on, it was getting so ridiculous, I excused myself, saying I won’t be a false witness, and I became the ‘black sheep’! Right from the beginning, I told them I wasn’t there at the scene, so I shan’t make comments. They seemed to think I was trying to evade responsibility! How thwarted can folks be. I was pretty distressed. That became a difficult situation, those folks gave me the cold shoulder!
Subsequently we know ABBA sustains and delivers us, His Word is true, no matter.
Inhale – Exhale
What a fellowship,
What a joy divine,
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!
Something (rather, Someone!) inspired these “beginning” words to a another “writer of hymns.” These words (also) have remained and are (still today) a source of comfort and joy to countless thousands, myself being included in this group.
David also was a writer and singer of songs. Out in the wilderness, watching over his father’s flock by night, sleeping under the same stars that shine down upon us today, or during the day, perhaps enjoying the shade of a nearby tree- He had plenty of time and opportunity to meditate upon the goodness and faithfulness of God. David knew something and David knew Somebody. David recognized and realized, God is “both” the Creator and Sustainer of all life. May we all hear again, for the first time, these words?
~ Let everything that breathes praise the LORD. (You, – breathing creature), Praise the LORD ~
(Psalm 150.1)
Who gave unto you (mr./m’am) your first breath of life? – and every single breath since? Stop.- and take a breath.
The blessed book of Psalms is a Hebrew hymnal. Song # 1: ~ (how) blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor is seated in the seat of the scornful.. *BUT* (Love those Big Bible Buts!) But what David? – what is the “rest of the story?” Don’t leave us hanging!
But his (or her) DELIGHT is in the law of the LORD … David, may I stop you here? Did you just say “delight?” Delight, as in “find great joy or comfort?” ~Wherefore, comfort (strengthen) one another with these (My) words ~ (1 Thessalonians 4.18)
~ Is not my word like fire,” declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces? ~
(Jeremiah 23.29)
~ For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart ~
(Hebrews 4.12)
So far, (and we’ve only just begun!) the word of the LORD has been “likened unto” a a fire, a hammer and a sword! But is this all? No, not at all.. “but wait!- there’s more.. (always more!)
The prophet Jeremiah had this to say: ~ Your words were found, and I did eat (devour!) them; and Your Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart: for I am called by Your Name, O LORD God of Heaven’s armies. ~ (Jeremiah 15.16)
~ Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment.. ~ (1 Peter 2.2)
May I? (Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!- FEEED ME!!!!!!!) I desire-crave- (yes,- “lust” for) nourishment! GIVE ME MILK!!! Ask that little critter if he or she “cares” who won the 1942 world series! The answer? GIVE ME some milk! The little dude (or duderess), (the cravin’ creature!)- wants some MILK!! FEED ME.
Bread of Heaven, feed me till I want no more!
And now the “word of the LORD” is “likened unto” milk and meat and bread!- all delicious and nutritious! (that you may grow thereby!).
It’s a pitiful sight to see a grownup who has never “grown up!” Immature, “Christian?” babies! (What do the scriptures say?) ~ we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth (the word of God!) in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the Head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the Body for the building up of itself in love ~ (Ephesians 4.15)
If we are to be ~ conformed into the image of the Son ~, we all have such a long way to “grow!”
~ Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but *one thing I do*: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus ~
For faith has caught
The joyful sound,
The song of life on higher ground.
I live in the country, raise animals and plants for food. I lived in cities most of my life. Living in cities and on top of one another makes it more difficult to appreciate God’s goodness in all things.
As men we like to control birth and death, few have ever witness both events. Fewer still these days (at least in the US) actually butcher the food they eat. Or have had to put an animal down because it was crippled beyond being able to sustain itself after you have nursed it for weeks holding it and working with it, or known the joy and terror of watching and participating in the birth of your animals, children and grand children.
We can learn so much about the character of God in these events. I believe that is why Adam was placed in a garden, in many ways the garden was a farm. Even today, if you walk in your garden in the cool of the evening, turn your thoughts to Him and God will speak with you.
Technology has moved us far from the goodness of the Lord. It is hard to appreciate a God of abundance when you are locked up in a building for most of the day “working”. We miss so much. The rhythm of the seasons, the bounty of the earth, the magnificence of each morning and evening, the songs sung to us by God’s creatures with out the hum of machinery.
God is good you’ve but to wander out into His creation, away from man’s creation to witness it.
I have never lived in the city (thank goodness) and have always been in the country. A farmer at heart and for the last 20 years–really a farmer with my husband.
My heart resonates with yours here. Totally.
I think there must be a reason why Adam was put in the country in a garden and not it some city with bunches of people all crowded together! Don’t take that too seriously but I don’t understand how folks can stand to live like sardines in a shooting barrel day in and day out and keep some peace of mind. Necessity sometimes but oh how I love being out in God’s creation and enjoying His creatures and landscapes!!
Hi Dawn,
I love doing that too, and growing my own herbs and fruit trees, and picking them ripe off the trees, unlike the ones bought in the stores, tastes much better and more nutritious too.