Public Relations Management
Guard my life and save me. Let me be not ashamed, for I shelter in You. Psalm 25:20 Robert Alter translation
Ashamed – You know it must be a big deal if David brings it up twice, once at the beginning and now at the end of his song. The word is bosh, and it is a far cry from the typical internal self-denial worthlessness we associate with shame. Bosh is about public humiliation, loss of reputation, disgrace and failure. This helps us recognize a significant difference between the Greek view of Man—an internally-focused psychologically distinct individual—and the Hebrew view of Man—a public figure whose identity is tied directly to relationships within the community. This alone resets our orientation toward problem resolution. In Greek thought, we work on inner attitudes and experiences in an effort to change our motivation and eventually our behavior. In Hebrew thought, we do what God commands regardless of inner feelings, knowing that living outwardly changes our public relationships and subsequently affects our emotional state. In Hebrew thought, we do in order to feel. In Greek thought, we feel in order to do.
Now notice David’s condition for shelter. “Guard my life and save me.” The Hebrew uses shamar (to keep, guard, observe) and natsal (to deliver, rescue, save). The verb tenses are important. Shomra’ is in the Qal, i.e., the present incomplete continuous action. “Keep watching over me,” is the essence of this request. “Don’t take Your eyes off of me for a moment as I need Your constant guidance and direction.” The verb natsal is in the Hiphil, a tense that implies causative action by another. “You deliver me, O Lord! I can’t do it myself. Your action is essential and required now.”
How will David have his life restored to full communal recognition and public honor? By imploring God to provide constant oversight and immediate rescue. Does this mean David is the completely passive recipient of divine action? Hardly! While David knows full well that he cannot provide his own guidance or his own deliverance, he also knows (as is abundantly clear in the Psalms) that shamar and natsal are also associated with God’s written instructions. He is to guard God’s Torah and find deliverance in its practice. Perhaps Paul was reflecting on this combination when he told his reader to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling because it is God who works in them. (Did he mean it is God who works in the people or did he mean it is God who works in the fear and trembling?)
David has no other place of security. He takes refuge in the Lord. The word is used for shelter, protection, security and trust. How then may we summarize David’s view of the matter? God guides. You and I respond to His guidance and, in practice, discover He rescues us from public humiliation. We are vindicated and restored because we do what He asks. Our very lives (not souls) find security. Our reputations are upheld. We return to our place in the Kingdom purpose.
Topical Index: ashamed, shame, bosh, guard, shamar, deliver, natsal, Psalm 25:20
A piece from Maimonides on Life comes to mind here….
“When the Torah instructs us to choose life, the meaning is not simply that we behave. It means that we be alive-that we live with awareness. We must understand the gravity of life and recognize the significance of our actions. And however we decide to live, it must be a conscious decision. We took control and made our decision. We exercised our lives and vitality. We understood what life is all about and did something about it. Passivity-even more or less good passivity-is not life. Taking control of our fates-understanding the stakes of life and doing something about it-is what life really is.”
I have this taped on my wall near my computer where I can read it over and over. I have gotten the message that being/thinking Hebrew is about doing and not this idea we get from modern church about waiting (which equals doing nothing) till God speaks to us personally. That idea misses the mark I say.
I believe this results in a bunch of people who cannot make decisions and cannot effectively lead. Talk about public appearance!! If we would simply learn and obey what God has already instructed us in and carry that out within our decision making, we would be so much better off.
I also believe that this idea of waiting, waiting waiting makes for a bunch of aimless sheep who are easily fooled by the enemy and led down some dangerous paths because they are not protected by knowing God’s word in the first place. Hence comes the humiliation of disobedience and failure.
Who are we trusting in anyways? Ourselves? Yeah right.
Wow. So well put. Thank you and AMEN!!!
This is personal.
As one who is coming out of a place of such deep, abject despair that breathing from a curled up ball of pain seemed to be an overwhelming act of impossibility, i totally relate to this last paragraph. I would pray “i know you are there. I know you care.” and that would be all i could get my brain around. I was told my life was one of self pity and the fruit of my words/actions.
If i stated any small victory i was told that even people in satan worship had moments of seeming victory. It was enough to make anybody crazy.
These days when i wake up my thought is to give thanks that i am here, to wake up. And remember that to live is to worship.
Some people teach that we are all going to be rulers some day and that to live now is to learn to rule. I now see that is error.
Every Marine is a marksman, a grunt. Their primary objective is to hit the target. Every. Marine. Regardless of position, rank or occupational skill.
Every ‘believer’ worships. First. Primary objective: give glory to whom it is due. Everything else is secondary.
The teachings placing emphasis on those who rule and those who submit puts into motion a paradigm that makes it impossible to focus on the primary objective because the TRUE focus is on where one is in the pecking order of rulership.
Which puts the focus on the creation, not the creator. >sigh< i know some wonder how i get here from where i started. welcome to my world…
BP, I appreciate so much what you have written. Thank you for your transparency. Don’t feel you wrote in vain. MANY people suffer from depression; my husband and I were 2 of those who felt as tho we were being sucked down into some sort of black hole. For me, I felt as tho the “dragon” was licking his chops, waiting for the opportunity to take my life.
But, alas, as you stated, “… to live is to worship”… that’s IF we serve YHVH. And I do.
Thank you for your encouraging word today: “to live is to worship.” Praise God.