Road Map
How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, In whose heart are the highways to Zion! Psalm 84:5 NASB
Highways to Zion – Would you prefer glossy or matte? Why do I ask? Because this verse is the “glossy” version. It adds “to Zion.” In other words, it glosses the word mesillot to read “highways to Zion” rather than just “highways.” The translators are trying to help the reader understand what they think David has in mind. The poem doesn’t make a lot of sense if David simply says, “In whose heart are the highways,” so they add “to Zion” in order for you to realize that David is using a metaphor about the pathways of God. But does this really help?
Imagine you are living in the time of David. You read his latest poem. Do you really need an explanation about highways? Isn’t the King’s assumption that you know that he is talking about a vital part of the cultural background of this poem? If I have to explain that highways in the heart are about Zion, haven’t I presumed that the audience doesn’t have the spiritual awareness needed to read the poem without additions? And, for that matter, why add “to Zion”? Why not “to the Temple” or “of YHVH”? If I gloss the word, who is able to tell me what phrase I may use? Pick anything you like! (If you look a few verses further you will see why the translator used “Zion.”)
The point of David’s verse is that he and his people already know what “highways of the heart” means. The entire spiritual culture of Israel described obedience to YHVH in terms of the metaphors of pathways, highways and travel. The only journey of the heart worth following was the one God set out in His mitzvot. No one would have thought otherwise. That we have to add “to Zion” is a tragic admission of our lack of awareness of the spiritual journey with God. We are a culture far removed from the assumption that Torah is a requirement of the journey. We are the ones who need the gloss. Our religious culture gave up its dependency on the pathways of the Lord centuries ago. Our spiritual journey does not necessarily include the highways of Torah obedience. Therefore, David’s road map needs an addition, an addition that was completely unnecessary for David and his people.
Try reading the verse without “to Zion.” What can you conclude about the highway in your heart? Do you follow whatever you feel is the leading of the Lord? Is your spiritual strength a function of your current emotional or intellectual state of mind? How do you know you are on the road at all? Is it just the warm glow of the gentle coaxing of the Holy Spirit? What actions should you take—or not take? Havvah followed the highway of her heart. How did that work out?
David assumes you know that the highway of the Lord is the Torah. What have you assumed about the road map in your heart?
Topical Index: highways, mesillot, Torah, Psalm 84:5
Unfortunately, most of my life I’ve been following the Peter Pan saga, “second star to the right, and straight on till morning!” That reduces down to “one day at a time,” however, mostly, largely, well, pretty much all the time, up until these most recent pocket full of years, I’ve moved toward the next shiny thing in the road, that’s on the path, slightly off the path, way off the path, etc.
My solution has been to gloss everything that fits my view or to make it fit my view at the moment regardless of it’s alignment with Torah. Sad, I know.
The amazing thing is that even the simplest acknowledgement of Torah as THE instructions for life, THE path to follow, THE ultimate necessity for life has solidified most everything in my life. At least, the volume of completeness is growing. The complicated simplicity of the livingness of Torah, in all its encompassing simplicity is staggering.
Do this and live.
Don’t and die.
Pick.
Unfortunately, most of my life I’ve been following the Peter Pan saga, “second star to the right, and straight on till morning!” That reduces down to “one day at a time,” however, mostly, largely, well, pretty much all the time, up until these most recent pocket full of years, I’ve moved toward the next shiny thing in the road, that’s on the path, slightly off the path, way off the path, etc.
My solution has been to gloss everything that fits my view or to make it fit my view at the moment regardless of it’s alignment with Torah. Sad, I know.
The amazing thing is that even the simplest acknowledgement of Torah as THE instructions for life, THE path to follow, THE ultimate necessity for life has solidified most everything in my life. At least, the volume of completeness is growing. The complicated simplicity of the livingness of Torah, in all its encompassing simplicity is staggering.
Do this and live.
Don’t and die.
Pick.
(My apologies if this comes up twice. I did a typo in my email address)
” What can you conclude about the highway in your heart? Do you follow whatever you feel is the leading of the Lord? Is your spiritual strength a function of your current emotional or intellectual state of mind? How do you know you are on the road at all? Is it just the warm glow of the gentle coaxing of the Holy Spirit? What actions should you take—or not take?”
This is the problem many believers have. I know. I used to be there myself. Oh, I said I was following Scripture, but I had no idea of the relevance of Torah. Or that any new “highway” needed to be judged by the revelation in Torah. When I discovered this truth, it was like I finally had a solid foundation for my faith. My house was finally being built on a rock. So many (most) Christians I know believe we have been set free from the law and by that they mean Torah. Sadly, I watch as their faith constantly changes and shifts on the sands of the latest subjective experience instead of being grounded on the rock of objective truth.
“Is your spiritual strength a function of your current emotional or intellectual state of mind? How do you know you are on the road at all? Is it just the warm glow of the gentle coaxing of the Holy Spirit? What actions should you take—or not take? Havvah followed the highway of her heart. How did that work out?”
Absolutely, without question…NO. As I have said before…we live on a battlefield…sometimes I find myself completely undone and feel I cannot go on…I have an enemy with a voracious appetite for destruction and defeat….and usually that defeat comes when I have given in to the constant onslaught of emotions, memories and doubts about my true worth. I am human-I did make a decision to accept Christ and I have studied His Word- God’s Laws, learned His boundaries and seek to stay within them with all my heart..and with all that, there are times, I still screw it up. BUT GOD……is not human – His thoughts and ways are far beyond anything we can comprehend…far more than any human language can describe….FAR MORE. If we could adequately describe and explain Him we could walk right up to the Throne and say, “Scoot over.” I’m not there. Within the vast, unexplored, indescribable Heart of God is the total understanding of what my heart is really saying. Maybe my mouth is saying, “Shut up, (person unnamed) I want nothing to do with you!” BUT GOD sees my heart of hearts and as long as I am focused on Him….not words written about Him (be it Torah or whatever) HIM…and my heart finally breaks before HIM and repents of that anger and ill will…wanting to please HIM regardless of the situation…then I can be confident that the Blood Sacrifice poured out for anyone who will accept it…covers my sin/removes the angst – and in an instant I can be reconciled to His Heart. The caveat being, the sincere need of my heart – extended with all the understanding I have of my failure and need to be set right. But there are times we don’t understand completely because of past wounds. Jeremiah 17: 9,10: “The heart is more deceitful than anything else and mortally sick. Who can fathom it? I, Adonai, search the heart; I test inner motivations; in order to give to everyone what his actions and conduct deserve.””Now the servant who knew what his master wanted but didn’t prepare or act according to His will, will be whipped with many lashes; however, the one who did what deserves a beating, but didn’t know (understand) will receive few lashes. From him who has been given much, much will be demanded-from someone to whom people entrust much, they ask still more.” BATTLEFIELD ALERT!!!!! SIRENS ENGAGED!!
Sometimes, there will come situations where we will think – “With everything I DO know I shouldn’t have DONE THAT!!! I DESERVE PUNISHMENT!” We then allow the enemy to come in with his minions….alcohol, drugs, depression even suicide-physical or emotional….or maybe just more anger that shoves everyone away.
BUT GOD…sees the innermost heart of hearts and understands what our minds do not. Maybe, as some have experienced, had a childhood filled with abuse, physical and emotional-from an alcoholic parent who was also in the ministry! ONLY GOD knows the pain and confusion those circumstances were that shaped that child’s heart and only God can heal it. Now the child is an adult….God is real….but within the boundaries and limitations of his childhood….how can God really be trustworthy? How can anything the parent “preached” be accurate and true?
God understands all of it…He sees the wound in the heart, never healed and understands exactly why that, now grown child, displays anger, fear, instability and cannot trust Him. Where humans may get disgusted, God weeps. He loves that one so completely, living in so much pain. ( I, Adonai, search the heart; I test inner motivations; in order to give to everyone what his actions and conduct deserve.”) Sometimes our actions deserve patience and healing – He is FOREVER willing to meet any of us, at the place where the enemy of our souls cannot come and cover our lives with His Blood-which is the eternal work that separates us from death. But it is our choice. I will choose the Blood over every wise word or deed or angst-I will want to give it up. His death and resurrection FULFILLS every yud and stroke as His Blood covers the stench of sin and removes it far from me. Matthew recorded this, “Don’t ever think that I came to set aside the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete. Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah-not until everything that must happen has happened. So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah teachers and P’rushim, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven! Your fathers were told “Do not murder”, but I tell you that anyone who nurses anger against his brother will be subject to judgement……” Ah, the heart…a deceitful thing it is and the battle against it’s urges cannot be won by human flesh-it will take my releasing it to the authority and power of the Blood of God. I will worship Him gratefully for eternity for all He has rescued me from…how could I ever want anything more?
I was encouraged through virtually all of my Christian life to trust my heart. I had confirmation from the culture, from the spiritual leaders and the congregations around me that my heart was trustworthy. Yet, something nagged at me, especially when I would justify my actions by what was “in my heart” or that the Lord “spoke to my heart”. The heart is moved most often by our own thoughts and it is so easy to convince ourselves that these “heart thoughts” are from the Lord, but it is only when we measure and align these thoughts with the rod of Torah that we have a solid foundation.
I no longer put unquestioning trust in my heart, my feelings or being led by peace. It’s not “how do I feel about that,” but rather “why do I feel that way?” Do those feelings line up with what the Word says I should trust about God’s actions in the past?
It comes down to deconstructing the cultural highway of my heart. I found that my heart has a muscle memory where I retain the road most traveled — when I’m on this road it feels good, it feels right, I know the direction it’s going. Deconstruction of this road requires a constant, conscious and painful effort to tear out those bricks and repave the highway to go along the way less traveled, the narrow way.
Scary? Yes, because this highway is unfamiliar territory. Yet, I’m discovering that this repaved road has many advantages: first, I cannot presume to know the direction it’s going, and second, the view provides missing pieces of the puzzle that fit into the map of history God has provided. The road isn’t new, it’s just less traveled and we do have a map.
Suzanne, I don’t know where this “trust your heart” (stuff) comes from.. Nowhere can I recall in the Scriptures.. “trust your heart!” No, what I read clearly says, “trust Him!” Trust in the LORD and do what He says. Do what He wants.. – not what I want- what He wants! Do these things.. – and live!
My “will” is what I want! But.. it is not about me- it is about Him! ~ He must increase, but “I” must decrease!! ~ So long “self,” – you’ve got to go! Beware this culture of “me-ism!” (it’s all about me!) No. It is not!
May Jesus Christ be praised! ~ Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto Your Name be the glory, for Your mercy, and for Your truth’s sake! ~ Amen.
A while back I also looked up the verse and noticed, “to Zion,” wasn’t there. I was disappointed, as this verse was a demonstration of ahavat tsiyon. I suppose that if one’s heart is directed toward torah, it will of necessity be directed toward Zion, toward Jerusalem. The sad situation is that some have no highways in their heart.
The Joy of the Redeemed
~ These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full ~ (John 15.11)
The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
They will see the glory of the LORD,
the splendor of our God.
Strengthen the feeble hands,
steady the knees that give way;
Say to those with fearful hearts,
“Be strong, do not fear; your God will come.
He will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
“He will come to save you.”
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
Then will the lame leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams in the desert.
The burning sand will become a pool,
the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay,
grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.
And a Highway will be there;
It will be called the Way of Holiness;
it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean will not journey on it;
wicked fools will not go about on it.
No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast;
They will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there,
and those the LORD has rescued will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
Everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
(Isaiah 35)
Suzanne, I too, have heard, what I now understand to be well meaning but misguided encouragement, “Trust your heart.” Sure there have been times when a “caution” here or there would rise up and I would change my mind and find that was a life saving decision. However, I’ve also found that “self justification” can be a dangerous thing. If my decisions don’t line up with His Word…there’s a problem. I imagine Eve did a little “self justification”….and it didn’t end well. It really is ALL about Him….and I am so relieved and grateful…it’s not all up to me.
“In whose heart are the highways,” so they add “to Zion”
This reminds me of my teenage years and later when attending Christian conventions there would quite often be a street parade where would march through the city to one of the parks for an open air rally. One of the favourite songs that we would sing was ” We’re marching to Zion.
I don’t have access any more to the lyrics of the complete song but I remember the chorus.
We’re marching to Zion
Beautiful beautiful Zion
We”re marching upward to Zion
The beautiful city of God.
By the grace of YHWH I am still on that journey.
Isa 62:10
Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.
Isa 49:11
And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.
TW clearly emphasizes the highways of our heart are towards YHWH/Tzion, where else can they lead to, unless it is apart from Torah? It is the only highway leading to set-apartness that will bring forth abundant blessings, no extra additional word needed.
“We are a culture far removed from the assumption that Torah is a requirement of the journey. ” And that means the entire Torah, NOT just part of what we are comfortable with.