The Big Umbrella
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit. Psalm 51:12 NASB
Restore – Life is about direction, not destination. Of course, motivational speakers, generals and politicians, men and women of influence may attempt to teach you that what you need are goals. They will point to past successes and extol the exercise of goal setting. “Imagine what you really want. Visualize it. Then make a plan to get it. Set a goal and push toward it.” Sounds great, doesn’t it? The problem is that life gets in the way of our penchant for prediction and control because, in the end, that’s what goal setting assumes. It assumes that we can predict and control the outcomes of our lives as long as we have determined the end and planned the progress. This incredibly powerful Greek idea leads to a mythological faith in the ability of Man and a parallel minimization of divine sovereignty. This idea presupposes that life is controllable and that what will happen can be foreseen and manipulated. Ah, if it were only true!
The Hebraic world is not like the Greek world. In biblical thinking only God is really in control. The world of men is saturated with the unexpected. Said Robert Burns, “The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft agley,” and his words were never more true than today. Recall one of your past goals. Ask yourself if your plan to achieve that goal turned out to be a straight line to success. Then consider human history. Straight lines or schemes gone awry?
Now you know why David makes no attempt at all to suggest that he can restore his missing joy or sustain his willing spirit. David knows that life interferes, even on the level of spiritual renewal. If YHVH doesn’t act on our behalf, the vicissitudes of existence will certainly derail us. But YHVH does act, doesn’t He? He intervenes in the cosmic breakdown and rescues us. He promises to do so for those with a willing heart. The problem is that God’s geometry is not the same as ours. We think Euclidian. God thinks otherwise. Our solution is limited to straight lines on a plane. God’s solution employs higher geometry where curves and horizons can’t be seen from a flat plane. Rescue is there but it often looks like more interference for those like Euclid.
We get just a hint of the heavenly geometry in the word David uses for “restore.” It is shuv, a Hebrew word with a very big umbrella. The Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament devotes sixty-one pages to the word. TWOT tells us that the word occurs 1090 times in the Tanakh, the twelfth most frequent of all Hebrew words. The range of translations is phenomenal.
Taking all stems into consideration, Holladay (p. 117) concludes that there are a total of 164 uses of šûb in a covenantal context. The majority of them, as one might expect, are to be found in the classical/literary prophets 113 times, with Jeremiah leading the way (forty-eight times). By way of contrast with Jeremiah, the covenantal usage of šûb is found only six times in the first thirty-nine chapters of Isaiah (maybe only five if we read 30:15 not, “in returning (to God) and rest shall you be saved,” but “in sitting still yāšab, i.e. abstention from foreign alliances, resting shall you be saved”). In the remaining twenty-seven chapters it is found only four times: 44:22; 55:7; 57:17; 59:20. Thus, we encounter the interesting phenomenon of two prophets back to back in the canon, the first virtually silent on the subject and the second quite vocal. Perhaps the paucity of references in Isaiah is the prophet’s way of saying the die has already been cast. Quite poignantly God says to Isaiah, “Make the heart of this people fat … lest they be converted (šûb) and healed.” A point of no return has been reached. God has foreseen the stubbornness of his people and has incorporated it into his plan. The prophet, therefore, is not to be frustrated (Mt 13:13ff.).[1]
No wonder the geometry isn’t straightforward! The Psalms uses shuv seventy-one times and you can be certain that those seventy-one occurrences cannot all be translated the same way. This is a word that defies straight lines. As such it should remind us that His ways are not our ways, but they are still His ways. How He provides rescue is entirely up to Him. It is often not any way we would have imagined. We, the people of Flatland, simply cannot think in heavenly geometry. We must be content to wait until at last, in the ‘olam ha’ba, YHVH reveals the true geometry of the cosmos and we see that all those pinholes of our lives were really avenues of His restoration.
Topical Index: shuv, restore, Psalm 51:12
[1] Hamilton, V. P. (1999). 2340 שׁוּב. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament.
Add this to the reliability of the “heavenly geometry.” Mathematics has never been a product of evolution. No matter what ideas of evolution are discussed, Darwinian or otherwise, mathematics never undergoes changes.
Baby Got Book
If it were only true!
How firm a foundation ye saints of the LORD,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word.
Yes, if only our Bible, the Word of the LORD were true. But then again, there are those among us carbon units, who believe it is. It is from front to back and from side to side and from top to (endless) bottom without any doubt, it is “the Good Book!” Chock full of good stuff. Food for the hungry, living refreshing water for those who thirst, comfort for those who grieve, a foundation to build our lives upon, instructions for daily living, a History and a Mystery – the Blessing Book — A God-breathed Book — certainly unlike any other.
Just a reminder, three times our LORD and Savior was tempted by the Tempter! He was in all points tempted (just as we are), yet without sin! And not once, not twice, but three times these very words were repeated.. [do I need a tat?) And I quote: The Bible Thumper (hey!- that’s me!) says: “IT IS WRITTEN.”
And why would that be? Why do I care? Why should I care what is inside of this (excuse me) tHis Book?
It is because dear friend, my LORD and Savior, the Lamb sent from God, my Near-Kinsman-Redeemer defeated hasten (—are you listening?) as a Man. When the created goes up against the Creator, (lol!) the “created creature” is going down! And three times the Sword of the LORD that proceeded forth from His lips penetrated the hide of this hideously beautiful monster. I can only hope He slowly twisted the blade on the way out!
And now it’s our time and our turn to “put on the whole armor of God.” Yes, please do remember, we have weapons!! But the weapons of our warfare are NOT carnal but mighty through God for the destruction of strongholds! No longer “naked and afraid!” we have been instructed to get dressed! We have a Sword, a Shield, a Helmut and Shoes for our feet. Yes, we HAVE [already] BEEN given ALL THINGS that pertain unto life and godliness.
So today, [and every day!] ~ May the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged Sword in their hand!! ~ May the nations praise you, O God. Yes, may all the nations praise You! ~
~ For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart ~ (Hebrews 4.12)
~ and the Word of the LORD endures forever! ~ We have been given a very solid place to stand!
How firm a foundation ye saints of the LORD,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
Rescue. Shuv is about rescue. Chaos, also, is not about control; chaos is about redemption. I need Someone to buy me back out of hock! I think life is about participating in that “higher geometry” (love it!); not in inventing or initiating or even discovering it. That plane where all lines cross; where all is related perfectly, lies far beyond us. We have been issued an invitation, however, to participate, through the Right Participation of our Kinsman Redeemer: no, more than that; to somehow be involved IN the process of that relating. Right here is that mysterious command to STEWARD this planet, which I think we have not even begun to obey, and will not even have the capacity to do it, until we have re-connected perfectly with the intent and capacity of heaven that Yeshua came to restore us to.
I think we are consumed with our sins, either in the attempts to control the consequences of those sins (partly through that goal-setting!) by the lost, or in the agony of separation and the necessity of repentance and return to obedience, of the followers of the Way. But, I want to ask, how many of us get up in the morning and grasp the significance of the first (positive) command of the Garden – the call to steward? Nope. I am not even close! I am beginning to think a good deal of the obedience to that original design is going to have to be accomplished the next go-round. This go-round seems to be barely getting the best of us back to zero! Redemption restores us back to the correct starting point. But, starting point of what? Our assignment has not changed, has it? However, I look around, and the first thing I say is, “how am I supposed to steward a planet that is rapidly being consigned to hell in a handbasket by EVERYONE ELSE?” We are the origin of chaos: we usher it in and give it license, but then we think because we created it(!) we can somehow find a way to “predict and control” it! Is this not insanity? No, I have begun to suspect that stewardship, that most mysterious and original commands for obedience, is about our return to the perfection of relationship required to be able to steward this ship.
I have noticed the devil is all about copying: he is not original in anything at all, and this is no exception. He taps into our design – that of stewardship – and then convinces us that WE can “save the planet”! ( The language of some of this just cracks me up). Don’t get me wrong: I love the planet, and love my design, and, George Kraemer, thanks for sending me that clip about what the return of wolves to Yellowstone is accomplishing: along about that time we owned a pack of them, and were plotting how to put them out there on our own! LOL! “Co-existence or no existence” is a good first start toward the ultimate return to stewardship, but there is now, I think, a missing link. We need a Saviour in between. Shuv is, first of all, about settling our account with heaven, before we can settle our debt with earth. We need saving first! Saving from what? That chaos we are attempting to control. Is not that attempt just so much witchcraft, without deliverance FROM that chaos? Forget management: I want elimination! I want deliverance! I want to start over! Wait! That’s called salvation! I’m in!
Hmmmmm, mixed feelings here. I believe we are designed to do “great” things. You have to have intent and purpose in this. My husband listened to (I think it was Dave Ramsey) a study was done on two groups…walk a straight line. ..first group, just go…could not do it. Second group, find a spot in the distance, walk a straight line. ..almost all did. My first thought was, “Seek you first the KOG…” That is our goal, right? That is good, great, but we also live in this very physical world, and somehow have to survive, and desire to thrive. …can be quite frustrating. We are both in early side of our 50’s and thinking, where are we in all of this, and truthfully, I often think “Lost!”. Just some thoughts on this Sabbath morning just before FOT…
This seems so true from experience. I’ve had three or four big changes in life with career, schooling, and even moving from one state to another. It’s always seemed strange to me that a year before any of these big changes,… the change wasn’t even on the radar. However, each time I did have a different goal I was pursuing that opened the opportunity to do the other thing.
In other words, the striving towards a goal seemed necessary, but the prize was never what I expected.
“Now you know why David makes no attempt at all to suggest that he can restore his missing joy or sustain his willing spirit. David knows that life interferes, even on the level of spiritual renewal. If YHVH doesn’t act on our behalf, the vicissitudes of existence will certainly derail us. But YHVH does act, doesn’t He? He intervenes in the cosmic breakdown and rescues us. He promises to do so for those with a willing heart. The problem is that God’s geometry is not the same as ours. We think Euclidian. God thinks otherwise. Our solution is limited to straight lines on a plane. God’s solution employs higher geometry where curves and horizons can’t be seen from a flat plane. Rescue is there but it often looks like more interference for those like Euclid.”……Very good point Skip!..and as always I relate your comments what is going on in the Torah teachings at the moment. The book of Jonah is read in full on Yom Kippur obviously because of the strong message of repentance…..but it also demonstrates what you are conveying here….we can make choices, we can plan all we want….but it is God that created and controls the Universe..for His Divine purposes…with or without us.
4 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly,[a] and he was angry. 2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?”
5 Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. 6 Now the Lord God appointed a plant[b] and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort.[c] So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. 7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” 9 But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” 10 And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”