Measure for Measure?
With the kind You show Yourself kind; with the blameless You show Yourself blameless; with the pure You show Yourself pure, and with the crooked You show Yourself astute. Psalm 18:25-26 NASB
Astute – Are you kind? Then you experience the kindness of God. Are you blameless (yes, I know that might seem impossible)? Then you enjoy God’s righteousness. Are you pure? Ah, then the purity of God will be your meal.
But what if you’re crooked? What then? The Hebrew word for “crooked” is ‘iqqesh. It means “false” or “twisted.” The idea is something that is twisted or perverse; something that is not in alignment with God’s purposes. The word is often associated with wickedness or turning the wrong way. Despite the opening thoughts of this verse, many of us might find that we fit this category rather than kind, blameless and pure. After all, we know our inner secret sins. We know how far the outward appearance is from the real hidden life. We are acutely aware of our crooked and twisted past. So how does God appear to us?
“With the crooked You show yourself titpattal.” Such a difficult word to translate! “Astute,” “cunning,” “wily,” “crafty,” “deal in twists” are some of the attempts. “Astute” seems the least likely since it suggests a positive response of accurate assessment. The root appears to be connected with something coiled, like a serpent. “Of the twenty-five uses of pitʾōm all of them occur in connection with disaster or judgment” except one.[1] What might this mean for our personal interactions with God?
This verse recognizes that we experience God in the same terms that we engage in life itself. Clearly measure for measure is involved in the three preceding thoughts. If we look for kindness, we will find it. If we act with righteousness, righteousness will envelop us. If we are pure, God’s holiness will accompany our walk. And in the same way, perversity begets perversity, even from God. The outer world is a reflection of my inner world. A twisted man sees a twisted world and acts according to his vision. It is self-fulfilling prophecy. And, of course, a twisted man cannot find a straightened God. He will perceive God as untrustworthy and unfaithful because he is untrustworthy and unfaithful. His image of the Lord will reflect his own inner struggles. He will not meet the God of kindness, righteousness and purity as long as his life remains bent.
How will such a man be saved? Ah, God is not hamstrung by our distorted perception. God will twist the twisted, tie them in knots, entangle them in their own webs until at last they come to the end of themselves. Measure for measure with the purpose of bringing what is bent to its final conclusion. Until the metal breaks from all the bends. And then it can be melted and remade.
Topical Index: titpattal, twisted, perverse, astute, Psalm 18:25-26
[1] Hamilton, V. P. (1999). 1859 פֶּתַע. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament.
A LITTLE NOTE: NOT MUCH OF A PRESENT
One of our community sent this to me. It’s worth a look. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZylNCN_3_AQ
And if we forgive, we will get forgiven. My salvation is contingent upon letting everybody else off the hook. I quit being His enemy when everyone else ceases to be mine. Its a beautiful day in the neighborhood when I scoot over and let everybody be my neighbor. Everybody is in the ditch of my need, and so everybody needs my forgiveness. I think I need theirs, too!
“So shall you put away the evil from the midst of you. And those that remain shall hear and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil in the midst of you. And your eye shall not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
And if we neglect to follow Torah, we commit iniquity by omission.
And Yeshua will say “I do not know you, … workers of iniquity”
Astute seems the most likely of translations since it suggest a positive response of accurate assesment. How else will the lost be found if not by accurate assesment, reproof, chastisement, and instruction in righteousness?At the very least, it suggest that any evil will lose in its efforts to corrupt the Vision and Plan of God. For some time now I’ve seen a pattern in Scripture. God is onto your silly little plan and His checkmating carefully crafted carnality is the order of the day.
We will reap what we have sown?
Is repentance a sowing?
Sincere repentance is plower. As in plowing back into the land as you destroy the bad seed/crop.
“God will twist the twisted, tie them in knots, entangle them in their own webs until at last they come to the end of themselves.”
IMO, ABBA will sit back watching the bent getting bent further by their very own crookedness, getting into even tighter knots, being so entangled in the very webs they have spun, they finally (hopefully) come to their wits end, to reach out for deliverance- “Until the metal breaks from all the bends. And then it can be melted and remade.” No more resistance left. YES!!!