The Egocentric Gospel (1)
Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 NASB
Desires – Does God want you to have what you want? By translating the feminine noun mishalot as “desires,” we are inclined to believe that one of God’s purposes is to be the genie who grants us our wishes. But this word, which is used in only two places in the Tanakh,[1] comes from a root verb that means, “to ask, inquire, borrow, beg.” In other words, the linguistic context of the word is not about personal desires but rather about asking or making requests. TWOT notes, “Over and over again in the ot šāʾal is used of men and women asking or failing to ask God for guidance, i.e., enquiring of the Lord.”[2] The overwhelming context of šāʾal is not about wish fulfillment but about those things God alone can supply. “Among the items mentioned in the OT as things which God has been asked for we find: understanding, life, a king, a child for the barren, rain, and in Isa 58:2, ‘the ordinances of justice.’ Thus men and women not only ‘ask’ (šāʾal) God for guidance (above), but they are seen in the OT as beseeching him through prayer and through a prophet for the needs and issues of life.”[3]
With this in mind, perhaps we should amplify the translation so that it directs us to think of God supplying answers to our requests that concern Him and His world. Of course, that also involves us, but it does not make us the focus of this promise. The psalmist is not egocentric and God is not a genie. What is at stake here is the fulfillment of those deep requests that reflect the nature of God and His design.
In the past we have suggested that this verse can be read another way. Instead of treating mishalot as our personal checklists, we can read the verse so that it says that God will give us the desires themselves. In other words, the reference for “desires” is not another external list of things but rather the actual motivations themselves. In this reading, delighting in God will result in having His desires in your heart.
In either case, the verse cannot support a prosperity form of the good news. God is not in the business of buying you a Mercedes, as Janis Joplin so eloquently put it. God is in the business of reshaping what matters to you and He does this by altering the intentions and motivations of your heart so that they reflect Him. This He promises. Delight in Him and you will find that who He is becomes your most important desire.
Topical Index: desires, mishalot, šāʾal, ask, request, prosperity, Psalm 37:4
[1] the other is Psalm 20:5
[2] Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. 1999 (R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (891). Chicago: Moody Press.
[3] Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. 1999 (R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (891). Chicago: Moody Press.
I wanted to contribute to yesterday’s feed by quoting something from Deuteronomy about celebrating in YHWH but could not find it. And behold today my thoughts are amplified by “delighting” in YHWH.
The material subject (desire) focus on the essential understanding of prayer: When prayers for DESIRES (greek understanding / mistranslation) comes to fruition … it is not from YHWH.
We are supposed to pray for our NEEDS … no more no less.
Why do we think life is about things? Life is about purpose (Frankl). Questions are for answers, not for stuff. We are directed to ask for our daily bread, yes, but what we seem to want is a six-lane highway built right up to the door of our grave TODAY!
A wise friend of my brother observed “There are no unanswered questions: only unasked ones”.
I have decided that when we try to worry about our future, we get in the way of YHVH doing something about it. Its clear: either He gets to decide, or we do. As I got taught in Alanon: you cannot divorce authority from responsibility. If you cannot take the responsibility, then you have to leave the authority alone. If I cannot supply the desires of my heart (responsibility), then I have to leave the authority itself (desire) alone. My will exists to will His as my desire exists to desire His. When I am sharing His desire for me, I have every confidence that He will accomplish it. Wait, I have a question: “what is His desire for me?” I need to go ask that one right now!
Thank you, Skip, for resurrecting this oldy but goody.
“what is His desire for me?”
That my NEEDS (life, peace to walk out Torah) be fulfilled.
I cannot agree with this post more! Sadly, there are many Christians who look to God as a ‘genie in a bottle’. So-called ‘Word of Faith’ adherents are the most blatant offenders, and this thought permeates quite a lot of the aberrant streams within the Christianity of today.
NT whatever you ask in My name will be grant.
Make all your desires known through prayer and supplications and God will provide.
You ask and you receive not, because you ask for what you lust.
My own words…
But yes Skip I agree it is what we need to manifest His will and not about our natural goals and inspirations.
God provides as James said wisdom for all that ask…
A big AMEN to this post. I have known this is true for quite a while but it’s always good to get a reminder!!!
On another subject, I just want to comment on how great the web-site looks, including the comments section. I believe it is Mark (forgive me if I’m wrong on the name) who has been working hard developing the site. I should remember because I know I talked to him once when he did a remote hookup to my computer to solve a problem with the comments section during the development. Anyway I just want to say “job well done, good and faithful servant” to someone who operates in the background and probably doesn’t get enough notice or credit for his work. I really appreciate what you have done.
I don’t always comment, but I read Skip’s blogs every day and always am challenged by what he says. But I also enjoy and learn from the comments. Blessings and shalom to everyone in the community!!!
Right on target!
All we need is Him.
Period.
Over the past week I was disturbed by a reasonably normal situation that I had some instinctive capacity for resolution but couldn’t quite resolve. In the middle of last night I resigned myself to asking for God’s help, wisdom, direction. How pleased am I to sit here tonight having found on Monday morning a perfect social, instead of secular, resolution. It was so simple but I couldn’t see it!. Sometimes we overlook the obvious (failing to ask God for guidance: Heschel) and we complicate it with egocentric Greek thinking.
How lovely are Your dwelling places, YHWH; my heart and my soul longs for Your courts, my heart cries out, ( כָּלָה kâlâh- complete, faints, desires) for the Living God. How blessed are those who dwell in Your house!
They are ever praising You. Amein!
May this ever be our desires.
“God is in the business of reshaping what matters to you and He does this by altering the intentions and motivations of your heart so that they reflect Him. This He promises. Delight in Him and you will find that who He is becomes your most important desire.”
Thank you Skip for a great reminder of what our priorities should be. A far cry from the prosperity doctrine that was rife during the latter part of last century (and still is in many churches)..I remember attending a meeting where the guest was Robert Schuyler
was the guest speaker seeking donations for the building of the Crystal Cathedral. For a donation of $50 you could have a small plaque with your name on it attached to one of the seat backs. How much better to have our name in “The Book of Life”.and have the YHWH put His desires for our lives in our hearts.