Sunburned (2)
O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1 NASB
Seek earnestly – When we examined what appeared to be merely repetition in the opening phrase, we discovered some amazing depth. I suspect we’re about to find the same thing in the next part of this verse. Have you earnestly sought God? Have you sought Him as if you were in a desert land and He was water? The object of the verb šāḥar is most often God Himself, and seeking typically follows some sort of affliction. So it appears that when bad things happen, we open the door to looking for God. Perhaps there was a gilded edge to the affliction after all. Would any of us deny that in times of trouble we are more inclined to seek Him? If that’s the case, what does this tell us about our commitment when life is smooth and easy? I have sometimes said that those who seem to have lives of luxury do so because God knows they are not able to handle difficulties and retain their faith. He tries those whom He knows are capable, and, as a result, faith grows stronger. When Paul exhorts his readers to look for meat rather than a diet of milk, do any of us think that he might be advocating confrontation, trials, and disturbances? But doesn’t James say the same thing?
This verb, šāḥar, leads us someplace else as well. šāḥar is also a noun. What precisely it refers to is of some debate.
Some have taken a clue from the Ras Shamra texts in which šḥr refers both to the common noun “dawn” and to the name of a deity, Dawn. Šaḥar, along with šalim, is born to a woman who has been impregnated by the god El (UT 16: Text no. 52). The suggestion is then that there are (veiled) references to this Canaanite deity in the ot, albeit in a demythologized fashion.[1]
The most interesting instance of šāḥar is in Isaiah 14:12. TWOT notes:
How you are fallen from heaven Lucifer (KJV son of the morning, hêlēl ben šaḥar).” That the passage occurs in the context of a satire on the king of Babylon no one will deny. Yet many Christians have taken this verse (along with perhaps Ezk 28), and on the basis of verses such as Lk 10:18; I Tim 3:6, have assumed that here is something on Satan’s origin, especially his expulsion from heaven subsequent to his pompous display of arrogance. The New Bible Commentary (rev. ed., p. 600) calls such exegesis “a precarious conjecture.” And E. J. Young can say flatly (p. 441), “It cannot apply to Satan.” Among evangelicals Archer (WBC, p. 622) is the most open to a supernatural, cosmic interpretation. We feel safest with the application of the phrase to the Babylonian tyrant whose gross pride provided fuel for the prophet’s invective.[2]
David certainly wasn’t concerned about the king of Babylon in his use of šāḥar, but maybe we who read the text centuries later need to do a little theological revision as long as the subject has come up. Maybe we have a modern tendency to attribute bad times to Satan rather than noticing how God uses difficulties to shape our faith. Maybe, just maybe, we need to give credit where credit is due—and stop giving the credit to a simple servant of YHVH.
Topical Index: šāḥar, to seek earnestly, dawn, Lucifer, Isaiah 14:12, Psalm 63:1
[1] Hamilton, V. P. (1999). 2369 שָׁחַר. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (917). Chicago: Moody Press.
[2] Ibid.
All are afflicted. Those in luxury are not excluded. “Confrontation, trials and disturbances” are not something to be “advocated”. We don’t have to choose them. They choose us. Whether Satan is the messenger of affliction or not, there is One who reigns supreme and He is the Author and Perfecter of our faith. This is His calling. To seek and find Him. To know Him. To become like Him. Whether by milk or meat.
Here is the question. Do we merely want a solution for our affliction or do we want to find and know and become like HIM….and to do HIS will on earth as it is in heaven?
“I believe that true, effective partnership with God is found in being preoccupied with His heart. If we can become preoccupied with His heart, He will occupy us with the agenda of His heart.” – Jonas Park (my son – quote from a newly released worship album he produced, called “Fully Alive”, by Forerunner Music)
A lot here to digest. I was struck by the phrase “those who SEEM to have lives of luxury”. It makes me wonder who we’re fooling, if not ourselves. A very good and useful post Skip. Kudos.
I have noticed that those who tend to “seek earnestly” are those that have come to the end of themselves; their paradigm is broken. We don’t challenge the status quo as long as it continues to (seemingly, anyway) endorse us back.
The rich in this world, at least according to the world’s standards, are those who seem to have the most success with the world’s substitutes for love; for real connection. I mean, the world offers a paradigm devoted to establishing connections that are based upon the motivations and the service of the flesh. Thus, we have fraternities, associations, accreditations, societies, welfare and insurance and even churches of every hue, along with every conceivable earthly system designed to replace dependence upon God. These associations and systems may not be ‘bad’ in themselves, but if we use them in an attempt to acquire the accouterments of real connection; real love; we run a real risk of setting sail in a leaky lifeboat instead of an ark.
When tough times come, and earthly associations and systems fail us, this is the time to rejoice that we have real motivation to step out of our dependence upon these love substitutes and embrace real love; real saving connections with God, others, and even ourselves.
The prophylactics, reality-altering drugs and fleshly motivated appeals of earth also keep us from true connection; true love with ourselves, too. We turn to these substitutes of real time with ourselves in self examination, reflection and improvement as long as they (kinda) work, but in crises, when we end up hurting anyway, we can rejoice that the power of enchantment these substitutes for relating to ourselves correctly has been broken and we have a real motivational chance to start again in true meditation and time spent in establishing a real foundation for our self, which always will start with a real foundation with God.
Chaos rips apart false foundations made of “wood, hay, stubble” where we buried ourselves in the church floor of the chapel we built to Self, and only in trouble it seems we can we see ourselves naked “before Him with which we have to do”. That is the only place, however – there “at the end of all things, Frodo” – at the end of ourselves; our ‘own’ resources and alliances; that we find who we really are, but unless and until we can find and bring our real self, a real relationship with God cannot begin.
Most people, I am afraid, have just pasted God onto their previous security systems and associations or hopped over the wall instead of going in at the Wicker Gate, which can only be reached on the far side, I noticed, of the Slough of Despond. The systems of the world are all attempts to circumvent that Slough: the Slough where we make a real decision to leave all behind and follow Him. The rest of us, like the rich young ruler, just “go away sorrowing” because the world is still (kinda) working for us.
Laurita,
Your thoughts are right on!
When the beguilements of this old world start to crumble and
the real self is left naked and alone up against that prideful wall,
Plan B becomes the choice du jour. More often than not, that plan
includes seeking out some divine help.
It happens to us all — rich or poor. It’s just a matter of time.
It took the thief on the cross to about a minute left in his life, to finally “see”
where it’s at. Some of us get longer leashes in this worldly life than others.
Now Rich that is well circumvented…
It reminds me of were we read of the invitation “Ye who… are come…”
This is our clue to give the credit to the redeeming entity to be clothed, fed and sheltered. Not by our might but by His grace we are saved. So that our dirty and torn clothes can be replaced by the white cloak of the righteous deeds…
Come be seated on the right side true and worthy servant. When I was hungry you fed me, when I thirst you gave me to drink, when in prison you visited, when naked you clothed…
The redeemer is born from the seed of David… This gets a new meaning if read with this Psalm. The seed can now include the deep calling or prayers from David’s heart. We can use these to understand the teachings of Yeshua as they seem to fit in quite often…
Laurita, I understand what you mean and I don’t disagree with you in your second paragraph. By world standards I am a rich man. By western world standards I am probably middle/upper middle class. I was an active member of my church in a multitude of ways from the door greeter and gofer to chairman of the first parish council and many things in between.
I have also been involved with service clubs, charities, and not-for-profit associations at the lowest and highest levels, every one of them dedicated to making the world a better place whether they be for free artificial limbs for children; affordable equipment in third world countries for machinery; mentoring; fund raising; exchange programs or providing emergency supplies and others.
And there has been the relatively neutral territory of getting a great candidate elected for mayor, organizing week-long cycling tours for people of all abilities and ages, or being a board member of a small organization that needs direction.
Regardless of their many purposes I have always gained more than I have given. But ultimately this blog has concentrated my “Hebrew God” mind to “seek Him earnestly” more than any other in a meaningful way that the others couldn’t, thanks to all of you but especially of course to Skip for what he has somehow endured from the early days in the desert to today. Well done Skip, good and faithful servant.
I really need to give more than passing thanks to my good and faithful ezer kenegdo Penny who was always with my in these endeavors. Bless her and keep her always by my side.
Dear George (and Penny too, of course),
You both have large hearts and I have been blessed by them, too. Nothing is ‘bad’ in and of itself, except the “deceitfully wicked heart of man”; all can be opportunities for good or for bad depending on what the “counsels of the heart” dictate. However, we can look at our motivations and see not one thing ‘wrong’, but YHVH says He is a jealous God; we can make the mistake of putting good works above working with Him.
I struggled mightily for decades doing every good work in front of me, and paying a lot to do it, and the more I did, the more piled up in front of me. I was exhausted! I didn’t understand why it was so hard and unfruitful; why nobody seemed to end up in the Kingdom; including me. I literally worked myself into the ground.
Nowadays it seems just as strange. I feel like a baby these days; a lot of times it seems that all I did that day was barely a few ‘good’ things. I repented for drivenness and performance for love; I determined that that was classified as “inordinate affection” – affection in the wrong ORDER – and was not really accomplishing the fruit of righteousness, even though they were the WORKS of righteousness. Also, I was doing them in my own strength.
Yoked with Christ. What does that mean? I feel like a fumbling yearling learning something I never learned; to gee and haw according to the direction of Another. Instead of performing to earn love, I have to “wait on the Lord for strength”; sometimes – many times – so many times – I miss the footing; the starting cue. Back to the starting line. Again. This is a brand new skill set for me! The green lights from above look a whole lot different from the ones I determined for myself. A lot of them look nothing like the ‘righteousness’ I was used to.
I was used to running on adrenaline; wrong motivating energy, y’all. I was used to REACTING; to being one step BEHIND disaster; that was my cue to rush in and pick up the pieces; wrong motivation. I was used to letting others dictate to me what righteousness was: “do this and I will love you”; “do this and I will trust you”; do this because otherwise I am going to lose it”; do this because this system that people set up to accomplish righteousness – good in this world – is the mechanism by which that good gets ‘done'”. But, at the end of the day, was there true salvation; true connection; true freedom; true lasting love?
I cannot start with the world and end up with God. I cannot ‘add’ Him to the formulas devised by me, either. So many of the charitable institutions of this world, like certain ones I won’t name, are merely fronts to disguise terrible iniquity. One of the stated objectives of those in secret societies is that, if you are going to accomplish great evil, you must do a corresponding amount of public ‘good’. So many of the folks we revere the most because of their public displays of charity are doing truly nasty stuff behind the scenes. This, in fact, is the basis of the yin/yang principle of the East; the only motivation – the only energy – we have to ‘do good’ comes because we are ‘making up’ for doing bad. This is the best the world can do. I have paused and reflected that, at the end of the day, I was still, after exhausting myself, batting net zero. No real feathers in my hat, or stars in my crown, either.
This is what I think I have learned so far in my life. Is the fuel in my tank truly from above, or am I filling up the engine of my train from the caboose; from guilt, performance or a need to be loved? The fruit will tell the tale.
Today, the 20th of Nissan (Aviv) is the day God told Moses to tell the people to make a turn and camp by Pi Hahiroth (the mouth of the gorges.) This was a path that would lead them directly to the Red Sea. Thinking the wilderness had shut them in, they were confused and panicked. There was one way in and one way out and, in their minds, it was a death trap. Most of us would prefer to travel the familiar road, the wider path…the Israelites certainly did. But, if they had gone the familiar route, Pharaoh would have overtaken and destroyed them. They could not imagine that God would open the sea, with a blast from His nostrils, and extend the narrow path to the other side of the sea…to complete freedom from their oppressor.
Skip if you could explain this simple servant of God. I think you mean Satan or evil entities. Just opens up a whole lot of questions as to what God uses to get our obedience.
Sure does Pam when the NT shows Paul instructing for the handing a member of the community over to Satan for the correction of the flesh and the purity of the assembly. Satan, though he would lord it over us IS NOT in control and ultimately is a servant even in his state of wickedness & lack of acknowledgement of correct order & a servant in the sense that his perverted nature is utilised by the wisdom of God to provide further opportunity for a man to repent. So I really like that ha Satan for all his interruption and degradations of image still has to bow to God. Praise our King. Shalom. FJ