David’s Letter to the Hebrews
I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness, because You have seen my affliction; You have known the troubles of my soul, Psalm 31:7 NASB
Have known– It’s an unfortunate unexamined assumption of many believers that Yeshua is our savior because he truly understands our human frailties. After all, he was one of us. And since God is transcendently removed from this ignoble creation, it was incumbent to send someone in human form so we could be assured that a divine being really empathizes with our struggles. That’s why we need such a savior.
This kind of argument usually cites a few verses in the letter to the Hebrews, like:
For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted (Hebrews 2:18)
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).
But I’m afraid David would strongly disagree. Not with the author of Hebrews. That author is writing a midrash. Therefore, he can extrapolate to make his case for the Messiah’s role. No, David would strongly disagree that YHVH doesn’t know what it is like to experience human struggle. According to David, God has intimate knowledge of our ṣārot (distresses), “the personal anguish one encounters in adverse circumstances.”[1] Listen, friends. God knows! He knows all about what is happening to us, not as a cognitive, omniscient fact but rather as a deeply personal empathetic engagement. God knows! Everything! Everything about how we feel, how we think, how we get discouraged, how we rationalize, how much we are desperate, how we agonize, how we hope. God knows it all, far beyond an accounting ledger of behavioral acts. He knows the heartache at least as deeply as we do, and probably more.
I sat it the pews of Santa Maria Presso San Satiro in Milan with my youngest son. He has a terrible, and terribly important job. He is therapist to the children of some of the most abusive families you would never want to meet. He sees things that can’t even be shown on today’s licentious television. He sat next to me, crying. “Why, Dad, is the world so cruel? Why do the people who want to be good, who want to do good for others—why are they rejected? Why don’t people care?” Tears. No answers. God knows.
The tourists flowed in and out. Pictures, guide books, oohs and aahs. No one stopped to pray. No one wept. No one connected to the displaced God that was once represented by this sanctuary of peace in a world of chaos. Now a museum to a forgotten feeling of grief. David could write Hebrews, but he would start with this: God knows us. Is that enough?
Topical Index: ṣārot, troubles, distress, Psalm 31:7, Hebrews 2:18, Hebrews 4:15
[1]Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. 1999 (R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (779). Chicago: Moody Press.
i pray for your son, his work, & those he’s working with — and for your parental strength.
Even when you can’t listen to yourself, never mind hear anything like coherence in the tumultuous echoes of pain reverberating against your nothingness. There with you I am.
I’m sure it is possible for one to live a relatively good, purposeful, and meaningful life, even through the suffering of the evil, loss, grief, and pain of this life, and even without faith in a loving, compassionate God.
I believe anyone, even without such faith, but with a certain constitution of mind and will, can be adequately self-validating and self-affirming to overcome the trials of even severe or chronic adversities of life and be a relatively good person.
However, I will forever argue, that it is a far better life to live having faith in the loving, compassionate God of Israel. And I will forever argue, that it is a far better life to live having faith in Yeshua, the Messiah of Israel, as the fullness of the exact expressed image of that God.
David evidently knew YHVH as a loving, compassionate God, and he evidently knew of a coming messiah, but how much greater might have been the life he lived if he had known the testimony of Yeshua Messiah. Yeshua’s coming didn’t make God more loving and compassionate, nor was it necessary for David to know the testimony of Yeshua Messiah to live a great life. But Yeshua’s coming as the messiah of Israel sure expressed the image of God in a far superior way than had theretofore ever been known by any man, woman, or child, and, therefore, I believe the writer of Hebrews would have had some enlightening things to share with David about the God he already knew, in part, to be a loving and compassionate God.
“At many times and in many ways, God spoke long ago to the fathers through the prophets. In these last days He has spoken to us through a Son, whom He appointed heir of all things and through whom He created the universe. This Son is the radiance of His glory and the imprint of His being, upholding all things by His powerful word. When He had made purification for our sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” [Heb 1:1-3]
We may ask, “Where will the writer of Hebrews be seated?” But we may also ask, “Where will David be seated?”
Whose theology is better, Christian or Jew, David or the writer of Hebrews, is not the greatest question. The greatest question is, “Who is superior in expressing the image of God as one who is loving and compassionate?
YESHUA MESSIAH is he!
Sure would be interested in reading differing views to these comments.
David was a man after Gods own heart but Yeshua was God’s heart.
‘Nuff said, Pam.
Hello from the North to the South miss Laurita.!!
Howdy back, girlfriend!
P.S And wouldn’t that be MESS Laurita?
I guess your your right but need to include myself, we are a mess??
I certainly can appreciate the feelings of your son and your feelings for your son and the pain involved in this type of ministry especially when he carries the heart of God . God has found a choice vessel to minister through and it is a costly ministry, in so many respects. I spent 20 years working with behaviorally/emotionally disturbed adolescents. I will pray for him as he comes to mind, thanks for sharing that Papa!
At 18 I decided to work in the field of people who had mental disabilities. At that time they were warehoused in 7 major institutions across the state. I had toured everyone and was privy to the things others were not allowed to see. It was appalling things I can not even mention also,Being so young I could not wrap my head around it.In the midst of it all I felt even one person can make a difference . In my 40 odd years enormous change came about. Institution’s became exposed by many journalists and film makers and workers like me. All the institutions were shut down .laws that protected them inforced to the letter. They now live in dignity,and to be honest far better than most people. Gods wheels of justce grind slowly but finely ,its just hard to see it when you are encompassed about with the cruelty perpetrated on the innocence day after day. I just held on to the fact I made a difference and still do.Tell your son to hold on he does make a difference.
Skip, I imagine there is joy in your heart as it breaks along with his, knowing that you raised a son who became human ( in truth, 2 sons and a daughter). Well done.
I suspect the rewards we will receive will be in some measure proportional to the pain we experience and not just to the pain we are able to assuage. There can be no comforting without discomfort, no drying away tears without tears having been shed and no end to suffering without first having suffered.
It is admirable to attempt to alleviate or mitigate the suffering of the many who suffer. It is certainly better to act than to ignore it, mock it or cause it, but I think it is only when one is able to mourn with the suffering that the comfort Yeshua promised will come to both the mourned and the mourner.
Yes, Father does know best…and knowing only makes His pain greater, not less.
I agree Michael with most of what you say but saying alleviating suffering is only admirable and just sitting around mourning with others who suffer is better just doesn’t equate in my thinking. Maybe that’s just me,it generally compels me to act and ask God if there is anything I am capable of doing to help relieve the suffering. Your right many times it’s just being there that is the consolation but if God instructs you to act I sure love it.
Pam, I agree. Action is not only necessary, it is required. The point I tried to make was we are of the greatest help to those who suffer by identifying with their suffering. It is then that good can come from suffering, even if it is just our learning. The degree and depth of this vicarious identification varies with each person. It can be through vocational interactions, through personal or professional ministry or just living. I know of a man who wanted to “help the homeless” and when he asked God how he could help (thinking a monetary donation or a few hours slinging hash at a soup kitchen would be His response), He was told to forsake everything, become homeless and follow Him. He was told that it was only by being homeless could he understand homelessness and help those who suffer that abuse. After much argument and pleading the man obeyed and he did learn, did understand and did help.
Try to explain suffering to those who don’t know it: it’s like explaining the inexplicable. Even heaven apparently needed inside info to deal with it. But, once you have suffered, nothing else needs to be said.
We are all afraid of suffering: suffering is not a choice the flesh wants to make. Even evil has to lie to get us to make the choices that result in suffering. But suffering has a curious side effect: once you have gone through it, you can lose the fear of it. I think it may be because we all believe things about suffering that just are not true, but I also think it is because suffering, by its nature, peels the flesh off of us because suffering is horrifying to the flesh. We naturally don’t want to have anything to do with ourselves in that suffering, but I think it is precisely in that moment that heaven can intervene and come in between us and ourselves (self idolatry), because the enchantment is broken. Drop the flesh, and suffering enters another dimension altogether.
Also, I think there is a bond suffering produces between fellow sufferers that pleasure never could. Perhaps this is how love becomes even more itself by means of the unloving? God may have loved us just as much without sending His Son to commiserate with us, but my darkest hours have been the moments that I identified the most with Him. Love is not afraid of suffering, but it seems only suffering can teach us that. Suffering brings out the best in love, too. Hey, it’s not just hard to keep a good thing down: it’s impossible! Halleluah!
I absolutely agree hands down. If your not willing to get your hands dirty and get in it you won’t win it. I became very adept at camping out and dumpster diving and rescuing them in all hours of the night when there drunk and beaten for what little they had. A single women out in the night alone doing this never once was I hurt or abused even when I took them in my home. God protected me in my fearless stupidty. For ever time we suffered we seemed to gain 2 in victory .Now that I am older not as easy to do ha ha but I am pretty fearless none the less.2 months ago threw my car keys accidently in a huge dumpster come to think of it still scaled it with no problem maybe I’m not done yet ?