The Good Old Days

From long ago I have known from Your testimonies that You have founded them forever.  Psalm 119:152  NASB Long ago – The Hebrew perspective on time isn’t concerned with uniformity, event progression, or exactness.  We, on the other hand, are time possessed.  Since the industrial revolution, our days are consumed with the exact hour, minute, and second,…

Term Limits

Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your Law is truth.  Psalm 119:142 NASB Everlasting – How long is everlasting?  Wait, don’t give me a naïve answer, “Well, forever, of course.”  Think deeper. The word is ʿôlām.  Macrae makes the following remark about this Hebrew word: Probably derived from ʿālam I, “to hide,” thus pointing to what…

What Lasts?

Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever mine.  Psalm 119:98  NASB For they are ever mine – We might think that the last part of this verse is straightforward.  No matter if the first part is a comparative or (syntax rearranged) a declaration of need, at least the last part seems…

The Happiness Formula (2)

I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have revived me.  Psalm 119:93  NASB Revived – The Hebrew verb ḥāyâ has a wide range of meanings: “live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live forever. Also be quickened, revive from sickness, discouragement, or even death.”[1]  As if that weren’t enough, there are…

Lamedh

Forever, O Lord, Your word stands firm in the heavens.  Psalm 119:89  Chabad לְעוֹלָ֥ם יְהֹוָ֑ה דְּ֜בָֽרְךָ֗ נִצָּ֥ב בַּשָּׁמָֽיִם לְדֹ֣ר וָ֖דֹר אֱמֽוּנָתֶ֑ךָ כּוֹנַ֥נְתָּ אֶ֜֗רֶץ וַֽתַּֽעֲמֹֽד לְמִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ עָֽמְד֣וּ הַיּ֑וֹם כִּ֖י הַכֹּ֣ל עֲבָדֶֽיךָ לוּלֵ֣י תוֹרָֽתְךָ֣ שַֽׁעֲשֻׁעָ֑י אָ֖ז אָבַ֣דְתִּי בְעָנְיִֽי לְעוֹלָם לֹא־אֶשְׁכַּ֣ח פִּקּוּדֶ֑יךָ כִּי־בָ֜֗ם חִיִּיתָֽנִי לְֽךָ־אֲ֖נִי הוֹשִׁיעֵ֑נִי כִּ֖י פִקּוּדֶ֣יךָ דָרָֽשְׁתִּי לִ֚י קִוּ֣וּ רְשָׁעִ֣ים לְאַבְּדֵ֑נִי עֵֽ֜דֹתֶ֗יךָ אֶתְבּוֹנָֽן לְכָל תִּ֖כְלָה רָאִ֣יתִי…

The Great Timeline

The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever.  Psalm 121:8  NASB And forever – We reach the end of this short poem.  The end is “forever,” an appropriate place to close our thoughts about God’s care.  According to the poet, God is constantly watching over us (the metaphor…