My eyes fail with longing for Your salvation, and for Your righteous word. Psalm 119:123 NASB Longing for – Yesterday we discovered that the psalmist wants a guarantee about life. He asks God to act as his bond, to ensure he will not fall victim to his enemies. It sounds so good to hear that God cares enough to…
They almost destroyed me on earth, but as for me, I did not abandon Your precepts. Psalm 119:87 NASB Destroyed – What will be the final line in your obituary? “A good husband?” “A loving wife?” “A cherished father/mother?” “A provider?” “A friend?” How about “committed to God?” Or “a Torah-keeper?” Would you think to add…
Blessed are those whose way is [a]blameless, who walk in the Law of the Lord. Psalm 119:1 NASB Blameless – The Hebraic world knows no systematic theology. That’s a Greek invention. What it knows is the lived reality of God’s interaction in the everyday world of men and women. The Hebraic world doesn’t have creeds or hard-and-fast doctrines…
As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him. Psalm 18:30 NIV Perfect – Perfection is one of God’s attributes listed by Thomas Aquinas. The list also includes omniscience, omnipotence, eternal, immutable, etc. I’m sure you’re familiar with the ideas even if you don’t know the theological…
Now Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram, and camped before the city. Genesis 33:18 NASB Safely – In Hebrew there are really only two verb tenses; complete actions and incomplete actions. That’s because Hebrew sees the world with a completely different framework than…
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.1 John 4:18 NASB Is not perfected– teleióō. That’s the Greek term here. The verb is a perfect passive. ESV translates it as “has not been perfected.” The NASB translation could give us the…
“Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. Joshua 24:14 NASB Sincerity – Are you sincere? Ah, your answer could depend on your heritage. The meaning of “sincere” seems to vary even in contemporary cultures. Trilling notes: “In…
When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents. Genesis 25:27 NASB Was– Hebrew often communicates deep meaning through what is absent from the text. Such is the case with this verse. In the English translation, the copula is added in the…
He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out. Proverbs 10:9 NASB Integrity – Are you considered a person of integrity? Ah, before you answer, you might want to know what tamam means. Most of us think of integrity as a synonym for honesty and by that…
Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” Matthew 19:21 NASB Complete – Yeshua was no financial planner. His advice would probably have caused a federal investigation and charges of deceptive practices….
