It is time for the Lord to act, for they have broken Your Law. Psalm 119:126 NASB For the Lord – Notice the change in the Chabad translation (the same by Robert Alter): “A time to do for the Lord; they have made void Your Torah.” What happened? Here’s the Hebrew verse: עֵת לַֽעֲשׂ֣וֹת לַֽיהֹוָ֑ה הֵ֜פֵ֗רוּ תּֽוֹרָתֶֽךָ I’ve highlighted…
Then I will not be ashamed when I look at all Your commandments. Psalm 119:6 NASB Not be ashamed – It’s worth reiterating the difference between our contemporary, psychological idea of “shame” and the ancient Hebrew idea. As we’ve discovered before: The primary meaning of this root is “to fall into disgrace, normally through failure, either…
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the lord your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12 ESV Experience Matters by Michael Moen My son, Michael, wrote this on his birthday nine years ago. I think it’s time to read it again. Honor – The word kābēd…
He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. I will satisfy him with a long life, and show him My salvation. Psalm 91:15-16 NASB Rescue/ Honor – “The poet is a mortal, claimed by the gods to reveal them in words; poetry is…
Our Father, our King, we have no King but You. Our Father, our King, act [benevolently] with us for the sake of Your Name. Avinu Malkeinu For the sake – According to Gordon Tucker’s comment in Abraham Heschel’s work, Heavenly Torah, these first two lines of the prayer Avinu Malkeinu are attributed to Rabbi Akiva. …
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11 NASB Grace and glory – Ah, what we so desperately want! Joy. Joy of life. Joy of relationships. Joy that satisfies our deepest longings for acceptance, recognition,…
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Romans 1:21 ESV Did not honor – Paul delineates two critical failures of those whom God consigns to futility. The first is that even though…
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the lord your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12 ESV by Michael Moen Honor – The word kabbed is found 376 times in the Hebrew Bible. It is used over half the time as a reference to a “weighty”…
And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations; knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint . . . Romans 5:3-5 NASB Tribulations – Can you think upside-down? Putting on the “new man” requires more than a change of clothes. It…
Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hands of the Egyptians . . . Exodus 14:30 NASB Saved – If you’ve never asked yourself why God chose Hebrew as the language of His personal revelation, this verse should raise the question. Oh, it seems so straightforward on the surface, but that’s because we…
