“If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.” Psalm 139:8 Make my bed – Four in thirty nine.  Keep that in mind when you think of the number of times this word is used in the Old Testament.  Yasa’ occurs only four times in thirty-nine…

O LORD, rebuke me not in Your wrath, and chasten me not in Your burning anger.” Psalm 38:1 Burning anger – Can you identify with David’s emotional state or are you so far away from a God who is enraged at sin that you can’t even imagine what it would be like to fear the…

O LORD, rebuke me not in Your wrath, and chasten me not in Your burning anger.” Psalm 38:1 Rebuke – “Rebuke me not”.  Yakah.  To convict.  To judge.  To reprove.  Perhaps the translation does not give us the fullest appreciation of David’s plea.  Literally, “Yahweh, not to me in your wrath convict.”  Don’t bring the…

O LORD, rebuke me not in Your wrath, and chasten me not in Your burning anger.” Psalm 38:1 Wrath – “in Your wrath do not rebuke me” we read in English.  But the Hebrew is more dramatic.  The first word is the prefix “Not”.  David has fixed the emphasis on what is most desperately needed. …

“O LORD, rebuke me not in Your wrath, and chasten me not in Your burning anger.” Psalm 38:1 O LORD – The Hebrew text does not use the word “Lord” but rather the personal name of God, a name that is never spoken among the Jews.  Worshippers were careful to substitute the word “Lord” whenever…