Jots and Tittles: Rest

Transcription

1 Jots and Tittles: Rest Word Study Rest Psalms 55:6: And I said, Oh that I had the wings like a dove, for then would I fly away and be at rest. Rest Hebrew eshekonah Eshekohah comes from the root word shakan which means to dwell, make a habitation, abide and lie down. The word carries a paragogic Hei which would express the idea of being at total peace, secure and safe. It has its origins in a bird perching or roosting for the night high in a tree. It is safely removed from all threats of predators so that it can enjoy a peaceful sleep. So how does King David find this peace or rest in God? The word itself tells us. It is spelled Shin God s passionate love, Kap fills our lives so that the Nun can tear down walls. The walls that keep us from peace are hatred, fear, prejudice, ignorance and delusion. When we go to our special quiet place that special trysting place where we daily meet God and step into His presence, he fills us with His passionate love so that all that hatred, anger, bitterness, fear and everything that robs us of our peace is removed by His precious loving presence so that we indeed learn that perfect love cast out all fear (I John 4:18). Devotional Genesis 38:9 Good Morning Yamom Ki Yesepar and Nevim Arith Hayomim:

2 Genesis 38:9 And Onan knew that the seed should not be his and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. Mordecia Ham (a nice kosher name) was a great evangelist who lived and ministered in the early 20th Century. He traveled through the deep South holding revival meetings and thousands upon thousands came to salvation through the efforts of Mordecia Ham. Churches were known to double and triple in size after Mordecia Ham passed through with his revival meetings. He was so used to hundreds coming forward during his invitations to receive Jesus as their Savior that when he held a revival in Charlotte, North Carolina and just a handful of people found Jesus, Mordecia Ham was convinced the power of God left him and that his ministry had ended. He wrote in his diary that it seemed his only convert in the meeting was a skinny little farm boy. This was proof positive to Mordecia that his ministry was over. However, by the next crusade he was again seeing hundreds of people come to a saving knowledge of Jesus through his preaching. Once again Mordecia Ham realized that he had become too focused on the here and now, his reputation, the numbers and not on God s perfect will. Recommitting himself to just do the will of God and not focus on his numbers he continued for many years to be mightly used of God. Oh, by that way, that skinny little farm boy? His name was Billy Graham. Onan was from the tribe of Judah. Hebrew law required that if his brother were to die and not leave an heir, he was to marry his sister in law and give her a child who would receive the birthright which included the family estate. Onan was very focused on the here and now. He knew full well that if he gave a child to his sister in law he would not possess the birthright of his older brother, that it would go to that son. So every time he was to perform his duty in giving a

3 child to his sister in law he would spill his seed on the ground. God was so displeased with this act of disobedience that he lifted his hand of protection from Onan and he died leaving another who would be obedient to give the woman a child. Oh, by the way, that child would father another child who would father another child who would eventually become King David, who would father a child, who would father another child who would eventually become Jesus, the Messiah. There is a word used here in the Hebrew which reveals the nature of Onan s sin. The Bible says: lest that he should give seed to his brother. It is that word give that shows the extreme selfish nature of Onan, who wanted the family estate for himself and not share it with an heir. You see that word give in Hebrew is Nathan. It means to give but there is much more wrapped up in that word. The word is spelled Nun, Taw, Nun. The Nun represents fertility, growth, the Taw represents a completion of a cycle. The final Nun; which represents growth, has no foot on the bottom of the letter or no foundation so that what has been produced falls out at the end to be shared with others. This is a picture of Onan s sin. Actually, his refusal to share his seed with his brother s wife was preventing the completion of a cycle that would bring a Savior into the world to be shared with the entire world for all generations. Another little thing about this word to give or Nathan. In Hebrew it is spelled the same backward and forward. In other words when you give you begin a cycle of giving that is poured out and then returned back to you to be given out again. You do not see the word Nathan used that often in the Old Testament, it is actually used more in the Aramaic. I believe the reason is because this word is a very powerful statement about giving and it is not used lightly. Because Nathan or the Nun, Taw, Final Nun teaches us that when we give we can

4 expect a return, but that return is meant to be used to be given out again to continue the cycle of blessing. Onan broke that cycle in trying to keep it all for himself. Mordicai Ham gave and when he did not get the return he wanted he was ready to pack up his marbles and go home. He never stopped to realize that maybe God got the return He was looking for. Just keep giving and if you get a return, give it out again. If you don t get the return you are looking for, just remember, Nathan teaches there is always a return, it may just be the return that God wants and not the one you want. Devotional Psalms 73:17 Good Morning Yamon Ki Yesepar and Nevim Arith Hayomim: Psalms 73:17: Until I went into the sanctuary of God, then understood I their end. There is a quiet place, far from the rapid pace Where God can sooth my troubled mind. Sheltered by tree and flower, There in my quiet hour, With Him my cares are left behind. Whether a garden small or on a mountain tall, New strength and courage there I find, Then from this quiet place, I go prepared to face A new day with love for all mankind.

5 -Norman C. Brown- Asaph was a close friend of King David and collaborated with him on much of his poetry and music. Asaph was also a seer. The Bible does show a difference between a seer (ra ah) and a prophet (Nevim) Simply put, people would go to consult with a seer but a prophet would go to consult with the people. As a Levite who functioned in the role of a seer, Asaph would have had many people come to him for counsel as people would go to their pastor or priest today. Many would not make an important decision without first consulting a seer. Like a prophet a seer would receive revelation from God but that revelation would be to help someone coming to him for advice to discover God s will in a matter. Whereas a prophet would receive a revelation to exhort or warn people of their sins and short comings. As a seer Asaph pretty well saw the sufferings and anguish of God s people and he could not help but contrast this with the prosperity and problem free life of the wicked. In Psalms 73 Aspah is only repeating the question that he was most likely asked by the many who came to him for consul. That question would be: I have served God, sacrificed for Him, lived for him and yet I am suffering. God has made many promises but it seems like He has not kept them. Why? On top of that there is the issue expressed in verse 13: I have cleansed my heart in vain. I have heard a number of people comment that they tried Christianity but it just does not work. What they are saying is that they bought into the all the hype of Christianity that God will solve all their problems, restore their marriages, relationships, finances and then when they accept Him, things seem to only get worse. These people are really saying like Asaph: I have cleansed my heart in vain. This matter of why the righteous should suffer and the wicked get a pass on suffering is an age old question that usually

6 goes unanswered. It goes unanswered because few who ask this question go into the sanctuary like Asaph where they discover the answer. The word sanctuary in the Hebrew is a mysterious word. It is mikodeshi which is literally: my place of separation or my place of holiness. The Masorites ended the word with a Sere Yod which would give it a plural ending and thus be a allusion to the Holy of Holies. However, I question this as Asaph was not a high priest and could not have entered the Holy of Holies. As a seer, however, he would have a holy place or separate place that he would enter to receive his revelations from God. Thus, I would take issue with the Masorites and I would end the word with a Chireq Yod which would create the pronoun my. This is important because it shows that when Asaph needed an answer from God he had a special place, a quiet place where he would go to pray and meet with God. It was in this special quiet place that God revealed his secrets to him and it was here that Asaph found the answer to that age old question of why the righteous should suffer and the wicked prosper. Many translators render the last word in this verse, achar as end. It could mean that I suppose, but I it really means after, behind, or to tarry. Stretch the meaning and you can get end to suggest that in this quiet place Asaph saw the end of the lives of the wicked which is in everlasting torment. The righteous, however, will end up in heaven after a life of suffering. In other words the translators wanted to answer the question of why the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper in word achar. This is especially true of the KJV where King James and the Church of England wanted the people to be content in their sufferings with the promise of a better life in heaven. This was an excellent way to maintain control and hold down a rebellion.

7 I say, forget the agenda of kings and church leaders and let s just stay with the general meaning of achar which is to tarry. In other words Asaph said that in this quiet place he understood why the wicked continue or tarried in prosperity. What Asaph came to understand is that the presence of God he felt in his quiet place, that peace and joy in the presence of God answered the question for him. Let the world have their wealth and prosperity, for in the presence of God it means absolutely nothing. I challenge any translator to spend an hour in a quiet place or sanctuary with God and then give a rending for the word achar in this verse. There is an old song written by Helen Lemmel which best explains how we can understand our sufferings in this world like Asaph understood it: Turn you eyes upon Jesus Look full into His wonderful face And the things of earth will grow strangely dim In the light of His glory and grace. We do not have to wait until the end to find a better place, we can have it right now in the presence of God.