RR Psalm 31:18 Part 15
Shalom,
Psalms
Psalm 31:18(17) – Part 15
Psalm 31:18 Adonai, let me not be ashamed, for I have called upon You. Let the wicked be ashamed—let them be silent in Sheol.
Someone is going to be ashamed. Let it not be me. Wait, I’ve got an idea,… make my enemies ashamed! Let them be silent in Sheol. I’ve got a question… What do we know about Sheol? Well, Sheol (which is Hebrew transliteration) also goes by several other names in English, such as the grave, hell, the pit, and Hades. It is the realm of the dead, including the people who are there.
The first scriptural use of the word “Sheol” is by Jacob. Upon learning of Joseph’s (supposed) death, he refused to be comforted by his children. In his grief, Jacob cries out… Genesis 37:35b “For I will go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Interestingly, Strong’s Concordance ascribes 66 uses of this word in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Despite being identified as a type of hell, this is not a final place of torment. That is Gehenna. Sheol is synonymous with another Hebrew word, Qever (meaning “grave”). Followers of Yeshua may (and all probably will) die physical death. What is death but separation of body and spirit? The body will go to the grave, but the spirit of a believer never will. Then they will be reunited in the resurrection.
Rabbi Trail: In March of 2012 I had a mild heart attack and foolishly went to Israel two months later, although I had not yet recovered well. I was doing poorly on a walk through Jerusalem on our way to the “Garden Tomb,” so our tour guide flagged down taxi, put me in it and said in Hebrew, “He’s not doing well, please take him to the “Gan HaQever,” which is Hebrew for Garden Tomb, but it is the same words used idiomatically for “cemetery.” The driver may have misunderstood or was just making a joke when he replied, “Shouldn’t I take him to the hospital first?" End RT.
There is no way out of the Lake of Fire (Scripture calls this “second death.”) Revelation 20:14 Then death and Sheol were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. The Bible goes on to say… Revelation 21:8 “But for the cowardly and faithless and detestable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars—their lot is in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
As we said, Sheol is not final torment called second death. It is actually possible to escape from Sheol. Hosea 13:14 Should I ransom them from the hand of Sheol? Should I redeem them from death? O death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? Comfort is hidden from My eyes.” Second death is spiritual death and should not be confused with physical death (they’re not the same thing).
There appears to be more that we don’t know than what we do know. My suggestion is don’t wait to find out. Repent now! Shalom shalom.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Thu26-Jun-202530th of Sivan, 5785Rosh Chodesh Tamuz Day 1
Nu 17:1-9[16-24]; 28:11-15 Jer 41Ezr 32 Co 5(Lk 4)
Psalms
Psalm 31:18(17) – Part 15
Psalm 31:18 Adonai, let me not be ashamed, for I have called upon You. Let the wicked be ashamed—let them be silent in Sheol.
Someone is going to be ashamed. Let it not be me. Wait, I’ve got an idea,… make my enemies ashamed! Let them be silent in Sheol. I’ve got a question… What do we know about Sheol? Well, Sheol (which is Hebrew transliteration) also goes by several other names in English, such as the grave, hell, the pit, and Hades. It is the realm of the dead, including the people who are there.
The first scriptural use of the word “Sheol” is by Jacob. Upon learning of Joseph’s (supposed) death, he refused to be comforted by his children. In his grief, Jacob cries out… Genesis 37:35b “For I will go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Interestingly, Strong’s Concordance ascribes 66 uses of this word in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Despite being identified as a type of hell, this is not a final place of torment. That is Gehenna. Sheol is synonymous with another Hebrew word, Qever (meaning “grave”). Followers of Yeshua may (and all probably will) die physical death. What is death but separation of body and spirit? The body will go to the grave, but the spirit of a believer never will. Then they will be reunited in the resurrection.
Rabbi Trail: In March of 2012 I had a mild heart attack and foolishly went to Israel two months later, although I had not yet recovered well. I was doing poorly on a walk through Jerusalem on our way to the “Garden Tomb,” so our tour guide flagged down taxi, put me in it and said in Hebrew, “He’s not doing well, please take him to the “Gan HaQever,” which is Hebrew for Garden Tomb, but it is the same words used idiomatically for “cemetery.” The driver may have misunderstood or was just making a joke when he replied, “Shouldn’t I take him to the hospital first?" End RT.
There is no way out of the Lake of Fire (Scripture calls this “second death.”) Revelation 20:14 Then death and Sheol were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. The Bible goes on to say… Revelation 21:8 “But for the cowardly and faithless and detestable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars—their lot is in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
As we said, Sheol is not final torment called second death. It is actually possible to escape from Sheol. Hosea 13:14 Should I ransom them from the hand of Sheol? Should I redeem them from death? O death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? Comfort is hidden from My eyes.” Second death is spiritual death and should not be confused with physical death (they’re not the same thing).
There appears to be more that we don’t know than what we do know. My suggestion is don’t wait to find out. Repent now! Shalom shalom.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Thu26-Jun-202530th of Sivan, 5785Rosh Chodesh Tamuz Day 1
Nu 17:1-9[16-24]; 28:11-15 Jer 41Ezr 32 Co 5(Lk 4)
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