RR Psalm 63:5 Part 3

Shalom,

Psalm 63:5 So I will bless You as long as I live. In Your name I lift up my hands.

Let’s “unpack” this.  The first half of the verse says, “With my whole life, I will bless You.”  This “blessing” is “Ah’va’recha’cha.”  It is in first person incomplete (meaning not finished yet).  We translate that as “I will.”  How long will I bless God?  All my life, and I’ll never stop!  And what does it mean to “bless God?”  That’s a good question, since we are usually praying that He will bless us.

What can we give to the King, Who already has everything?  And what’s more, anything He does’t already have, He can create without breaking a sweat.  The answer to this question is found in a right understanding of the origin of the Hebrew word for “bless.”  The word is “Varech,” meaning “knee.”  Yes, the body part (joint) knee.  From this our Hebrew word “Baruch” means literally, “to bend the knee” and figuratively, “to submit.”  

Yeshua was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane moments before the greatest act of submission the world has ever seen, when He prayed these words… Luke 22:42 saying, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”  If Yeshua, Who is God, can submit, shouldn’t we follow His example?  Now let’s see what happened as a result of Yeshua’s submission.  Luke 22:43 Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him.  

The key is our understanding of the meaning of the word, “Abba, Father.”  It means “decider.”  “Father knows best” is more than the name of a 1960s TV show.  It is the truth expressed in faith as we trust God to make the best decisions for us in every situation.  Proverbs 3:5 Trust in Adonai with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
 
The second part of the verse is, “In Your name I lift up my hands.”  

Rabbi Trail: There are several Hebrew words that translate as “hands.”  These are “my hands, “Ka’pai.”  This speaks of the palms of my hands.  A “Kaf” is a spoon, and “Kapit” is a “teaspoon.”  This could be where we get our English word “cup.” End RT.

We “lift our hands” in praise to God to whom we both give and receive blessing.  Nehemiah 8:6 Ezra blessed Adonai, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, amen!” as they lifted up of their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped Adonai with their faces to the ground.  

In closing today, we are reminded… Isaiah 58:9a Then you will call, and Adonai will answer. You will cry and He will say, “Here I am.”  We bend the knee in submission and raise our hands in praise and thanksgiving.  John 4:24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”  Shalom shalom.

Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Tue     8 Sep 2026                 26th of Elul, 5786
Ge 21:9-12             Hab 3              2 Ch 21           Rev 5              (Ac 14)