Rabbi’s Reflections – Tuesday, February 18, 2025
Shalom,
Psalms
Psalm 25:5 – Part 8
Psalm 25:5 Guide me in Your truth, and teach me, for You are God, my salvation, for You I wait all day.
How appropriate! Today is Part 8 of Psalm 25. Eight is the number (speaking Biblically and prophetically) of new beginnings. Seven is the number of completion. Genesis 2:2 God completed—on the seventh day—His work that He made, and He ceased—on the seventh day—from all His work that He made. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, for on it He ceased from all His work that God created for the purpose of preparing. The next number, eight, is therefore, the number of new beginnings.
Significantly, today, as we move along into new beginnings, we are going to study the Hebrew word “V’Lam’day’ni,” translated as “teach me,” in our subject verse. It is a “Vav – Consecutive,” meaning it is a past tense word that is converted by a prefix “Vav” into a future tense word.
Rabbi Trail: Strictly speaking, Hebrew does not have past, present and future tenses, as we know them, although the differences are subtle. Hebrew has complete (we call it past), current (we call it present) and incomplete (we call it future). Interestingly, God gave Himself the name of “Yud-Hay-Vav-Hay.” The leading “Yud” represents incomplete (future), the first “Hay” represents current (present), the “Vav” means “and,” finally, the concluding “Hay” represents “complete” (past). God sees Himself first as who He is still becoming. We tend to see ourselves as ending up in the future, while God sees Himself exactly the opposite. End RT.
We are all incomplete learners. Our walk with God depends on our ability to remain teachable into the indefinite future. The sports analogy is that we must remain coachable. Proverbs 1:5 Let the wise listen and increase learning and the discerning obtain wise counsel.
Rabbi Trail: One of my life verses applies here… Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will give counsel—My eye is on you. Can we do any better than to have God instruct us and teach us “in the way?” End RT.
If we become resistant to God’s instruction, we are to be most pitied. Proverbs 29:1 One who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy. If God can’t mold us, His only option is to break us.
Isaiah 64:7(8) But now, Adonai, You are our Father. We are the clay and You are our potter, We are all the work of Your hand. And finally this… Jeremiah 18:6 “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?” declares Adonai. “Behold, as the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.” Stay teachable, my friends. Shalom shalom.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Tue 18-Feb-2025 20th of Sh’vat, 5785
Ex 22:5-27(4-26) 2 Ki 6 Ps 128-129 Jn 8:1-30 (1 Ti 4)