Rabbi’s Reflections – Thursday, July 25, 2024
Shalom,
Psalms
Psalm 14:5 – Part 5
Psalm 14:5 There they are, in great dread. For God is with the righteous generation.
In Hebrew, one of the methods for indicating superlatives is that we repeat a word for emphasis. For instance, if we want to say “greater,” we say “great great.” There are other ways in modern spoken Hebrew to say the same thing, but that’s one way. The reason I bring it up, is that our subject verse (above) does exactly that. The repeated word is “Pachad” (Pey-Chet-Dadet) which means “afraid.” So what’s being communicated here is “a fear that is itself afraid.”
This raises two questions in my mind, who are “they,” and what is making them so desperately scared? Let’s answer these questions one at a time. First, “they” are spoken of in the previous verse. We read about them yesterday. They are the workers of iniquity, who do the devil’s work. Their object is to twist God’s beautiful created, order causing pain and suffering (and ultimately, death).
Paul calls such misbehavior the “deeds of the flesh.” Galatians 5:19 Now the deeds of the flesh are clear: sexual immorality, impurity, indecency, 20 idolatry, witchcraft, hostility, strife, jealousy, rage, selfish ambition, dissension, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, just as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit God’s kingdom.
Then he makes a stark contrast, in agreement with our subject verse which identifies a righteous generation that is with God. Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Ruach is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control—against such things there is no law.
The promise of “shalom” belongs to that righteous generation. Micah 4:3 He will judge between many peoples and decide for mighty nations far off. They will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, nor will they learn war again. 4 But each man will sit under his vine and under his fig tree, with no one causing terror, for the mouth of Adonai-Tzva’ot has spoken.
The Bible concludes with the Book of Revelation. At the end of Revelation, there is the promise of a great divide that summarizes the message of the entire Bible. It is a repetition of the message of our subject verse. There will be those in the holy city and those without a place of refuge. Revelation 22:14 How fortunate are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the Tree of Life and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the sexually immoral and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. This is personal! The choices we make now will affect our destiny for all eternity. So, let us approach the Lord with wisdom and understanding. Shalom shalom.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
19 Tamuz Thursday 25-Jul-24
Numbers 28:1-15 Ezekiel 16 Nehemiah 3 Luke 12:1-34 Philippians 1