Rabbi’s Reflections – Sunday, August 11, 2024
Shavuah Tov,
Psalms
Psalm 16:6 – Part 6
Psalm 16:6 My boundary lines fall in pleasant places—surely my heritage is beautiful.
It’s a shame we feel compelled to read an entire Psalm, or even worse, several Psalms at a time. I like being able to go slow and focus on every verse individually. True, this might take longer, but we should never rush our appreciation of God.
It is here, in the Psalms, that King David is sharing his (at times schizophrenic) heart. Yet, even through all his ups and downs, David is the one man over whom God prophesied a heart identification (1 Samuel 13:14b Adonai has sought for Himself a man after His own heart. So Adonai will appoint him as ruler over His people…), and through whom, in the fullness of time, God brought forth His Son. (Matthew 21:9a The crowds going before Him and those following kept shouting, saying, “Hoshia-na to Ben-David!)
In today’s verse, we start with a nice thought. It is building on the goodness of the previous verse. Psalm 16:5 Adonai is my portion and my cup. You cast my lot. 6a My boundary lines fall in pleasant places. Everyone wants their property lines to be in a good neighborhood. Previously, we gave thanks that God established our lives within His neighborhood. After all, when God is your neighbor, the “property values” go up!
The prophet Micah declares that this assignment of territory is quite intentional on God’s part. Micah 2:5 Therefore you will have no one casting for territory by lot (by chance) in the congregation of Adonai. And he goes on to say sin destroys shalom… Micah 2:10 Arise and go! For this is not the resting place, because of uncleanness that destroys—a grievous destruction.
Do you see the term “pleasant places” at the end of the first half of the subject verse? The word “places” is not specifically mentioned at all in Hebrew. The “pleasantness” could apply to pleasant places, or to any pleasant circumstances. That’s my testimony right there. When I was honest with myself at the age of 30, I had to say I didn’t have sufficient pleasantness when I was in charge of my own life. Over time, Yeshua drew every area of my life into His order, eliminating unpleasantness, and at the same time, enhancing pleasantness.
We’re not at Psalm 23 yet, but it fits here. Psalm 23:2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake. Furthermore, remember this… Psalm 23 is written to describe our “here and now.”
Rabbi’s note: It is the middle portion of a trilogy with Psalm 22 being about the first coming and Psalm 24 begin about the second coming. End RN
Now let’s look at the last part of the subject verse, …“my heritage is beautiful.” The word for “heritage” is used over 200 times in the Hebrew Scriptures as “inheritance.” And the Hebrew word that describes our inheritance is “Shaf’ra” from which we get the word “Shofar,” meaning a horn of plenty. So another translation would be “my inheritance is plentiful.”
1Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, “Things no eye has seen and no ear has heard, that have not entered the heart of mankind—these things God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God revealed these things to us through the Ruach. For the Ruach searches all things—even the depths of God.
The things of God can only be understood by the spirit of God. By His Spirit in us, we have “blessed assurance” that His promises are true. Therefore; let’s conclude with this…
1Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah! In His great mercy He caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Messiah Yeshua from the dead. 4 An incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading inheritance has been reserved in heaven for you. 5 By trusting, you are being protected by God’s power for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Shalom shalom.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
7 Av Sunday 11-Aug-24
Deuteronomy 3:23-4:4 Ezekiel 30 1 Chronicles 4 Luke 23:26-56 1 Thessalonians 5