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Garment of Praise or a Spirit of Despair? From
childhood, I was read Tehillim 23. I was encouraged and memorized it.
Memorization is good especially for children, but we must know and
understand what we memorize or it could end up being nothing more than
confusion. An
example: When my children were small, I had them memorize prayers for
mealtime and bedtime. One day my eldest daughter (about 4) asked me,
“Mama, what does ‘fashadah’ mean?” I thought and could not
figure out what she was meaning so I asked her where she had heard
this. She gave me a puzzled look and replied, “Mama, you know when
we say our prayers, we say, ‘Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the
LORD my soul to keep. Fashada before I wake… (If I should die…
before I wake). Not much understanding going on there. Consider
now: Tehillim
(Ps) 23:1-6 1
YHWH is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 2
He makes me lie down in pastures lush with fresh, green, grass,
He leads me beside quiet waters, A
shepherd leads and guides his flock, he sees to their needs. He also
knows what their needs are. Food is necessary, of course, but they
also need a place to lie down, not on rough and rugged crags, but a
soft place where they can rest. Quiet waters where they can drink and
be refreshed but never have to fear the rushing, drowning white-water.
Quiet,
lull me to sleep waters, for in the next verse we read: 3
He restores and turns back even my innermost being. He guides
me on a track of righteousness for the glory of His Qodesh and
Glorious Name. Not
just those outward feelings and needs are addressed but the very being
of our self is directed back into echad (unity) with Him and His
righteousness. 4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I
will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they
comfort me. Even
in the most, dire and frightening circumstances, under the shadow of
impending death, as low a place as a human can have, You are there and
I have nothing to fear. Your rod, the scepter of Your power and Your
mark of authority and Your staff, representing Your support, give
comfort to me. 5
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. You
conspicuously set a table before me right before my enemies, those who
hate me and wish evil upon me. Not only that but You anoint my head
with oil, showing You are pleased with me, this too before those who
wish me harm. Not just a little, do You bless me, but my cup overflows
with Your blessings. All this is done in the view of those who looked
upon me with contempt. 6
Indeed ‘towb checed’ goodness and kindness will pursue me
all the days that I live, and I will dwell in the house of YHWH for
length of days. David,
the young shepherd boy was raised to the high position of King of
Yisrael when YHWH sent the Prophet Shemuel to anoint him. While this
was a great honor for this young man, it was also the beginning of
responsibilities, dangers and the need for courage to an extent that
he had likely never imagined. He
had far to go before those words in the 23rd Tehillim could
have been spoken by him. First, he needed to experience first hand the
fears the dread, the victories and defeats so he could KNOW YHWH was
with him in them all. Tehillim
(Ps) 78:70-72 70
He chose David His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:
We
may notice that YHWH gave David the job to do for Ya’acov and
Yisrael that David speaks of in the 23rd Tehillah.
YHWH is described as Guide and Protector of David in the same 23rd
verses YesheYahu
(Isa) 61:1-11 1
The Spirit of Sovereign YHWH is on me, because YHWH has
anointed me to announce good news to the humble. He has sent me to
bind up the ones whose inner man has been shattered, to call out (qara)
freedom for the ones carried captive and the opening of the prisons
for those who are bound, YesheYahu
brings the wonderful news from YHWH to the people that HE is their
Healer, their Rescuer and He is the only One who gives men true
freedom. Further
YesheYahu is sent to: 2
to proclaim the year of YHWH's favor and the day of vengeance
of our Elohiym, to comfort all who mourn,
This
is the year of YHWH’s favor for those who grieve in Tziyon because
they will be comforted when YHWH wreaks vengeance on the enemies of
His people. No more mourning and depression as defeated people but
gladness and praise as the Almighty stands up for His own. 4
They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long
devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been
devastated for generations. After
YHWH takes away the despair, mourning and depression off of His people
and stands up against their enemies, they will be capable of
rebuilding the ancient ruins and creating order and peace in long
devastated areas. It is quite amazing what trading sorrow and
depression for joy and gladness can do for a person. 5
Aliens will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your
fields and vineyards. The
people of other nations will work for YHWH’s people rather than
being despoilers, they will be shepherds, tillers and vine dressers
for AmYHWH. 6
And you will be called priests of YHWH and you will be named
ministers of our Elohiym. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and
in their riches you will boast. Called
out (qara) shall be the Kohen to serve at the altar of Elohiym and
will receive for Yisrael, the riches of the nations. 7
Instead of their shame My people will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so
they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy
will be theirs. Double
portions of inheritance of land and joy they receive. 8
"For I, YHWH, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity.
In My faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant
with them.
YHWH
will make an everlasting covenant with His people and all who see them
shall know they are a people blessed rather than a hissing and a
byword. Why
will HE do this? We read in verse 10. When we delight in YHWH, when
our very innermost being rejoices in our Elohiym, He will respond as
we respond and we will burst forth as seeds burst forth and wondrous
flowers bloom. 10
I delight greatly in YHWH; my soul rejoices in my Elohiym. For
He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe
of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and
as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11
For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes
seeds to grow, so Sovereign YHWH will make righteousness and praise
spring up before all nations. A
garment of praise or a spirit of despair? Are
we able to praise YHWH when in the depths of despair? Should we go
through our ‘hard times’ with praise to Him? How will that help
us? Let
us turn again to David HaMelekh and see what he did and when and how
he praised the Creator. Tehillim
(Ps) 7:17 17
I will praise YHWH according to His righteousness and will sing
praise to the name of YHWH Almighty. In
7:17 we read that David praised YHWH according to HIS righteousness
and did not base his praise on his own present circumstances. Tehillim
(Ps) 22:22-24 22
I will declare Your name to my brethren. In the midst of the
congregation I will praise You.
Praise
causes YHWH to look upon His people with love and not loathing and
then He hears when they cry out to Him. In
Tehillim 30, we read: Tehillim
(Ps) 30:9-12 9
What profit is there in my blood, when I descend into the pit
of sheol? Shall the dust praise You? Shall it declare Your truth?
Tehillim
(Ps) 34:1-4 1
I will bless YHWH at all times: His praise shall continually be
in my mouth.
In
Tehillim 34, David says he will bless and praise YHWH at all times.
First David speaks of praising, magnifying and exalting YHWH, then he
says YHWH heard him and delivered him. So
often we have the tendency to get the cart before the horse and say oh
yes, when He answers me, when He delivers me, then I will praise Him
and proclaim His name. Let’s
try turning it around by praising Him when it seems everything is
going wrong…see what happens. Tehillim
(Ps) 42:4-5 4
When I remember these things, I pour out my innermost feelings
and thoughts within me: for I had gone with the multitude. I went with
them to the house of Elohiym, with the voice of joy and praise, with a
multitude that kept His Miqra Qodesh (holyday).
Iyov
(Job) was convinced of from whence his deliverance would come. Iyov
(Job) 19:25-26 25
For I know that my Redeemer lives and that He shall stand at
the latter day upon the earth:
Again
we listen to David HaMelekh Gadol: Tehillim
(Ps) 56:1-4 1
Be merciful to me, O Elohiym: for man would swallow me up; he
fights with me daily and oppresses me.
So,
you see, it is up to us. We can praise and trust YHWH, knowing that
whatever our situation happens to be, it can work for our good, for
our growth and our understanding. Then again, we can choose to wail,
weep and moan in our spirit of despair and never see the blessings
that can occur when we reach out in love and praise to our Almighty
Creator in confidence and trust with humility. Again
it is ours to choose. We may wear the garment of praise or drown in a
spirit of despair. Which will be our choice? Tanakh
(Hebrew Scriptures) References Tehillim
(Psa.) 23:1-6 22:22-24 30:9-12 34:1-4 42:4-5 56:1-4 Iyov
(Job) 19:25-26 YesheYahu
(Isa) 61:1-11 Questions
for discussion: 1.
What are the benefits of memorizing Scripture? What are the pitfalls? 2.
What is this ‘valley of the shadow of death’ David speaks of? 3.
Explain YesheYahu (Isa) 61:2, please. 4.
Will going through ‘hard times’ with a spirit of praise help us?
If yes, how? |