THE PROPHECY OF HABAKKUK

Behind our life the Weaver stands and works His wondrous will; We leave it in His all-wise hands, and trust His perfect skill. Should mystery enshroud His plan, And our short sight be dim, We will not try the whole to scan, but leave each thread with Him

The prophet Habakkuk has often been described as the Grandfather of the Reformation because of his reference, unique among the prophets, to the great doctrine of justification by faith so strongly emphasized by the apostle Paul. It was, of course, from the Pauline epistles that Martin Luther learned this sublime truth. Very little is known of the prophet himself, but it is thought that he prophesied in the latter years of the reign of King Josiah.

The prophecy itself is sometimes referred to as a book declaring and dispelling doubt. It is also the story of a prophet’s deep perplexity.

The situation in Habakkuk’s day was very similar to that of the present time: darkness covered the earth and gross darkness the people. The whole world appeared to lie in the lap of the Evil One, and even the chosen nation so singularly blessed and favoured by the Almighty has wandered far away from God.

The puzzled prophet cannot understand why the rebellious people are not punished, and in his bewilderment, he questions the wisdom of Yehovah. Here is the free thinker among the prophets, the doubting Thomas of the Old Testament, and there is certainly some reason for his doubt. The nation’s priests are hypocrites, her prophets are hirelings, her princes are corrupt oppressors, and as for the people themselves, they are stubborn idolaters. Why does not God send fire down from heaven to destroy them all? The prophet prays in desperation that the Lord will act.

“O Lord, how long shall I cry, and you will not hear! even cry out unto you of violence, and you will not save! Why do you show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment does not go forth: for the wicked compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth”. (Hab. 1:2-4)

JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH

The righteous appear to be engaged in an unequal fight with no possible chance of victory: the evil flourish continually as a green bay tree, but those who serve Yehovah are always being cast down: again the prophet in his trouble and perplexity turns to Yehovah for an explanation of the silence of heaven. This time Yehovah, patient with doubting Habakkuk, even as He was with petulant Jonah, answers the prophet’s questions in some detail.

Evil may perform its part upon the world stage in the blinding glare of publicity, ever occupying the limelight; but within the shadows Yehovah is silently working out His purpose as year succeeds to year, and is hourly keeping watch above His own people.

Gently the prophet is rebuked for his blindness, and is instructed to remember that the just man shall live by faith. The servants of Yehovah must learn to trust, resting secure in the unchanging love of Him Who never fails.

Yehovah is never a minute too soon, but neither is He a moment too late, and when His hour has come, He will act, and the powers of darkness shall become less than dust. Just as we must walk by faith and not by sight, so we will be justified [declared not guilty] by faith in the finished work of Yehovah, and not by our own works or virtues.

THE CORNERSTONE OF THE REFORMATION

Here we have a brief glimpse of that sublime doctrine which was to revolutionize Europe of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and was destined to shake the Holy Roman Empire to its very foundations.

The coming of the Messiah Jesus to put away sin by a sin-offering sacrifice of himself was to usher in the era of grace, when men would be reconciled to God - Yehovah, by faith in the one whom God – Yehovah had sent Jesus the Messiah.

They were called upon to obey the words He gave to His son Jesus to give to the world. From hence­forth, men would be justified [declared not guilty] with God by faith to ‘whosoever will’ freely come unto Him. Here once again the Old Testament sowed the seed that was to come to wondrous fruition in the Testament.

THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH

The prophet’s response to the Divine revelation was amazing indeed. First came a recognition of the Sovereign power of Him who had spoken: “Yehovah is in His holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before Him”. (Habakkuk 2:20).

Then follows a prayer for the success of Yehovah’s great purpose, and a testimony to the glory and majesty of the All Highest: “0 Yehovah . . . revive your work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy”. (Habakkuk 3:2).

“Yehovah came from Teman; the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah
His splendor covers the heavens, and His praise fills the earth.
And His brightness was like the light; flashing rays came from His hand for Him; and there is the covering of His strength.. Before Him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at His feet’. (Habakkuk 3:3-5)

The prophecy ends with one of the most sublime confessions of faith ever recorded. Evidently the prophet’s doubts had all been resolved, and henceforth he was prepared to trust his God Yehovah through sunshine and storm, through good or ill. If only we could reach that place, how happy we should be.

“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in Yehovah, I will joy in the God of my salvation. (Habakkuk 3:17-18)

THE MEANING OF A SACRIFICIAL LIFE

Leviticus is the book where many Bible-reading plans go to die. Those who begin well in Genesis and Exodus find themselves, like the people of Israel, stumbling through the wilderness in Leviticus and Numbers, desperate to find their way to the story of David or the letters of Paul. For many, they stumble because they haven’t been taught The ABC's of the sacrificial system. The instructions about arranging animal parts, sprinkling blood, and bodily emissions are incomprehensible until they learn the basic grammar of the Levitical world.

Once we have grasped some of the basics, however, we find that we’re not only able to read Leviticus with more understanding; we are also able to see depths in the rest of Scripture, including Paul’s letters. Consider the following sentences, tucked away in his exhortation to the Philippians to do all that they do without grumbling or complaining:

Philippians 2:17-18: Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

The language here is Levitical and layered. We are invited to consider the life of a disciple of the lord Messiah Jesus, and our ministry to others, through the lens of Leviticus. Paul assumes that his readers would be familiar with the various sacrifices and offerings, and therefore able to comprehend the aim of his ministry and the aim of their lives.

All of Me to All of You

Paul references two offerings: the drink offering and the sacrificial offering (literally, “the sacrifice and service of your faith”). The latter is most likely a reference to the ascension offering, sometimes called “the whole burnt offering.”

Every disciple is now a living ascension offering, daily presenting ourselves to God t - Yehovah through faith in the Messiah Jesus.

The whole burnt offering is the baseline offering in the Old Testament, in which the worshiper lays hands on the unblemished animal so that the spotless animal now represents the sinful worshiper. The animal is killed, its blood drained and then sprinkled on the altar by the priest. After this, the priest arranges the dismembered body parts on the altar, with a particular focus on the head and the fat portions. Finally, the priest burns up the whole animal so that the animal, as the representative of the worshiper, ascends to God in the smoke as a pleasing aroma.

This offering is a fitting image of total surrender, of our heartfelt desire to draw near to the living and holy God - Yehovah despite our sinfulness. In it, the worshiper confesses, in essence, “All of me to all of you, O God - Yehovah.”

Paul draws out this element of the sacrificial system in Romans 12:1-2:

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God - Yehovah, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God - Yehovah, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God - Yehovah, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

In the new covenant, rather than offering an animal through fire and smoke, we offer ourselves; our whole being as our spiritual service and worship to God - Yehovah. We present the members of our bodies to God  - Yehovah as His slaves, purchaced by the blood of Jesus, and we submit our enite being to the truth of His word. Paul makes clear in Philippians, that we do all of this by faith. Every disciple of the lord Jesus is now a living ascension offering, daily presenting ourselves to God - Yehovah through faith in the Messiah Jesus.

And, of course, the deepest reason that we are now able to make this spiritual offering of our enire being is that the Messiah Jesus has fulfilled the Levitical sacrificial system by offering himself as a sin-offering sacrifice on the cross. The Messiah Jesus entered the heavenly holy place, “not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption” [Hebrews 9:12]. The Messiah Jesus offered a better sacrifice than bulls and goats, putting away sin once for all by the sin-offering sacrifice of himself [Hebrews 9:26]. We offer ourselves totally to God - Yehovah only on the basis of the Messiah Jesus ultimate sin-offering sacrifice.

Poured Out for Their Sacrifice

Remember, however, that Philippians 2. mentions a second offering with which the apostle identifies both himself and his ministry: “Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering . . .” Again, with the ABC's of Leviticus in hand, we recall that alongside the primary ascension offering were also secondary offerings such as the tribute or grain offering, representing the works and labor of the worshiper. If the ascension offering is the main course, the tribute offering is the side dish.

In the book of Numbers, we learn that once Israel entered the Promised Land, they were to offer not only grain offerings but also drink offerings. They were to pour out wine on the altar, along with the grain. And here’s a crucial point: according to Numbers 15, every ascension offering made in the Promised Land was to be accompanied by a grain offering and a drink offering.

So, what does that have to do with Philippians? Paul says that each of the Philippians was offering themselves as a living sacrifice, as an ascension offering. And his labor for their joy and faith is the drink offering on the side. He’s being poured out so that they can be offered up. And so, he’s willing to be poured out, all the way to the bottom, that is, to death.

Isn’t this a wonderful, biblical, Levitical picture of the called-out Assembly and the life of a disciple of the lord Messiah Jesus? We are all called to offer ourselves wholly to God - Yehovah, to be totally committed to Him in all we do! “All of me, to all of you, O God - Yehovah, because of Jesus.” Total surrenderto to the will of Yehovah. Each of us is an ascension offering, daily giving ourselves to God - Yehovah, renewing our minds by His word, and presenting our entire being as a living sacrifice. This is our spiritual worship.

Following the apostle’s example, each of us is also called to be a drink offering for others. We’re called to be poured out as a glorifying accompaniment to a life of sacrificial service. Like Paul, we labor and run and work and give so that others can be pure and blameless for the day of the Messiah Jesus. We pour ourselves out so that they can offer themselves up to God - Yehovah, with us.

Offering One Another to God - Yehovah

Consider how it shapes our prayers. When Paul says that he is being poured out as a drink offering, this includes the prayers that he offered for the Philippians at the beginning of his letter.

It is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of the Messiah, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus the Messiah, to the glory and praise of God - Yehovah. [Philippians 1:9:11]

Abounding love, growing discernment, wise approval of what is good and right in any circumstance; this is the life of a disciple. If God - Yehovah answers this prayer, these people will be grow to become pure and blameless, living sacrifices filled with His righteousness, and fully pleasing to Him. And behind the life of a disciple's spiritual worship lie the prayers and labors, graciously assisting and serving as a full and complete offering of God’s - Yehovah's people to God - Yehovah.

And all of this is done with joy. When Paul pours himself out in prayer and service, even unto death, he does so with indomitable joy. And he invites the Philippians to join him in that joy. “Rejoice in the Lord - Yehovah always; again I will say, rejoice” [Philippians 4:4].

For Paul, living is showing forth the Messiah, and dying is gain, therefore, his labor for the progress and joy of the Philippians’ faith is a deeply happy one. He gladly spends and is spent for their enitre beings, pouring himself out as a drink offering, to help bring them nearer to God - Yehovah. Through his written words, he still does the same for all who hear and fear. And now we can share in the joy of pouring out ourselves for others, enabled to do so by the indwelling presence and power of Yehovah and His son Jesus.

Written by Joe Rigney who serves as a fellow of theology at New Saint Andrews College, and edited by Bruce Lyon

STEADFAST LOVE, LOVINGKINDNESS, UNCHANGING LOVE

The Hebrew word chesed in some Bibles is translated “lovingkindness” and in other versions “steadfast love”. In Micah 7:18 and 20, chesed was translated “unchanging love”.

Lovingkindness, steadfast love, and unchanging love combined provide a good definition of God’s - Yehovah's love. In the book of Psalms, chesed is used more than half of the 251 occurrences found in the Bible. Following are the beginning verses in Psalms. To gain a full appreciation, reading each psalm mentioned will be helpful. God’s proper name is “Yehovah” and therefore is translated as such in this compilation.

Psalm 5:7-8 But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness I will enter Your house, at Your holy temple I will bow in reverence for You. O Yehovah, lead me in Your righteousness because of my foes; Make Your way straight before me.

The psalm reveals that the psalmist was besieged by foes, harassed on every side, but because of Yehovah’s steadfast love, he finds refuge in his God - Yehovah. In His presence is the fullness of joy and safety from all foes. Instead of accepting the crushing feelings of defeat, he humbly worships his God- Yehovah.

Psalm 6:4: Return, O Yehovah, rescue my soul; save me because of Your lovingkindness.

David, suffering physically, near death, at wit’s end, turns to Yehovah and cries out for help. Asking Yehovah to return implies a sense of distance from Him, so he prays “Yehovah rescue my soul; save me”. David believed Yehovah would help because of His steadfast love. Spiritually minded people understand God’s intervention is not because it is earned or deserved; rather, it is because of His lovingkindness, His steadfast, unchanging love.

Psalm 13:5-6: But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to Yehovah, because He has dealt bountifully with me.

David is in utter despair and feeling like Yehovah has forgotten him. He has sorrow in his heart all day. He needs Yehovah's enlightenment, or he will die. Pouring out his heart before Yehovah begins with negativity, but he ends up with the godly perspective. Yehovah can handle our woes and complaints. David is not leveling accusations at Yehovah as Israel did in the wilderness; rather, he is telling Yehovah how he feels and comes to Him for help, not to criticize. Just like David, we too (no matter how bad things may become) can trust in Yehovah’s steadfast love, His merciful lovingkindness.

Psalm 17:6-8: I have called upon You, for You will answer me, O Yehovah; incline Your ear to me, hear my speech. Wondrously show Your lovingkindness, O Savior of those who take refuge at Your right hand from those who rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings.

Today, we would say the phrase, “the apple of the eye”, as “the pupil of the eye”. As our eyes are guarded by the autonomic reflexes and as the mother bird protects her chicks under her wing, Yehovah watches over and protects His people. David’s faith and assurance in Yehovah were strong because he was living the right way. He did not doubt Yehovah's steadfast love and concern for him. The way he spoke to God - Yehovah is inspirational and a good example of how to pray.

With the many godly inspired psalms that David wrote, we see a man with a wide range of thoughts, feelings, faith, and doubts. He had a life full of many diverse experiences at different stages in life that cultivated a variety of responses. His ability to honestly articulate his thoughts to Yehovah is masterfully communicated in his many psalms. Through it all, he always ends up worshipping the God - Yehovah he loves, even if he is sick, depressed, lost, or overwhelmed. In David, we have a great example to follow as we go through life’s battles.

Psalm 18:49-50: Therefore I will give thanks to You among the nations, O Yehovah, and I will sing praises to Your name. He gives great deliverance to His king, and shows lovingkindness to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.

Psalm 18 is rich with praise for Yehovah as it reveals how Yehovah fights for His children. David boldly proclaims his praise and gratitude for all to hear. The joy we experience from Yehovah's deliverance is only trumped by the knowledge that it is the manifestation of His steadfast love for us. “I am so thankful to receive the blessing and, even more so, that Yehovah loves me to give the blessings”.

Psalm 21:6-7: For You [Yehovah] make him [David] most blessed forever; You make him joyful with gladness in Your presence. For the king trusts in Yahweh, and through the lovingkindness of the Most High he will not be shaken.

In Psalm 21, David reflected upon all the good things Yehovah did for him which inspired gratitude, confidence, and faith. When we set our heart to see the goodness of our God and Father Yehovah and all His many blessings, we will enjoy the same response. Unfortunately, too often we get caught up in the business of life and the whirl wind of worldly negativity that contaminate our minds. Look at the above verses again. “Joyful with gladness in Your presence” sounds a lot better than all the many alternatives. As we remain focused on godliness, we trust that through Yehovah’s steadfast love, we will not be shaken. I am reminded of the old hymn “Count Your Blessings”.

Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God - Yehovah has done
Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by.

Psalm 23:6: Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of Yehovah forever.

The ESV and KJV translated the Hebrew word chesed “mercy” and the NAS used “lovingkindness”. Mercy is certainly connected to Yahweh’s lovingkindness.

David’s affirmation in this popular and beloved psalm is an encouraging example to follow. We must continually declare and reaffirm our spiritual standing to keep it central in life. David wrote most of the psalms, which indicates how often he took time to muse the things of God and to communicate with Him.

Psalm 25:5-8: Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the Elohim - God of my salvation; for You I wait all the day. Remember, O Yehovah, Your compassion and Your lovingkindness, for they have been from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to Your lovingkindness remember me, for Your goodness’ sake, O Yehovah.
Good and upright is Yehovah; therefore, He instructs sinners in the way.

The specific prayerful requests articulated by a humble, fragile, contrite believer to his compassionate, loving, and kind God recorded in Psalm
25. are needful to all those who want to walk in a loving relationship
with Yehovah. Asking God - Yehovah to remember His own intrinsic virtues (compassion and lovingkindnesses) and not remember our sins and transgressions is indeed unusual, but very desirable. “God, me too!” The
symmetry of the psalm is amazing and obviously God - Yehovah inspired.

Psalm 25:9-11: He leads the humble in justice, and He teaches the humble His way. All the paths of Yehovah are lovingkindness and truth to those who keep His covenant and His testimonies. For Your name’s sake, O Yehovah, pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

“For Your name’s sake, O Yehovah”, not for my sake or my merits’ sake, but to glorify Your mercy and to show forth the glory of Your divine attributes. To pardon a great sinner will bring You great glory; therefore, for Your name’s sake, pardon me. This verse illustrates the logic of faith; it looks not for merit in oneself but to the goodness and mercy of Yehovah. And instead of being flabbergasted by the demerits of sin, it looks to the steadfast love of our merciful God and Father Yehovah. “Yehovah’s loving kindnesses never cease; they are new every morning.” Yehovah’s own description – “abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin….”

Psalm 26:1-3: O Yehovah, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in Yehovah without wavering. Examine me, O Yehovah, and try me; test my mind and my heart. For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, and I have walked in Your truth.

The human history revealed in the Bible and the many warnings to be aware of deception provide ample reason for us to follow David’s lead to invite Yehovah to examine, try, and test the mind and heart. We certainly need His son the lord Messiah Jesus’ help to see things that may be hidden to us. At the time of David’s request, he was in pretty good standing with Yehovah and confident that he was walking the walk. Other psalms indicate that he also prayed this way when things were not so good and he doubted his relationship with God - Yehovah. Good or bad, every day we can benefit from such a request. Yehovah does not forcefully intervene into our lives violating our free will. We are responsible to ask for help with faith.

Psalm 31:7-10: I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness, because You have seen my affliction; you have known the troubles of my soul, and You have not given me over into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a large place. Be gracious to me, O Yehovah, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body also. For my life is spent with sorrow and my years with sighing; my strength has failed because of my iniquity, and my body has wasted away.

In the midst of grave turmoil, David determined to rejoice and be glad in Yehovah’s lovingkindness. He did not stick his head in the sand and act like there were no problems; rather, he expressed his plight and feelings seeking for Yehovah's help. This is a great psalm to focus on when we are suffering.

Jeremiah was another man who suffered greatly and found solace in Yehovah. He spent his life’s energy warning Israel of their certain doom if they did not repent. For his tireless efforts, he was rejected, maligned, hated, and ignored. He was in Jerusalem when his prophecies were fulfilled. He experienced the absolute horror the Babylonians imposed upon his people. He watched as thousands were killed, others taken captive to Babylon, the city was destroyed, and the temple looted,
desecrated, and demolished. In the book of Lamentations, he describes his overwhelming grief and mourning, yet he focused his mind on Yehovah and declared the following.

Lamentation 3:21-26: This I recall to my mind; therefore, I have hope. Yehovah’s lovingkindness never ceases, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “Yehovah is my portion,” says my soul [entire being], “therefore I have hope in Him.” Yehovah is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of Yehovah.

Psalm 31:14: But as for me, I trust in You, O Yehovah, I say, “You are my Elohim - God.” My times are in Your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me. Make Your face to shine upon Your servant; save me in Your lovingkindness.

David was a man of war with many battles to fight throughout his life and thus often confronted with life-threatening physical peril that compelled him to seek the help of Yehovah. By Yehovah's grace and mercy, we have been spared such a life, but we still have our battles and perils to deal with and can find our help as he did in our heavenly Father. Yehovah’s unchanging, steadfast love can be the stability and confidence of our soul, especially when we are besieged.

Psalm 31: 21-24: Blessed be Yehovah, for He has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city. As for me, I said in my alarm, “I am cut off from before Your eyes”; nevertheless, you heard the voice of my supplications when I cried to You. O love Yehovah, all you His godly ones! Yehovah preserves the faithful and fully recompenses the proud doer. Be
strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in Yehovah.

Psalm 31, provides a glorious perspective for anyone who is in the midst of grave troubles. David’s thoughts put into words about his God Yehovah will guide you:

Words like “refuge”, “deliver me”, “rescue me quickly”, “rock of strength”, “stronghold to save me”, “my rock”, “my fortress”, “lead me”, “guide me”, “You are my strength”, “I trust in You”, “You are my God”, “the secret place of Your presence” are examples.

Psalm 32:10-11: Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but he who trusts in Yehovah, lovingkindness shall surround him. Be glad in Yehovah and rejoice, you righteous ones; and shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.

Those who practice wickedness produce many sorrows, while those who trust in Yehovah are glad, rejoice, and shout for joy. The choice seems black and white. Yehovah’s lovingkindness surrounding us sounds pretty amazing!

Psalm 33:4-5: For the word of Yehohvah is upright, and all His work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the lovingkindness of Yehovah.

If our eyes are open and seeking, we can see that the earth is full of His lovingkindness. If our eyes are focused on the evil that is in the world, we will be filled with darkness that simulates unhealthy emotions and a distressful life.

Psalm 33:18-22: Behold, the eye of Yehovah is on those who fear [revere] Him, on those who hope for His lovingkindness, to deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul [entire being] waits for Yehovah; He is our help and our shield. For our heart rejoices in Him, because we trust in His holy name [Yehovah]. Let Your lovingkindness, O Yehovah, be upon us, according as we have hoped in You.

The patriarchs and matriarchs of our faith provide sterling examples of how to endure in every adverse situation that we may encounter in life. The steadfast love of Yehovah was always central to their success. A simple and always needful prayer closes this psalm, “Let Your lovingkindness, O Yehovah, be upon us, according as we have hoped in You.”

Psalm 36:5-10: Your lovingkindness, O Yehovah, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; Your judgments are like a great deep. O Yehovah, You preserve man and beast. How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; and You give them to drink of the river of Your delights. For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. O continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You, and Your righteousness to the upright in heart.

Written by By Vince Finnegan and edited by Bruce Lyon

REVIVE ME, O YEHOVAH

Psalm 119:88: Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, so that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.

Psalm 119:149: Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness; revive me, O Yahweh, according to Your ordinances.

Psalm 119:159: Consider how I love Your precepts; revive me, O Yahweh, according to Your lovingkindness.

The standard for revitalization is Yahweh’s lovingkindness, and the great news is His lovingkindness is from everlasting to everlasting. When we are disheartened, Yahweh will revive us because of His lovingkindness if we ask for help and pursue His Word.

Psalm 119:25: My soul cleaves to the dust; revive me according to Your word.

In the eastern culture during the time of the writing of the Scriptures, mourners cast dust on their heads and sat in ashes. The psalmist felt that anguish and woe were glued to him because of his powerlessness to rise above his grief. However, he knew where freedom was found and asked Yahweh to revive him according to His Word. Perhaps you too have experienced the heaviness of mourning and the hopelessness of despair. The way out is the same; ask your God and Father Yehovah for help and plunge yourself into His Word.

Psalm 119:37: Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, and revive me in Your ways.

Today’s definition for “vanity” is excessive pride in or admiration of one’s own appearance or achievements. The biblical meaning is quite different. Solomon used this word in the book of Ecclesiastes for 32 of the 35 occurrences in the Bible. Clearly communicated within Ecclesiastes is that “vanity” means emptiness or uselessness of things. In a world influenced by the prince of the power of the air (Satan), there are endless empty and useless things to grab our attention that quite often lead us away from the love, joy, and peace we experience when focused on our God and our Lord. Again, we are encouraged to ask God for help. Sometimes we just need to be revived, and God is very capable and willing to help. The ESV provides an interesting translation for Psalm 119:37: “Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.”

Psalm 119:39-41: Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Your ordinances are good. Behold, I long for Your precepts; revive me through Your righteousness. May Your lovingkindnesses also come to me, O Yahweh, Your salvation according to Your word;

Psalm 119:88: Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, So, that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.

God works in supernatural ways. Like when a person first accepts the Lordship of the Messiah Jesus, God places His holy spirit within, and life radically changes. In the same way when we sink into a slump, God can intervene and pull us up and out. When sin or neglect of godliness are the cause of our problem, the tendency is to shy away from God - Yehovah out of guilt and shame. We feel like we have to make ourselves right before we can approach God - Yehovah. This thought process does not align with the Scriptures; rather, it is inspired by the evil one who wants us separated from our loving God and Father Yehovah. The above verse states the truth succinctly, which is the standard for revival is based upon His lovingkindness, not our works. When we ask for help, He provides, so that we can keep the testimony of His mouth.

Psalm 119:107: I am exceedingly afflicted; revive me, O Yehovah, according to Your word.

Psalm 119:153-154: Look upon my affliction and rescue me, for I do not forget Your law. Plead my cause and redeem me; revive me according to Your word.

Psalm 119:159-160: Consider how I love Your precepts; revive me, O Yehovah, according to Your lovingkindness. The sum of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.

We do not need to be made right before we approach God for help; rather, we approach our God and Father Yehovah to receive His supernatural intervention to be made right. Neglect of God’s - Yehovah's word is often the reason we fall into our slumps. Obviously, then the way back is to re-engage with the Scriptures. The biggest fight we may have when we are struggling is to refocus on the Scriptures; however, with the help of God - Yehovah, we must press on, for salvation is found therein. Throughout Psalms and especially 119, we are instructed to seek and dwell upon the Scriptures for they revitalize the soul. Scripture is God’s - Yehovah's communication with us. God - Yehovah speaks to you through His word, the Scriptures!

Psalm 138:2: I will bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.

The King James Version translates this verse as such: “for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name”. God has magnified His word above all His name [Yehovah], we too should hold an attitude of extreme high regard and embrace His Word as the words of life. “Get your head in tGod's - Yehovah's word and out of the world”. 

Psalm 138:2-8: Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me. Yahweh will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O Yahweh, is everlasting; do not forsake the works of Your hands.

Notice: Lamantations 3:21-24: But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of Yehovah never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. "Yehovah is my portion,” says my entire being, “therefore I will hope in him.”

Reading this in Lamentations reminds me that these can never be just words on a page. We have to take them to heart.

Even in the depths of despair that Israel was going through because of their rejection of God, Jeremiah knew “The steadfast love of Yehovah never ceases”, even in that darkest hour there was hope in God - Yehovah. 

We have to be honest with our own heart and to come honestly before God’s - Yehovah's throne in time of need. Knowing that God’s - Yehovah's love is steadfast and great is His faithfulness we can say like Jeremiah “Yehovah is my portion,” says my soul - my entire being, “therefore I will hope in Him.”

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SERVE OUR GOD AND FATHER YEHOVAH?

All throughout the Scriptures, we are told to ‘serve Yehovah.’ In Psalm 100:2, it says to: ‘serve Yehovah with gladness.’ Deuteronomy 10:12 says: ‘Serve Yehovah your Elohim - God with all your heart and with all your soul.’ Joshua says: ‘As for me and my house, we will serve Yehovah’ (Joshua 24:15). And Paul in Romans 12:11 also tells us to: ‘serve the Lord - Yehovah.’ But then, in Mark 10:45, Jesus says: ‘The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve,' as we who follow in his steps should do! Disciples of the lord Jesus throw around the phrase ‘serve the Lord - Yehovah’ often, but do they know what that phrase means.

Let’s clarify what ‘serve the lord’ – Yehovah means.

I think this is one of the most important questions a disciples can ask about living the life of a disciple in a way that glorifies God - Yehovah and loves and treats his/her neighbor as himself/herself. It gets at the utterly crucial issue of a right way of serving God - Yehovah that honors Him and loves our neighbors as we are commanded to do, or a wrong way of serving God - Yehovah that dishonors Him and does not love our neighbors as ourselves. This is not a marginal issue. We’re talking about what it means to be a disciple of the lord Messiah Jesus moment by moment in real life.

Let’s make it crystal clear that the Scriptures teach almost everywhere that human beings are to serve the only true God – Yehovah. In the Old Testament, Joshua says: “As for me and my house, we will serve Yehovah” (Joshua 24:15). And then Paul celebrates the Thessalonian converts because “you turned to God – Yehovah from idols to serve the living and true God - Yehovah” (1 Thessalonians 1:9).

Over and over again, Paul calls himself and he calls disciples of the lord Jesus “servants”; literally, “slaves” of the Messiah Jesus and of God (Romans 1:1; Ephesians 6:6). Peter does the same in 1 Peter 2:16 and 2 Peter 1:1. It is unmistakable. One biblical way of speaking rightly about the relationship to God – Yehovah that we have, is to call ourselves servants/slaves of God and of the Messiah who purchased us his shed blood when he offered himself up as a sin-offering sacrifice before His God and Father Yehovah allowing Him to reconcile humanity to Himself.

Warning Lights

Now, as soon as we say that, we must ask pointedly what’s involved in serving God - Yehovah and what’s not involved in serving God - Yehovah. If we start serving God -Yehovah as though we could earn wages from Him, or as though we could meet His needs, or as though we could put Him in our debt and make Him our beneficiary, red spiritual lights start flashing very brightly. For example, in John 15:15, Jesus says to his disciples: “No longer do I call you servants [or slaves], for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” And yet in John 15:14, the preceding verse, he says: “You are my friends IF you do what I command you”.

So, the meaning of “slave” or “servant” is qualified. And the meaning of “friend” is qualified. We can’t just assume that what we mean by servant or friend is what Jesus means by servant or friend. We have to listen.

Or here’s another bright, flashing spiritual red light: “[God - Yehovah is not] served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:25). So yes, serve him, but not as though He needs our service.

“Serve God, but not by presuming to meet His need. He owns everything. He doesn’t need your supply.”

Or here’s another spiritual red flashing light. God – Yehovah says, “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine. . . . [You] call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me” (Psalm 50:12, 15). Yes, serve God, but not by presuming to meet His need. He owns everything. He doesn’t need your supply. We call on Him in need, not the other way around.

Here’s another spiritual red flashing light: “The Son of Man came not to be served” — that’s a pretty clear warning — “but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). He saves us; we don’t save him. He meets our need; we don’t meet his need.

Here’s one more spiritual flashing red light of warning about serving God - Yehovah in any old way that we think might be right. In Romans 4:4–5; you can’t get much more basic than this; the apostle Paul describes how life of a disciple begins. Are we justified and put right with God by working for God – Yehovah; earning a wage; or by trusting Him to work for us in our utter helplessness? Here’s the quote: “To the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness [as Abrham's faith was counted as righteous].”

So, with all those spiritual red warning lights flashing in our face, we better not serve God as though we could earn wages, as though we could meet His needs, as though we could put Him in our debt or make Him our beneficiary.

Well, how should we serve Him? What is right way to serve the only true God - Yehovah?

Every Step a Gift of Grace

The deepest and clearest answer is found in 1 Peter 4:11. This is a go-to verse: “Whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God - Yehovah supplies; in order that in everything God – Yehovah may be glorified through Jesus the Messiah. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever.”

So, every effort expended in the service of God is a God-enabled effort. That may be the most important sentence. Let me say it again: Every effort expended in the service of God - Yehovah, the right service of God, is a God-enabling effort. Whatever God – Yehovah requires us to do, He always proved the enabling power of His spirit to accomplish it. That’s what must absolutely sink into our entire being.

All God – Yehovah pleasing service is done in the moment-by-moment reliance upon God’s – Yehovah’s service-enabling power. Or to say it another way, the only service of God - Yehovah that pleases Him is done through the glad acceptance of His undeserved service toward us and in us. We see this in 1 Corinthians 15:10: “By the grace of God - Yehovah I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked” [‘I served’] “harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God - Yehovah that is with me.”

“All God-pleasing service is done in the moment-by-moment reliance upon God’s service-enabling power.”

So yes, we work; yes, we serve. We have a master; we obey. But every baby step we take in obedience to our Master is a gift of grace from Him to us. Therefore, we should never think of our service to God - Yehovah as a way to repay him in gratitude for his goodness to us, because every step we take in that so-called payback is another gift from Him, and it takes us deeper into debt to grace, which is a glorious place to be forever and ever and ever. We will never not be debtors to God’s – Yehovah’s grace. For all eternity, with every act of glad obedience, we will go deeper and happier into debt to the praise of the glory of his grace.

Life Under the Waterfall

Here’s one last picture of this peculiar kind of service to God. Jesus said: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God - Yehovah and money” (Matthew 6:24). So, the question is, How do you serve money? That would be a clue. Serving money doesn’t mean doing things to meet money’s need. You serve money by calculating all your plans, your efforts, to benefit from what money promises you. You calculate your whole life to benefit from what money promises you. Your life revolves around trying to put yourself in the position to gain wealth.

That’s also what it means to serve God. You serve God by calculating all your plans and all your efforts to benefit from all that God promises to be for you. Your life revolves around striving with the enabling power of God’s – Yehovah’s spirit to put yourself under the waterfall of His greatest blessing, positioning yourself for the greatest benefit He has to give namely life as a glorified immortal man/woman in the New Age.

Conclusion

God - Yehovah enlists us into His service, which means He calls us to have a part in accomplishing His purposes. He accomplishes His purposes precisely by supplying the grace and power for us to do our work in serving Him, because the giver gets the glory; the servant gets the joy. That’s God’s – Yehovah’s purpose for His sons and daughters: His glory and the joy of His people in Him.

THE ARONIC BLESSINGS FROM A HEBREW PERSPECTIVE

Once we have a basic understanding of the Hebrew alphabet, vocabulary, language and philosophy, we can now begin to interpret the Bible from an Ancient Hebrew perspective rather than from a Western one.

Most people are familiar with the English translation of the Aaronic blessing.

Yehovah bless you and keep you: Yehovah make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you: Yehovah lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26)

Notice that many of the words in this translation are abstract words, including; bless, keep, gracious, countenance and peace. Each of the Hebrew words behind the English in this passage, is filled with images that are lost when translated into the English language. When we examine each of these words from their original cultural and linguistic perspectives, the message in this passage comes alive.

Bless

The Hebrew verb ברך (Barakh, Strong's #1288) means to kneel as seen in Genesis 24:11. However, when written in the piel form, such as it is in Aaronic blessing, it means to show respect (usually translated as bless). However, as "respect" is an abstract word, we need to uncover its original concrete meaning, which we can do by examining other words related to this verb. One such related word is the noun ברך (berekh, Strong's #1288) meaning "knee." Another related Hebrew word is ברכה (berakhah, Strong's #1293) meaning a gift or present. From this we can see the concrete meaning behind the piel form of the verb barak. It is to bring a gift to another while kneeling out of respect. The extended meaning of this word is to do or give something of value to another. Elohiym "respects" us by providing for our needs and we in turn "respect" Elohiym by giving him of ourselves as his servants.

Keep

The Hebrews were a nomadic people raising livestock. It would not be uncommon for a shepherd to be out with his flock, away from the camp, over the night. In order to protect the flock, the shepherd would construct a corral of thorn bushes. The shepherd would then guard over the flock and the corral would be a hedge of protection around them. The Hebrew word for a thorn is שמיר (shamiyr, Strong's #8068) and derived from the verb שמר (shamar, Strong's #8104), which literally means to guard and protect and is the word used in the Aaronic blessing.

Face

In the painting above you can "read" the faces of each of the people within the painting. The face reflects the many different moods, emotions, and thoughts of the person. The Hebrew word פנים (paniym, Strong's #6440), means "face," but is always written in the plural form (the ים suffix identifies this word as plural), reflecting this idea of multiple faces of each person. This word can also mean “presence” or the “wholeness of being” of an individual.

Shine

The word אור (or, Strong's #215), as a noun means "light" and as a verb, as it is used here, means to "give light" or "shine" and is equated with bringing about order as light illuminates or reveals what has been dark.

Gracious

Most theologians will define “grace” as “unmerited favor,” but notice the abstractness of these words. The Hebrew verb translated as gracious in the Aaronic blessing is the verb חנן (hhanan, Strong's #2603) and is often paralleled with other Hebrew words meaning healing, help, being lifted up, finding refuge, strength and rescue. From a concrete Hebraic perspective this verb means to “provide protection.” Where does one run to for protection? The camp, which in Hebrew is חנה (hanah, Strong's #2583), a word related to חנן (hhanan).

Grant

The Hebrew verb שים (siym, Strong's #7760), literally means to "set down in a fixed and arranged place."

Peace

When we hear the word peace, we usually associate this to mean an absence of war or strife. However, the Hebrew word שלום (shalom, Strong's #7965) has a very different meaning. The root of this word is שלם (shalam, Strong's #7999) and is usually used in the context of making restitution. When a person has caused another to become deficient in some way, such as a loss of livestock, it is the responsibility of the person who created the deficiency to restore what has been taken, lost or stolen. The verb shalam literally means to make whole or complete. The noun shalom has the more literal meaning of being in a state of wholeness, or being without deficiency.

WE ARE "SENT' SLAVES

The Prologue of the Gospel of John says in John 1:6: " There was a man who was sent from God, and his name was John, in which the word "sent" is coded as " G649 (apostello)," and appears 28 times in the Gospel of John. Why am I interested in this word? This is because in the narration of the apostle John, the identity of Jesus the Messiah is the slave sent by our God and Father Yehovah to the world; just as John 3:17 said: “For God = Yehovah did not send His Son into the world so that he should judge the world, but so that the world should be saved through him.”

In addition, the " Synonyms " of the word "G649", that is, the word "G3992 (pempo)", which is also used 32 times in the Gospel of John, is also a keyword in the Gospel of John; for example, John 5:23 says: " Let all men honor the Son as they honor the Father. Whosoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.”

In the Gospel of John, did our God and Father Yehovah just send two slaves, John the Baptist, and Jesus the Messiah?

The reason I bring up this answer should be the obvious one. In Christian circles, believers place too much emphasis on our status as children of God, which is true, for that status is so precious that we can be the sons and daughters of the only true God – Yehovah. We cannot ignore that we have another precious identity, and we are also sent slaves, purchased by the sin-offering sacrifice of the Messiah Jesus. However, in the narrative of the Gospel of John, it is more accurate to say that the Father has sent us through the lord Jesus the Messiah acting as His agent.

Just as John 17:18 says: "As you sent (G649) me into the world, I will also send (G649) them into the world"; similarly John 20:21 says: "Jesus said to them again: May you be safe! As the Father has sent (G649) me, so I will send (G3992) you”; notice that the words “G649” and “G3992” are used flexibly and interchangeably. Therefore, every disciple is a slave of Jesus the Messiah, purchased by his shed blood (Acts 20:28; Revelation 5:9; Romans 6:22; 1 Corinthians 7:23), so we call Jesus "lord", just like John 13:13 says: "You call me Master, you call me lord, you are right, I am"!

Are we "slaves" or "sons and daughters"?

Does being a "son and daughter" mean not being a “slave”? How should these two seemingly opposing identities be properly embodied in the disciples of the Messiah?

First of all, we must understand that although the Gospel of John emphasizes that Jesus the Messiah is the slave sent by God, the purpose of writing this Gospel (John 20:31) indicates that it is "to make you believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God ... "

How did Jesus balance these two identities? Matthew 20:28 has fully revealed the mentality of Jesus: "Just as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many", but was affirmed by our God and Father Yehovah time and time again, saying, "This is my beloved Son ...".

Before God - Yehovah, we should pay more attention to our status as His slaves and serve Him and others faithfully; in this way, then we will definitely experience the original, in the eyes of God our Father Yehovah, as His precious children.

Written by Rosablanca Suen and edited by Bruce Lyon