Good Morning Yamon Ki Yesepar and Nevim Arith Hayomim:
Psalms 118:6: “The Lord is on my side, I will not fear what can man do unto me?”
“I am not at all concerned about that…but it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation be on the Lord’s side.” Abraham Lincoln’s response to a pious minister when he told President Lincoln that he hoped the Lord was on our side.
Abraham Lincoln, if he did indeed say the above words (I believe enough historical evidence exist to say he did), pointed out a very real problem with the KJV rendering of Psalms 118:6. Can we be so bold as to say that the Almighty is on our side?
Actually, the literal rendering is “The Lord is for me.” The word “for me” is spelled: “Lamed Yod” and is a combination of a preposition “Lamed” and a pronoun “Yod.” Some translations will render this as “The Lord is with me.” However, the preposition “Lamed” is normally rendered as “to” or “for” but it can be rendered as “with” but that is not it’s normal use. I believe the preposition “for” is the most accurate. To say the Lord is “with” me or “on my side” is not necessarily saying the Lord is “for me.”
In the coming presidential elections you can say at this point that you are on Obama’s side, or “with” Obama, but after the conventions when a candidate for both parties are chosen, then you will say: “I am for Obama.” In other words you would use the words “with” or on one’s “side” to show an agreement with one’s philosophy or political stand. You would use the word “for” when there is a competitor. Ok, the difference is really fuzzy and maybe not even there, but I express this to emphasize a point.
David is not just saying the Lord is on his side or with Him, he is saying the Lord is “for” him. In other words when opposing influences come into play, the Lord is the only one that is “for” him. All other influences have a personal agenda. God has no other agenda than to just love us.
I believe the rest of this verse will bear this out. The remaining part of this verse says: “I will not fear, what can man do unto me.” The word “do” is “ashah” which means to perform a work. In our culture, if someone performs a “work” for us they usually expect something in return, some form of payment. The word “fear” or “yara’” in Hebrew is a complicated word. It does not have the idea of fear for one’s safety, but fear for the wellbeing of another.
In the book “Hunger Games,” Katniss is confused about her feelings for Peeta and Gale. She cannot be certain if she really loves Peeta and Gale or she feels a sense of obligation to Peeta and Gale as if she must repay some form of debt.
I believe that is the underlying message of Psalms 118:6. When David is saying that he does not fear any “work” that man can do for him, he is saying that with when man does any “work” for him, he is under obligation to these people, but if the Lord does any work for us, we have no obligation to Him in return. After all, he is the creator of all things, the Almighty, all Powerful what do we have that He could possibly want that He cannot get for himself unless we give it to Him. Outside of a love relationship, if anyone does anything for us, there is usually a greasy palm extended. If our relationship with God is not a love relationship, then we are continually serving Him either out of a sense of repayment for a debt or to obtain something like eternal life. However, if we truly love Him we will freely accept whatever work He does for us without a feeling of debt knowing that He is doing it out of love. Our response to Him will be out of love and not out of obligation. This, I believe, is the true context of Matthew 10:8 “Freely have you received, freely give.” You have received from God without any obligation to Him, thus we are to freely give without anyone feeling obligated to us.
Thus, when we do give to God in return, it is with a pure heart and that will please Him more than any tithe, offering or sacrifice. Yet, how do we know what to do for God that will please Him. We will know the same way a husband knows how to please his wife. He will seek to know and understand her heart. He will know her heart desires flowers. Thus, he will bring home flowers and say: “Honey, I was thinking of you all day and I wanted to do something to show you how much I love you.” In a love relationship she will not think: “Oh, oh, what does he want now” but “What can I do that will delight his heart.” If he brings home flowers and says; “Honey, I want you to prepare a dinner for my friends, I know you expect something in return so here’s some flowers.” The old boy will be lucky to get off with just having to pick flower stems out of his ear. If we are in a love relationship with God, does not the same principle apply?
One of my favorite rabbinic stories is about a king who had two daughters. One was very selfish and self-centered. The other was a very loving and caring young woman. One day the selfish daughter marched into the throne room and demanded that her father, the king, hire the best seamstress in the kingdom to make a dress for her for an upcoming event. Without hesitation the king, the father, snapped his fingers and ordered a servant to get it done.
That evening during dinner the other, loving, caring daughter came to her father and said; “I have heard you hired the best seamstress in the kingdom to make a dress for my sister for an upcoming event. I, too, plan to attend this event, could she make a dress for me?” The king, this father motioned for his daughter to sit down. He ordered a plate of food for her and they began to talk, as a father and daughter would talk. The king, this father took great joy in hearing of his daughter’s life and struggles and took even greater joy in offering fatherly advice. Before long the dinner ended and the king had to return to his duties. As he stood up to go this loving daughter asked if she could have the dress. Her father said he would think about it.
The next evening the loving daughter came to him again with the same request, again she shared dinner with her father and again they talked as only a father and daughter would talk. At the close of the dinner she again asked for the dress and again the father said he was still thinking about it. This went on for the next few days, each time the daughter sharing dinner with her father, asking for the dress and each time her father saying he was thinking about it.
After a few days a servant came to the king with a question: “Master, we in your court have a question we would like you to answer. You have this selfish, self-centered daughter come and ask for a new dress and you give it to her without hesitation. Yet, this loving caring young child comes to you with the same request and you keep putting her off, why?” The king, this father, just sort of stared off into space and said: “I am so afraid that if I give her what she wants, she will not have dinner with me again.”
Yes, we may be the loving child to God, yet do we really know and understand His heart enough that we are unlike the loving daughter in this story?
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