Good Morning Yamin Ki Yesepar and Nevim Arith Hayomim

Psalms 119:17: “Deal bountifully with thy servant that I may live and keep thy word.”

Yesterday I looked at Psalms 119:11 and the word “word” was “amar.”  Today, just six verses further down we again have the word “word” but this time in the Hebrew it is the word “devar.”   Both amar and devar are translated as “word,” “utterances,” “speak” and other similar English equivalents.  However, how can two decidedly different Hebrew words mean the same thing?    Unlike English which has a few hundred thousand words in the language we can have something that  bears different words but mean the same thing.  For instance I may look at an object and call it a rock, you may call it a boulder, another person may call it a stone and some may even call it a pebble.  It all pretty much means the same thing although there is a difference between a boulder which is a large stone and a pebble which is a small stone, they are still the same in substance, but different in size.  Classical Hebrew has only a few thousand words compared to modern Hebrew which has several hundred thousand words,  thus in Classical Hebrew if two words mean the same thing, there still must be a difference like boulder and pebble. Maybe is has the same substance, but there is something that makes it different.   Amar and devar is like a boulder and a pebble, both mean the same thing and yet are different.

Amar as shown yesterday involves words of  purpose.  Devar has the idea of words of power.  David says that if God deals bountifully with him, he will keep his Davar (Word of power).  The word “keep” is “Shamar.”  Shamar means to watch over, guard.  As a noun it is a watchman or guardian.   David is saying that if God deals bountifully with him he will be a guardian of His Devar (Word of power).

So what does it mean to deal bountifully?  The word is “gimol” which is the same root as gimmel, the name of the letter “gimmel.”    Gimol has the idea of being nourished and weaned.  It also carries the idea of bringing to maturity.  Bountiful has the idea of being brought to a point of fulfillment or maturity.

What David is saying is that if God will deal bountifully with him, or bring him to maturity he will be a guardian of God’s Word (Word of power).   Sounds good, now I need to understand what this bountifully and bringing to maturity is all about.  So I look at my Hebrew Bible and say: “Ok, Gimol,  let’s have it, I need some answers here.”

Suddenly,  Gimol (Gimmel, Mem, and Lamed) jump out of my Hebrew Bible.  They are wearing a coal miner’s outfit, complete with coal miner’s helmets with a light.  I follow Gimmel, Mem and Lamed to my Daleth and we pass through the “Looking Glass.”

I find I am now in a coal mining cave following Gimmel who represents a picture of a wealthy man running to aid one who is poor.  I realize I am searching for God’s Word, Devar.  If I should find Devar, I will be rich, bountiful and Gimmel is telling me that God is giving this treasure, making me rich in His Word so that I can share it with others.

We continue walking deeper into this mine and I reflect on Mem (revealed knowledge of God) who is carefully examining the walls, running his hands over the dark coal.  “What is he looking for?” I wonder?  I feel Lamed touching my shoulder.  “He is looking for something that can only come from extreme pressure over a long period of time.”  I looked at Lamed and replied: “I can sure relate to that.”   Lamed only smiled and said: “Indeed, it is the pressures of life over a period of time that will bring you to the maturity that will be necessary for you to carry His Word.  I, Lamed, represents prayer.   It will take  much prayer to make sure that the pressure is not too little or too great.”  We prayerfully proceed and now it is getting very hot and it is very dark.  “A volcano” I shout, “You brought me into a volcano!”   I panic and start to run but  Gimmel and Lamed hold me down as I attempt to run back to the “Looking Glass.”  Mem, who represents the revealed knowledge of God touches my forehead.  I suddenly realize that coal, pressure, volcanic heat after a period of time create something that will make our journey worthwhile.  But thinking back to my own learning, I wonder if what I think we are searching for is right as that is suppose to take thousands of years.  Mem reads my thoughts and says: “The Word of God is not only a thousands of years old, it is infinite.”

Gimmel suddenly turns around and calmly announces, “We’ve arrived.”  “I don’t see anything.” I cry out.   Then Gimmel, Mem and Lamed flash their lights on the forward wall and I see them, glistening in the lights of Gimmel, Mem, and Lamed (bountiful and mature).  They are indeed beautiful and priceless, just like God’s Devar (Words of power).

Resting back in my office I consider what Gimol taught me.  Pressure and the heat of a volcano over a period of time will turn black coal into diamonds.   The Word, the Davar, the power of His Word is truly a diamond that God will entrust to those He has matured and sometimes that maturity comes through great pressure and heat over a period of time.  The Word of God has stood the pressure and fires of time, and to be worthy of carrying His Word, we too must be faithful to stand the pressures and fires of time to bring us to a that maturity level to carry His Word.

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