Good Morning Yamon Ki Yesepar;
Deuteronomy 32:20: “How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had shut them up?”
This is really Hebrew poetry at it’s best. What I love about Hebrew poetry as with all poetry and art itself, is that it is not just one message that is being conveyed. That is the genius behind art, many messages can be conveyed by one work of art. That is the genius behind abstract art, you know those paintings that you feel your three year old could do a better job of painting. Do you ever notice how ambiguous the titles on paintings are, like “A woman,” or “A house,” etc. Sure you would like to know what the artist had in mind and what his message was, but more important, is what message do you get? How does it make you feel, what emotions rise up in you when you look at that painting or read that poem? Why does it affect you that way? Does it help you understand your life’s journey in some way? Is it a tool to help you work through some personal issue and help you understand your issue? So too, is the Hebrew poetry in Scripture. Five people may read a poem such as this one in Deuteronomy and there may be five different understandings (70 faces of Torah). That is why it is so important to never study the Word of God alone, why you need a study partner, particularly when dealing with Hebrew poetry. Because each word in Hebrew poetry can have a very wide range of meaning and it takes a group discussion, a midrash, to explore this beautiful garden. You need someone to say; “Hey look, here is a beautiful rose,” or someone else to say: “Look at this beautiful tree,” and then you need them to explain to you the beauty they see that you do not see.
So walk with me through this beautiful garden of the Holy Scriptures and – Oh, Oh, look at this beautiful flower here in Deuteronomy 32:30. Don’t you see it, look closer, see, look at that little flower petal “markar,” what a work of genius that God would use this word and not “mimkar.” By using the word “markar” the writer was able to give you a double meaning. You see “markar” is also the word for “giving in marriage.” This perfectly fits this other petal “sagar.” Sagar also has the meaning of being sealed, locked together. Thus, we have: “How can one chase a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight except their Rock (God) had given them in marriage and Jehovah seals or locks them together.”
Then look how ambiguous the syntax is. This is so like Hebrew poetry. You see this large, colorful petal “one?” It is “echod.” I knew it before I looked at it in my Hebrew Bible, How could the writer have used any other word for “one” than “echod.” For we have a very clear double message here. How can “one” (this is the a unity of God with us) give chase to one thousand or “two” (this is the poetic picture of a man and woman in marriage) give chase to ten thousand, were it not for “suram” (rock, fortress, refuge, poetic picture of God, in third person singular – their), their rock, that Jehovah has sealed.
Two meanings are very apparent here. One (Godhead) can give chase to one thousand, but man united with God in a marriage, can give chase to ten thousand. But because of the poetic nature of this phrase you can also read it to mean “One (the God head) can give chase to one thousand, but two (man and woman in a marriage with God as their head, their stronghold, where Jehovah has locked or sealed them together) can give chase to ten thousand.
So as we leave this most beautiful garden of the Holy Scriptures, having taken a look at this little flower of God’s in Deuteronomy 32:30, did you happen to see what I saw. What I saw are a man and God giving chase to one thousand, but a man and woman united in a marriage where God is their strength and He has sealed or locked them together, they are able to give chase to ten thousand. So pastors, you and God can give chase to one thousand, but you and your wife together with God can give chase to ten thousand.
Maybe you saw something else in this flower? Oy and such is the beauty of Hebrew poetry.
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