Good Morning Yamon Ki Yesepar:

Psalms 116:13: “I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.”

It appears the pashat is quite clear on this.  David is speaking metaphorically that he will pick up a cup of salvation.  However,  the metaphor usually involves drinking from a cup, not just picking it up.

The Jewish people will use a cup of wine at the seder to proclaim the greatness of God.  It is to fulfill this Psalms.  There are five cups at the Passover. Four are drunk by each of the participants and a fifth is poured out for Elijah.  The gematria of “cup” (kos) is 86 (kap = 20, vav = 6 and samek = 86).  The word “god” is elohiym which is the word used to show God’s role as the Judge of the universe.  Elohiym’s gematria is aleph = 1, lamed = 30, he = 5, yod = 10 and mem = 40 which totals 86.   You have give 5 cups at Passover.  5 X 86 =  430.   Exodus 12:40 “Now the time that the children of Israel dwelt in Egypt was 430 years.

As you see from the above, cup is often a picture of judgment or affliction.  Hence David is not drinking for this cup but he is “taking” the cup.  The word used for taking is “’asha’” It comes from the root word “nasah” which means to lift up.  It also has the idea of fire or passion.   He is passionately lifting up the cup (of judgment or affliction) from which he is seeking salvation.

The word salvation “yeshua” is not a reference to our eternal state.  This is a deliverance, a rescue from trouble. Then David calls upon “a” name of Jehovah.  This is very interesting for the word for name is “beshame” not “hashem.”   Hashem would be “the name.” “Beshem” is one “a name.”  Literally what David is doing is calling on one of the many names of Gods.

David is under some affliction (verse 10).  He asks in verse 12: “What shall I give to the Lord for all His benefits?”   He responds in verse 13 that he will passionately  take his cup of affliction and not drink from it but offer it up to the Lord. In doing so he will call on a particular name of God, perhaps Jehovah yeshua (God of my  salvation), or maybe Jehovah Rapha (God of my healing).  What he is doing is taking his affliction and calling out the name of God that best fits his affliction and then allowing God to deliver him from that affliction.  The Talmud teaches that there is great power in invoking the name of God and there are many names that we can invoke.  Many of us have studied the names of God, but do we regularly practice using these names?   Maybe we don’t use the names because we do not see that is makes any difference, maybe the enemy wants to keep us from invoking these names because he knows the power behind them. Yet, whatever our need there is a name of that fits that need.  David seemed to know this and teaches us his little secret in Psalms 116:3.  Take your affliction from which you seek deliverance, hold it up to God and then call upon his name that best addresses your affliction.

The following is  a short list of the names of God. Find one that fits your present need and like David hold that need up to God and speak His special name that fits that need.

El Shaddai   –              God Almighty /All sufficient one.

Jehovah Jireh –            The Lord will provide

Jehovah Rapha –         The Lord who heals

Jehovah Nissi –            The Lord who protects

Jehovah M’Kaddesh  – The Lord who sanctifies me

Jehovah Shalom –        The Lord of my peace

Jehovah Rohi  –           The Lord my shepherd

Jehovah Tsidkenu –    The Lord our righteousness

Jehovah Shammah  –   The Lord who is there

Jehovah Saboth –         The Lord is my commander

El Elyon –                    Most High God

El Abhir  –                   Might God

El Kadosh –                 Holy God

El Roi  –                       The all seeing God

El Kanna –                   The jealous God

Jehovah  Yeshua –      God of my salvation

Jehovah  Go’al –         The Lord my redeemer

El- olam  –                   The everlasting God

Jehovah Zur –                         The Lord is my rock.

The sages teach as you meditate on the names of God, He will bring you into a deeper intimacy with Him.

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