Good Morning Yamon Ki Yesepar;
Psalms 84:11 “For the Lord God is a sun and a shield, the Lord gives grace and glory. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
This is poetry and as typical of poetry, it will make good use of metaphors. The Lord is a sun and the Lord is a shield are obviously metaphors. A metaphor helps to describe something. For instance if we say that a man is a fox, we do mean he has a tail and pointed nose we are saying that he has certain attributes like a fox, that is he is clever and quick witted. We say the Lord is a sun, what associations do we make? He is warm, bright, giver of life, giver of light.
The previous verse says: “I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than to dwell in the tents of the wicked.” Verse 11 then explains why the writer feels this way. It is because the Lord is a sun and a shield. The word wicked is “rasa’” which is ungodliness, or to be without God. This does not have to be a place where evil or bad things take place. It could be a place owned or operated by a good person. A neighbor’s home, a school function, place of entertainment. Nothing evil or bad about the place, but yet, devoid of the presence of God. Hence the writer would much rather be a simple servant in the House of God than in a place where God is not dwelling. He just wants to be near God regardless of the position.
In oriental culture, hospitality was considered a great honor and a dishonor if your guest did not feel properly honored. As a guest you would be provided warmth, comfort and food. Yet to the writer God is a sun. The sun was considered the giver of life, warmth, comfort and food. God is the perfect host and the writer is picturing God as such and that we are His guests.
A host in oriental culture must provide protection for his guest. So too as the perfect host, God will surround us with protection, he is our shield, “magen” encirclement of protection. As long as we are under his roof we can be guaranteed that He is honored bound to protect us even at the cost of His own life. Comparing God to the perfect host is sort of messianic here.
This perfect host give us grace which in this case is “chen” which means favor. We get preferential treatment like a long time customer. He will go out of his way to make sure we have everything we need so we are comfortable. He will also give us “glory” or “kavod” which here refers to honor and respect. The perfect host will place you in the best room, give you the best towels, use the best china etc. This is to show you respect and that you are welcomed.
No good thing will he withhold to them who walk uprightly. There is a condition to all this wonderful treatment. If you go to a restaurant you will be given the best of everything, no good will they withhold from you, so long as you pay well enough. With God you will get His best under the condition that you walk uprightly. The word walk is “halaka” which is a righteous walk and the word “uprightly” is “tamam” which is without blemish, perfect, no defect. Well that puts this wonderful treatment from God about as out of reach as a five star restaurant is to panhandler.
But soft, is that not why Jesus came to this earth to die on a cross? So that he who was without blemish or spot could make us without blemish or spot. Thus, through his blood, we are now welcomed into the house of God presided over by the perfect host, God Himself and we are His honored guest who are “tamam” through His Son Jesus Christ.
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