Psalms 37:25: “I have been young and am now old, but I have never seen the righteous forsaken.”
Today feels like one of those days that I am being struck down (but not destroyed – II Corinthians 4:9) but still struck down on all fronts. It was just one of those times you feel totally abandoned by God, you know one of those Jeremiah moments (Jeremiah 20:7-18). I was really complaining to God: “God, did you have to do this, couldn’t you even have left me this one bit of dignity?” Early this morning I decided, as an act of my will, I would do something righteous. I told Jesus, “Ok Lord, it’s alright. I know you chastise those you love and I will accept your chastisement. No more personal agendas, whatever time you have given me on this earth it belongs to the study of your Word and the sharing of your Word.” Suddenly I could breath again. But you know how your mind works, “Come on Bunkie, just another one your mind games, no real divine act – let’s face it old boy, take a good look at that old mug of yours in the mirror. He’s put you out to pasture. There are others with a more ordered life than yours that He can use.” Then when I opened up my e-mail and checked my messages, I read a message that I knew in my heart was direct from the Father. As I sit here at my desk I find I cannot help but weep and repent and say to God: “Oh Lord, I am so, so sorry. How could I have so easily forgotten your Word and the deep promise of Psalms 37:25.”
This spurred me to do some deeper research into this passage. As I drilled down to the Semitic root of certain words I discovered a hidden mystery, a little treasure buried under the surface of this passage, one that is another valuable weapon for these last days when, the enemy tries to strike us down? We usually translate Psalms 37:25 as “I was young and now I am old…” It is translated that way because it would be awkward or not make much sense if translated literally which is “I have been young and I have been old.” I mean if he has already been young and already old what comes after old? Yet the word old is zaken which is in a Qal perfect form, a completed action. The word young is na’ar which means a youth (well that is not too profound). But you see in its Semitic root it comes from the idea of roaring or being driven out. There is a little play on words here where David is referring to his time as a youth when he was driven into exile by King Saul who wanted to take his life. God did not forsake him at that time nor will He now when He is old or zaken which also means maturity or having matured in his walk with God. The word is spelled with a Zayin which represents an involvement with God, the next letter is a Qof which is a reference to sanctification by the last letter, the Nun which is a picture of faith. Being old or mature shows that as we grow older in our walk or involvement with God we grow into a sanctified life through a maturing of our faith. Looking at it another way through the Gemetria we find the Zayin = 7 which is the number of God, the Qof = 100 which is a fullness and the Nun = 50 which is the number for the Holy Spirit. Old in the Hebrew represents a fullness in God and the Holy Spirit and through our faith in Jesus Christ.
What I find David saying here is that God did not forsake him when he was a brash immature youth, why would He forsake him now that he is an older mature believer. But he also says the righteous tzedik will not be forsaken. A righteous act will not be forsaken. What is a righteous act? Well I think the word for righteousness has a built in commentary. It is spelled with a Sade which is the letter for humility and submission to the Divine will. The next letter is a Daleth which is a doorway or portal to the Qof which I have already indicated is sanctification. Righteousness or tsedik teaches us that we become righteous when we humbly submit ourselves to the Divine will of God. When we do that a door or portal will open to a sanctified life.
When you find yourself in the predicament described in II Corinthians 4 – troubled, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down you will not be hemmed in, not in despair, not forsaken, and not destroyed when you submit yourself to the Divine Will of God. For submitting yourself to the Divine Will of God opens the door to His reminding you in many joyful ways that He loves you and allows him to fulfill Himself in showing you how He loves you.
I remember reading the story of Rose Deibler who was a missionary to Papua New Guinea at the onset of World War II. She was taken prisoner by the Japanese where she was starved, tortured and thrown into solitary confinement. In the midst of her misery and starvation she cried out to God for just one banana, she loved bananas but of course it was impossible for her to get a banana, even her captors were living in starvation and even if they had a banana they would not share it with her for it would cost them their lives for aiding a prisoner of war. She apologized to God for asking such an impossible request and thanked Him for the small ball of rice she had. Yet later that day the commandant from another prisoner, with whom she had shared Jesus, came to her prison. When he came to her cell she looked at him and said how wonderful it was to see a friend. He turned and left without saying a word. She realized she made a horrible mistake. In that culture a woman, especially a prisoner, was not to address a man or even look at him. She knew they would come later to beat her for this infraction. Sure enough about an hour later she heard footsteps and prayed to God for strength to endure this beating. Yet when the door opened the guard threw in, not one, but a whole stalk of bananas, fifty of them. She push them aside, so ashamed that she had doubted her Lord and just wept in confession for her lack of faith.
I remember hearing people say how much they loved to hear new Christian’s talk of the excitement in their new found faith while the older Christians have grown cold. Yet, Jesus has been my Lord, friend and constant companion for over fifty years and like David said, I was once young and now I am old but in all that time I have never seen the righteous forsake. I feel closer to God than I ever had and I am grateful today for the fifty years of growing, learning and maturing to the point where He will permit me to enter His heart. When I can enter His heart I realize that in all those struggles of fifty years, in spite of all the heartbreak, the failure and disappointments, He has never forsaken me and all the tears I have cried are acceptable, justified.
Recent Comments