Covering The Bases
As for me, the nearness of God is good to me; I have made my refuge in the Lord YHWH, to declare Your works. Psalm 73:28
God/ Lord/ YHWH – Before we look at the deeper implications of this verse from Asaph, we must notice that he includes three designations for the Holy One of Israel in a single sentence. The first is elohiym – God. Asaph begins this line with a declaration that being in the presence of the one true God, the only God, is good. Then he immediately adds that he takes refuge in Adonai YHWH. The one true God, Elohiym, is his Lord (Adonai) who is YHWH. There can be no confusion here. There were many “el” gods in the fertile crescent during the 10th century BC. But there is only one Elohiym Adonai YHWH. Asaph wants us to know that he has only this one God in mind.
What does Asaph say about this one true Elohiym Adonai YHWH? He says something quite remarkable, if we slow down long enough to read it without our added theology. He says that being in the presence of Elohiym Adonai YHWH is all that matters. Asaph is not longing for “heaven.” He is not waiting for the escape hatch or for death to sweep him out of a world of turmoil. He is not looking for blessings from on high or a comfortable ride here below. He wants only one thing: to be where YHWH is. That is enough. That is good.
Step back a moment and reconsider Asaph’s insight in light of your own attitudes and circumstances. Are you able to say with Asaph, “The nearness of God is my good”? It’s a powerful statement. It means that trials and troubles are of no consequence if they bring us near to God. It means that the encounters and experiences of my life really don’t matter unless they draw me near to Him. It means that I stop looking for a way out and start looking for the Engineer who arranged it for me. It means that I seek Him in everything He brings across my path. My life pursues His presence. My attitude adopts contentment. It’s good to be where God is.
Brother Lawrence wrote a tiny book called Practicing The Presence Of God. He lived what Asaph declared. My good is to be in His presence. Where doesn’t matter. With whom matters. If you and I examined our lives on the basis of this simple distinction, do you think we would need to make some changes? Would our attitudes need correction? Would our “vacation” plans and “retirement” dreams be altered? Would we need to take another look at our current location?
“Nearness” is a very unusual Hebrew word. Qirbah is used only twice in Scripture. It is tied to the verb qareb, to draw near, to approach. The pictograph is quite revealing. It is “the least (or last) person in the house.” Ah, now we see it. Drawing near is a function of humility! The last shall be first. God’s presence is found where we are humbled, and in Scripture, that usually means suffering. But that’s for another day.
Topical Index: nearness, qirbah, humility, Psalm 73:28
A double-amen for Brother Lawrence and Practicing the Presence of G-d. What is also interesting about this little book is when it was written and by who. Brother Lawrence, for those who are not aware, was a kitchen servant. He was one of the stars of the popular t.v. show way back then,- “Lifestyles of the Poor and Insignificant.”
Andrew Murray is another hero of the faith. He wrote over two hundred books and that was before the invention of the word processor. I have read enough of his books to know, G-d was all over that man. His book- “Absolute Surrender” is in my humble (but accurate) opinion (lol!)- a must-read for all followers of the Way. Think of these two words side-by-side. “Yes, LORD” and “No, LORD.” Is it possible to say-“No, LORD?” We do it everyday.
King Pharaoh was a mighty man in Egypt. The power and authority held by this man were the power, authority, and dominion of life and death. He either liked you or didn’t, and if he didn’t you were dead meat. The typical posture and greeting when coming into the “presence” of this king was face to the ground with the following confession- “On my back seven times, on my belly seven times”- some serious groveling going on in hopes this ‘god’ would not be offended by the color of your eyes. Absolute power was held by him and he knew no other way since he was reared in the court to be, in the eyes of the people,- a “god.” Arrogance? Ego? Unbounded and unbridled. Here are Pharoah’s words to Moses: (I believe this to be the second greatest question in all of our Bible..)- “Who is the LORD that I should obey Him?” Looking back in retrospect with 20/20 hindsight, maybe Moses should have replied,- “If you only knew!” Pharoah didn’t and neither do we. Look again at this word. LORD. “Looks good on paper”-does not apply here. Maybe this will help. “King of the Jews.” Still not impressed? After all -we’re not Jewish (or are we?). How about King of kings and LORD of lords? Brothers, -we are so ignorant and naive, it’s scary. “-There arose another generation who knew not the LORD”- are some fearful words that come to mind. Are we that generation?
At the end of Andrew Murray’s very fruitful life he wrote what was to be his final (and I believe his finest) work, “Humility.” Old and crippled, he had to dictate this book to his daughter, but this is what he had to say- “Consider Christ.” His birth, His lifestyle, His words, His actions, His death. From start (born in a feeding trough in a barn) to finish- (dying the death of a common criminal) on the lonely hill of Calvary,- The sweep of the life of Christ, -His life-message was humility. What does the book of G-d have to say concerning humility? We, according to scripture, have the mind of Christ. What does this mind look like? A servant’s heart. “I am meek and lowly in heart” and “with the lowly is wisdom.”
Thank you brother Skip for this timely message today. G-d is Sovereign and He absolutely does all things well. This is a trying time for me and as I look around with pain-opened eyes, I see needs I’ve never noticed before. (Pain recognizes pain?) The word “compassion” means to “with passion” or to “suffer with.” Pain is part of the process. David said, (and I must believe) “it is good for me that I have been afflicted.” And I must remember the word of G-d. “Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” This is a time or season of testing, not just for me, but for many of us. But, three hundred sixty six times G-d has said, “fear not.” I’m not particularly fond of pain. It hurts. But I will trust in Adonai my Master for He is good, and His lovingkindness (chesed) is better than life.
My life closed twice before its close — by eMily Dickinson 1732
My life closed twice before its close—
It yet remains to see
If Immortality unveil
A third event to me
So huge, so hopeless to conceive
As these that twice befell.
Parting is all we know of heaven,
And all we need of hell.
Okay Michael, You hit my button with Emily Dickinson–( even though your date in Not correct— her life was 1830-1886, according to Harper & Brothers Publishers, New York, “American Life In Literature Vol II, 1936-1949)–the above poem was written in1896.
– For reasons really not clear to me, I have since college days loved her poetry, & letters- especially to CoL. T.W. Higginson–which gives much of her autobiography. She was probably the total opposite of me in every way; but I still appreciated her unconventional work so much. In fact, for one of our dearest friend’s memorial service three years ago- the best man in our wedding: I quoted two of Emily’s poems for his service. He had appreciated her, too, but no one else remember that but me. I have through the years, taught these two poems of hers, to many children ( including our own) as being delightful: l. There is No Frigate Like a Book— To take us lands away, Nor any coursers like a page of prancing poetry.
–2. He ate and Drank the Precious Words, 3. I’LL Tell You How The Sun Rose,–
4. I’M Nobody! Who Are You? -(-repeated again, and then continues,) ” Are you a Nobody, too? Then there’s a pair of us–don’t tell! They’d banish us, you know. Verse II, How dreary to be somebody! How public, like a frog –To tell your name the livelong day To an admiring bog!
5. Because I Could Not Stop For Death (1890)
He kindly stopped for me:
The carriage held but just ourselves
And Immortality.
We slowly drove, he knew no haste,
And I had put away
My labor, and my leisure too,
For his civility.
————————————— Some of her great sayings: 1. ” publication is the auction of the mind of man.” 2. You ask of my companions. Hills, sir, and the sundown, and a dog large as myself, that my father bought me. They are better than beings because they know, but do not tell 3. I have a brother and sister; my mother does not care for thought, and father, too busy with his briefs to notice what we do.
Enjoy—- L.B.
“God/ Lord/ YHWH”
Hi LaVaye-Ed,
Well I’m glad you like Emily Dickinson, because she is my favorite American poet!
I copied the poem from the web and noticed the incorrect “1732” after sending my reply.
Rather than call attention to my mistake, I thought maybe we could use the 4 numbers.
She has 1 life, has “died” 2 times, awaits death 3 (the “third event”) and line 7 is the key.
Line 7, “Parting is all we know of heaven,” makes me think of God/ Lord/ YHWH.
Line 7 makes me think of how we feel when a loved one dies.
Michael— BEAUTIFUL– GLAD THAT YOU HAVE A FAVORIT AMERICAN POET–EMILY DICKINSON– EXTREMELY UNIQUE QUAINT WOMAN
!—- I THOUGHT OF YOU ALWAYS WALKING YOUR DOG, WHEN I recently reread for Emily’s companions: ” You ask of my companions. ‘Hills, sir, and the sundown, and a dog large as myself, that my father bought me. They are better than beings because they know, but do not tell:”—–
Hope that work continues to be favorable for you–and that will bless you and your family even more! Yes, women do like men that bring home a check, too! L.B./Ed
“Drawing near is a function of humility! The last shall be first. God’s presence is found where we are humbled, and in Scripture, that usually means suffering.”
I find it interesting that David H. Stern in the Complete Jewish Bible translates Psalm 119:71 thus, “It is for my good that I have been humbled; it was so that I would learn your laws.”
“As for me, the nearness of God is good to me; I have made my refuge in the Lord YHWH, to declare Your works. Psalm 73:28”
Julie Meyer is a modern-day psalmist. Here is a portion of the song, “This Place.” I wish it were on YouTube, but you’ll just have to check out the CD, “Better Than Life.”
I wanna be in this place
In this place here
I wanna be in this place with You near
I wanna be in this place
In this place here
I wanna be in this place with You
What a pleasure and what a joy
What a privilege to worship You, LORD
To come and to bow down, down low
What an honor and a delight
To sing and to give You my life
To come and adore You, O Lord
And every word rings in Your ear
And I can feel that You are here
As every word rings in Your ear
How wonderful to feel You near to me
“Came to My Rescue” by Hillsong is a classic too. Over 2 million have watched this YouTube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAMbEPZfWCY
Skip you are truly a bridge. There are some Scriptures that I have pondered over for many years, not quite understanding the meaning. Your commentary always addresses that very Scripture and tells me what the Hebrew thought is……………what a delight to me.
You are a man for this hour of famine of the Word, thank you.