Friday, 30 December 2016

Psalm 126 - God has brought us back to the land

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Psalm 126:3-4 "The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad. Bring back our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the South." NKJV

What's not to love about these verses? The Hebrew clearly says Emanu (with us). God has donegreat things "with us," and we are glad (happy, rejoicing).

The cry in verse 4 is Shuvah Adonai meaning "bring (us) back". The Hebrew word Et (aleph and tav, the first and last letters. Note - when Yeshua said, "I am the first and the last," He was saying He is the (Et) object of all things.) has no meaning in itself, but is used to identify the direct object of the sentence.

In verse 4, the direct object (that which received the action) is Sh'vitanu Yes, it is the same Hebrew word as the verb itself. Literally it means, "Bring back our bringing back." Then follows the phrase, "Like streams in the Negev desert (one 's')."

I'm intrigued by the word translated "streams". It is a word that is found 19 times in the Hebrew Scriptures. Only 6 of those times is it translated as streams. It is translated variously at other times. From all those translations and even as streams, it clearly means a watershed topography; a ravine, valley, or low spot, where water (that always runs down hill) will flow (like a stream).

How is bringing back our bringing back like streams in the Negev desert? Well, a stream in the desert is refreshing, very refreshing. The bringing back of God's people to His promised land is very refreshing.