Monday, 24 July 2017

To tell of God's praises

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Ps 37:37 "Notice the man of integrity and watch the upright - for the man of shalom has a future." (TLV)

The first Hebrew word of verse is a form of Shomair, translated here as "notice", it means "watch over, keep, or observe." In fact, the second word R'eh does mean to look and see.

So, now that we are being called to careful observation, what are we to carefully observe? The last word in the phrase with the etnakhta (a cantorial note that indicates a pause, like a comma in English, signified by a point-up wishbone shape under the last word of the phrase - almost every verse of Scripture has one) is Yashar meaning "straight, upright, integrity, righteous." Yes, we are to watch carefully the upright person.

What will we observe in him/her? The rest of the verse tells us. Literally, "the end of that man is shalom." How is the "end" translated as "future"? In Biblical terms, the "end" is not our physical concept of "the end", but rather, it is the logical result.

God's mission is to put all things in order. I like Isaiah 9:7 in the NKJV where Yeshua is prophesied to "order" the kingdom of God. There are several Hebrew words that translate as "order". But the logical conclusion of all of them is Shalom. That complete perfection that lacks nothing.

This is the description of the disciple of Yeshua given in James (Jacob) 1:4 where we read ... "And let endurance have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." In other words, "That you might BE shalom."