Today
Today I approached my Bible this way:
"God, every time I read this thing, I come away with a message that brings my mind to something higher than myself. Given the humanity of my understanding (and my inability to focus!) I know this is a gift in itself. But I could really use something personally encouraging today. If not that's fine."
I do the "Bible in a year" thing. Not because it's necessarily the best way to go, but because a visible "you should be here" schedule is the best way to keep me on track. So I went to where I was (behind) on the schedule and started reading...
Keep me safe, my God,
for in you I take refuge.
for in you I take refuge.
To you, it may sound like a similar prayer that occurs in many other Psalms. But I realized immediately that this was my very favorite Psalm that I had memorized three years ago. If I wanted a personally meaningful Bible passage, there was really no single passage in 1,189 chapters that had ever been more dear to me for such a long period of my life.
Well, thanks God!
Word Study: The Amber Version
I've dived into this passage on a word level before and found it rewarding. And today I did again - just with the first verse - and felt I wanted to share it again. Not because I think anyone will be particularly interested. I'd probably skip this post if I came across it. But I digest information best when I tell others.
A true biblical word study involves looking up the Greek or Hebrew term for a word and finding other occasions where it was used throughout the Bible. This is one way to help us learn the way the word was intended to be interpreted. It's not just for academics. Cross-referencing words can help us understand Scripture better.
Amber's version of a word study is that of a Bible college dropout who never made it to the biblical language classes and became an English major instead. But Amber thinks studying English word translations can also add meaning to the text.
So, disclaimer: Hebrew and Greek manuscripts are based on thousands of ancient fragments and scrolls which are virtually identical. They were copied faithfully by scribes over centuries, and we keep finding more and more archeological evidence that they were protected and unchanged. That's why Hebrew and Greek word studies work so well.
But English is a changing language, which is part of the reason we have different translations. So Amber's word study will trust a scholar's English translation of the Hebrew or Greek word or idea. Some may disagree with this because scholars have small differences in the way they translate (which is another reason we have different versions). So let's just remember that no English version (or German version, or Spanish version) is as accurate as the manuscripts in original Hebrew or Greek.
But English is a changing language, which is part of the reason we have different translations. So Amber's word study will trust a scholar's English translation of the Hebrew or Greek word or idea. Some may disagree with this because scholars have small differences in the way they translate (which is another reason we have different versions). So let's just remember that no English version (or German version, or Spanish version) is as accurate as the manuscripts in original Hebrew or Greek.
Psalm 16:1 - An Amber Word Study
Keep me safe, my God,
for in you I take refuge.
for in you I take refuge.
Keep - Two things. 1. There's no prelude. No "Hey God, I was wondering if you would please...." "You don't have to, but..." Psalms sometimes seem flowery if you read them quickly, but we waste a lot of words in prayers. 2. "Keep" is a word of permanence. This is not a place where I will be released when danger has passed, only to be exposed again. This is ultimate peace.
me - We must always be careful when studying the Psalms. David wrote them; we did not. Many of them are clear prophecy of things Jesus would say in the future. In context, the Bible is about God's people, Jesus' church, not about me the individual. So when I read "me," I must consider what David would mean praying this, what Jesus would mean, and what it would mean for all of God's people; not just me, me, me.
safe - What a rich word. David had literal enemies with swords and chariots trying to kill him. What else was he in danger from? The consequences of his own sin; the cowardice he showed by not going to battle when the kings went to war; taking another man's wife, and having her husband murdered. His position and reputation were in danger from his own son who publicly had sex with David's concubines. Suddenly this word means much more than "please keep people from murdering me."
Also, in conjunction with the permanence of "keep," it points to heaven. After all, where else will we be permanently kept safe?
my - a dear word boldly claiming a relationship. This was a unique example of what was to come; the personal friendship God would have with us through Jesus in the future. At the time David wrote this, prophets and priests were the usual ways to connect with God. This boldness matches the boldness of the first request, "Keep me safe."
my - a dear word boldly claiming a relationship. This was a unique example of what was to come; the personal friendship God would have with us through Jesus in the future. At the time David wrote this, prophets and priests were the usual ways to connect with God. This boldness matches the boldness of the first request, "Keep me safe."
God - Various terms for God are used to show various aspects of his personality and role. This term is used to refer to his deity; you'll see in a few verses that this term is used in contrast to "other gods".
for - nerdy transitional word. Keep me safe, my God - why? For.....
in you - a phrase of humility and need. Compare to the first word, the plea which sounded almost demanding.
(In case you can't see it, there are two chicks peeking out from under this mother hen who is hiding them! Jesus said he was like a mother hen. See Matthew 23:37)
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