Blogging Bible Study: The Heart of the Matter - Psalms, part 6; Ps 51 - 60

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

It feels like it's been a month since we last had a look at Heart/ Hearts...but it's only been two weeks.   We had a great visit with family last week  and we're starting off this week with one of the most poignant of all the psalms...number 51.  The psalm David wrote after Nathan confronted him about the worst series of choices he'd made in his life...which resulted in adultery, betrayal, murder, cover- up...

David didn't back pedal or try to justify himself, as his predecessor Saul had done when Samuel confronted him about HIS errors.  No, he owned his sin and repented, and penned Ps. 51.  Two verses, both often quoted, mention 'Heart'

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  (Ps. 51:10; 'Heart' is the common Strong's H3820, leb)

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. (Ps. 51:17; 'heart' is, once more, H3820).

Ps. 51 is a wonderful example of repentance...which is something of a lost art among moderns, I fear.  We have forgotten how to own our errors...both honest mistakes and deliberate acts of disobedience.  There's always a reason, always someone or something to blame.  But, at the very core of it, there is a choice made.  David made the choice because he wanted something that was forbidden to him...his friend's wife.  But he wanted it!  Why shouldn't he have it?  ...and thus the same temptation, albeit in different form, trips us all up, from Eve right up to you and I.  Never mind that the all-knowing, benevolent Father of us all, who knows us to the number of hairs on our head and knows what giftings, talents, passions and callings he has given each of us, has given us commandments for our good, that contain, horror of horrors, Forbidden Things.  Things under the ban.   The enemy twists those bans around to make it seem that God is deliberately keeping us from being our best selves, when, in fact, those commandments are there so, by following them, with his grace to empower us, we can become the man or woman he intended...our very best self.   But we WANT...so we TAKE...and horrible things happen.  Things...both tangible and intangible... are broken.  

The ONLY way to move back to restoration is repentance.  Read Ps. 51 slowly and carefully and see how David completely admitted to his fault and threw himself on the mercy of God.  

Also notice, from the two verses quoted, the importance of this being done from the very core of one's being.  This is not just a prescribed prayer to recite when one falls into error; this is an expression of true remorse and repentance.  It's also worth noting that, while David certainly wasn't without error and sin in the rest of his life...he never fell into that one again.

The next verse containing 'Heart/ Hearts' is Ps. 53:1, which is a repeat of Ps. 14:1 - 

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."  They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good. ('Heart' is H3820 again). 

 I won't repeat all of what I said on the post that included the discussion of Ps. 14:1, but I will point out again that 'fool' here doesn't mean one lacking intelligence...it means someone who is morally deficient.  And I will also repeat that this is not something spoken out loud...it is an inner belief.

I'll let the reader contemplate the significance of those two things and move on....

Ps 55 is a lament from David concerning friends who had betrayed him

My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death assail me.   - Ps. 55:4;  'Heart' is H3820 agin.

There is nothing that stings and cuts like betrayal, misunderstanding, or other falling out between folks who were once friends, whatever the cause of the dispute might be.  Sometimes it's just a parting of ways, with pain and hurt...and sometimes that person who had such intimate knowledge uses it as a weapon, which appears to be the case here.  Not only is David grieving, but the damage that can be done from a friend - turned - opponent or rival can be deep and devastating.

His speech is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords. -- Ps. 55:21; 'heart' is H3820 once more.

David recognizes the ulterior motive of his once-friend...and, if you read the rest of the psalm, declares his trust in God to deliver him.  At this point, he's wise to the plotting and can take appropriate action but he knows that, ultimately, God will deal with the situation.

The next verse is from Psalms 57, which was written when David had fled from Saul into the cave.  I'm not sure if this is the cave at En Gedi, or the cave of Adullam, although I suspect it was the latter becuause he used that cave as a base for a bit....and I doubt he was in the cave at En Gedi long enough to write poetry.

But David does describe his situation, then as in other psalms, declares his absolute trust that God will deliver him.

My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;   I will sing and make music.  -- Ps. 57:7; 'Heart' is, once again, H3820.  

Another reason I don't think this was En Gedi...David certainly didn't have any opportunity to sing while the events passed there. And the song of the rest of the psalm is a glorious praise to God.  Evidence of a heart that is steadfast even in trial.

One more verse in this week's list...Ps. 58:2...but it needs verse 1a for context.  This is also one of David's psalms:

Do you rulers indeed speak justly?  Do you judge uprightly among men? No, in your heart you devise injustice, and your hands mete out violence on the earth. ('Heart' is, yet again, H3820)

The research tool I uses is based off the King James, which renders 'rulers' in verse 1 as 'congregation'.  Whoa, I thought, that's a pretty big difference.  So I looked up the reference there and found that it is H482 - elem, which appears nowhere else in the Bible and actually is a singular masculine noun for 'silence'

So I went down the list of words and...here's what I came up with for that bit of verse 1, with 'silence' being the subject of the first sentence:

[does] Silence truly speak righteously?  Do you judge uprightly, sons of men?

Y'all.  That is staring me down.  For whatever reason (and maybe there is an idiomatic thing happening here that Hebrew scholars recognize but of which I am ignorant), the NIV translators threw the focus on rulers.  Now, I don't know if that means rulers of nations, rulers of the tribes/ clans/ families/ local assemblies/ cities/ whatever,  so lil' ol' plebian me is, like, yeah, you tell those rulers, David.  BUT.  No. It doesn't look like that verse is focused on rulers at all...but all of us. 

 Do we speak righteously by keeping silent?

Are we assessing things from a pure heart when we hold our peace?

Now, I am not saying That Is What That Verse Means.  I am saying that it's one aspect of that verse I wouldn't have considered had I not looked up the original language.

But...if the silence of the people is the issue, then verse 2 also reads a bit differently... as in, your silence is from selfish motives, and it is increasing the violence on the earth.

Whoa.  That's worth a selah.  Gonna chew on that for a while...

A Thanksgiving Hodgepodge....

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite family holiday; so, yeah, I'll do this week's hodgepodge. Click the link to find the party!

1. Talking turkey...are you cooking the turkey this year? Does ham belong on a Thanksgiving day menu? When it comes to gravy do you pour it over your whole plate, skip it altogether, or land somewhere in between? Cranberries-homemade or jelled right out of the can? Do you look forward more to the main course, the savory sides, or the desserts? 

We have a set menu that changes not from year to year, lol. My grandmother's method for slow-roasting a turkey (done the day before), also her (yankee style...no cornbread) dressing; mashed potatoes and gravy,  my mother's candied sweet potatoes, my mother-in-law's green bean casserole, corn I brought back from the August trip to Indiana and put in the freezer, my Aunt Judy's apple salad, plus a cheese tray, a relish tray, yeast rolls (my other grandma's recipe if I'm ambitious, Sister Shubert's if I'm not), and...don't judge me...Ocean Spray jellied cranberry sauce.  Sometime after dinner has digested enough, we'll cut the pies...pumpkin (The Princess is doing that this year) and my aunt Ruth's pecan pie.  And I have to say...the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.  It's a package deal and I look forward to the full plate.

2.Holiday movies...tell us your favorite and what it is about the film that makes you love it. Is it the film itself or a memory it stirs? 

We always watch 'Miracle on 34th Street'...the original black and white version...while we eat our pie; it's a great transition since it starts with (an actual...they really filmed a parade!) Macy's parade.  The whole family rattles off the dialogue and it gets quoted year 'round.  But my FAVORITE Christmas movie, hands down, is 'A Muppet Christmas Carol'. I love the Christmas Carol story...have since I was a kid...but the Muppets just add a whole 'nuther level.  And, except for the fact that Scrooge goes to Bob Cratchet's on Christmas day in the finale, it is one of the most faithful-to-the-text renditions.  And, y'all might not notice, but the costuming is superb. (If you are curious, Abby Cox has a whole video pointing out the details in a true fangirl style).  Another movie that we all recite the dialog in real time and quote throughout the year. So. Much. Fun.  The holiday isn't complete until we eat pizza and watch  it.

3. A favorite way to give back and help others?

Church theater. Sounds kinda 'not helping' ...but it is my favorite ministry area.  We have a couple of showings of our Christmas production this year that are purely outreaches...tickets reserved for a particular group...and we will have food and fun along with the performance.  (We also do a number of other outreaches...this is just the one that I am the most involved in).  Dorothy Sayers, via her character Lord Peter Wimsey, points out that when people come to be entertained, the guard is lowered, and truth that would be rejected if it were just spoken can be slipped in via entertainment.

4. Name a place or setting you encountered this month that made you feel grateful. 

We had an AWESOME church service Sunday, and I was very thankful to have been there.

5. Knowing what you know today, if you could redo yesterday what would you do differently? 

Literally yesterday?  Or...something in the past?  I think if I had known more about...life...I would have had much less angst as a teenager.   If I had known that I would have nasty leg cramps Monday, I'd've made sure to drink more liquids the day before, lol.

6. Spill your own random thought here. 

The color has been late and sporadic this year.  Too little rain, too warm, lots of wind...trees lost their leaves before all of them changed...but we finally have a bit of color on the hill up the street.  Not as amazing as it has been in other years, but still pretty enough to know it's fall.  The heavy rain that had been predicted for Thursday is not in the forecast anymore, so mayhap this will stay around for the holiday.

Blogging Bible Study: the Heart of the Matter - Psalms, part 5 Ps. 41 - 50

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Oy.  Y'all, I am struggling with the demands of the season.  Got a bit convicted this morning about not putting a priority on the Scripture digging.  So I'm repenting and...putting it at the top of my list today, lol.

Anyway, we are cruising through the Bible on a long slow journey looking at the use of 'Heart/ Hearts' as listed in the NIV Exhaustive concordance (Zondervan, 1990), and we are now in the Psalms.

Ps. 41 is one of David's, and he is relating how his enemies...and some of his friends... have gossiped about him:

Whenever one comes to see me, he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander; then he goes out and spreads it abroad. -- Ps. 41:6; 'Heart' is Strong's H3820, which we've seen frequently.

David is describing an individual who comes and speaks kindly to him, whilst looking for dirt to spread around about the king once he leaves.  We are familiar with the idea of hiding God's word in the heart (we'll get there when we hit Ps 119) ...but it is apparent that other things can be hidden in one's heart as well.  Like details of another's hardship...which sometimes get masked as 'prayer requests'.

Of course, David's trust is in God, who vindicates him, but it is a good moment to mention...checking one's motives.

I have a notation in my Bible that Ps. 42 begins 'Book II'.  I suppose I could chase that down and learn about the structure of Psalms and all, but that's not my purpose here, so cruising on to the next mention of 'heart/hearts' brings us to Ps. 44, written by 'the sons of Korah'. This is a lament of those who do not perceive why God is letting them go through hardship.

Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed from your path.  -- Ps. 44:18; 'Hearts' is once more H3820.

If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread our hands to a foreign god, would not God have discovered it, since he know the secrets of the heart? -- Ps 44:20-21; H3820 again.

Not unlike Job, the psalmist(s?) struggles with understanding what has happened, although this is on a national, not a personal, level.  However, there is no questioning 'Why'...just a plea for God to rise up and deliver his people.  This isn't a 'God knows my heart despite my actions' situation...this is a genuine 'my heart is clear and God can see it all' mystification...but still resting on the assurance that God cares and does redeem.

Ps. 45 is another by the sons of Korah, and it is labeled  'a wedding song', extoling the qualities of the groom and the bride.

My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. -- Ps. 45:1; 'heart' is, again, H3820.  The psalmist is introducing the poem, moved in his heart by the occasion.

For a poem about love, it's kind of odd that the only other reference to heart is a verse celebrating the king's military might

Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king's enemies; let the nations fall beneath your feet. -- Ps. 45:5; H3820 once more.

Literally, the vital organ of the heart here;  the psalmist is declaring victory over the enemies of the king.

Psalms 46 is also written by the sons of Korah; I'm going to quote two verses for context:

God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea -- Ps. 46:1-2; keeping the string going, that's H3820 again...the midst, center. A description of a true natural disaster.

Cataclysmic events should not spark fear.  Interesting and timely, given the cataclysmic events (storms, earthquakes, volcanoes, floods) that have happened of late.  The earth is groaning...which is pretty far afield from my topic but worth a mention.

One more verse today; in the 49th psalm, also from the sons of Korah.

My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the utterance from my heart will give understanding. - Ps. 49:3  Batting a thousand today; that's H3820 again.

The psalmist is pretty confident that the revelation in his heart is something worth sharing.  The first two verses are actually encouraging folks to pay attention as he shares what he has seen/heard/ understood.

I suddenly feel like I have something in common with this unknown poet, lol.  Maybe he would have been a blogger...if blogging had been a thing...

A Blast from the Past...

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Just a little story about my writing process...or not, lol.

Last week I had a chat with a friend who is a published author and a supporter of new writers.  Something came up in our conversation that hit a nerve and I suddenly remembered A Thing I had started writing back when my kids were small.

I gave her a quick -ish- synopsis of the story and she strongly encouraged me to pull it out and finish it.

She asked me how many words I'd written and.. I had no idea.  I was, however, pretty sure everything I've ever written was somewhere in my writing folder under my documents.  I'd been pretty careful to make sure to move stuff over.

So the next day, whilst My Sweet Babboo was on a camping trip, I sat down to the computer and pulled up the writing folder.

Nothing.

I poked around a while in some other folders.

Still nothing.

I ran searches on key words and...still nothing.

I looked on our backup drive. More nothing.

Somehow, that file didn't get transferred over to this computer.  It may not even have been on the previous one.

Rats.  Could I re-write it?  

As I was heading to bed that night, I suddenly remembered that there is a physical folder in the filing cabinet with some of my old writing in it.  Maybe...

The next day, I looked and, lo and behold, there it was.

Y'all.  That is CONTIUNOUS FEED paper from a DOT MATRIX printer.  I knew it was old, but I didn't know it was THAT old.  And the backup is apparently on that old floppy disc.  I'd written it on the very first computer we owned... a hand-me-down Apple IIc.  I suspect the files weren't compatible with the Windows machine we replaced it with.

Only about half of what I wrote is on the printout, but what is there is a hoot.

Nobody has a cell phone.  The protagonist checks her phone messages.  They rent a movie from Blockbuster.   She made coffee from those little single-serving tea-bag thingies (remember those?).

I am going to see if a local Old Computer Tech company can extract the files from the floppy disc...but, wow, there's a LOT of work that needs doing, lol. The basic plot is not affected by the time period but all those details...

Or maybe I'll just leave it set in the 90's and call it a creative choice, lol.  

But first to see if the files can be salvaged.

Blogging Bible Study: the Heart of the Matter - Psalms, Part 4; Ps. 31 - 40

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Our perusal through the scripture, looking at verses containing 'heart/ hearts' as listed in the NIV Exhaustive Concordance brings us to the last verse in Ps. 31,  another of David's,  which seems particularly appropriate at this point in time:

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.  -- Ps. 31:24  

"Heart" here is Strong's H3824, Lebab which we have seen many times.  But as best I can tell, that first phrase is translated from three words, Hazaq (Strong's 2388) amets (Strong's h553) lebab  ...strong courage heart.

Other translations phrase this such that it is GOD who strengthens the heart. "Take heart' as always seemed to be a rather odd phrase to me.  From where do I take this?  What specifically am I taking?  I've always just sort of read that as 'receive strength and courage from God' anyway, so for it to be translated along those lines makes sense.     

Next up is the last verse in Ps. 32, again, written by David; I'm going to add the previous verse for context - 

Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.     Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart! --Ps. 32:11

"Heart" is the other most-frequently-used word, Strong's H3820, Leb   This is a description of character...'upright in heart' ...folks who have a clear conscience and earnestly try to do the right thing.  Praising God is a natural occurrence with those folks.

No psalmist is mentioned as authoring Ps. 33; there are three verses that mention 'Heart/Hearts': 

But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. - Ps. 33:11; 'heart' is H3820 again.  This verse speaks of God's heart, not man's.  God's heart has purposes...which are fixed and eternal.

From his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth -- he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.  Ps. 33:14-15 "hearts'  is H3820 again.  The hearts of mankind, formed by God and visible to him.  

One thing that has struck me through the years...folks who are, um, lackadaisical about following the exhortation of scripture but shrug it off as too difficult or inconvenient, saying 'The Lord knows my heart."  ...don't seem to realize that yes, the Lord knows every individual's  heart.   And knows the self-deception that makes deliberate disobedience seem ok.  The Lord knows our hearts better than we do.  To me, my heart desires to do better but I struggle.  God sees the underlying rebellion that my actions manifest, despite claiming the heart wants to do better. He REALLY knows.  Which is why the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom...recognizing that he is not fooled.  He. Knows.

In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. -- Ps. 33:21; 'Hearts' is H3020 again.  

I am reminded of the almost physical sensation of a 'rejoicing heart'...something that almost always happens when I contemplate God's goodness.

The next Psalm that mentions 'heart/ hearts' is Ps. 36...one of David's

An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:  There is no fear of God before his eyes. -- Ps. 36:1; 'Heart' is, once more, Strong's H3820.  

"Oracle" - prophetic declaration...As a writer, I can kind of identify here. The word that is fizzing around and must be written down.  David  has something burning inside and he has to express it.

Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart  -- Ps. 36: 10.  We are going to get some repetition of poetic phrases; I'm kind of surprised we haven't really had more.  "Heart" is, again, H3820, and it's a repeat of the phrase 'Upright in heart', except this time David is talking about the response of God to someone who is upright in heart. 

Psalm 37 is also one of David's:

This is one of the verses that gets quoted a LOT:

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. -- Ps 37:4; 'Heart' is H3820 again.

We tend to look at that verse and think that means God will give us whatever we want.  But there's a frequently overlooked condition that begs the question -- What does it mean to 'delight oneself in the LORD'.  Doesn't that mean that we make HIM our main desire?  Pursuing God out of the desire of the heart WILL find that desire fulfilled.  It doesn't mean if I go to church and do the stuff that God's going to give me a new car and a bigger house....

The next two verses need context so I'll include it.

The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.  But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.  -- Ps. 37: 14-15.  'Hearts' is, again, H3820, referring this time to the actual organ; basically, the attacks of the wicked will be turned back on them.  Eventually.

The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. The law of his God is in his heart and his feet do not slip.  -- Ps. 37:30-31; H3820 again.

Again, a character description.  The heart...the source...contains God's law.  So wisdom and justice are what is spoken and the walk is solid.

Ps. 38 is a lament of David, owing to his own sin.

I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in aguish of heart.  All my longings lie open before you, O Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you.  My heart pounds, my strength fails me, even the light has gone from my eyes. -- Ps. 38:8-10; both instances of 'Heart' are H3820.

The whole psalm describes the physical and mental anguish of guilt and shame, with full acknowledgement that God sees, God knows, and God helps once confession is made.

In Ps. 39, David laments the futility of trying to keep from saying things that will cause trouble by just...not saying anything.  Didn't work.

My heart grew hot within me, and as I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue. - Ps. 39:3; 'Heart' is, once more, H3820

Oh, I know this feeling!  The bee in the bonnet that just gets louder and more bothersome until...the words come out of the mouth (or posted on social media) and, oh, then there's TROUBLE.

Seen a lot of that lately....

One more Psalm today, another of David's...

I desire to do your will, O my God; you law is within my heart. I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, as you know, O LORD. I do not hid your righteousness in my heart; i speak of your faithfulness and salvation.  I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly. -- Ps. 40:8-10.  'Heart' in verse 10 is H 3820 again, but the word rendered 'Heart; in verse 8 is H 4578 - me'e  - belly, bowels, heart, womb.  Guts.

He feels God's love deep in his guts, and declares it freely.  Which is so much better than spewing the long-stewed-over reaction speech that causes issues.

Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD; may your love and your truth always protect me.  For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me and I cannot see.   They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me. -- Ps. 40:11-12.; H3820 again.

Sounds like the results of sin have caught up to him and he's feeling overwhelmed; so he does the only thing he can do...he turns to God for deliverance and help.

There were a lot of verses today;  it's kind of disjointed feeling to me but there are some nuggets definitely worth pondering.  Do I truly delight myself in the Lord??? is definitely not the least of them.

Blogging Bible Study: The Heart of the Matter - Psalms, part 3, Ps. 21 - 30

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Returned from the mountains and the awesome writer's retreat and actually posting on my scheduled day! (ETA...well, I was working on it on the scheduled day, anyway...and it's still Friday in the Mountain Time zone and points west).  We are looking through the Bible at Heart/Hearts, as translated by the NIV 84, and are just chopping away at the Psalms, and we jump right into Ps. 21, one of David's.  Starting with verse 1 for context:

O LORD, the king rejoices in your strength.  How great is his joy in the victories you give!  You have granted him the desire of his heart and have not withheld the request of his lips.  Selah.  -- Ps. 21:1-2. 'Heart' is the familiar Strong's H3820 - leb : Inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding. 

 This whole psalm is written in third person, which is an interesting literary choice.  I wonder at what point in his life David wrote this Psalm...clearly after being crowned King of all Israel, but...before the family drama with his kids?  Or after?  Has he endured the hardest parts of his life, and is still grateful, recognizing what God has really done for him?  I kind of think that would be David's attitude, regardless of when this was written.  He never really forgot what God had done for him.

At least the first bit of Ps. 22 is considered Messianic; it's a pretty fair description of crucifixion and is the Psalm Jesus references while on the cross. It is not attributed to anyone. 

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint.  My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me.  'Heart' is Strong's H3820 again.  

I have heard that this is a description of the physical effects of crucifixion, that it actually affects the organ.  Bones out of joint is also associated with hanging on the cross.  
But at about verse 22, the tone of the psalm changes...as is common...and in verse 26 we have 

The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him  -- may your hearts live forever!   'Hearts' here is Strong's H 3824 - lebab:  Inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding.  It's also the word from which H 3820 was derived.  

When I looked up the Hebrew, I saw that the KJV translates this singular. ..'your heart shall live forever'...but, singular or plural, that seems to be the result of seeking/ praising God.

Psalm 25 is attributed to David; the notes in my Bible  subtitle it 'A plea for defense, guidance, pardon'.  In verse 17 he laments, 

The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish.  -- 'Heart' is H 2834 again.

In the verse before, we read that the psalmist is 'lonely and afflicted'; the following verse mentions 'affliction and distress'.  This is  not, primarily, stress from the outside,...in terms of circumstances, although circumstances could be a contributing factor... but interior distress...worry, regret, disappointment, grief, etc.  I think it's worth noting that he is taking his inner turmoil to God.

Psalm 26 is David kind of doing a Job...he's declaring his integrity.  In a later psalm we will see David asking God to search him in order to purify him...but in this case, he is asking God to search him to see that his heart is pure.

Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted the LORD without wavering.  Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth.  -- Ps. 26:1-3; 'heart' is Strong's H3629, Kiya -kidneys, reins.  Also the mind, interior self.  

I honestly am kind of surprised that we see this word here.  Maybe my modern Western thinking is just inclined to 'pure heart' whereas the connotation in that time was 'pure guts'...both meaning the same thing in their time/place. The psalmist is blameless.  His conscience is clear.

Ps. 27 is a declaration of David's faith; three verses mention heart:

Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.  Ps.27:3, "heart" is H3820

My heart says of you, "Seek his face!"  Your face, LORD, I will seek. -- Ps. 27:8; 'heart' is H3820

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.  Ps. 24:14; 'heart' is H3820

This whole psalm is just a joyous declaration.  These three verses are a good representation .  I will be confident, I will not fear, I will seek God's face, I will wait on him.  The combination of 'be strong' and 'wait' is very interesting.  'Be strong' usually suggests taking a course of action, but this implies that waiting is the thing that requires strength.  

I will be chewing on that one for a bit.  

Psalm 28 is another one of David's; we have two verses here:

Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts."  -  Ps. 28:3; 'Hearts' is H 3824

There are several points that could be made here, but since we're looking at hearts I will focus the attention on the description of 'the wicked, those who do evil' as people who 'speak cordially ...but harbor malice in their hearts.'  Notice...these wicked people are called out just for carrying malice towards others.  They aren't talking about it, but it's there.  And there is judgement coming for it.  

That's worth a selah to check motives, what?

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him and I am helped.  My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.  - Ps. 28:7, both instances of 'heart' are H3820.

This is just a happy verse.  My heart trusts in God...it leaps for joy.

The last verse for today is Ps. 30:12; David is still praising God

You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.          

I was just going to conclude that this verse is continuing the praise but got pulled up by the Hebrew. The word translated 'heart' in this verse is one we haven't encountered here before... It's Strong's H3519, kabod - 'good' weight, splendor, glory... 'That my glory may sing...'

I am not entirely sure why the NIV used 'heart' here; it has a different connotation altogether.  Clothed with joy and dancing, the glory of coming out of  wailing and sackcloth does indeed sing and give thanks to God.  "My heart sings" speaks of something internal, perhaps even private; but glory, the heavy weighty kabad, is a thing that is observed from the outside...it is a testimony

Something else worth a ponder or two over the next few days.

Taking advantage of the hodgepodge...

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Just for grins...because I feel like using a writing prompt today, lol.  You can click the picture to see other folks' answers...

 1. What are your current priorities in this season of life? Elaborate as much or as little as you like. 

Wow, that can have a LOT of applications.  And I've always had problems establishing priorities.  Some don't change...commitment to faith, to family, to work...but I have had a challenge this last weekend to be more intentional, more disciplined about writing.  And that is going to carry over into the rest of my life.

2. What's one thing you wish you had more of? 

T.I.M.E.

3. Do you celebrate Halloween? If so, what are your Halloween traditions? Any special plans for Halloween this year? 

Halloween has never been a high priority holiday, really.  We did the Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom back in September, because we were there, and we watched Great Pumpkin last week after my hubby's birthday dinner, which is rather a tradition now.  We'll probably hang out with our local kids and roast some hot dogs...assuming the rain holds off.  For many years we did a fall festival type thing at the small church we were in at the time; I ran a candy walk game in my Sunday School classroom...someone gets a piece of candy when the music stops.  I listened to the cast recording of Godspell on repeat every year for that, and now that is a necessity on Oct. 31st.  I will probably play it on repeat on Spotify at work tomorrow, lol.  Not typical Halloween music, but it tells my brain where we are on the calendar.

4. Last thing you ate that contained chocolate? Last thing you made that called for chocolate? 

Just ate a couple of fun-sized chocolate bars from the above mentioned Magic Kingdom party, lol.  I still have a wee bit left.  I made a chocolate milkshake last week, does that count? LOL

5. Do you prefer laid back weekends or do you like to have a lot of plans? Thinking back to this past weekend... which was it? 

I really like an unstructured weekend; it feels like a break.  A busy weekend doesn't give me breathing time before diving back into the workweek.  But I drove close to 1,000 round trip last weekend to attend a writer's retreat in the mountains of North Carolina (had to go around the 'Essential Travel Only' zones...)  That was definitely planned out!  I took a day off of work when I got back to catch that breath.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

How 'bout a picture from the afternoon walk I took up the hill where we were meeting for the writer's retreat?  Isn't that a view???

Weekend ...questing....

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

In the fall of 2020, we braved the pandemic to attend the 25th Anniversary Heart of David conference.  It was a real blessing in the midst of the crazy, but I really connected with the talk from one of the speakers, Stephen Roach, who had begun an arts collective called The Breath and the Clay.  who spoke of creativity and faith.  I participated in an online writer's conference sponsored by them later that fall; ultimately, I joined the collective myself, just for the prod to continue creating faith-based work.

This past weekend, The Breath and the Clay sponsored another writer's conference; the first in-person writer's conference since the pandemic.  My Sweet Babboo gave me his blessing, and, since there was still space available after we got back from our Florida trip, I signed up.  It was a small conference, with about 30 folks attending, including the presenters.  It was in a lodge up in the mountains of North Carolina...Moravian Falls, actually, if any of you are familiar with the history of that area.

The conference venue

I drove myself, so you know I REALLY wanted to go, but it was totally worth the trip.  I left with a question I wanted to get answered...am I really a writer, or am I just someone who noodles around with writing?

I printed out a good bit of my writing...a lot of which I have published either on Beer Lahai Roi or my sewing blog, Sew Random, over the years.  Two things struck me as I was pulling the lot together...1) Most of my writing is derivative; it starts with something else, like a Bible story or a fairy tale or some other well-known (or not so well-known) source; and, 2) Most of it was really old.  Like, 10 - 20 years old.  Now, I have been blogging away and writing here and there...like getting the curriculum for my beginning Bible study class recorded...but the actual fever to sit down and write a piece hasn't hit me in a while.  I had attributed it to the fact that pretty much none of my writing has found an audience (not that I don't love you, my few and faithful readers, but there really aren't' very many of you, lol).  I kinda thought that, if I was a Real Writer (TM), I would have some...outlet...for it by now, other than the seeds sown at random on the blogs.  I had a long talk with myself over the whole thing and resolved that, if it did indeed prove out that I had the chops to write...maybe not spectacularly, but solidly, I would put more effort into doing it.

The whole weekend was amazingly affirming.  I left feeling like, yes, I AM a Real Writer...even if I don't have a lot of Real Readers.  And I realized my number one weakness is a lack of discipline.  Not just in writing...in life in general.  

It's hard for a Tigger to thrive in discipline; Tiggers don't do structure well. And I have gotten very...self indulgent...over the years since I HAD to have discipline going to keep four kids fed and in clean clothes and where they needed to be.  It was something of a come-to-Jesus moment.  I'm going to have to relearn the skills again.

Because that's the only way I can get the discipline to work on the writing again.  It may take a bit for that to trickle down to something that's visible to folks watching from the outside, but as long as I keep trying...it will get there.

The first step is...going to bed on time.  I'm something of a night owl, so that's going to take some work.  

And discipline. 

Here we go.

Blogging Bible Study: The Heart of the Matter - Psalms part 2, Ps. 11 - 20

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

As I mentioned on my Facebook page, when I linked last week's post, I am way out of whack on my blogging schedule...well, actually, everything is way off schedule...and I'm not sure how long it's going to take to get it reined back in.  It may be January, for all I can tell from here.  But I'll sit down and have a dive into the list of verses with 'Heart/ hearts' in them as much as I can...

Our journey though the Bible looking at the NIV 84 renderings of 'heart/hearts' has brought us to the Psalms, and I'm just kinda arbitrarily looking at ten-psalm chunks.  More or less.  Ps. 119 will likely be a post of its own, lol...

But this is week two in the Psalms and we are looking at the 11th through the 20th Psalms.  Taking a deep breath, 'cause there are a lot of references here....

And we don't get far before we hit a verse w/ 'Heart' in it:

For look, the wicked bend their bows, they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.  - Ps 11:2; 'heart' is once more Strong's H3820, Leb - 'the heart, also used (figuratively) for the feelings, the will and even the intellect, likewise for the centre of anything'.  Just for grins, I also looked up 'upright' and found that it is Strong's H3477 - yasar - 'just, meet(-est), pleased well right(-eous), straight, (most) upright(-ly, -ness).

David is the psalmist here, and this verse is actually the middle of a quote.  He opens the psalm by stating that he takes refuge in God, and asks how anyone can then instruct him to  (paraphrased) 'run away and hide because the wicked are laying traps for the righteous and the foundations are crumbled, so what can a righteous person do anyway? '   He then uses the rest of the psalm to affirm that God is on the throne, he sees everything,  and the wicked will get their due from him.

This seems especially pertinent to me, right now, because there's a lot of hand-wringing about the foundations being destroyed and what can the righteous do and, oh woe is...all of us.  I'm sure you've heard it.  Yes, it's bad.  Not gonna lie.  But read the rest of the psalm.  God is on his throne.  He's still ultimately calling the shots.  Don't pull the quote out of the context of David basically chastising the person who's so worried.  His refuge is in God, and he's looking to the final outcome that God is going to bring.

The next two verses, in Ps. 13, which is another one of David's, kind of summarize the whole psalm:

How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?  How long will my enemy triumph over me? ...  But I trust in your unfailing love, my heart rejoices in your salvation.  -  Ps. 13: 2, 5;  in verse 2, 'Heart' is Strong's 3824, lebab, which we have also frequently seen:  the Heart (as the most interior organ) - bethink themselves, breast, comfortably, courage (faint) (tender-) heart(-ed), mind ; while verse 5 is 3820 again.  A repeated pattern in Psalms is that David (or another psalmist) will ask a question, and then answer it with a declaration of faith. I think this is an interesting couplet; on the one hand, his heart is sorrowing; on the other, his heart is rejoicing. This appears to be happening at the same time.  Despite the sorrow in his heart, David rejoices in God's salvation.  They are not mutually exclusive things.

As probably anyone who is grieving with hope can attest.

Ooo, 14:1 is a verse I have talked about before.  Also a psalm of David.

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."  They are corrupt, their deeds are vile, there is no one who does good. "Heart" is Strong's 3820 again.  

I have a footnote from the NIV translators that clarifies that the words rendered 'fool' in the Psalms denote someone who is morally deficient, not someone lacking intelligence.

I have always thought it interesting that this verse (and we will encounter it again; it's repeated verbatim later in Psalms) specifies that the phrase is spoken in the heart, not out loud.  This is not someone who proclaims an atheistic viewpoint.  This is someone who, to all outward appearances, seems to believe.  S/he is going through the motions of  proper Christian (or, at the time, Hebrew) ritual.  Yet, when it comes down to it, the individual does not believe that God matters, and follows his/her own agendas,  keeping up the religious activities for the sake of appearances.  It is what one does, after all.  This is the person who  divides life between 'religious activity' and...everything else, and who will be most surprised at the end of all things to see the results of that, because 1) it will be real after all and 2) none of their religious activity will help them at all.

Psalm 15, another one from David, begins with a question...who can live on God's holy hill?

The answer is two sentences, the first of which begins in verse 2 and goes on for two and a half more verses:

He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD, who keeps his oath even whin it hurts, who lends money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.  Ps. 15:2-5a; 'Heart' is Strong's 3824 again.

You know, that's a rougher list than I was expecting, really.  A lot more to it than just 'clean hands and a pure heart',  which we'll encounter next post.  'Keeps his oath even when it hurts'....wow...that's worth a selah right there...but I gotta keep going.

Two verses in Psalm 16, another psalm of David:

I will praise the LORD , who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.  I have set the LORD always before me, Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.  Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.  -- Ps. 16:7-10

We've hit one of the outlying words that the NIV translates as 'heart' again...'heart' in verse 7 is translated from Strong's H3629 - Kilya, which we have encountered once before back in Job 19, and means 'kidneys' or 'reins' but is apparently translated 'heart' because...why, NIV translators?   It's an essential organ?  Strong's definition includes 'figuratively, the mind (as the interior self)', so I suppose that could be clearer represented to modern audiences as 'heart'...but maybe it would be just as clear as 'gut feeling'?  But...looking beyond the semantics, maybe it's a reference to learning from dreams?  Or to the all-too-common-to-the-human-experience of laying awake a night ruminating over things there wasn't time to think about in the daylight?  When we finally slow down and are quiet?  The very first verse we looked at in Psalms hit on that theme...'When you are on your beds, search your hearts...'  I don't think it's a great stretch to apply that here.  'Heart' in verse 9 is H 3820 again; gladness in the seat of emotions reflects deep security.

Ps. 17 verse 3 also applies to the night....

Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin. 'Heart' is H3820 again.  This is a psalm of David, and he is DETERMINED to live right.  He seems to be confident that, at the moment, anyway, he is sticking to that resolve and has no conviction of wrongdoing,

In verse 10 of the same psalm, David is in the middle of a description of his enemies:

They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance.

Ok, wow, another interesting translation.  KJV translates that verse 'They are enclosed in their own fat, with their mouth they speak proudly.'...and the word that's translated 'heart' in the NIV and 'fat' in the KJV is H2459 - heleb, but the definition from the Lexicon cited is  'the best/most excellent'  ...not body fat.  The cream of the crop, the best of the best, the prime part.  Given that this IS poetry, that phrasing fits with speaking arrogantly/proudly....his enemies are bound up in pride.  Which isn't too far from a callous heart, really.  

Pressing on, four more verses to look at.

Psalm 18 is a song of praise David wrote 'when the LORD delivered him  from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul"

In verse 18, David is referring to the enemies he has defeated

They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.

King James translates this, 'These strangers shall fade away and be afraid out of their close places'.

So 'lose heart' is 'fade away'.  The  Hebrew word is, surprisingly, H5034, Nabal - yup, the very same as Abigail's first husband (1 Samuel 25), and it does, indeed, mean 'foolish' in some of the forms.  But it also can mean to wilt, fall away, fail, faint, come to naught, wither. However you phrase it...God has given him a clear victory.

Psalm 19 is a psalm of David extolling God's work and God's word.

The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart.   The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.  -- Ps. 19:8; 'Heart' is H 3820.  This is in a litany of similar poetic statements, using different words/ phrases for the word of God and the effects it has.  It's nice poetry, and it definitely should encourage anyone to make a study of the Word.

Verse 14 is VERY familiar:

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.  'Heart' is, again, H3820.  I just want to point out that it's not just what we SAY, it's what we THINK. What is in the heart matters, as we have seen before.

Psalm 20 is another psalm of David, and the first 4 verses list blessings prayed over another, concluding with 

May he give you the desires of your heart and make all your plans succeed. -- Ps. 20:4; 'Heart' is H3824 again.  But, putting this with the previous verse ...if the meditations of one's heart please God, then the desires of one's heart will be aligned with God's heart, and the plans will be his plans.  

That's a lot today; I kinda think that's  how its's going to be.  But there's a lot of ...ponderable...points to consider.  I'll probably read back through this a few times before the next post just to get them absorbed.

Blogging Bible Study: Heart of the Matter - Psalms, part 1 Ps. 1-10

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

It is time to dive into the deep waters.  I have pondered and pondered what the best approach to looking at all the instances of heart/hearts in the book of Psalms  might be...should I lump all the instances of  a particular Hebrew word together?  Should I try to categorize the verses some other way?

I finally decided just plowing through it might be the best approach; I'm going to try to take it 10 chapters at a time, although I may tweak that, depending.  There's going to be a lot of repetition, I'm sure, but maybe the repetition is important.  And it ain't gonna go fast....but I really don't have a deadline so we'll just take it as it comes.  So, here we go...

The first three Psalms don't mention Heart/Hearts at all...at least, not in the NIV.  So we begin in the 4th Psalm, one of David's:

In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.  SELAH. - Ps. 4:4 ; 'Hearts' is H2834 - Lebab, one of the two most-frequently seen Hebrew words in this study....the inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding.

Speaking to the reader/ listener,    Not really any indication of what to search FOR...but maybe we aren't to look FOR anything in particular, so much as to check one's heart over good and know what's there.  Be honest and self-aware.  Not a bad nightly discipline.

You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.  -- Ps. 4:7; 'Heart' is H3820 - Leb, the other one of the two most-frequently used Hebrew words for 'heart', which is actually derived from H2834.  

Speaking to God, David acknowledges that the joy brought by fellowshipping with the Lord is better than an unbeliever's abundance... 'grain' and 'new wine' are wealth-related words.

From the 5th Psalm, a Psalm of David, who is speaking of his enemies:

Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction, their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit.  - Ps. 5:9.    King James and the NASB translate 'heart' as 'inward part';  the Amplified uses 'Heart'; it is Strong's H7130, Qereb:  "properly, the nearest part, i.e., the center, whether literal, figurative, or adverbial (especially with preposition)."  

Rotten to the core.

Psalm 7 is listed as 'a shiggion of David'...probably referring to the musical style.

We have a prayer and a declaration:

O righteous God, who searches minds and hearts, bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure.  My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart."  Ps. 7:9-10. '  'Hearts' in verse 9 is H3826 - Libbah, which is 'feminine of H3820; the Heart'.  There are no other listed options for that translation, and it's used 7 times in the OT; once in Ezekiel and the others are all in Psalms and Proverbs.  "Heart" in verse 10 is H3820., the first repeated Hebrew word today! 

But, wow, what a timeless prayer...bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure. Amen.

David starts the 9th Psalm

I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. -- Ps. 9:1; 'Heart' is H3820 again. 

'With all my heart'...David is thoroughly committed.

In the Tenth Psalm, the Psalmist (who isn't specifically named) is in the midst of a description of a wicked man:

He boasts of the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD. --Ps. 10:3; 'Heart' translated from a word we have seen before, but not often...H5314, Nephesh  - "Soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, passion"; I get the feeling 'heart' is used more as an adjective here...describing the cravings that are deep-seated; passions, even.  The word translated as 'cravings', H8378, can imply lust, appetite, covetousness.

The wicked one boasts of lusts and appetites and heaps approval on folks who acquire a bunch of stuff...and snubs God.

Um...wow.

Some things don't change.

Blogging Bible Study: The Heart of the Matter - Job, Part 4

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Hoo, boy, it's been a minute.  Back from Vacation, but with the Big Data Fix project still hanging over my head I'm just about maxed out.  Not to mention...Christmas looms and I have, um, Projects that are moving rapidly up the priority ladder...

And Psalms is still intimidating me, lol.

But I'm going to do my best to get through all the verses dealing with 'heart/hearts' in the last 11 chapters of Job; the NIV exhaustive concordance lists 5.

In chapter 32, we find that Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar finally give up arguing with Job, as they were getting nowhere.  A fourth friend, Elihu, who showed up at some point (probably before the arguing started), has patiently listened to all the discussion but grew increasingly frustrated as NO ONE seemed to make any valid points:  Job just justified himself, and the other three guys couldn't pull out any solid evidence against Job but judged him nonetheless.  Elihu admits to being younger than all the others, and, out of courtesy, listened to them until they quit arguing, then had to make the points that no one else made. "...I am like bottled-up wine, like new wineskins ready to burst.  I must speak and find relief;" he says in Job 32:19-20a.

"My words come from an upright heart; my lips sincerely speak what I know."  -- Job 33:3; 'Heart' is the familiar Leb, Strong's H3820.   Elihu spends a bit of time explaining why he feels like he should speak, then begins his discourse on the righteousness of God and Job's presumption to argue against him, and is especially scornful of Job's statements that living righteously has no real reward.

"The godless in heart harbor resentment; even when he fetters them, they do not cry for help." -- Job 36:13; 'Heart' is H3820 again.

As Elihu is speaking, a huge thunderstorm blows up and is threatening; he uses it as an illustration 

"At this my heart pounds and leaps from its place." -  Job 37:1, "heart"  is once again H3820.  

He finally concludes

"The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress.  Therefore, men revere him, for does he not have regard for all the wise in heart?"  --Job 37:23-24...H3820 once more.

Then, what happened next had to be stupifyingly awesome, God actually spoke audibly to the group from the storm (Job 38:1), asking Job question after question that he clearly couldn't answer.  God did not tell Job why all the suffering happened, but he did lay out his knowledge and wisdom, basically saying 'I know what I'm doing." 

The final mention of 'heart/hearts' in the book is God speaking:

"Who endowed the heart with wisdom or gave understanding to the mind?"  -  Job 38:36

My NIV has a footnote on  'heart' in this verse, stating that its meaning is uncertain.  King James translates it 'Inward Parts'; it is Stong's H2910 - tuha; another word which can be translated 'reins'; it's only used one other time in the Old Testament in Ps. 51:8, and actually has the connotation of being covered over or layered with fat, and implies the seat of the mind and thoughts.  No one mentions this, but it would make sense to consider this 'who taught the organs how to function?' as that fits right in with the litany of things only God can do.  In either case...Job clearly had no grounds to accuse God of not knowing/ not understanding any aspect of his creation...including Job and all his problems.

Job repents of his earlier rash words in chapter 42; God, pleased with Job, instructs him to make a sacrifice and pray for his friends.  There is suddenly sympathy from Job's neighbors and family, and they took up a collection for him, which he invested, once more  receiving God's favor and protection on all he did, becoming even more wealthy than he was in the beginning (AND...he had 10 more kids. Bless his wife; there's no mention of other wives or concubines anywhere).

His story wasn't over when the hardship hit; he lived 140 MORE years and saw his great-great-grandchildren before he died "old and full of days." (Job 42:16-17)

God is a bit like Mary Poppins...never explaining anything.  But he does nothing without a purpose and we need to remember that purpose exists...even if we never see it and can't understand it.

Someone we know nothing of may be watching...

Blogging Bible Study: The Heart of the Matter - Job, Part 3

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

We are about half of the way through Job on our look at 'Heart/hearts' verses in the Bible, in the midst of the argument and rebuttal between Job and his friends Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar.  In the third round,  we pick up in a harangue by Eliphaz, accusing Job of all SORTS of low-down, mean and nasty things, and he sums up by saying if Job would just repent and turn back to God everything would be fine.

"Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you.   Accept instruction from his mouth and lay up his words in your heart.  If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored;..." -- Job 22:21-23a (Heart is the familiar Strong's H 3824 -Lebab)

Job responds that he wants to plead his case before God; he recognizes that 

"...he stands alone, and who can oppose him?  He does whatever he pleases.  He carries out his decree against me, and many such plans he still has in store.  that is why I am terrified before him; when I think of all this, I fear him.  God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me."  Job 23:13-16 ('Heart' here is the other familiar word, Strong's H 3820 - Leb)

Of course, Job (and his friends) still believe that God is directly responsible for all the evil...that he caused it, rather than just allowing it, and none of them consider for a moment that there may be a purpose beyond their experience.

Bildad makes the last response to Job in chapter 25, and Job sarcastically chews him out, basically saying that he doesn't know what he's talking about.  Then Job launches into his final speech, which manages to assert his own integrity and state his longing for wisdom enough to comprehend why God acted as he did; then he reflects on how his life was before the disaster hit, and the good works that he did while he was wealthy and had influence, e.g.

"Whoever heard me spoke well of me, and those who saw me commended me, because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist him.  The man who was dying blessed me; I made the widow's heart sing. I put on righteousness as my clothing; justice was my robe and my turban."   -- Job 29 :11-14; (Heart is H 3820 again).  

Then he laments his current state, and concludes by relating a list of evils, saying 'If I did these things, then I deserve this.'...

"If my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has been led by my eyes, or if my hands have been defiled,  then may others eat what I have sown, and my my crops be uprooted.  If my heart has been enticed by a woman, or if I have lurked at my neighbor's door, then may my wife grind another man's grain, and may other men sleep with her."  -- Job 31:7-10 ('Heart' is H 3820 in both instances).  

Yeowch, y'all.  That's harsh. But that's raw emotion.  Job doesn't believe he has done anything to deserve what has happened to him.  He continues,

"If I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing, or a needy man without a garment, and his heart did not bless me for warming him with the fleece from my sheep...then let my arm fall from my shoulder, let it be broken off at the joint."  - Job 31:19-20,22  

This is a new one; the word the NIV renders as 'heart'  is  Strong's  H2504, Chalats - " châlâts, 'khaw-lawts'; from H2502 (in the sense of strength); only in the dual; the loins (as the seat of vigor):—loins, reins."

It's not the same word that was rendered 'reins' in the last study; I did a little perusal of other translations and found that the KJV renders it 'loins';  the latest edition of the NASB renders it 'body', and the AMP  reads 'If his loins have not thanked me (for clothing them)...'  I kinda get the idea that the thanking is not just for the quality of the garment but also for the fact that it literally covers up the individual's shame of being naked...as in, the part of the body that is covered is grateful.  I suppose the NIV used 'heart' in the term of the inner man being grateful, like the NASB's use of 'body', to  avoid the slightly crude imagery of the loins being grateful.  Either way, it doesn't really conflict with Job's point.

Moving on...

"...if I have regarded the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in its splendor, so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand offered them a kiss of homage, then these also would be sins to be judged, for I would have been unfaithful to God on high"  -- Job 31:26-28;  'Heart' is once more H3820.

Job admired the sun and moon...God's handiwork...but he didn't worship them, as have many societies throughout the centuries.

Finally, 

"...If I have concealed my sin as men do, by hiding my guilt in my heart because I so feared the crowd and so dreaded the contempt f the clans that I kept silent and would not go outside -- ...then let briers come up instead of wheat and weeds instead of barley."  The words of Job are ended. -- Job 31:33-34, 40. 

Another interesting translation.  The word translated 'heart' here does not appear anywhere else in the Old Testament.  It is Strong's H2243, hob, apparently derived from H2245...'bosom' ,which is the word used in the Amplified. "Heart" is not a far stretch from 'bosom', but I wonder what was unique to the word 'bosom' that made it the only word that would do in that verse, since it is not used elsewhere?

We will finish Job in the next post; I want to hang here a minute and look at Job's refusal to 1) curse God  or accuse him of wrongdoing, though he was very frustrated that God didn't explain himself and 2) admit to any wrongdoing...because he really and truly had no hidden sin in his life.  His practice was regular confession and sacrifice; there really was nothing that should have brought judgment of this level against him.

But Job and his friends never even considered that the suffering wasn't some sort of judgment.  'Bad things happen to Bad People and Good things happen to Good People' was the basis of their assessment of Job's situation...and it was an error.   Terrible things can and do happen to good people...look at Jesus, for crying out loud.  But what happened to Jesus wasn't about Jesus at all... and what happened to Job really wasn't at all about Job.

Good points to keep in the back of the mind as we head into the conclusion.

What do you mean Monday is Labor Day?????

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

It's been busy in...and out of...these parts.  Work like crazy, and head out of town for the weekend.

I worked Friday the...9th? Yeah, the 9th.  Then was gone the next two weeks.  Fridays are normally not a work day, as our church offices are closed, but there is a big project going down and I went in to get a jump on it.  

Then the 16th was our 44th wedding anniversary, and we repeated a trip from ten years ago and spent the weekend at Cheaha State Park...which includes the highest point in Alabama.

Pulpit Rock, from the lodge area

Gorgeous views.  And, according to my Strava reading, we walked 5 miles on Saturday. 

My Sweet Babboo at the top of the mountain.

 May have overdone it just a bit, being 10 weeks out from hip replacement, but I survived so I'm hopeful the upcoming family trip to Famous Florida Theme Parks will not be too rough on the hip.

Called my mother to check in with her on Tuesday last week and my dad, from the background, hollered, 'We have a lot of corn going to waste up here!'  ...long story short, I got permission to take yesterday and today off from work and did a spur-of-the-moment trip up to the farm, driving up by myself on Friday.

18 quarts of corn to put in freezers, from roughly 8 dozen ears we pulled on Saturday, was a good day's work.

The folks decided they didn't want to freeze again on Monday, so I came back a day early (shhh).  Spending today doing things I had MEANT to do over the weekend, lol.

But...I want to chat a bit about Sunday.  I had contacted one of my high school buddies that I was up for the weekend and would love to catch up.  We decided to meet at Culver's in Brownsburg, IN, for lunch.    

We hadn't seen each other for 2 years;  we hadn't had a long, just-us conversation in, well, a really long time.

We sat in a corner and talked for EIGHT HOURS.  It flew by.  I did mention once or twice that I should probably go, but the conversation clearly wasn't over so I didn't push it.  And I'm so glad I didn't.  The last hour and a half to two hours was some real, heart level conversation.  If we had stopped after four or six hours, we would never have gotten to the deep part.  

So, that's my takeaway lesson to share today, lol.  Don't skimp on the conversations, and don't quit before they're done.  But more than that, be intentional about keeping in touch.  

Hopefully we will.

Blogging Bible Study: The Heart of the Matter - Job, part 2

 Posted to Beer Lahai Roi by Lisa Laree

Job is...interesting.  It kind of falls into the same category as Ecclesiastes.  The words are coming from individuals who are not necessarily speaking the heart of God.  This is a narrative, a recording of conversations about faith from folks who are speaking from assumptions that they can't really back up (sound familiar?).  People who are coming from a 'this is what makes sense to me' viewpoint...because when the events recorded in Job took place, there was no written word, no Law...just the oral traditions..  Job is considered to be the oldest book of the Bible;  Job is generally accepted to have lived during the time of the Patriarchs, before the deportation to Egypt, due to his very long life. So we can, perhaps, understand why there may have been some misunderstandings about the character and nature of God.

So what that boils down to is that the context has to be carefully considered when looking at verses from Job.  A verse considered outside of that context could be...misleading.

I have debated how to cover this, since there is so much here.  There is a pattern to the speechification, with each of the friends speaking and Job answering. Eliphaz and Bildad each speak three times and Zophar speaks twice.  So I think I will split it into rounds.  The first round is Job's original lament, then comments from each friend with a rebuttal from Job in chapters 3-14  and actually only has 2 references to heart/ hearts; the second round is chapters 15 - 21, with three references. 

It's worth noting that the discussions/ arguments all seem to agree that Job's afflictions are judgement. The difference is that  Job has no idea what he could have done to warrant such calamity and his friends are all convinced that he has some hidden, secret sin that needs to be confessed ...and press him to just open up and confess/ repent.  Hence the arguments.  Job gets ticked at this friends for the presumptions of his guilt, and gets rather sarcastic with them at times (another reason to consider the context of any particular verse).

So, with that in mind...let's see what the book of Job has to say about heart/ hearts...

The first reference is in chapter 10, and Job is speaking to God here

"But his is what you concealed in your heart, and I know this was in your mind: if I sinned, you would be watching me and would not let my offense go unpunished.  If I am guilty -- woe to me!  Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head, for I am full of shame and drowned in my affliction." -- Job 10:13 - 15;   'heart' is Strong's H3824 again...Lebab - 'inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding'.   Back in 10:2, Job asked God to tell me what charges you have against me.  He kind of portrays a common misconception of God...that God sits in the heavens and waits on us to mess up so he can smack us down.

Zophar's response to Job also contains the word heart - 

"Yet if you devote your heart to him and stretch out your hands to him, if you put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent, then you will lift up your face without shame; you will stand firm and without fear."  -- Job 11:13-15; 'heart' is Strong's H3820, Leb, the common variant of Lebab, 'inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding'.

Hammering home the opinion that Job just needs to repent of the hidden thing and he'll be fine.

In the second round of exchanges, Eliphaz asks

"Why has your heart carried you away, and why do your eyes flash, so that you vent your rage against God and pour out such words from your mouth?" - Job 15:12-13   'Heart is H3820 again.  Um, the guy lost absolutely everything...from his wealth to his position in the community to his health to his children.  Job was grieving.  He didn't understand.  We know that he couldn't possibly have understood as the tragedy really wasn't about him at all...it was about the individual who was watching his life.  But I think this illustrates some unconscious expectations that folks have...that their friends who suffer loss should do their grieving in a specific way and be 'over it' at some random time.  

It doesn't work that way.  Grief is individual, and what happens in the heart of someone going through it is really not open to inspection by other people.  The loss of his children was a permanent loss.  He eventually got all his stuff and his standing in the community and even his health back, but he never got his children.  He had more, to be sure, and they were fine folks to be proud of.  But his older kids were just a memory for the rest of his life.  

To add insult to injury, Eliphaz went on to describe the consequences to folks who do evil...implying that the events that happened in Job's life fell into that litany, so therefore, he must have done evil.

It was rough.

Job responds, rather testily ('miserable comforters are you all!' - 16:1), but sums up where he is:

"My days have passed, my plans are shattered, and so are the desires of my heart." -- Job 17:11; 'heart' is  H 3824 again.

Job really believed his story was at an end.

But, after Bildad reiterates the fate of the wicked, Job replies with a speech that includes a declaration that rings through the ages and is all the more poignant given his circumstances:

"I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.  And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes -- I, and not another.  How my heart years within me!" -- Job 19:25-27

Wow, this is interesting...the word translated 'Heart' here is Strong's H 3627 - Kilya, which, well, means 'Kidneys' -- seat of emotion and affection, figuratively.

The KJV translates this phrase - 'though my reins be consumed within me'...reins?  Looking at the descriptions in the lexicon, I am taking it to mean that 'reins' just referred to internal organs in general.  Which would make sense in the verse....'I myself will see him with my own eyes -- I, though my internal organs are consumed within me'.  It still shows Job's absolute faith that he would see God, although one connotation is that he was anxiously awaiting that moment and the other is just a reiteration of his conviction that it didn't matter what happened to his physical body (ie, making a pairing of 'after my skin has been destroyed' and 'my internal organs are consumed within me') he knew he would stand before God as himself.

That whole declaration is a pretty amazing thought for the time.  Job called God 'my redeemer'...which clearly not only describes a personal relationship to God but foreshadows the coming of Jesus, the Redeemer. It was Job's anchor in the pain.