את

    The bible we have today is very different from the one back when the characters and the stories were written. Inspired by God and written by 40 different authors over the span of about 1500, the Bible we know has been translated into a language we speak and know. The original, however, was written in 3 main languages Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic. As the scribes and the prophets sat down to transcribe the texts, there were some words that were lost in translation. One example of this is the letter את, which translates to TavAleph. In the Hebrew alphabet, these letters, read from right to left rather than left to right as we read it in English, are the first and the last letters, essentially AZ to us. This word, found over 7000 times in the Old testament alone, was hard to translate, because at the time, it made no sense. This word is found all throughout the Torah, the major and minor prophets, and the psalms, but it wasn't until the Book of Revelation that this word began to take on meaning. We see in the book, right near the last chapter of the bible, that Jesus, in a vision tells the apostle John,

            "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last."-Revelation 22:13

    Jesus, the Son of God, the 2nd person of the Holy Trinity, has been around since before the beginning, even before the world was a thought. Even back in the first book of the Bible, the book of Genesis, in the Hebrew, we can see this see right next to the first name of God, this word את appears. 

    After Jesus came to the earth, lived a perfect life, and died on a Roman cross, he revealed that he is, has been and always will be the beginning and the end. The Alpha and the Omega. The First and the Last.

            "I am the Alpha and the Omega', says the Lord, ' who is, who was and who is to come, the Almighty."- Revelation 1:8

    What these 2 letters represent throughout all of scripture is that Jesus has been in and through all of the history of the Bible people: through the prophecies and exile, throughout all of Israel's history of creation, slavery, wilderness period and the promised land; through the gospels and epistles and visions from the Garden to the Island of Patmos and beyond. Jesus is weaved throughout all the whole timeline of God's creation. 

    So what does this mean for us today? How do 2 little letters that make up the whole of the alphabet bring us closer to the Father? If God is in the beginning and the end, how do we fit in the middle of it all?

    God is omniscient and omnipotent, meaning he is everywhere and all powerful. He is before us at the beginning, and he is waiting for us at the end of all things, but because he is everywhere all at once, it means that while we seem stuck in the middle, God is there with us too. He was there to set the plan in motion, Jesus is at the end to bring it all to conclusion and the holy spirit resides with us, to get us to the goal set before us. These 2 letters are essentially Jesus' signature on the earth that what is done is done. What will come has already been set in motion. Our job is let the holy spirit work through us trust that from the beginning to the end, God plans to bring everything to completion, and Jesus' seal is the proof we need to keep pressing toward the goal.     

    God is the TavAleph, the Alpha and the Omega. The one who is, who was and who is to come.

Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Mission From God.

Psalm 119 TAV

 "May my cry come before you, Lord;

    give me understanding according to your word.

May my supplication come before you;

    deliver me according to your promise.

May my lips overflow with praise,

    for you teach me your decrees.

May my tongue sing of your word,

    for all your commands are righteous.

May your hand be ready to help me,

    for I have chosen your precepts.

I long for your salvation, Lord,

    and your law gives me delight.

Let me live that I may praise you,

    and may your laws sustain me. 

I have strayed like a lost sheep.

    Seek your servant

    for I have not forgotten your commands."

Psalm 119:169-176 

    The more I have dived in and studied this chapter in Psalms, the longest chapter in all of the Bible,  comprising of 176 verses spilt into 22 stanzas, all 8 verses in length, I am amazed and in awe of the significance and the wisdom that is given to us by its Writer, David, King of Israel. We we read the bible in present day, we have the whole book in its entirety. All 66 books, split into Old and New Testament, 39 in the Old, 27 in the New, and we can see the way God has been weaving his way throughout the whole of creation and His divine word. It may be easy to forget that the people who lived through the stories and timeline of the Bible did not have such a luxury. In fact, during multiple seasons of the Israelite history, God was silent, and when he did speak, it was only to a small handful at a time, on behalf of the king and or the nation. When know that David was a man after God's own heart, even from the time of his youth up until the moment he took his last breath, and even he had to talk to God through a prophet, with the Holy Spirit coming upon him at various times in his life, but it didn't stay like he does in the lives of believers today. With all that being said, Psalm 119 continues yet again to guide us to the Father and the ultimate sacrifice Jesus would one day make on the cross for all of our lives. When we look at the pictures above, we can see 4 depictions of this last letter of the psalm, TAV. In its original design, it translated as "a mark or a seal. The period at the end of a statement. " In the Greek, the lines that ones were straight, like a t or a cross, shifted into the 2nd picture of more of an X shape, "X marks the spot, you did it, here is your treasure." One picture I saw in my research for this blog showed the letter as more of a sword, as if when it is used, you are fighting for and defending with truth the words you are saying. David understood this principle both as a warrior and king and as a man of God. The enemy will do all he can to make us question what God "actually said" and has been using this tactic since Adam and Eve in the Garden. What David is doing with TAV is demonstrating the fact that the things that have come before are setting things in motion for when Jesus would come the first time, and then when he returns at the end of the age. 

    There are 2 words from the Hebrew language I want to highlight that begin with this statement of fact- Truth and Torah. 

  Truth( Hebrew-emet) spelled

                            Aleph(The Creator)

                            Mem(gives his life)

                            Tav(on the cross)

Torah-spelled in Hebrew

                            Tav(the cross)

                            Vav(the nail)

                            Resh(the Captain, or Leader)

                            Hey(Behold!)

    Truth- The Creator gives his life on the cross. That right there is the gospel! Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the 2nd person of the Holy Trinity, came to earth as a man, born of a virgin and lived a holy, sinless, perfect life. He died for our sins on a Roman cross, was buried in a borrowed tomb for 3 days and rose from the grave, taking back the keys to Hell and the Grave. By his blood shed for us on the cross, the price of our sin has been paid, no longer allowing it to have any control or hold on our life. Now when the Father looks on His children, He doesn't see the sin that once separated us. Instead he sees the blood of the perfect sacrifice, the Lamb of God, His Son, covering our debt that we could never pay on our own. 

    Torah- Behold! The Leader, the nail, the cross. The very law that David was able to have read to him by the priests states that the Son of God would come, would die for the people and rise to free them from the oppression of Sin. 

    David was a man after God's own heart, because when the priests read these words of the Mosaic Law, it was just a bunch of rules and rituals, and they could not always see the promises within, but David heard them through the lens of the Holy Spirit, and I would like to believe that as a promise was spoken, the Spirit was nudging the heart of David, whispering to him, " Guess what, that is me. That is what I want to do for all people, and I will come down and do it just like it is written. Hold tight, press through. Not a single word of this law will be in vain or void. I'm coming to do a new thing in the hearts of the people who believe in and belong to me. Just Wait, Watch and Pray. You won't believe what I want to do in your life, as long as your believe."

    The first and last letter of the Alphabet ALEPH and TAV on their own paint a beautiful picture of who God is, but hold tight, because there are moments in scripture when these letters come together and the masterpiece they paint are absolutely incredible, but until then...

Adam Semple- A Young Man on a journey through the Psalms. 

(Hebrew breakdown taken from A Small Drop of Ink

Psalm 119 SIN and SHIN

"Rulers persecute me without cause,

    but my heart trembles at your word.

I rejoice in your promise

    like one who finds great spoil.

I hate and detest falsehood

    but I love your law.

Seven times a day I praise you

    for your righteous laws.

Great Peace have those who love your law,  

   and nothing can make them stumble.

I wait for your salvation, Lord,                                       

    and I follow your commands.

I obey your statutes,

    for I love them greatly.

I obey your precepts and your statutes,

    for all my ways are known to you."

                Psalm 119:161-168

    As we begin to land the plane on the longest chapter in the Bible, we come to a section that has a very cool and distinct balance. The Hebrew word SHIN is translated as Peace and Perfection (Shalom). It was the word proclaimed on the 7th day of creation when God declared the whole world good, and set in place a time of rest. It is the first letter of a familiar name of God, El SHADDAI, which we know to mean God Almighty. But here,  we see how as Christians, we need to have a balance in our lives of both fear and trembling, and peace and perfection. If we look back at this set of verses, we can see it is split into 2 sections. Verses 161 - 164 describes David's fear of the Lord, while also displaying his genuine love towards God. As Christ-followers, there are times when we need to walk in fear of the Lord. Not a fear that is afraid or scared to get to close, but a fear in terms of awe and reverence towards the almighty power of the God that we serve. When David walks with a reverent fear of the Lord, the enemies seem to surround him all on sides, but that doesn't stop him from praising God seven times a day,(vs. 164). The second half of the stanza reflects the truthful declaration that shows when we approach the Father with obedience and love for the things He has spoken and declared, his ways become known to us, and the enemy becomes nothing next to the Awesome El Shaddai. 

    It can be easy, even as Christians to stay in either the camp of Fear of the camp of Faith, but I want to be like David who operated out of a balance between the 2. God desires to have us close enough to hear Him whisper to our hearts the things He wants to reveal to us, but if the troubles of this life get in the way, his voice can become lost or silent to us. When we set our eyes on God and the truth he has spoken instead of the lies of the Enemy, we can see the path God has created to guide us out of the mess and into the Messiah. 

    As we approach the end of this chapter, it is my prayer that God will reveal himself as he has done before and show us the truth that can only come from a deep love for his commands and desire to follow his statutes wherever they lead us. 

Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Journey through the Psalms

Psalm 119 Resh

 Look on my suffering and deliver me,

    for I have not forgotten your law.                                

Defend my cause and redeem me;

    preserve my life according to your promise.                                 

Salvation is far from the wicked,

    for they do not seek your decrees.

Your compassion, Lord, is great;

    preserve my life according to your laws.

Many are the foes who persecute me,

    but I have not turned from your statutes.

I look on the faithfulness with loathing,

    for they do not obey your word.

See how I love your precepts;

    preserve my life, Lord, in accordance with your love.

All your words are true;

    all your righteous laws are eternal. 

Psalm 119: 153-60

    A lot of words and phrases are repeated consistently through this psalm; Lord, see how I love your precepts; The wicked ae opposed to your commands; Lord, I love your decrees: But lord, I have not turned from your statutes. One phrase that is repeated 3 times in this stanza is this: "Preserve my life, Lord, in accordance with your - promise, laws, and love. Lets break down each one of these.

        Promises- David had lived through and fought a lot of battles, both personal and strategic throughout his 40 years as king. From the time he was a shepherd anointed King in his teen years to being on the run from Saul and his own children, he had received promises from God as well as saw God provide and protect him through all seasons. Even when he had the opportunity to end the battle in his way, there were times when he waited to ensure that this outcome was from God, and not himself. He knew the calling on his life was not a temporary thing, or a short-term promise, but till his last breath, he knew God would be faithful time and time again. Even as he writes the longest psalm in the bible, with enemies arising on all sides, he knew that if God still had something He wanted him to do, the current battle he was in would not end in death, because when God makes a promise, He will carry to completion, and David spent his whole life watching God do just that. "Preserve my life, Lord, according to your promises." David had a lifetime of stories about God fulfilling his end of the bargain.  

        Laws- "See, I love your precepts, See I have obeyed your laws." The people of Israel knew firsthand the Kingship and the heartache that came when the King of the day either followed God's law, or man's. It was the breaking of the law that kept them in the desert 40 years, even though the Promised Land was practically within sight. It was after they stopped following God's law that nation after nation would come in and carry them off to exile. David wanted his kingdom to remain in God's good graces, so to speak. Despite the enemy following their own ambition and morals, David trusted in everything that God had declared. Because of this, the wicked nations were destroyed, but David and his men came out with the victory. Even if we think we know God's plan for the current battle we are in, we can't assume God will work a miracle in the same way. Knowing God and understanding his decrees and statutes helps us prepare for every trial we face. 

        Love- King Saul was a great king, for about 3 days. As soon as pride and triumph entered into his heart, God lost his place as number one in his life. Now instead of being the man chosen by God, he became the man who spent every waking moment hunting down his son-in-law trying to kill the man God had selected to replace him. David, however, always kept God on his proper place in his life. In the position of a Father pouring out his love for his children. When David asked God to preserve his life, in accordance to His love, he was coming from a place of a son asking his Father for good gifts. If God wanted David to have the victory in battle, God himself would provide the tools that were needed for the battle at hand. Because we walk in the love of the Father, when a trial or tribulation arises, God has already prepared the tools we need to come out on top. 

    David truly was a man after God's own heart. If we are to live our lives the same way, we need to pray the types of prayers that bring about real change, 

                        " Preserve my life, Lord, in accordance with your promises, laws and love. Guide me in             the path I need to take and supply me with the tools I need to do my part to bring about your                     victory. Though the enemy might be very well knocking on my door, you already have a plan                that has been set in motion to carry out the victory in ways that only you can. "

    I have tried to win my battles on my own strength, with my own plan, but have fallen short every time. Instead, I chose to trust the plan that has already been tested tried and true, and I can only do that by trusting the Father to preserve my life according to the things he has spoken to me, the things His character requires, and the love that springs forth from a relationship that can only come from the Father.

Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Journey through the Psalms

Psalm 119 Qoph

I call with all my heart; answer me, Lord,                                   

    and I will obey your decrees.

I call out to you; save me                                                     

    and I will keep your statutes.

I rise before dawn and cry for help

    I have put my hope in Your word.

My eyes stay open through all the watches of the night,             

    that I may meditate on your promises.

Hear my voice in accordance with your love;

    preserve my life, Lord, according to your laws.

Those who devise wicked schemes are near,

    but they are far from your law.

Yet you are near, Lord,

    and all your commands are true.

Long ago I learned from Your statutes

    that you established them to last forever-

Psalm 119 145-152

    Even from a young age, I have always been an early bird. Early to bed, early to rise. Although that has not changed, the manor in which I wake up has. When I was a kid and had no worries except for which kind of Poptarts I would have for breakfast, the spirit that I woke with was one of joy and laughter, with the excitement that a new day brings. Now that I am older and life has had a few turns at bat against me, I find it harder to get a decent night's rest without being awake with all of life's troubles. But here, the psalmist is saying that he, too, is up before the dawn, but not in worry or fear. When he awakes, he is reminded of all the promises God has spoken and declared over his life. He is reminded that even when the current problem of the day is, sometimes, quite literally at his doorstep, it doesn't change the fact that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. When we fully trust in the Lord, the enemy can only get so far before hightails away from the presence of the Lord and heads for the hills. King David lived a life full of fear and worry, but he is still regarded as a man after God's own heart, because despite the current situation he is in, God's decrees and statutes still hold true. God has never once failed King David, and he doesn't plan to start with us. In fact, we ae assured from Paul's letter to the church in Philippi that if God has started a work in your, a good work, He is faithful and able to carry it to completion. When can rest, or be awoken by the fact that if God has spoken a promise over your life, his track record proves himself worthy of completing it. 

 

    The Hebrew letter this section of the psalm is the letter Qoph. In it's most simple explanation, we find that it means "Set apart for a sacred purpose"- God blessed the 7th day and called it Holy (Qadash), Gen 2:3. What I believe the psalmist is trying to convey in this stanza of the psalms is that when we cry out to God, from a heart is is soft and pliable, not a heart that has let the world affect us, God will be reminded of the promises on your life and continue to make a way through the mess. Now, don't misinterpret what I'm saying here. God doesn't need reminding, but he wants His children to come to the throne willing and unafraid to remind ourselves that He is who He says He is. The world chases after evil, and therefore have decided to run away from God and his commands. I want to run towards the Father, jump into his loving, open arms and speak the truth He has so graciously placed inside me. 

    

    I have said this before and I will continue to say it. God wants our whole heart, not just on Sunday Mornings. Not just in the 5 minutes we set aside in the day on our prayer-to-do-list. A life of prayer should be continuous and integrated into every aspect of our lives. David lived this out everyday, because he knew God would come through for him without any doubt or tribulation that came his way. God's will would prevail, no matter the outcome, but he only had this assurance because he spent his life in prayer. Through every season, every valley and mountaintop, God was always at the forefront of David's mind, so there was no room for anything else to try and take its place. This was possible, because David made sure that prayer was a lifestyle, not a checkmark on a list. He could rest in the presence of his enemies, because he knew God was already superseding on his behalf. Makes it super easy to sleep at night knowing God is already fighting our battles, doesn't it. I choose to rest in the Lord and trust that when my heart is open, He knows how to get in and how to bring peace and comfort to my anxious soul. 

Rest well, my friends. The battle is already won.

Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Journey through the Psalms

Psalm 119 Tzaddi

 

"You are righteous, Yahweh, Your Judgements are upright.

You have commanded your statutes in righteousness. They are fully trustworthy.

My zeal wears me out, because my enemies ignore my words.

Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them.

I am small and despised. I don't forget your precepts.

Your Righteousness is and everlasting righteousness. Your law is truth.

Trouble and anguish have taken hold of me. Your commandments are my delight.

Your testimonies are righteous forever.  Give me understanding, that I may live."

                Psalm 119:137-144

    

    Ask any builder working on any kind of structural project and the majority of the people should tell you that before a single post goes up, the foundation of the building goes in first. Then you can build up and out and any which way you want to go. I love that God's word continues to model this formula for success. In the last post, I mentioned how if the windows to the soul are taking in sights that are pure and good, the things that come out will be pure as well. What the psalmist is saying with this stanza, Tzaddi, is that a person cannot be righteous, if they eyes and they mouth are not pure and blameless Jesus describes this beautifully when he says, "No one can serve two masters. Either he will love one and hate the other or be devoted to one and despise the other. (Matthew 6:24 NIV) In order for a man to take on the mantle of humility and righteousness, he must be vigilant of what he allows his eyes to see, what his ears to hear and his mouth to speak. Righteousness is also not something to be praised and revered. Imagine your scrolling on your various social media platform and you see a video of someone giving to the poor. Although the act itself is good, if it is only done for the likes and hearts it will undoubtedly receive, that is not righteousness, but pride. David understood what it meant to be humble before God, because he witnessed the result of a prideful heart. Whenever David did things to show off his power, God always came in and showed him the greatness of his "strength" and David then had to admit his sin so that God's peace could return to the people. 

    Our actions carry more power than we might ever realize while on this earth. Should we not try with everything in us to be good and pure simply because God says it is right, not because the world will see it. May we go every day, operating like a shadow in the night, doing things for the people around like a year-round Santa Claus that only lives to give. Never to receive a pat on the back for "helping the less fortunate", but being a person who has nothing to offer but our lives, not allowing pride to create a false sense of "holy righteousness". 

    "Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your right hand know what your left hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what you do in secret, will reward you." - Matthew 6:1-4

Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Journey through the Psalms. 

Psalm 119 Pe

 "Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them.

The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.

I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands.

Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name.

Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me. 

Redeem me from human oppression, that I may obey your precepts.

Make your face shine on your servant and teach me your decrees.

Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed.

                Psalm 119:129-136 Pe

    God always has a plan and a purpose for everything that we do and every path we walk on throughout this life. The way His holy word, the Bible, is structured is no different. 

            "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."- 2 Timothy 3:16-17 

            "He has made everything beautiful in its time"- Ecclesiastes 3:11

            "Oh, the depths of his riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out."- Romans 11:33

    Throughout the Bible, there are moments when God tells his people to watch and see, then go and tell. The 119th chapter in the Psalms lays this out from one stanza to the next. In the previous secction, AYIN, we see that this letter, essentially a vowel in our alphabet, describes the window to the soul, our eyes. What we see and what we choose to focus on will be what ultimately comes out of our mouth(PE), and heart. This 17th letter in the section means simply that, the mouth by which we speak. From the blog A Small Drop of Ink, the writer has this to say about the correlation between Ayin and  Pe, 

            "Rabbis point out that “Pe” (mouth) follows the letter “Ayin” (eyes), suggesting the importance of seeing (understanding, having awareness) before opening the mouth. If this order is reversed, the result is mindless chatter."

How can we speak the words of truth and love and grace, if we have yet seen them for ourselves? If you have every been around someone giving a testimony, you believe the words more easily when you can see in their eyes that they have seen what they are speaking, and that they are speaking truth. Whenever someone speaks on a matter they know nothing of, their words fall short and the truth is far from them. 

I want to live a life of someone who has seen the works of the Father firsthand, so that when the time comes to share what I have seen, people will see the genuiness  of my words. 

            "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be pleasing in your sight. O Lord, my strength and my redeemer"- Psalm 19:14

May the words that come from your heart be full of truth and pleasing to God, because you only speak about the things you have seen, and the things you have seen are good things bestowed on you by the Father. 

Adam Semple, AYoung Man on a Journey Through the Psalms