Regularities
Have you ever really thought about why anything in reality has an ordered quality about it? The ancients talked about the profoundness of the fact that the lights in the skies moved according to repeated patterns. They were not chaotic. They were subject to order. When talking about the sun’s fixed, cyclical nature, the psalmist put it this way:
“It [the sun] rises at one side of the sky, circles around to the other side, and nothing escapes its heat.” – Psalms 19:6
Later in the Old Testament another writer made the same observation:
“The sun rises, the sun sets; then it speeds to its place and rises there.” – Ecclesiastes 1:5
Why would anyone even bother to point this out?
Because, what is observed in the skies speaks to the fact that there is a God behind it all. Not only do the skies announce that there is a God, but they also say that this God is always around and that He possesses glory. Here is what was written leading up to that observation about the sun:
“The heavens declare the glory of God, the dome of the sky speaks the work of his hands. Every day it utters speech, every night it reveals knowledge. Without speech, without a word, without their voices being heard, their line goes out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world. In them he places a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom from the bridal chamber, with delight like an athlete to run his race. It rises at one side of the sky, circles around to the other side, and nothing escapes its heat.” – Psalms 19:1-6
The regularities seen in the sky prompted this ancient writer to then think about the ancient writings in his day… the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament):
“The Torah of ADONAI [Yahweh (Lord) in Hebrew] is perfect, restoring the inner person. The instruction of ADONAI is sure, making wise the thoughtless. The precepts of ADONAI are right, rejoicing the heart. The mitzvah of ADONAI is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of ADONAI is clean, enduring forever. The rulings of ADONAI are true, they are righteous altogether, more desirable than gold, than much fine gold, also sweeter than honey or drippings from the honeycomb. Through them your servant is warned; in obeying them there is great reward. Who can discern unintentional sins? Cleanse me from hidden faults. Also keep your servant from presumptuous sins, so that they won’t control me. Then I will be blameless and free of great offense. May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be acceptable in your presence, ADONAI, my Rock and Redeemer.” – Psalms 19:7-14
The Inner and Outer Person
It is worth repeating the point that the instruction of Yahweh restores the “inner person.” However, there is a lot more to it than that. In the Hebrew, the inner person referenced here is the “nephesh” (Strong’s h5315). The nephesh in the ancient language refers not just to the inner aspect of a person, but it refers to the whole being. In other words, this term encompasses every aspect of an earthly creature that breaths, including all of its physical and the non-physical qualities. To say it another way, the concept of nephesh goes way beyond David H. Stern’s choice to use “inner person” for this Psalm in the Complete Jewish Bible (which is what I’m using here).
Digging a Little Deeper
In order to understand what is meant by the word nephesh is to understand that not only is the inner person in view, but that the outer person is also in view as well. That’s why the restoration that leads to a “great reward” talked about in this Psalm is not only about the inner person being absolved of both “unintentional sins” and “hidden faults,” but that it also includes the outer person being kept from doing “presumptuous sins, so that they won’t control me.” As a result, the whole person who is loyal to Yahweh is then considered to be “blameless and free of great offense.” The psalmist brings this all home by expressing a desire to continuously produce both an outward proclamation of the “words of my mouth” in conjunction with the inward “thoughts of my heart,” which together would hopefully always be “acceptable in your presence, ADONAI, my Rock and Redeemer.”
May we (believers) also express the same with our whole self whenever we look at the skies…
Godspeed, to the brethren!
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