Teshuvah and Awe (Psalm 27)

During the 40 days from the 1^st of Elul to Yom Kippur, Psalm 27 is recited daily.

This is a wonderful Psalm. On this occasion the final line of the psalm stood out for me and it seemed worth sharing.

The Hebrew looks like this:
(Psalms 27:14) קוה אל־יהוה חזק ויאמץ לבך וקוה אל־יהוה׃

Hope to the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, hope to the LORD.
There is a beautiful symmetry to this final line which is also an encouragement to us. The words at the beginning and end of the line could be regarded as a commandment; they are certainly an instruction for our good.

The English renders this line as: “Hope to GOD”. Personally, I find this a bit “weak”.  
When I think of “hoping in something” it does not necessarily guarantee anything, and even when the object of my hoping is GOD, it can still feel remote because “hope” can be a bit like a shipwrecked sailor hanging on to his bit of wreckage “hoping” that someone sent a distress call before the ship went down and that soon a rescue boat or plane will arrive and collect me out of my “dire straits”. It feels very remote!
But, the word קוה – qaveh is actually much stronger than just “hope”.  
Certainly, the object of our hope “Y-H-V-H” is worth hoping in – but this is calling us to do something far more positive than just “hope”.  It is the essence of “faith”.

Here is the Strong’s definition:
H6960 to bind together (perhaps by twisting), that is, collect; (figuratively) to expect: – gather (together), look, patiently, tarry, wait (for, on, upon).
The call for us is to “bind together” with Him

So, how do we do this? In the centre of the beginning and end phrase calling us to “bind ourselves to Him” are three words.

Strongs# H2388
חזק – chazak to fasten upon; hence to seize, be strong (figuratively courageous, causatively strengthen, cure, help, repair, fortify), obstinate; to bind, restrain, conquer: – aid, amend, X calker, catch, cleave, confirm, be constant, constrain, continue, be of good (take) courage (-ous, -ly), encourage (self), be established, fasten, force, fortify, make hard, harden, help, (lay) hold (fast), lean, maintain, play the man, mend, become (wax) mighty, prevail, be recovered, repair, retain, seize, be (wax) sore, strengten (self), be stout, be (make, shew, wax) strong (-er), be sure, take (hold), be urgent, behave self valiantly, withstand.

This word is generally translated “strengthen”.  It is part of the phrase that is said each time we come to the end of a Torah portion and it is the phrase that is used by Moses and the Children of Israel to encourage Joshua as he begins his time as the leader of Israel.  “Chazak! Chazak! Veneitchazaik! – Be Strong, Be Strong and May we be strengthened!
The next word is: Strongs# H553
אמץ – amatz to be alert, physically (on foot) or mentally (in courage): – confirm, be courageous (of good courage, stedfastly minded, strong, stronger), establish, fortify, harden, increase, prevail, strengthen (self), make strong (obstinate, speed).

The principle thought here is to be resolute and alert!
The third word in the phrase is actually composite: לבך It is translated as “to yourself” but it could also mean “to your heart”. And how are all these connected – by a ו (vav) meaning “and”, but pictorially is a “hook or a nail”. So, we could translate the verse in the following way:
Bind yourself to Y-H-V-H,
Strengthen your heart and He will give you strength/courage/alertness.
Bind yourself to Y-H-V-H

Each morning and evening we say the Sh’ma, which is followed by the words,
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might”.
As we continue into the year and this next phase of our lives, continuing up the ladder of soul repair through t’shuva (repentance/return) may we recognise that our only hope is in binding ourselves to Adonai, our Master and our King through Yeshua our Master and Redeemer and the Torah, which Yeshua was the living embodiment of.  Our hope lies in binding ourselves to the Father and all that He has given us.  But we have a task in which we are called to partnership with Him; to resolve and strengthen ourselves for the task ahead, each day, as He lovingly leads us and guides us.

We hereby bind ourselves to the Master, Yeshua the Messiah, The Righteous One, who is the Bread of Life and the True Light, the source of eternal salvation for all those who hear him. Like a branch that remains in a vine, so may we remain in him, just as He also remains in the Father and the Father in him, in order that they may remain in us. And we hereby receive upon ourselves, His yoke to love Adonai Our God with all our heart, with all of our soul and with all of our strength, and to love our neighbour as ourselves.

And may the grace of the Master, Yeshua the Messiah, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit abound to us.

Hareini MeKasher used courtesy of First Fruits of Zion.org

Be strong, Be strong, may we be strengthened!!