Verse of the Day 6/19

Through the Bible - Nehemiah 12-13, Acts 5:1-16

 

Good morning,

We've probably had an experience in our lives where we have heard someone say in a story, movie or song that something was "lost in the translation", that in translating it from the original language to English something was lacking.   We've probably experienced that even in Bible studies and commentaries where we have a word from the Greek or Hebrew expounded upon to give additional meaning to the verse or passage.

 

The book of Lamentations and Psalm 119 are two portions of scripture where acrostic composition is used.  Each verse starts with a particular letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  In Psalm  19 there are 8 verses for each of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, yielding 176 verses, the longest chapter in the Bible.

 

The same form is used in the book of Lamentations, as the word implies, it is a lament for the nation and for the individual.  The first four chapters are an acrostic. Chapter one deals with the troubles of the city.  Chapter 2 expands the lament to the wrath of God, the third chapter brings it to a personal level, that of an individual, chapter 4 returns to the third person, from the outside looking in and chapter 5 is a prayer. 

 

In chapter 3, sixty six verses, three for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet  are devoted to the individual.  In the midst of, in the middle of chapter 3, this chapter on personal sufffering comes one of the most comforting verses we find in the Bible.  It's where we go for today's verse.

Lam 3:22 Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.    NIV

One of the things that we miss in this passage, in this book in English is the acrostic.  The time, detail, and attention devoted to the subject, in this instance - personal suffering.  Literally, Jeremiah gives us the A to Z on the emotions suffering, I believe from personal experience.

 

It's interesting to note that the two portions of the Bible that employ this literary tool deal with God's Word and suffering.

 

Eugene Peterson, who wrote The Message paraphrase of the Bible writes, "The first order of pastoral ministry is to enter into the pain and to share the suffering.  Later on the task develops into clearing away the emotional  rubble (remember yesterday in Nehemiah?) and exposing the historical foundations: all suffering is triggered by something.  There is a datable event behind an act of suffering - a remembered word of scorn that wounded, a describable injustice causing injury, a death with a date on it pinpointing the hour of loss, a divorce decree giving legal definition to a rejection.  Suffering explodes in a life and pain is scattered like shrapnel.  At the moment the loss seams total, but gradually it is possible to recognize and touch many, many things, persons, areas that remain sound and stable - to discover weakness, to admit guilt, to accept responsibility, to be grateful for survival."

 

We may look back to those times and remember periods of time when it felt as if God was absent.  At some point, often in the midst of the trial, as in the midst of this passage, we learn some of the most profound things about our God and our faith in God, and His faithfulness.

If you know it, why don't you sing the hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness" in your mind our out loud, may the words remind you of the "strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow" that we have in Christ, even in "the midst" of our current struggles.

In Christ,

Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
More tools available at: http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

Lam 3:19-28

 

19 I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
20 I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
21 Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:

 

22 Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."

 

25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
26 it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke
while he is young.   NIV