April 1

Psalm 73
This psalm opens with the word ‘Surely’. Today on my Facebook, one of my friend’s status updates was about the surely. Here it is, courtesy of Mickey:
Things look really bad today? Fall in love with Surely. Psalm 23:6, Surely Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. :)
Thank you Pastor Scott Johnson!
And that brought me to question, what does surely really mean? Here is a great Hebrew website:
http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/hebrew/
In it, you can type any word that appears in your Bible and it will give the Hebrew translation including the “Strong” word number. This Hebrew word is Kiy. (That, of course, is a transliteration of the Hebrew. I do not have a Hebrew keyboard. My next purchase. Just kidding, Don! I would actually have to take Hebrew to know what letter I was striking….)
By knowing this number, you can see all the places that your word has been used. In Surely’s case, it is number 3588. It was used 71 times and translated as surely. But it was translated much more often as other words. For example:
also 1, although 11, although* 1, because 409, because* 18, case 2, certainly 1, either 1, even 3, even though 3, event* 1, except 1, except* 21, how 12, however* 1, if 169, if* 2, inasmuch* 6, indeed 61, indeed* 1, last* 1, more of her than* 1, more than* 1, more* 1, moreover* 1, much more* 8, much* 10, nevertheless 1, nevertheless* 4, nor* 1, now 3, only* 7, or 1, rather 5, rather i indeed 1, rather* 12, seeing 1, since 38, since* 1, so 2, soon 1, still* 1, surely 63, surely* 8, than 1, than* 2, then 2, then* 1, though 37, though* 2, truly 5, unless* 10, until* 5, what* 1, when 241, when* 1, whenever 1, while 2, without* 2, Yea 1, yes 2, yet 7
And this word in Hebrew is a conjunction. According to School House Rock, a conjunction is used to ‘hook up phrases, and clauses that like’.



In our psalm, what is being hooked up? And what does the ‘surely’ mean?
Dictionary.com says:
1. Used to emphasize the speaker's firm belief that what they are saying is true and often their surprise that there is any doubt of this.
2. Without doubt; certainly.
And it is an adverb. Used to modify a verb. Which verb?

Translations are slippery. Someone, at sometime had to make a choice as to which word was used since the original psalm was written in Hebrew. Without vowels.
This is why the rabbis argue over everything. And the meanings of the words and phrases.
Let me just say, I would rather be on the rabbi team than on the translation team.
Substitute one of the other meanings of Kiy in that psalm. Does it change the meaning for you?


Sorry to go off the deep end on the word. This is really an incredibly lovely, moving psalm. I can so relate to everything the psalmist is saying. I especially like the image of God holding me by his right hand. Next time I am in trouble – probably tomorrow – I am firmly keeping that image with me.

Luke 9:28-50
The Transfiguration, again.
But check out this video. If your email doesn’t display the YouTube, click here.





OT – Deuteronomy 18:1-20:20
How will we know that a prophet is from the Lord? Well, according to Moses, if what he is saying does not come to pass, then he is not from God. And should be put to death.
In our current culture, that is horrifying. But when you think of the people that continue to support these supposed ‘prophets’ and their lifestyles, maybe we should reconsider? Actually, I am not in favor of that. As the mother of the ‘after-prom’ party told me, ‘the social downside of being singled out for STUPID is worse than any punishment you or I could devise’. Now, anytime Oral Robert’s name is brought up, people say ‘isn’t that the guy who said he was going to die if he didn’t raise some millions of money?’ instead of the good ministries that he DID do.
Maybe, communication was not as good in Canaan as it is in 21st America and Moses could not afford having charlatans going from village to city spouting nonsense.
Unfortunately, just like the king problem, Moses saw it coming that the people would follow false prophets, gods of the conquered peoples, doing evil sacrifices and turning away from the Lord. After all, if he, the greatest prophet of them all, could not keep them from straying, who could?

Peace and Grace to you all.
And no bad April fool’s day jokes.