Psalm 80: The Shepherd and the Vine (Part 1)

 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, who lead Joseph like a flock; 
                 who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth!

...and Psalm 80 has now begun!
This first verse sets so much of the stage for the rest of this rich Psalm.

Ra'ah Yisrael - Shepherd of Israel

(Incidentally...the Hebrew word used for "lead" here is the word nahag, pronounced n'HAHg - meaning to lead or to drive.  I learned this word during my many trips on the bus in Jerusalem when I stayed for one month during the autumn of 2010.  As a noun, it is the modern Hebrew word for "driver".  If you ride the bus very much in Jerusalem, you will inevitably hear it yelled out by a rider.  "Nahag!  Stop here!"  "Nahag!  Open the back door!"  And you might even see a slight resemblance between a bus driver and a shepherd!)

As you probably know if you have read the greeting from the previous blog post, I have just returned from a trip to Israel.  I was there for 3 weeks in January and February - first in Jerusalem, and then traveling for a week around Samaria, the Dead Sea, and the Negev and Paran Deserts...all the way down to Eilat and back up toward Ashkelon.

It was a wonderful trip!  
Actually, it was quite intense, as the whole purpose was to pray YHVH's Word concerning His Land and His People and His Kingdom (come and still to come).

I use the word wonderful to describe it because it was definitely a trip filled with the wonder of YHVH's Word of Truth coming to pass before our eyes in our time!  More about that later...first let's begin to look at Psalm 80.

 Psalm 80 

        To the Chief Musician upon Shoshannim-eduth [literally "lilies of testimony", 
             also the title of a popular song], a Psalm of Asaph.
1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, who lead Joseph like a flock; who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth!
2 Before Ephrayim, Benjamin, and Menasheh, stir up Your might, and come save [y'shua tah, a form of yasha] us!
3 Cause us to turn back, O Elohim, and cause Your Face to shine, that we might be saved [form of yasha]!
4 O YHVH, Elohim of hosts, how long shall You be wroth against the prayer of Your people?
5 You have caused them to eat the bread of tears, and have caused them to drink with tears, a third time.
6 You have made us a strife to our neighbors, and our enemies laugh among themselves.
7 Turn us back, O Elohim of hosts, and cause Your Face to shine, that we might be saved [form of yasha]!

Who is the One who is the Shepherd of Israel?
Who leads Jacob like a flock?
Who dwells between the cherubim?

I am sure you know the answer to these questions.
But let us take a look at some other scriptures regarding these questions.

Genesis 49:22-24 (spoken by Isaac about Joseph as he was blessing each of his 12 sons)
Joseph is an offshoot of a fruit-bearing tree, an offshoot of a fruit-bearing tree by a fountain, his branches run over a wall.  And the archers have bitterly grieved him, shot at him and hated him.  But his bow remained in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob - from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel -...

Notice here that Joseph is a shoot from a fruit-bearing tree.  Note also that Joseph's enemies have hated him and attacked him, but Joseph stays strong because of the strength of the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel!

Psalms 77 and 78 both tell part of the story of the children of Israel being led by YHVH out of Egypt:

Psalm 77:15-20
By Your arm You redeemed Your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph...
The waters saw you, O Elohim...they were afraid....the clouds poured out water, the heavens rumbled...the voice of Your thunder rolled along...the earth trembled and shook...Your way was in the sea, and Your footsteps were not known.  You did lead Your people like a flock, by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Psalm 78:51-53
And He smote all the firstborn in Egypt...then made His own people go forth like sheep, and led them in a wilderness like a flock.  And He led them on safely, and they did not fear, but the sea covered their enemies.  And He brought them to the border of His set-apart place, this mountain which His right hand had gained...


Notice in these Psalms that the Strong Arm, the Right Hand of YHVH once again gains the victory and accomplishes the necessary redemption (see the previous blog post on Psalm 118 for more on YHVH's Right Arm).

Isaiah chapter 63 is another very powerful chapter of YHVH's Word that is also a mirror of Psalm 80.
Take a look at the imagery of a God who acts in deserved righteous wrath (actually the people did NOT get what they deserved, which like for each of us should be much worse according to our actions and our sin against a holy God!).  Take a look at the compassion, the chesed, the mercy, the loving-kindness of the Shepherd of Israel, the Redeemer of Israel, the Savior (again the Right Arm saved).  And also notice the cry for mercy, the cry for YHVH to rescue His people, just as in Psalm 80.

Isaiah 63:11-12:
"Then He remembered the days of old, Moses, His people, 'Where is He who brought them up out of the sea with the Shepherd of His flock...Who put His set-apart Spirit within him, who led them by the right hand of Moses, with His comely arm, dividing the water before them to make for Himself an everlasting Name...'"

Now take a look at Micah 7...speaking of the days when the world and the nations are steeped in corruption and wickedness (hmmm...sounds familiar, looks familiar).  Then read about the Shepherd of Israel and His remnant...

Micah 7:13-16
But the earth shall become a waste because of those who dwell in it, and for the fruit of their deeds.  Shepherd Your people with Your rod, the flock of Your inheritance, who dwell alone in a forest, in the midst of Karmel.  Let them feed in Bashan and in Gilead, as in the days of old.  As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I shall let him see wonders.  Let the gentiles see and be ashamed of all their might...


...now look at the rest of this chapter!


Micah 7:18-20
Who is a God like You - taking away crookedness and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance?  He shall not retain His wrath forever, for He Himself delights in kindness.  He shall turn back, He shall have compassion on us, He shall trample upon our crookednesses!  And You throw all our sins into the depths of the sea!  You give truth to Jacob, kindness to Abraham, which You swore to our fathers from the days of old!


And finally (for this part), let's look at Zechariah chapter 9.
This is obviously still to happen in the (not-so-distant?) future.

Notice the references to the Messiah of Israel in this chapter...the reigning King, ruler of the whole earth.

Zechariah 9:9-10  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!  Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!  See, your King is coming to you, He is righteous and endowed with deliverance [form of yasha - salvation], humble and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey....And He shall speak peace to the nations, and His rule is from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
Verse 13  For I shall bend Judah for Me, I shall fill the bow with Ephrayim, and I shall stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and I shall make you like the sword of a mighty man.
Verse 16  And יהוה their Elohim shall save them in that day, as the flock of His people, for the stones of a diadem, sparkling over His land. 


Any ideas yet to the answer of the question, "Who is the Shepherd of Israel"?

I'm sure you know!  But here are a few more partial scriptures for your consideration:

Matthew 2:6  "But you, Bethlehem [Beyt Lechem], in the land of Judah, you are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you shall come a Ruler who shall shepherd My people Israel."  


Matthew 26:31-32  "Then יהושע [Yahshua] said to them, 'All of you shall stumble in Me this night, for it has been written, "I shall strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered."  But after I have been raised, I shall go before you into Galilee.'"

John 10:2, 11, 14-15  "But he who enters through the door is the shepherd of the sheep....I am the good shepherd.  The shepherd lays down his life for the sheep....I am the good shepherd, and I know Mine and Mine know Me, even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father.  And I lay down my life for the sheep."


Hebrews 13:20-21  "And the Elohim of peace who brought up our Master יהושע from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His desire, working in you what is pleasing in His sight, through יהושע Messiah, to whom be esteem forever and ever.  Amen."


And of course, the amazing powerful image of our Shepherd as seen in Revelation:
2:27  ...and he shall shepherd them with a rod of iron, as the potter’s vessels shall be broken to pieces, as I also have received from My Father.
7:17  ...because the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne shall shepherd them and lead them to fountains of waters of life. And Elohim shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.” 
12:5  ... And she bore a male child who was to shepherd all nations with a rod of iron. And her child was caught away to Elohim and to His throne.

19:15-16  And out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations. And He [Trustworthy and True; the Word] shall shepherd them with a rod of iron. And He treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of El Shaddai.  And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: SOVEREIGN OF SOVEREIGNS AND MASTER OF MASTERS. 


Isn't it so exciting to see these scriptures about the Shepherd of Israel all together in one place?!
And this is only the first part of the first verse!!


Now, on to the second part of this verse...The One who dwells between the cherubim.


Once again, I'm sure you know the answer to "Who is the One dwelling between the cherubim?"
as well as the answer to "what exactly are the cherubim?"...
still, I think it will be helpful to take a look at what the Scriptures say.

Let's start with what or who the cherubim are in the Scriptures.
I'm sure you know they are angels, heavenly beings, not of this world, messengers of YHVH, etc.

Do you know the Hebrew word cherub?
It is pronounced with the "ch" as in "Bach" or "loch", NOT with the hard "ch" of "chicken".
And because this word is a masculine word in the Hebrew language, the plural is formed with the addition of "im" at the end of the word (as opposed to the feminine which forms by adding "ot").

So the plural of cherub is cherubim (pronounced che-roo-BEEM).


(If you notice, the older King James version, the Authorized Version, placed the English formation of plural words, an added "s", in addition to the Hebrew word which is already plural!  KJV calls more than one cherub, cherubims.  No need to make it plural twice!  I think they realized their mistake, because newer KJV printings have the correct word - cherubim.)


Anyway...let's continue!

You probably remember the cherubim as those beings who were placed by YHVH at the east end of the garden of Eden to guard the way of the tree of life in Genesis 3 after the eviction of Adam and Chavah (Eve).

But do you know what the majority of Scriptures which refer to cherubim (almost 100 times) are speaking about?  Do you know the "job" or the "station" or the "function" of the cherubim in the majority of the Scriptures?

I think a good place to start is Exodus 25.

In this chapter, YHVH commanded Moses to take up a voluntary offering from the people...gold, silver, bronze, dyed yarn, animal skins, oil, spices, and precious stones.

Verse 8:  “And they shall make Me a Set-apart Place, and I shall dwell in their midst."
Verses 10, 11:  "And they shall make an ark of acacia wood...and you shall overlay it with clean gold..."
Verses 17-22:  “And you shall make a lid of atonement of clean gold, two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide.  And you shall make two cherubim of gold, make them of beaten work, at the two ends of the lid of atonement.  And make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end.  Make the cherubim from the lid of atonement, at its two ends.  And the cherubim shall be spreading out their wings above, covering the lid of atonement with their wings, with their faces toward each other, the faces of the cherubim turned toward the lid of atonement.  And you shall put the lid of atonement on top of the ark, and put into the ark the Witness which I give you.  And I shall meet with you there, and from above the lid of atonement, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Witness, I shall speak to you all that which I command you concerning the children of Israel."

And also in Numbers 7:89  
And when Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with Him, he heard the voice of One speaking to him from above the lid of atonement that was on the ark of the Witness, from between the two cherubim. Thus He spoke to him. 

So this is where YHVH chose to put His presence in the midst of Israel...above the lid of atonement on the ark of the covenant, between the cherubim...here He would speak to His people.

This dwelling place was also used in the description of YHVH, the only true Living Elohim, in various places throughout the Scriptures.

Which god?  The ONE Who dwells between the cherubim!


2 Samuel 6:2
And David rose up and went with all the people who were with him from Baal Judah, to bring up from there the ark of Elohim, that is called by the Name, the Name יהוה of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. 

2 Kings 19:15
And Hezekiah prayed before יהוה, and said, “O יהוה Elohim of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are Elohim, You alone, of all the reigns of the earth. You have made the heavens and earth."

Psalm 99:1

 יהוה shall reign; Peoples tremble! He is enthroned on the cherubim; the earth shakes! 

So this Psalm, Psalm 80, is a plea, a cry, a beseeching of the Shepherd of Israel, the only True Living God, who dwells between the cherubim, to shine forth and to SAVE (yeshu'ah) HIS PEOPLE!

Who are His People?  

Israel!  Both kingdoms of Israel (Israel and Judah), as represented by "Ephrayim, Benjamin, and Menasheh" in verse 2.  

His People Israel, in this psalm, have eaten and have drunk "the tears."  

They have been disciplined for their hard-heartedness and their turning from YHVH.

Now the psalmist cries for SALVATION from the Elohim of Salvation, the One who provides Salvation with His own Mighty Arm.

The cry is for YHVH to turn His people back to Him in repentance and to restore them!

What a mighty cry!

"Turn us back, O Elohim of Hosts, and cause your Face to shine, that we might be saved!"

And in the second part of Psalm 80, the psalmist reminds YHVH of the vine He brought forth from Egypt and planted in HIS Land of inheritance for HIS chosen people.

Take a look at the next blog post for Part 2 of Psalm 80...and see why my latest trip to Israel made such an impression on me regarding YHVH's planting of His people in His land!

Chesed, Yeshu'ah, and Other Important Words: A Study in Psalm 118

Shalom from Yerushalayim (Jerusalem)!!


I am doing this particular blog post in a bit of a different way.
Usually it takes me quite a few hours of study and writing to put together a blog post.
This time I am going to publish the blog post at different points throughout the process of writing it (which means it could be days before it is completed!).  So you will be able to follow along with me as Psalm 118 unfolds before our eyes!

(Of course, this will not be an exhaustive study of Psalm 118, but rather, like all my other blog posts, it will be a collection of the things I am learning from YHVH's Word as I dig deeper into the different parts and meanings of this particular Psalm.)

You will know when the blog post is complete...I will make it clear when I have published it in its final form.

Let's begin!

Firstly, I will begin with a song I have learned in Hebrew:

Hodu l'Adonai ki tov, Ki le Olam chasdo
Hodu l'Adonai ki tov, Ki le Olam chasdo
Hodu, hodu, hodu, hodu, hodu l'Adonai ki tov
Hodu, hodu, hodu, hodu, hodu l'Adonai ki tov

Do you know the song?
(If you would like to hear it sung,
 click HERE for the link to the song.)

This song is straight out of YHVH's Word.
Guess where it is found.

Yes, how did you know?!
It is the beginning and the end of Psalm 118!
(And also the beginning of Psalm 136.)

Psalm 118:1 and 29 say,
"Give thanks to YHVH, for He is good!  
For His loving-commitment is everlasting.


And now we have, encompassing this Psalm from beginning to end, the first important word of this study.  Can you identify which word in the song it might be?

It is the word Chasdo (pronounced with the "ch" as in "Bach").  Chasdo (חסדו)  is a form of the word Chesed  (חסד ), which is defined as YHVH's loving-commitment or mercy.

Chesed is a Hebrew word that does not have just one English word to express its meaning completely.
Many translations use the word mercy, some use grace, some loving-kindness, some just use the word love.

If you use just one of these words, the true deeper and complete meaning of chesed is missed.
In reality, all of these words are incorporated in chesed.

Brown-Driver-Briggs' Hebrew Definitions defines chesed as goodness, kindness, and faithfulness.

Vine's Expository Dictionary says that the word chesed must include these three interactive and equally-important meanings:  strength, steadfastness, and love.

Chesed is a covenant word.  It is wrapped up inextricably with YHVH's faithfulness in His covenant with His people.  Although the people might break the covenant, YHVH will not.
His covenant is steadfast, strong, loyal, loving, and based on His truth....chesed!  

Consider these places in Scripture:

Deuteronomy 7:9, 12
"And you shall know that YHVH your Elohim, He is Elohim, the trustworthy God guarding covenant and loving-commitment (chesed) for a thousand generations with those who love Him, and those who guard His commands....and it shall be, because you hear these right-rulings, and shall guard and do them, that YHVH your Elohim shall guard with you the covenant and the loving-commitment (chesed) which He swore to your fathers..." 

Psalm 25:10; 89:14
"All the paths of YHVH are loving-commitment (chesed) and truth, to those who guard His covenant and His witnesses....Righteousness and right-ruling are the foundation of Your throne; loving-commitment (chesed) and truth go before Your face."


Micah 7:18-20

Who is a God like You – taking away crookedness and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance? He shall not retain His wrath forever, for He Himself delights in kindness (chesed). 

 He shall turn back, He shall have compassion on us, He shall trample upon our crookednesses! And You throw all our sins into the depths of the sea! 

 You give truth to Jacob, kindness (chesed) to Abraham, which You swore to our fathers from the days of old! 

Jeremiah 31:1-4

“At that time,” declares יהוה, “I shall be the Elohim of all the clans of Israel, and they shall be My people.”  Thus said יהוה, “A people escaped from the sword found favor in the wilderness, Israel, when it went to find rest.”   יהוה appeared to me from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore I shall draw you with kindness (chesed).   

I am going to build you again. And you shall be rebuilt, O maiden of Israel!  Again you shall take up your tambourines, and go forth in the dances of those who rejoice. 

Now let's begin to look at Psalm 118 with the deeper meaning of this word chesed in mind.

 PSALM 118 
1 Oh give thanks to YHVH, for He is good!  
Because His chasdo (chesed) is everlasting. 
2 Let Israel now say, "His chasdo (chesed) is everlasting."  
3 Let the house of Aaron now say, "His chasdo (chesed) is everlasting." 
4 Let those who fear YHVH now say, "His chasdo (chesed) is everlasting." 


Isn't that a wonderful beginning?!


Let's stop here for a bit and look at something.

Repetition in YHVH's Word is important!

Here we have it repeated 3 times that people are to proclaim the everlasting chesed of YHVH.
Who does it say is to proclaim the chesed of YHVH?

1. Israel.  The chosen covenant people of YHVH.  The recipients of His chesed.  And Israel is commissioned by YHVH to be His light to the nations (we will get to that part soon).

2. The house of Aaron.  The line of priests.  Representing the servants of the nation of Israel.  The ones who serve YHVH on behalf of Israel.  Defenders of YHVH's truth; keepers of His Word.  They served Israel as Israel served as YHVH's light to the goyim (nations).

3. Those who fear YHVH.  This is where the goyim (nations, gentiles) come into the picture.  We (gentiles) are grafted into the nation of Israel, the commonwealth of YHVH's people, when we cling to Him and join in His covenant, obeying Him alone and trusting in His grace, mercy, steadfast faithful love...His chesed.

Isn't it exciting to be reminded of who are the recipients of YHVH's everlasting chesed?!

Let's continue...

 PSALM 118 continued ... 
5 I called on Yah ( יה)  in distress;
Yah answered me in a broad place.
6 YHVH  (יהוה) is on my side; 
I do not fear what man does to me!
7 YHVH is for me among those helping me;
therefore I look on those hating me.
8 It is better to take refuge in YHVH than to trust in man.
9 It is better to take refuge in YHVH than to trust in princes.
  
Before we continue, I want to point out something important about the Name of our Elohim, our God, our only Living Supreme Being, Mighty Lord, Adonai.
All of these that I just listed are only titles...none of them are His NAME!


His Name, according to Him, is YHVH (יהוה).  
Yah (יה) is a shortened form of His name.


These are His Names that are actually written, printed in the original Hebrew text AND in the modern Hebrew text.  (And this is true not just in Psalm 118, but also in thousands of other places throughout the Bible!)


If you would like to see for yourself (without the need to be able to read any Hebrew), go to this website and take a look at some of these verses in Hebrew and in English:
Biblos - Psalm 118...click HERE.   
You will see that the English translation of these 2 names inserts the words the LORD, which can then be mistranslated again with the equivalent Hebrew word Adonai.
(If you want to look at other verses, there is a pull-down menu in the uppermost left corner - for book, chapter, and verse.)....

I also want to quote part of the introduction of this version of the Bible that I have been using (called The Scriptures by the Institute for Scripture Research).  This particular version uses the name YHVH (in Hebrew it is יהוה), as well as the name Yahshua (in Hebrew יהושע).

From The Scriptures introduction, in the section "Restoration of the Name", page 15:
...it was the Almighty Himself who originally placed His Name in the scriptures at least 6823 times!  It was human beings who decided, for reasons that made sense to them, to delete His Name and to replace it with something "more appropriate" in their view.  This, in spite of the Creator's own statement to and through Mosheh (Moses) that:  "this is My Name forever, and this is My Remembrance to all generations."  (Shemoth/Exodus 3:15)


If you look at the introduction page of most Bibles (at least those in English), you will find an explanation that the Name of God, YHVH, has been replaced by the word LORD as a sign of respect (or for some other reason).

So let's take a look at this Name, YHVH, in the scriptures.
Exodus 3:15 was quoted above....let's look at the whole verse:
And Elohim said further to Moses, “Thus you are to say to the children of Israel, ‘יהוה Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Aḇraham, the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My Name forever, and this is My remembrance to all generations.’

Here it is obvious that God calls Himself by His Name, YHVH.  Then He tells Moses that this is His Name forever and is to how all generations know Him.

Exodus 6:3

 “And I appeared to Aḇraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as Ěl Shaddai. And by My Name, יהוה, was I not known to them?"

Exodus 9:16

“And for this reason I have raised you up, in order to show you My power, and in order to declare My Name in all the earth. 

Exodus 33:19
And He said, “I shall cause all My goodness to pass before you, and I shall proclaim the Name of יהוה before you. And I shall favour him whom I favour, and shall have compassion on him whom I have compassion.” 

Leviticus 19:12
And do not swear falsely by My Name and so profane the Name of your Elohim. I am יהוה. 

Exodus 20:7  (from the Ten Commandments...stop and think about what this means in our daily usage of LORD to replace His Name)
You do not bring the Name of יהוה your Elohim to naught, for יהוה does not leave the one unpunished who brings His Name to naught. 

Isaiah 42:8
I am יהוה, that is My Name, and My esteem I do not give to another, nor My praise to idols. 

Isaiah 52:6-9
"And now, what have I here,” declares יהוה, “that My people are taken away for naught? Those who rule over them make them wail,” declares יהוה, “and My Name is despised all day continually. Therefore My people shall know My Name, in that day, for I am the One who is speaking. See, it is I.  How pleasant upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings good news, who proclaims deliverance, who says to Zion, 'Your Elohim reigns!'  The voice of your watchmen! They shall lift up their voices, together they shout for joy, because eye to eye they see the return of יהוה to Zion.  Break forth into joy, sing together, you waste places of Jerusalem! For יהוה shall comfort His people, He shall redeem Jerusalem. 

Jeremiah 16:20-21

Would a man make mighty ones for himself, which are not mighty ones?  Therefore see, I am causing them to know, this time I cause them to know My hand and My might. And they shall know that My Name is יהוה!

People may wonder why I am spending so much time in this blog post on the topic of the Name of YHVH (and, as we will soon explore, the Name He gave His Son).  For me, it has become obvious in these verses and the thousands of other verses in YHVH's Word where He uses His Name (YHVH) that He is serious about His Name!  I want to never again make His Name come to naught by substituting it with a title!

I think if we continue on further into Psalm 118, we can see this more clearly.

 PSALM 118 continued ... 
10 All the gentiles surrounded me, In the Name of יהוה I shall cut them off.   
11 They surrounded me, Yea, they surrounded me; In the Name of יהוה shall I cut them off. 
12 They surrounded me like bees; They were extinguished like burning thorns; In the Name of יהוה I shall cut them off.
13 Pushing, the enemy pushed me to fall, But יהוה helped me. 
14 Yah is my strength and song, And He has become my deliverance. 

I think in this passage it is clear that it is the Name of YHVH that comes against the enemies to cut them off.  But I also think using the Name of YHVH is important for deeper reasons.

I realize that I will come under some scrutiny and possible criticism from both Christians and Jews as I begin to speak and use the Name of YHVH.  Both Christians and Jews use titles in place of the Name of YHVH.  But I cannot continue to use substitutes for a Name that is SO very important and that is commanded for us to use!  (Note:  there are various interpretations of the proper pronunciation of the Name of YHVH, and while we might not be able to know with complete accuracy what the proper pronunciation is, I believe it is clear in Scripture that YHVH wants His Name to be used.)

Why is His Name so important?  So significant?
Let's look at something that comes next in this Psalm.

Look at the last word in verse 14:  Deliverance/ salvation.
Do you know which Hebrew word is used in this verse?

This is a word that still exists in modern Hebrew and is used on a daily basis for the English word "salvation."
This word is also related to the Name of the SON of YHVH.

The Hebrew word for deliverance/salvation is y'shu'ah or yeshu'ah.
In Hebrew it is written as ישׁועה. 


Do you know what the Name of the SON of YHVH is in Hebrew?  
(Of course, in English, His Name has been mistranslated as Jesus, which is not a correct transliteration.)

The Name of the SON of YHVH in Hebrew is actually the name Yehoshuah (Joshua).  It has been shortened by many to be read as Yeshua or Y'shua.
In Hebrew it is written as  יהושׁע  and it means "YHVH saves".

The Hebrew letters used here are so important.  The name of Yehoshuah has the first 3 letters of YHVH and then also part of the word for salvation (thus "YHVH saves").

When pronounced, the two words sound very similar....yeshu'ah (salvation) and Yehoshuah or Yeshua (the Name of the SON of YHVH).

So when a person reads Psalm 118:14 aloud in Hebrew, this is what is heard:  Yah is my strength and song, and He has become my yeshu'ah.

Isn't this so exciting!?  To see the Truth of the SON of YHVH written and spoken so clearly throughout the entire Word of YHVH is such an incredible reminder of His creation, His salvation, His work on behalf of His people from beginning to end...from HaRishon to HaAcharon (the beginning to the end).

But if we continue to read Psalm 118, it becomes even more clear and even more exciting!


 PSALM 118 continued ... 
15 The voice of rejoicing and deliverance (yeshu'ah) is in the tents of the righteous; the right hand of יהוה is doing mightily. 
16 The right hand of יהוה is exalted, the right hand of יהוה acts mightily.
17 Let me not die, but live, and declare the works of Yah. 
18 Yah has punished me severely, but did not give me over to death. 
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness; I enter through them, I thank Yah. 
20 This is the gate of  יהוה, the righteous enter through it. 
21 I thank You, for You have answered me, and have become my deliverance (yeshu'ah) . 

Do you see?  Do you see clearly?  Can you see the SON of YHVH clearly presented in these verses?
I am not just speaking about the Name of Yahshua appearing here in these verses.
I am also speaking about the RIGHT HAND of YHVH.

"The right hand of YHVH is doing mightily."  
"The right hand of YHVH is exalted."
"The right hand of YHVH acts mightily."

Earlier we looked at Isaiah 52:6-9 as one place where YHVH speaks strongly of using His Name.  If we add verse 10, we will also see the revelation of the arm of YHVH as the Messiah Yahshua.


Isaiah 52:7-10
 How pleasant upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings good news, who proclaims deliverance (yeshu'ah), who says to Zion, “Your Elohim reigns!”  The voice of your watchmen!  They shall lift up their voices, together they shout for joy, because eye to eye they see the return of יהוה to Zion.   Break forth into joy, sing together, you waste places of Jerusalem!  For יהוה shall comfort His people, He shall redeem Jerusalem. 

יהוה shall lay bare His set-apart arm in the eyes of all the nations. And all the ends of the earth shall see the deliverance (yeshu'ah) of our Elohim. 

Let us also look at Isaiah 62 for another clear picture of Israel and her Messiah.

Isaiah 62:1-2, 11-12

 For Zion’s sake I am not silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I do not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her deliverance (yeshu'ah) as a lamp that burns. 

 And the nations shall see your righteousness, and all sovereigns your esteem. And you shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of יהוה designates....

See, יהוה has proclaimed to the end of the earth: “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘See, your deliverance (yesha) has come; see, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him.’ ”  And they shall be called, “The Set-apart People, the Redeemed of יהוה.” And you shall be called, “Sought Out, a City Not Forsaken."

(If you would like to see all the verses that use the Hebrew word yeshu'ah for deliverance/salvation, go to the Blue Letter Bible Lexicon online at www.blueletterbible.org and type H3444 into the Bible/Dictionary Search box.  This is the Strong's number for yeshu'ah, and the search result will give you a list of all the verses that use this particular Hebrew word.  This list is amazing!)

Let's look at the next verses in Psalm 118....

 PSALM 118 continued ... 
22 The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner-stone. 
23 This was from יהוה, It is marvelous in our eyes. 
24 This is the day יהוה has made, Let us rejoice and be glad in it. 

Ah, yes, now it is all coming together!

  YAHSHUA!   

He is the Salvation of YHVH!

He is the Chesed of YHVH!

He is the Strong Right Hand of YHVH!

He is the Chief Cornerstone!

This is from YHVH!  This is the day YHVH has made!

I will not take time in this blog post to go into detail about how Yahshua is the Strong Arm, the Right Hand of YHVH throughout scripture.
If you do a word study of all the places the scriptures speak of the Right Hand and Strong Arm of YHVH, you can see for yourself.

Here are a few verses to look at (this is only the beginning!).

Exodus 15:1-6

Deuteronomy 33:1-3

Psalm 20; 44:1-4; 48:10

Psalm 80:17-19; 89:13-14; 98; 110

Psalm 136 (an entire chapter on the chesed of YHVH)
Isaiah 40:1-11; 41:8-14

Isaiah 52:10; 62:8-12

Jeremiah 27:5

Matthew 22:41-46
Matthew 26: 63-64
Acts 2:22-36
Ephesians 1:20-23
Hebrews 1

Let's continue on with the last part of this Psalm...and yet another clear picture of YHVH's faithfulness to His people through Yahshua the Messiah!


 PSALM 118 continued ... 
25 I pray, O יהוה, please save (hoshianah); I pray, O יהוה, please send prosperity.
26 Blessed is He who is coming in the Name of יהוה!  We shall bless you from the House of יהוה. 
27 יהוה is God, and He gave us light; bind the festal offering with cords to the horns of the altar. 
28 You are my God, and I praise You; You are my Elohim, I exalt You. 

29 Give thanks to יהוה, for He is good! For His kindness is everlasting. 

You are probably more familiar with this scripture than you realize.
Notice that verse 25 beseeches YHVH to save us and to send prosperity (as in "be good to us"; not in the same way that many charismatic "churches" use the word prosperity!).

Do you know what the Hebrew word for save us is in this verse?
Even if you answer "no" to this question, I think you will find out that you really are familiar with the word!
(But you should now answer "yes" to this question, because I included the Hebrew word in the verse above!)

The Hebrew word used here is HOSHIANAH.
You may know the spelling as HOSANNA.


Today's Christianity has turned this word into a word of praise and joyful celebration.
However, the word does not have that meaning.
The word hoshianah is a cry for salvation.  It is a desperate cry to be defended, to be rescued...a cry for help!  "Save us!"


And here in this Psalm, we see a cry for YHVH to work salvation (yeshu'ah) with His Strong Right Arm, with His loving-commitment/chesed, to rescue His people mightily from their enemies.


Of course, this is again a clear picture of the Strong Right Arm of YHVH, the promised Messiah Yahshua. 
Compare verses 25 and 26 from Psalm 118 with John 12:12-15:
 On the next day a great crowd who had come to the festival (Passover), when they heard that יהושע (Yahshua) was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and were crying out, “Hoshiana! Blessed is He who is coming in the Name of יהוה, the Sovereign of Israel!” And יהושע, having found a young donkey, sat on it, as it has been written:   “Do not fear, daughter of Zion, see, your Sovereign is coming, sitting on the colt of a donkey.” 

There is a song in Hebrew based on Psalm 118:25-26.  It is called Ana Adonai.
It is a song that I have sung frequently in my own times of worship and in my own times of beseeching YHVH.
The words are in Hebrew, but they follow along the words of these two verses of Psalm 118, with verse 19 added at the end.


Ana Adonai
Ana Adonai hoshianah.  Ana Adonai hatzlichanah.  
Ana Adonai ha'er paneicha.
Baruch haba b'Shem Adonai. 
Mi beit Elohim avarech et shimchah.
Pitchu li sha'arei tzedek avo bam odeh ya, Ana Adonai


If you would like to hear this song being sung, 
click HERE to follow the link to the song.


And now we come to the end of Psalm 118, a psalm of the Messiah!
Verse 27 states that YHVH is God, that He gave us light...Yahshua, the LIGHT of the world!
And it says to bind the festival offering to the altar.  Yahshua was bound as the Passover Lamb, the sacrifice for His people!


Verses 28 and 29 end the Psalm just as it was begun...praising YHVH for Who He is and for His everlasting loving-commitment, His chesed, toward His people!


What can we say now at the end of this amazing Psalm?


  HalleluYAH ! !    (hallel = praise  YAH!)  




(and it is now finished)