HEBREW WORD STUDY – LIFE’S PURPOSE – OREKE YAMIM ארכ ימימ
Psalms 91:16: “With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.”
I have often had a problem with this verse. It appears from reading this verse in every modern translation and commentaries that if we trust God, keep our eyes on Him, love Him and bond with Him we will have a long life. Yet, I read about so many Christians in other nations who are more bonded with God than I am and they face persecution and death at a relatively young age. I mean what about these Christian children who were beheaded by ISIS for declaring their love for Jesus. Does this verse not apply to them. Do they not deserve a long life for their love for Jesus? Does it only apply to us who are lucky enough to be born in a land where we do not have to face death for our faith?
Yet, even in this land, Christians die early deaths. I have personally known a devoted Christians whose love for Jesus was very deep who died early. I remember a young woman in my first pastorate who was married with a small child. She developed cancer and died at the age of 24. Why was she not granted a long life? I really don’t think the rendering of this verse stands up to the simple facts of this life on earth. History is filled with many devoted believers who died at an early age.
It is for this reason that I am not walking in lockstep with all the translators and commentators on this verse. It just doesn’t wash. There is another way to render this verse which makes more sense and is a wonderful promise.
The phrase long life is oreke yamim which literally means length of days, not long life, that is inferred. This is followed by the word ‘asabi’ehu from the root word saba’ which is rendered as satisfied, fulfilled or having a purpose. Hebrew tends to have some ambiguity with syntax and in this case, I would adjust the syntax traditionally accepted as it just does not fit reality. Rather than render this that he will give us a long life and He will fill us with satisfaction, I would render this as We will be satisfied or find purpose with our length of days. In other words, whatever time God gives us on this planet, He will fill those days with satisfaction and purpose.
I remember reading a book about a man who was sent to the Gulag in the old Soviet Union. He struck up a friendship with another prisoner and began to tell him about the family and career he left behind and his plans to return to them after his 25-year sentence was up. The other prisoner stopped him and said: “Look this is the Gulag, not many leave here alive. You do not know if you will be alive tomorrow. If you are to survive you must think about what is important.” The man asked what was more important than his family and career?” The older prisoner said; “The present, the here and now, you and me talking, forming a friendship, a bond, that is what is important.” Perhaps we do not find our purpose in life because we are too focused on the future. Our purpose in life is to be played out here and now. My studying this verse, you reading this study, us drawing closer to God, that is our purpose for the moment.
Jesus said: Matthew 6:34: “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day [is] the evil thereof.” My father used to always ask me what I would do if a doctor told me I had only one month to live. I would always reply with the answer he gave me, “I would live one day at a time.” We do not realize the miracle of life, that every morning we wake up and the sun comes up, we get out of bed and we are alive. That very thing is a gift from God. A gift is meant to be enjoyed and when you bond with God you will enjoy it, no matter what the day may bring because He promised it in Psalms 91:16. We do not need to focus on past mistakes, they are over with, we could focus on the future but there are no guarantees. What is important is right now, me and you, reading God’s Word, becoming friends with God, that is what is important. Then whatever the future holds good or bad, we can still rejoice and we can smile at the rain storms.
So meaningful and true. My mom, my kids and I repeat Psalms 91 daily. That’s exactly what we thought. Thank you for this eye opener.
I can’t wait to read your word study everyday. The time in the evening when I can sit and enjoy and take it in without being disturbed by family. I am learning so much and thank you. I am also reading your book “For whom my soul loves”, this is my 3rd time reading it, absolutely brilliant and thought provoking.
I am not Jewish, Irish actually, but I love the Hebrew language.
A few months ago, I came upon a song that I used to play for the children in my Sunday School classes. The title of it is, “I will bloom where I am planted. ” One of the you tube videos shows flowers of all kind blooming in different environments. The flower that I identified with was the dandelion growing between the cracks in a concrete sidewalk. And I knew the dandelions were able to survive pretty harsh conditions because they had such very deep roots. I do not know the Hebrew like you do. I pray Psalm 91 almost everyday, because it comforts me when I read what all is happening in these end times. I am 70 now. I have told the Lord that I did not want long life – rather I thought it had to mean eternal life – to please take me to heaven before things really got bad here on earth. The Lord answers me sometimes in dreams and he gave me a dream in which he showed me that I still had 2 things yet to accomplish and then he would take me home. And so I will bloom where he has planted me, even though he has planted me in a place that flowers do not usually grow.