HEBREW WORD STUDY – DISILLUSIONED – BOSH בושׁ
Psalms 25:2 “O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.”
When I see the word “ashamed” I think of being embarrassed. Yet, I find that sometimes circumstances in life get so desperate that you really can’t afford the luxury of being ashamed or embarrassed. You reach a point where that no longer matters.
Every translation I have read renders the word bosh as ashamed. That is fine so long as we interpret ashamed as being confused or perplexed as that appears to be the basic intent of the word. Bosh has another meaning, it is to be disappointed or disillusioned.
I believe the word disillusion is the best fit. David is not afraid of being ashamed of God nor of any failure. What I believe his concern was, one that I also relate to is becoming disillusioned. I’ve been disillusioned many times. I trusted God for a healing that never came, I trusted God for a job that I never got, I trusted God for speaking engagements that never materialized, I trusted God for a new computer before mine finally crashed. Well, it crashed and I am writing this on a decade old laptop that has Windows 7 and jumps around like a grasshopper when I am trying to write this. I find my prayer to be like “O my God, I trust in thee: let me not become disillusioned.”
I daresay many of you reading this if not all of you, have called out to God at some time or another with an urgent request and all you got was silence. I am not saying God does not answer prayer, I have had many prayers answered. But there have been times that many of my prayers go unanswered. I find I am disappointed and even disillusioned.
Maybe we are reading Psalms 25:2 wrongly. I believe what David is doing is praying in a way that we should pray. I believe what David is praying is: “Lord, I am trusting you to deliver me from my enemies, but if you don’t right away or you don’t do it at all, please, don’t let me become bosh – discouraged and disillusioned.” I believe David is saying that he will still love God, he will be faithful to God even if his prayer is not answered right away or even at all.
Would you like Chaim Bentorah as your personal Hebrew teacher?
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I have spent ten years searching for the heart of God. I cannot say that I truly know His heart. I do have a better understanding of His heart and what I know is that His heart is filled with love and concern. He longs to answer my every prayer and desire, but He knows things about the future and about myself that I do not know. So when He fails to answer my prayer He wants me to trust Him that He knows what is best.
During the American Civil War, you had God-fearing men and women who cried out to God for victory. There were mothers and wives who trusted God to bring their sons and husbands home. There were Godly soldiers who believed and trusted God for victory in battles. Thousands upon thousands of God loving, God fearing, truly born again Christians who prayed to God that the South would win the war. You also had the same in the North, trusting God for victory. However, there could be only one winner. Many of those sons and husbands died on the battlefield and the South suffered a humiliating defeat.
Yet, today we have what is known as the Bible Belt. Where is this Bible Belt? It is in the South. The land that did not see their prayers answered, the land where their enemies triumphed over them. Yet, they did not bosh, they did not become disillusioned. To be sure many probably did, but for the most part, the churches survived, Christianity survived in the South such that even today we have what is known as a Bible Belt.
I cannot explain why it seems prayers go unanswered. I don’t understand why God allowed my computer to crash before I could afford a new one, but you know what, I am not bosh. If from this point to the end of my time here on earth God does not answer one more prayer, I will pass from this earth still trusting and loving the God who has been my dearest friend. For you see our relationship is not based on answered prayer, blessings or rewards, but it is based on a deep abiding love. I like to think a love as David had for God.
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Thanks & Blessings, it means a lot to me!
David understood the Lord’s SOVEREIGNTY ! We all should !
Thank you Chaim !
A heart with a heaven connection will experience the power and passion of God.
Hi Chaim,
I don’t know when this devotional was written but I wanted to find out if you have purchased a new computer.
If you have not, I would like to help towards you getting a new one.
Please let me know.
My life and my relationship with the Lord continues to be enriched by these devotionals.
Thank you for your love and faithfulness unto the Lord.
Hello Anita,
Thank you for your Kind words. No, Chaim has not yet purchased a computer. Please feel free to contact us chaimbentorah@gmail.com. Blessings, Laura
We also have a Donate (yellow) button on the right hand side of this page and also at the bottom of the home page. Blessings, Laura
I’m not sure if I’ve commented on your site before today — my daughter introduced you to me probably at least a year ago. I’ve been enjoying your ministry since then. Your knowledge of the old languages has cleared up many of my questions about what God is trying to tell us in His Word. Your ministry has SO often been just what I needed for the day you publish it. Today was one of those days and I thank God and you for your help. It’s like you took my muddled thoughts – put words and meaning to all of it and then SHARED it. Wow ! ! God is good and I thank you for letting God speak to me thru you.
Habibi
You once again struck gold.
I needed that affirmation today. I will not be ” bosh”ed.
Baruch Etah Adonai Eloheynu.
Chaim,
You are a tree of righteousness, a planting of the Lord.
Your work and words are an oil of joy and hope for many of us who mourn.
Jesus is glorified in your life. Soldier on my brother, thank you for not being moved.
Your reward is in His hand.
Thank you. I struggle with a lot of unanswered prayer. To be honest even disillusionment with God/Christianity. Been a Christian for over 30 years . Done all the Christian tricks, formulas and rituals to get things to work better without much avail. Have had many “love” encounters with God so I know He loves me. Thank you for this email I am just going to quietly ponder it for a while. And please keep up the good work. From a fellow bus driver.
Wonderful! Great word and teaching for the day!
Blessings!
I have wondered for so so long why God is so often silent; even if He doesn’t give us what we want, for our own good, and not the minor stuff but the things we really need, like being able to sleep at night, why not at least say something? is this simple-minded to want a father to respond like a father?; but what if it is not that God is silent but that our ear, the one that’s supposed to hear Him, isn’t working properly?
Brings me to…Your tender mercies are better than life ❤️
This, I truly needed to hear! Thank you.