Hebrew Word Study – Way – Derek – Daleth Resh Kap

Psalms 25:4a “Show me your ways,” 

This seems to be a common heart felt cry for many Christians. We really just want to be sure we are in the center of God’s will, and like the Psalmist, we are crying out to God to just show us his way.

So, what does the Psalmist mean when he says: “Show me.”?  When I hear that, I think of taking some object, presenting it and talking about it. In other words, I read this and my first thought is that the Psalmist is actually going to physically see something that will guide him. You know, sort of like an angel appearing and saying: “Ok, just follow me and I will take you on the way you are to go.” Odds are this will not happen. It may, but it has not been my experience. 

This word show is hodi’eni, which comes from the root word yada’ which is an intimate knowing. The word yada’ is often used to describe sexual intercourse between a man and woman. The idea is that a sexual relationship is meant to be the highest and ultimate form of knowing someone. To truly enter into an intimate sexual relationship, a couple must know each other so well that they have no secrets, no hidden agendas, that they know things about each other that no one else in the world knows, and they trust that person completely with that knowledge. They enter that relationship only wanting to please their mate, whether they themselves are pleased in return or not. I know that sort of flies against the norms of our slam, bam, thank you madam society, but I am just a messenger here. This is what the word yada’ implies. Thus, the writer is not just asking for a knowledge of God’s ways, but to be made intimate with these ways.     

I suppose like many people in their younger years, I thought about trying my hand at direct sales. I was young and reckless and applied for a direct sales job with a fairly large company with an elaborate screening process. I was told that out of 100 candidates I was the chosen one. My guess is that the other candidates decided this was not their cup of tea. You know many were called, few are chosen. After the second interview, I joined the non-chosen. Anyway, in the second interview the manager gave me a demonstration package and a script.  I was told I would have to memorize that script word for word and not deviate even in one word. He said the script was written by a proven sales team and it was guaranteed to work. I was told that many try to deviate from the script, and they usually fail in the business. I was assured that 100% of those who stayed with the script in their presentation had successful careers. You know what?  He was right. I checked it out. There is a way which seemed right unto Chaim Bentorah but the end there of was failure. The right way was their way because it was a proven way.

This is why the Psalmist is literally begging God to make him very intimate with His ways. He does not want to deviate one moment in the wrong direction because he knows God’s perfect way is the right way that will lead to an intimate relationship with Him.

This word hodi’eni rendered as show, means to know intimately, which comes from the root yada’ in a Hiphil imperative form.  He is begging, not commanding God to cause him to bring about some circumstance that will bring him into an intimate understanding of His ways. He is looking for a practical understanding of his ways.  How His way applies to every aspect of his life.

How did this manager convince me that following the script word by word would work and my way would not? He introduced me to his top ten salespeople, all making six figure incomes. Each one I spoke with said pretty much the same thing. “I thought it was foolish to follow a script word for word and when I started I just did it my own way, and it did not work. Once I followed the script, I was amazed that it actually worked.”  The Psalmist needed no convincing that God’s way works, he just needed to know God’s way and that is why this word for knowing, yada’ is in a Hiphil (causative) imperative (command) form. He is really asking for a physical, visible demonstration of God’s ways. He wants something tangible like a prophet or a priest that he really respected as a man of God that he could observe and watch his lifestyle and practices.

Had I decided to join this company the manager would have had me take a six-week training at the home office to learn the way of the company and to practice working in that way. When I returned, I would spend another six weeks riding with the sales people in the company, watching them and observing them, and finally I would go out on my own and put all this knowledge of the way of the company to good use. If I stayed with the program and followed their guidelines to the letter, I would be making a six-figure salary like the others. Ah, but as I said, many are called and few are chosen. I left that interview having been called but not chosen. I knew I could not pay the price in time, effort and my own integrity to make the team. 

We need to put Psalms 24:4a into its emotional context. This word show is in an imperative command form. The Psalmist is literally begging God to cause him to become intimate in the ways of the kingdom. I could have made a six-figure salary with this company, I have no doubt about it. But I would have had to want it really, really badly.  I mean, I would like to have had a six-figure income but I really did not want it badly enough to make the sacrifices that it called me to make. To know the ways of God you must want it badly, so badly that you are willing to become intimate with the ways of God, to make the ways of God your life, 24/7 to sacrifice whatever you must sacrifice.

I read about when a Christian in a Muslim nation had his wife and daughter taken from him by the Muslims. He went to them and pleaded with them to return his wife and daughter. They said they would gladly return his family if he would deny Jesus and become a Muslim. Otherwise, they would kill him on the spot and force his wife to marry a Muslim man. He looked them straight in the eye and said: “I cannot deny my Jesus, kill me now.” He walked away, and for whatever reason they did not kill him. but they forced his wife to marry a Muslim man. Only after six years and much prayer was he reunited with his wife and daughter through a miracle of God. 

The word way in Hebrew is derek. In its Semitic root it means a doorway or path to someone’s presence. In this context it is a doorway or path to the presence of God, the intimate presence of God. It is like in a marriage relationship where the spouses whole world, actions, dreams and plans all revolve around his or her mate. They leave their world of blessed singleness to share a new world where they care for another person and eventually have children. The Jews actually say when you are married you are “born again.”  So, it is with our relationship with God. If we really want to be intimate in our relationship with Him, we must be willing to make the sacrifice and change our whole world so it revolves around God’s world.

Too many Western Christians seek to make God fit their world. I hear sermons on how to make God fit your world. But Psalms 25:4a is telling us that we must leave our world and fit into God’s world.

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