Hebrew Word Study – A Hostile Watcher – Sharer – שָׁרַר Shin Resh Resh 

Ps 27:11 Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

Now we really get down to the meat of this verse.  We learn why the Psalmist is asking for God to teach him His way and lead him in His path, it is because of his enemies.  Now many of us will pass this verse off as not relevant as most people feel they have no real enemies. Maybe they have some people they are on the outs with or are not talking to anymore, but they would hardly put the word enemy to that person.  When we think of an enemy we think of someone who is out to do us great harm and we must defend ourselves with force if need be.

The word in Hebrew that is used here for enemy sharer which means an enemy or one who is hostile to you. Rabbi Hirsch relates this word to shor which is really a word for a watcher who is hostile, it also has the idea of being excited. Basically, this sharer may not necessarily fall into our understanding of an enemy. It could be a boss or a spouse who just has it in for you that they watch your every move to catch you in some mistake or fault just so they can let you have it.  

I have a friend who said that her ex-husband would do this mainly to manipulate her or to deflect any of his faults onto her.  Sounds familiar.  I think most of us have had an experience with someone who is a fault-finder who just will not let slide any slip you may make.  This is the sharar, the person that this Psalmist is seeking to avoid.  He is asking God to direct his every step and path so if this person this sharar finds fault they are going to have to go to God with their complaint. 

Pastors know this type very well.  Every pastor has them in their church.  It is that old boy who will find fault with the way you dress, the way you pray, the way comb your hair.  I mean you can’t even sneeze without him discussing the value of that sneeze, its style, and its worth. He is the one who will try to out-pastor the pastor. 

When I was in seminary I was warned about the two most dangerous people in the church.  The one is that sharar, that person who will watch you very closely so that he can find fault with everything you do.   The danger with that person is that he will discourage you and bring you down.  There is another sharar in the church, however.  That is that little old lady who will think you are the greatest person to ever grace a pulpit. She will just praise you to death as to how wonderful you are and how you’re just such an inspiration.  Yes, she is also a sharar who watches your every step to just praise you.  The danger with her is that you will believe her.  

There are just times we need to take all that criticism and all that praise and give it to God and say, “I am going to let you teach me your way and I am going to let you lead me in your paths and if people don’t like it they can just belly ache to you and if they love it, I will just deflect that praise off of me and onto you for I am just simply walking in your path and your way. 

Note that the Psalmist is saying: “Because of my shor.”  He wants God to teach him His ways and lead Him in His paths because of his enemies or shor.  The English word because is a good word to use.  The word in Hebrew is ma’an which is a word to express the idea for a purpose, an intent to a certain end. Because expresses this idea, yet ma’an carries a little more. It is not only because of his enemy but that he wishes for his enemy to learn something from this.

You see God is a multitasker.  He may give you a miracle that you think is just for you, the only thing is that miracle will affect the lives of many around you to bless them as well.  There was a Christian movie released recently called The War Room.  The main character gives his life to Jesus and seeks to have Him teach him His way and to lead him in His path.  That path led to going to his boss to confess a criminal act.  He could have gotten away with it but He knew the path of God led to a confession which could send him to prison.  He confessed it to his boss.  The result was that his boss was forced to take a close look at his relationship with God. ‘

I believe this is what the Psalmist is asking. He is not just asking for his deliverance from his enemies, but by walking down God’s path his enemies might examine their relationship with God. 

God is a multitasker, He is not averse to granting two or three miracles for the price of one. 

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