HEBREW WORD STUDY – HIS PLEASURE –RATSAH ר צונו

Psalms 103:21:  “Bless ye the LORD, all [ye] his hosts; [ye] ministers of his, that do his pleasure.”

Rabbis Solomon Hirsch, a linguist and Hebrew master indicated that the word for minister in Hebrew which is sharath is closely related to the word sharat.  That is interesting because the word sharat means suffer pain from a  cut or incisions in the body or to hurt oneself while lifting.  It is a word used for a hernia.  Now, what is the common denominator for pain or injury from working and a minister?   Ask any pastor will tell you that one who ministers or serves may not often be rewarded for his service and sometimes that service can be painful.  A true minister expects no return, just the privilege to minister. Still, it cuts very deep when you make a sacrifice for someone and you are repaid with scorn or ingratitude.

I drive a disability bus and even though I consider it a ministry, a service and a privilege it still cuts pretty deep when you get that old goat who shows a lack of gratitude and respect.  Serving or ministering to someone like that is like a hernia which often comes from working, a sore spot in your ministry.  It comes with the territory.  There is no minister alive who cannot point to a time when they suffered a cutting pain like a hernia in trying to be a faithful minister. 

The Psalmist doesn’t need to tell a minister or servant to praise the Lord when their service is received with respect and gratitude.  But when you suffer the abuse of someone you are ministering to, praise to God does not come easily and I believe the Psalmist is making a little play on words to use the word sharath for minister. Ministry doesn’t come without some pain.

I think this play on words extends even a little further.  Psalms 103:21 tells us that ministers serve for God’s pleasure.  God takes great pleasure when we make sacrifices to serve him and others for it is a true expression of love and God really gets into love. Perhaps it is also saying that to be a good servant you must make sacrifices, cut yourself off from things you may desire or want for the sake of the one you are serving or ministering to.  I think there is a very good reason why David used the word sharath rather than ‘aved another Hebrew word which also means to serve and minister. That is to show this relationship between sharath and sharat. 

But take a look at this word for pleasure.  It is the word ratsah which means to bring delight, happiness and pleasure.  Rabbis Hirsch related that word to ratsa’ which means to pierce or to bore through something.  Now, what is the common denominator between pleasure and piercing or boring through something?   It might be that pleasure or delight has a way of piercing or boring through your feelings of discouragement or disappointment.  

Eric Liddel, the 1926 Olympic gold medalist track star who turned missionary, knew the physical pain of pushing himself to become an Olympic class runner.  He once said: “God made me fast and when I run I feel His pleasure.” Feeling God’s pleasure helped him overcome the pain of pushing his body to its limits.  Feeling God’s ratsah pleasure can ratsa’ bore through any sharat pain you experience when you sharath minister in His name.