HEBREW WORD STUDY – PLEASE – RATSAH   רצה 

Psalms 40:14 “Be pleased, O Lord to save me. O’Lord come quickly to help me.”

Most certainly David should get this prayer answered, after all, he used the magic word “Please.”  In English the word “please” is a 14th-century word derived from the word pleasure.  It came into use as a formal way of asking for a favor and expressed the idea of  “Well if don’t mind, and it’s not too much trouble  I would sure appreciate it if you would lop that knight’s head off for me.  But do it only if you derive pleasure from it.”   Today, of course, the word please is just a courtesy word, to let the person know this is a personal favor and he really does not have to perform this deed unless he really wants to.

Many translations will simply translate this as “Please Lord save me.”   The word in the Hebrew for please is ratsah and has the idea of taking delight in, pleasure in, or to be satisfied. In the Akkadian, it pretty much carries the same message.  If you find pleasure in the act, then go ahead.  David is not begging: “O Lord please help, pretty please, you know the kind that has the sugar on top?”  We don’t need to beg God, He knows our needs before we even ask (Matthew 6:8). David is not trying to entice God with many words, nor is he begging God to rescue him,  he is only stating the conditions attached to any rescue attempts by God.  The condition is that God only intervenes if he finds pleasure in it. The word is spelled  Resh, Sade, and Hei.  These letters express a submission to the divine will of God.  So what David is expressing here is that in his present trouble he does need God to rescue him but he also realizes this is an opportunity for God to really enjoy Himself.  “Ok Lord I’m really in a mess right now, now go knock yourself out, enjoy.”

David knew that God, as a loving parent, delights in helping and rescuing his children.  Like us, David never doubted for one minute God’s ability to rescue him.  But he was not always sure such help or rescue would bring God pleasure.   Perhaps letting David experience growth through that difficulty would bring God greater pleasure.  If that be the case, David was ready to tread water a little while longer, if it would bring God a greater pleasure.

When I was a student in college I taught my roommate how to play chess. I beat him every time I played him. But he went on to play others, always picking the best chess players on campus and losing every game. There were some really good players. After a few months when I wanted to take a break from my studies and needed a little boost in my self-image I challenged my roommate to a game of chess. He beat me in only five moves.  The next game by four moves.  In just a few months he used his failures to become a success.

David faced a really difficult situation, he needed God to deliver him, but he also knew he wanted to please God.  If this was just a situation that had no growth potential, then he knew God would take pleasure in an immediate rescue.  If it was one with a potential for growth that would please God, then he was willing to go the distance, whatever brought God the greatest pleasure.

Next time you plead with God, simply stop pleading and pray like David, “Help me, Lord, only if it brings you pleasure to watch me grow.”

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