Verse 8 encapsulates the Old Testament. Most people nurtured on the New Testament and the Christian abstraction do not know this. They are all Marcionites. There - I will let this accusation stand. Hans Küng's little book 'Why I am Still a Christian', is a very honest micro tome. It is very hard to hold onto the adjective Christian when it is so abused and has so much ignorance adhering. Remember Psalm 101:3
I will not put before my eyes a thing of ruin
the work of distraction I hate
it will not cling within me
the work of distraction I hate
it will not cling within me
So:
1. Clean up the trivia - distractions from real life
and
2. it is time - well past time - to understand that the one whose name is salvation participates as the elect child with us. How else could Psalm 103:14 be read: for he himself knows our situation
It is in the psalms that we hear this voice. Such a reading from the author of Hebrews is not a magical prediction. It is not a simplistic wrenching of metaphor from its roots. It is a participation ourselves in the vine, the chosen, the one who has delighted from the beginning and who delights now and for ever in us. We both Old and New are the target of this covenant tenderness and loving-kindness that permeates the 'Old' Testament, which Dan Fraiken (Emeritus Professor of Systematic Theology Queen's University) aptly calls the Senior Testament. Christian - if you have not delved deep into this text, you are a surface dweller. And you are missing out big time.1. Clean up the trivia - distractions from real life
and
2. it is time - well past time - to understand that the one whose name is salvation participates as the elect child with us. How else could Psalm 103:14 be read: for he himself knows our situation
Here's the table of keywords (occurring more than twice since there are too many - for the pairs see here). Notice how beautifully the poet prepares verse 8 by using words from it before verse 8 and elaborating on them also thereafter.
| Root | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Vs |
| ברך | ברכי bless | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| נפשׁ | נפשׁי my being | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| כל | וכל and all | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| ברך | ברכי bless | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
| נפשׁ | נפשׁי my being | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
| כל | כל all | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
| גמל | * גמוליו his rewards | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
| כל | לכל of all | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||
| עון | עונכי your iniquity | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||
| כל | לכל of all | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||
| חסד | חסד kindness | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||
| רחם | * ורחמים and compassion | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||
| עשׂה | עשׂה makes | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||
| צדק | צדקות righteousness | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||
| כל | לכל for all | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||
| ידע | יודיע he made known | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||
| בן | לבני to the children of | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||
| רחם | * רחום compassionate | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||
| חסד | חסד kindness | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||
| לא | לא not | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||
| לא | ולא and not | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||
| עלם | לעולם forever | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||
| לא | לא not | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||
| עשׂה | עשׂה has he dealt | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||
| לא | ולא and not | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||
| עון | כעונתינו as out iniquities | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||
| גמל | * גמל has he rewarded | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||
| שׁמים | שׁמים heaven is | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||
| גבר | גבר so powerful is | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||
| חסד | חסדו his loving-kindness | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||
| ירא | יראיו those fearing him | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||
| רחק | כרחק as far removed | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||
| רחק | הרחיק so far removed | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||
| רחם | * כרחם as nurtures | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||
| בן | בנים children | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||
| רחם | * רחם so nurtures | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||
| ירא | יראיו those fearing him | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||
| ידע | ידע knows | 14 | |||||||||||||||||||
| זכר | זכור he remembers | 14 | |||||||||||||||||||
| לא | ולא and no | 16 | |||||||||||||||||||
| קום | מקומו its place | 16 | |||||||||||||||||||
| חסד | וחסד but the kindness of | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||
| עלם | מעולם is from everlasting | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||
| עלם | עולם everlasting | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||
| ירא | יראיו those fearing him | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||
| צדק | וצדקתו and his righteousness | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||
| בן | לבני to children's | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||
| בן | בנים chidren | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||
| זכר | ולזכרי and those remembering | 18 | |||||||||||||||||||
| עשׂה | לעשׂותם to do them | 18 | |||||||||||||||||||
| שׁמים | בשׁמים in the heavens | 19 | |||||||||||||||||||
| כל | בכל over all | 19 | |||||||||||||||||||
| ברך | ברכו bless | 20 | |||||||||||||||||||
| גבר | גברי strong of | 20 | |||||||||||||||||||
| עשׂה | עשׂי doing | 20 | |||||||||||||||||||
| דבר | דברו his word | 20 | |||||||||||||||||||
| דבר | דברו his word | 20 | |||||||||||||||||||
| ברך | ברכו bless | 21 | |||||||||||||||||||
| כל | כל all | 21 | |||||||||||||||||||
| עשׂה | עשׂי doing | 21 | |||||||||||||||||||
| ברך | ברכו bless | 22 | |||||||||||||||||||
| כל | כל all | 22 | |||||||||||||||||||
| עשׂה | מעשׂיו that he has made | 22 | |||||||||||||||||||
| כל | בכל in all | 22 | |||||||||||||||||||
| קום | מקמות places of | 22 | |||||||||||||||||||
| ברך | ברכי bless | 22 | |||||||||||||||||||
| נפשׁ | נפשׁי my being | 22 |
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