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Craig L's Blog

Commonplace Holiness

Tag: wait on the LORD

  • Rediscovering Hope – Psalm 25

    Rediscovering Hope – Psalm 25

    I want to make some additional introductory remarks about Psalm 25. I said last time that Psalm 25 is a psalm for the Waiting Time. I haven’t always seen it that way. I first became aware of the prominence of this “waiting” theme  in this psalm through Peter Craigie’s commentary. Even without Craigie’s conjectural reading, the theme of “waiting” is still found in the repeated use of the Hebrew term קָוָה (qāwāh, v. to hope in; to hope for, wait for, look for) in verses 3 and 21.

    Verse 3
    גַּ֣ם כָּל־ק֭וֶֹיךָ לֹ֣א יֵבֹ֑שׁוּ יֵ֝בֹ֗שׁוּ הַבּוֹגְדִ֥ים רֵיקָֽם׃

    “Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.”

    Verse 21
    תֹּם־וָיֹ֥שֶׁר יִצְּר֑וּנִי כִּ֝֗י קִוִּיתִֽיךָ׃

    “May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you.”

    I think it’s worthwhile to take a moment to notice the close relationship between the concepts of “waiting” and “hoping.” This relationship is (I think) not immediately apparent to the modern reader.

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  • The Waiting Time – Psalm 25

    The Waiting Time – Psalm 25

    “To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me. Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.” (Psalms 25:1-3 NRSV)

    Several years ago, I began thinking of Psalm 25 as a Psalm for the waiting times.

    There are lots of Psalms — and other passages of Scripture — like this, but I hadn’t always seen Psalm 25 this way. Here is what I mean. Many times in the Hebrew scriptures we are exhorted to “wait on the LORD” — and we are told the advantages of such an approach to life. “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Psalms 27:14 NRSV) “For the wicked shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.” (Psalms 37:9 NRSV) “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope….” (Psalms 130:5 NRSV).

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