DAILY DEVOTIONAL – August 23, 2019
“Selah”
Prayer: As we will see is appropriate for our devotion today, I’d like to do something different for our opening prayer. Let’s take one minute of silence together. You can pause this if your listening or just wait…I’ll be taking a minute of silence with you. So let’s do that…let’s pray…
Scripture: Psalm 46
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Devotion – “Selah”
If you have read through the book of Psalms at any point, I am sure you no doubt noticed that in many of the psalms there are breaks in the text accompanied with the word “Selah”. It’s important to remember that the Psalms are a collection of poems and lyrics that are set to music. The word Selah that appears throughout the Psalms is somewhat of a mystery.
Most versions of the Bible do not attempt to fully translate the word selah but simply transliterate the word straight from the Hebrew. The Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Old Testament, translates the word as “daplasma” (“a division”). The exact definition of the original word is not easily identified, not because we don’t know what it could mean, but because it could mean several things.
One possible Hebrew word related to selah is calah, which means “to suspend” as in suspending something in order “to measure or weigh in the balances.” Selah could also be understood as coming from two Hebrew words: one word meaning “to praise” and another “to lift up.” Still yet, the word selah could mean “to pause.” Despite the varied root words and definitions that could specifically define the term, all scholars pretty much agree that selah is a musical notation signifying a rest or pause. Each time selah appears in a psalms, the musicians paused perhaps to turn a page, take a breath or to have voices singing only.
Regardless of exactly what Selah meant for the musicians performing, I think the best way to understand the term isn’t to try and limit it to one definition but instead realize that all 3 contribute toward a beautiful understanding and meaningful practice when either singing or reading the Psalms.
Whenever we see the word Selah, we should “stop” or “pause”…we should “suspend” everything else going on in life and going on in our minds and “weigh and balance” what it is God’s word just told us. We should pause not just to seriously and quietly meditate on God’s word, but also pause to praise Him and thank Him for the Word He has given us. Looking back on our Psalm for today’s devotion in Psalm 46, I think were told exactly how we should understand what Selah means and is telling us to do. It says in verse 10, “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 4 is another psalm where we see the word selah, and in that Psalm David cries out to God and says “answer me Lord” and then reflects in verse 4 on how when listening for the Lord we should “ponder in our hearts and be silent.”
Selah. To be still and be silent. What powerful advice David gives to be still and be silent, to take the time to Selah with God in His Word. What difficult advice for you and I, especially in this fast paced society that loudly screams at us all day “don’t just sit there, do something!” Finding time each day to just be still and be silent with God in His Word…the importance of this can never be overstated. There are many times in my life that I have felt as though God is not answering me or speaking to me like I want, but if I were to be honest with you, as I have grown and matured in my faith I have realized that God has been speaking to me the whole time…it was I who wasn’t listening. Being still and silent is something I have had to learn, many times the hard way.
Do you remember the story of the prophet Elijah who wanted to hear from the Lord? The Lord answered Elijah the prophet and told Elijah that if He wanted to hear from God to go up onto a mountain. When Elijah got to the mountain, Scripture tells us “the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. 13 And behold, there in the whisper came the voice of the Lord.”
Our Lord comes in a whisper not to be difficult to find or hear, but because He loves us so much He wants us all to Himself…not distracted by the noise of this world or the noise in our own heads…but to be still and sit with Him in His Word. Our Lord Jesus suffered, died and rose again so that we could have the awesome opportunity to commune with God the Father Himself; to find peace and tranquility not only amidst the chaos of this dying world, but most importantly an eternal peace in the presence of God Himself by grace through faith in Christ.
Before refrigerators people used ice houses to preserve food. Made with large thick walls and tightly fitted seals and doors, once in, it was as quiet as it was cold. The story is told of a man who lost his watch while working in the ice house. He looked diligently, even calling on a few friends to help him, but to no avail. They couldn’t find the watch. One of his worker’s son asked if he could take a look for the watch. Hesitant to send the boy into the ice house, but eager to find his valuable watch, the man permitted the boy to go in briefly. Seemingly moments later, the boy came out with watch in hand. “How did you find it son!?” the man asked. “After you closed the door, I laid down and held still. I listened. Pretty soon, I heard the watch ticking.”
Friends, our gracious Lord has promised to not only listen but answer our prayers. And out of His love and mercy for us God does not shout or scream at us…even when we foolishly think that is what we want and need. No, the all-powerful God of the universe comes to us humbly in His Son, and in His Word and desires a relationship with us as His children. He wants to hear all about our day, He wants to hear about all the blessings we enjoy from Him and all the troubles and doubts we have in life…so that He can burden them for us…so that He can calm all the noise and restlessness we have and deliver the peace He has promised to give us.
Selah, my friends. Be still. Be silent as you wait on the Lord, and know that the Lord our God, is God and that He has forgiven yesterday, is with you today and has already taken care of tomorrow. Amen.
