“Be still, and
know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in
the earth.” Psalm 46:10
Be still…
It seems those words have echoed all around me lately. I
assumed it was a command to slow down, chill out, or better yet “take of your
running shoes because I know you are poised to dart out the door.” And it does,
however…
It kept prodding me to go deeper. What is it to “be still”?
In this verse the Hebrew term is raphah. It is the only time in the Bible it is translated as “still”.
The term means be slack, let drop, fail, be quiet, be weak.
Be weak… Be broken …and know that I am God.
Not really the command I wanted to hear, but isn’t it so
true. In the midst of weakness and brokenness we come to know (yada), acknowledge, see, comprehend,
discover that He is God (Elohim).
When we are weak, He is strong. Our prideful little dust, water, breath frames
are sidelined and God is exalted.
Be weak… Be broken… and know, see, acknowledge, comprehend,
discover…. that I am God… that I am Elohim….
Elohim is the plural form of EL,
meaning “strong one.” It is a plural of majesty and points to the trinity. “It
is especially used of God’s sovereignty, creative work, mighty work for Israel
and in relation to His sovereignty.” J. Hampton Keathley, III
, Th.M.
It was also interesting that the Hebrew lexicon guides you
to see another very similar term, rapha’.
This term means to mend, to cure, to heal, to make whole and is used in
reference to God… Jehovah Rapha, the Lord that heals.
“And He said to me, ‘My
grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.'”
2 Corinthians 12:9a
