ON THE VANGUARD

PSALM 30
“For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”
Psalm 30:5

I know I am not alone in the confession I am about to make today. That said I have moments of anger. What? Tis true, I do. In my profession I find myself dealing with clients that are sometimes difficult to work with. I find myself having to deal with my kids for actions that grate me and leave me scratching my head to try to comprehend what they may have been thinking. I find traffic to be upsetting at times, rising prices to irritate me, struggles with my ex-wife to work my nerves, and when all is said and done, I become angry. The problem I face, however, is that once my anger level has risen, it is not always quick to be lowered. Unlike Adonai, my anger does not last only a moment. And opposite to the remainder of the verse we are looking at today, my favor does not always last a lifetime either.
Before going on, though, I would like to consider some of the deeper meanings of these words found in Psalm 30:5. I will start with the word ‘moment’ as found in the NIV. The anger of Adonai lasts for only a moment. This word is the Hebrew word BOQER, meaning the break of day or end of night, the coming of a new day, and the joy after distress. When studying this term my mind raced back to a study I had done of Lamentations 3:23. It is in this same verse that the same Hebrew word is used when saying that Adonai’s mercies are new every morning (every boqer). When I consider these two scriptures together, it makes more sense. Adonai’s mercies are new with each new daybreak, and because they are new, His anger cannot last into the next day.
This concept seems then to fit rather well into the next part of David’s psalm when he sings, “…but His favor lasts a lifetime.” What is favor and how can it last so long? Favor is the word RATSOWN, and is defined as acceptable will, delight, or pleasure. Lifetime is the word CHAY, defined as living, flowing, reviving, and sustaining. With the knowledge now that Adonai’s anger cannot last into the next day, it is made new by His promise of pleasure given by Him for our daily reviving. Put simply, nothing we can do can separate us from His love. This is another promise of Adonai’s that we see in reading Romans 8:39. Although sin brings that momentary frustration, sin does not prevent us from the constant love of the Father for us. As a parent I know this fact well. There is nothing my children can do that will ever keep me from loving them. Sure, there are moments, like even this morning, when I grow angry at them, but my love does not cease for them.
In the remaining words of this verse we read, “weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” In pondering on this portion I feel it is a reiteration of the point David was trying to make, and perhaps had come to realize himself. Not knowing when exactly David had written this in relation to his sin with Bathsheba, I think it is possible that he had come to realize that his sin with her had broken Adonai’s heart. This weeping, however, was later exchanged with the new morning of His mercy. This did include, however, David’s confession for his sin, which allowed the new morning for Adonai’s mercy. That said, I have a question. Which day is it for me? Knowing that God’s love for me does not cease, and knowing that I am a sinful being, have I made the confession for my sin that has brought about the new dawn of His mercy? I want to walk in His will and be revived by Him, but have I placed myself in the position to live in the newness He offers? For me, this gives me something to think more about, and definitely something to seek Adonai’s forgiveness concerning. It is also a challenge to me that I need to work more to not allow my anger to fester but rather fade away in a mere moment.