THE THOUGHT TODAY

27/ 07 / 09
The Apt Word
Psalms 2: 7 - 12

Its 11.30 P.M, almost midnight. I lie in bed restlessly battling with a particular concern. My
frustration and vexation arises and so do I. I lie on the floor of my living room, but the feeling of
discord intensifies. I return to my Study. I take up my Nelson Study Bible in hand with the same
dis-ease in my spirit. I closed my eyes, then opened the bible randomly, to “take my proof” (as is
the way of the Spiritual Baptists) to see what light the scriptures may provide in my circumstances.
My right hand page opened to Psalms 2 verse 7. There I read, “You are my son. Today I have
begotten you. Ask of me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance and the ends of
the earth for your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to
pieces like a potters vessel!”

I read it once but there seemed to be nothing special about it. With my spirit still disturbed, I looked
at the left hand page, hoping for a more satisfying word. Written there was a commentary, “In
Depth” on the Poetry of the Psalms. The poet in me could not resist reading the commentary.
There it explained how a fuller appreciation of the eloquence of the Psalms can be gained by
understanding the basis of Hebrew poetry.

I read with increasing interest and calmness that, although Hebrew poetry contains some rhythm, it
primarily makes use of repetition and recapitulation. One line of a verse is followed by another
which gives a variation of the same idea. The commentator then gave the following five techniques
which the writers of the Psalms and Proverbs used.

Synonymous Parallelism makes two elements similar. Antithetical Parallelism contrasts two
elements. In Synthetic Parallelism the second line develops the theme of the first. In Climactic
Parallelism, the first member of a couplet repeats the first and then completes the thought. Finally
in Emblematic Parallelism, the first line contains a figure of speech which the following lines
explain by expansion or explanation.

A little more settled in spirit and thought, I returned to the reading of my “Proof”. Whereas, I had
questioned before, in frustration, the aptness of my randomly chosen text, it came home to me, now,
that the passage was giving a word of comfort and reassurance, which addressed perfectly, the
concerns which caused me to toss and turn sleeplessly in bed.

I thought to myself, how easy it is for us to tell God of our wishes and preferred solutions instead
of, listening for the apt word in due season when his spirit seeks to bring us into a saving
knowledge of his ever present goodness and love.

Today.

Ashley R Cain
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