Post 4 in Lifting up the Soul
“Unto thee, O Jehovah, do I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in thee have I trusted,”
Psalm 25:1-2 ASV
David trusted in God. He knew about trust because he experienced betrayal. King Saul used a wily approach numerous times to convince David to trust him so that Saul might kill him. While hiding from Saul, David went to God about whether he could stay in the city Keilah (1 Samuel 23:10-12). David asked God whether he could trust that the people would not turn him over to Saul. He didn’t ask the citizens of the city; he went straight to the One who knew their hearts.
David also dealt with betrayal from his family. His sons—his own flesh and blood—tried to overthrow him. His wife ridiculed and left him. Yet, David didn’t let these painful betrayals keep him from relying on God. He depended on God fully. He put his complete confidence in God’s guidance and instruction. Why? What caused David to trust God?
God’s Great Honoring
The way David addressed God helps one see why he trusted God. He called on God with the words, “O LORD (Jehovah)” and “O my God.” Notice the ‘O’ in both verses. The ‘O’ is used to directly address God. We don’t address a person or group of people this way as much, but it can be understood a little more when a mother looks at a misbehaving child and says, “O, Andrew, why did you do that?” The child may grasp the weight of the message, both through his mother’s tone and the delayed intonation that occurs when his mother places the ‘O’ before his name.
In Daniel’s time, he and his friends addressed Nebuchadnezzar as “O King” and “O Nebuchadnezzar,” and the Babylonian king responded with “O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego” (Daniel 3:14) and “O Belteshazzar” (Daniel 4:9). The one being directly addressed was being asked to pay attention to the coming request or command that held great weight. Daniel and his friends were respectfully addressing a powerful king. Nebuchadnezzar, in turn, addressed them with equal gravity because his words held his immense authority. This same emphasis was used when God, through Moses, spoke to Israel, saying, “Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God is one Jehovah” (Deuteronomy 6:4). “O Israel,” God said; and David responded, “O Jehovah” and “O my God.” David called on God while expressing the powerful nature of having this close relationship with his Creator. God’s very power and authority cause Him to be trustworthy, and David trusted in Him because of who God is.
Words in the vocative case are also used without the ‘O’ in the Bible. For example, when Jesus instructed His disciples to pray, “Our Father which art in heaven,” He used the vocative case to address the Father. The term “vocative” comes from our English word “invoke,” and it means “to call on.” Jesus showed souls how to call on the Father, addressing Him with the gravity that a personal relationship with majesty requires. It is a great honor and through this knowledge of Him one is able to trust in His authority to see to all needs.
We have the privilege of calling our Creator different names, like “God” and “Jehovah.” These two names are sometimes placed side by side. Jehovah means ‘the ever existing one’ (also written as “LORD” in some Bible versions). Elohim means ‘God’ and the ‘im’ ending is plural. This means that God is more than one deity. This brings greater meaning to the passage in Deuteronomy 6:4. When Moses says, “Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God (elohim = Gods) is one Jehovah,” he is expressing how God is more than one, and they are all one ever exiting one.
Zechariah alluded to this as well when he prophesied, “And Jehovah shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Jehovah, and his name one” (Zechariah 14:9ASV). Jesus is that King over all the earth. Jesus is God. Jesus is Jehovah just as the Father and the Holy Spirit are Jehovah. Jesus confirmed this unity of plural deities in one Jehovah when speaking of the first commandment of the old Law of Moses.
“Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” This is the first commandment’”(Mark 12:29-31NKJV).
Calling on Jehovah God is calling on the Godhead. While we are told by Jesus to address the Father in prayer (Matthew 6:9), it is only through Christ that we come to the Father (John 14:6); and it is through God’s Spirit that we approach Him (Romans 8:26-27). They are all present when you call God by name. They are all acting participants in the relationship with you, and they are all one Jehovah.
Part of approaching Him—part of lifting up one’s soul to God—is acknowledging His honoring of you in this way. There is no authority on this earth, no man or woman or organization, greater than Almighty God. He grants His daughter His full attention when she calls on Him and addresses her need to Him personally with all gravity for that honor.* His majesty is greater than all, and yet He turns His face to look upon His precious child as she looks up to Him and talks to Him.
God knows you, my precious sister. He created you through His awesome power, and so He knows everything about you. He knows your spirit, just like He knows your human nature. He made that nature within you. You were made for this relationship. He made your soul want an all-the-time relationship with Him—not a sometimes relationship. He does not become bored and avoid listening to you because He’s heard what you have to say a bunch of times already. You matter to Him. And you, with your thoughts and emotions all your own, need to know how much you matter. He does not communicate with you flippantly or lazily. He set out a series of communications throughout time and throughout many ages (Hebrews 1:1-2). He didn’t have to communicate at all, but He did because He loves you. He wants you to see the force of that love by knowing Him, His authority and greatness. He wants you to see the force of His love for you by knowing He accepts you into His presence to talk with Him as a child addresses her father. This is proof of His love and intentions. You are His daughter, the precious soul He came to this earth to save. Talk to Him with all the gravity and gratitude of this incredible honor.
Listen to the mighty power of God toward His people:
“Who hath first given unto me, that I should repay him? Whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.” Job 41:11
“Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and lovingkindness, let not all the travail seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day. 33 Howbeit thou art just in all that is come upon us; for thou hast dealt truly, but we have done wickedly; Nehemiah 9:32-33
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? Romans 8:31
This is the fourth post in the Lifting Up the Soul study from Psalm 25. Subscribe to WomEnCourage to be notified as this study continues.
*When considering this great honor, we understand better why it is a shameful act to use His beautiful name to emphasize surprise or make empty exclamations.