HEBREW WORD STUDY – GOAD – LAMED  למד  Lamed Mem Daleth

Psalms 25:5: “Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou [art] the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.”

Martin Luther is considered the father of the Reformation in the church five hundred years ago.  If Martin Luther were alive today he could only shake his head and say: “Well, here I go again.” You see the church in Martin Luther’s time was not that much different than it is today. Martin Luther declared that all truth is found in the power structure of the church. The church since the time of Constantine sought to consolidate its power.  People had to be unified in their belief and doctrine, lest there be disunity and disruption.  You could not allow people to pray to God to lead them into His truth nor ask God to teach them.  Like, no way, then you will end up with all types of doctrines and rebel against the church.  You must have leadership in the church lead you into God’s truth and to teach you.

You know the Semitic form of teaching is basically that of a facilitator.  A student asks a question and the teacher does not give an answer but directs a student in finding the answer  himself. In the Western form of teaching you take a pen, paper and listen to a PhD give you the truth and you write it down and study what they tell you. 

Last week as I was preparing for my class on the Weekly Torah Portion which covered the Bikkurim or the first fruits.  I found in just one source over a dozen different rabbinical  interpretations as to the purpose of the first fruits.  The author of this work had no problem listing all these different views and in fact presented them for your consideration. In Christianity we would find it necessary to signal out just one view and declare it as the truth. In reality all views presented might easily be what God intended the purpose to be and then some.  In the Western world these differing views would cause arguments, broken relationships, and people leaving the church to start a new denomination.  For some reason we in the Western world believe there must be just one interpretation and only one.  Hence, we have hundreds of denominations, sects, cults and religious groups all claiming to have the truth.  

These denominations or religious groups hire teachers to teach what they believe is the truth. You are not to question your teachers, they are anointed of God.  If you, my gosh, should dare to disagree with a PhD, Rev. former Bible college professor well who do you think you are, you are just a janitor with no education.  Why do you not trust your educated, learned leaders to tell you what the truth is? 

David was just an uneducated shepherd. True he had his own personal prophet, a pain in the neck, speak to him when he was not listening very well to God.  Yet, he clearly says in Psalms 25:5, talking to God – “lead me in your truth and teach me.”  The word lead is darak which means to march forward, to press on. It is in a Hiphal form so David is saying cause me to march forward in your truth.  In other words You cause me to march forward, not my pastor, not my priest or worship leader. But You, oh God, You cause me to march forward in Your truth.  The Hiphal form would suggest a reading as: “Reveal Your truth to me as I move forward.”  In other words I don’t want the prophets, priest or teachers telling me what the truth is, I want You to tell me.   

The word truth is ‘emith which in its Semitic root means divine instruction.  “Reveal your divine instruction to me as I move forward.”   David wants his divine instruction to be found in God not the power structures of the church.  Then he asks God to teach him, personally teach him. The word teach is lamed, like the letter. In its Semitic root the word teach is a goad, that was a stick used by a shepherd, often his staff or rod that he would use to guide the sheep and keep them on the right path as sheep tended to wander.  In Psalms 23 David even said that God’s rod and staff comforted him. For he knew that rod and staff would keep him on the right path.  It might sting a little but the sting is worth it.  And believe me the sting of God’s goad is much more loving and acceptable than the sting from a pastor or teacher.  I would rather a pastor or teacher just share and guide me to an understanding than just tell me to pay my tithe or else God will take me to task.