One Thing

"One thing, Daddy, one thing". Memories of our children flood my mind as I contemplate the scripture of this meditation. As children we want it all, yet our loving parents rightfully limit us to 'One thing". This is a learning experience in patience, sharing, and focus. We have to decide what that "One thing" is that we really desire.

During my morning bible study and meditation, I consulted one of my 'spiritual mentors', John Parsons of hebrew4christians.com. I have mentioned him before. John also writes for Zola Levet's web site (levet.com), as well as others. This morning his meditation was on a Psalm of David (Psalm 27:4), this was slightly unusual in that it wasn't even in the parashah (section of Torah for study) of the week. If you want to check out his meditation, search for 'First things First" under his meditations.

My focus is similar, yet goes in a slightly different tangent. Whereas John focused on the word seek; I on the other hand step back slightly and take a larger look at the scripture.

⁴ One thing I ask of the LORD,
       this is what I seek:
       that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
       all the days of my life,
       to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
       and to seek him in his temple. (Psalm 27:4 NIV)

Before we get into the "one thing", lets' widen our binocular field of view and really look at the whole Psalm 27. Obviously David is under oppression, more than likely from his King Saul (vs. 2-3, 5-6, 12) and cries out that the Lord not forget or forsake him (vs. 7, 9), yet he remains confident in his Lord (vs. 1-3,5-6,13-14) to save him and give him rest. How many of us are going through similar problems, probably not as physical as David's' with Saul going after him with spear and sword. Yet, they are as damaging in that money, emotional, marriage problems all take their toll on our lives. We too need to cry out to the Lord "Do not hide Your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger;" (vs. 9) and humble ourselves and pray for his deliverance (yeshuah).
Why is David so confident in his assurance that The Lord will be with him? Because of the "one thing" David was called 'a man after Gods heart' (1 Samuel 13:13). David only sought (desired, searched for, strived earnestly for) to 'dwell in the house of the Lord', to be able to rest and meditate on the Lord (vs. 4). This is what David actively reached for. Yes, David actively stumbled through his life, but each time he returned to his "one thing" and God had mercy on him, and 'now my head will be lifted above my enemies around me," (vs. 6a)
I am reminded of Tevye of Fiddler on the Roof who, when singing about being a rich man (If I Were a Rich Man), one of the most touching parts is when he realized that, as a 'rich man' he would not have to work all day, he would be able to go to his synagogue and read and meditate on the scriptures and God all day. We all have those dreams of being rich, wondering what we would do all day with ourselves, don't we? David was rich, he was the anointed King of Israel, as such he would have access to the treasuries of the kingdom. Yes, he could do anything he wanted, except build his Temple to the Lord (2 Samuel 7:1-17), yet his "one thing" was to "dwell (shivti – to remain, to sit) in the house of the Lord kol-yemei (all the days, completed, of my life; essentially from now until I die) to la'chzovt benoam-YHWH (gaze, behold the unsurpassing beauty, or pleasantness of the Lord) and ulevakker (inquire, seek; an active verb is used here for meditation in NAS) beheichalov (in His palace or temple) (Psalm 27:4).
I have a question here. How could David "gaze upon the beauty of the Lord"? There are no statues of the Lord (Exodus 20:3,4) David could look at, he couldn't even enter the Mishkan (Tabernacle)(Numbers 1:51) to see the Holy articles, let alone the Aron Habereet (Ark of the Covenant). According to the translation of the Hebrew above, when we meditate on the words of the Lord, we are actively seeking the face of YHVH.


La'chzovt benoam-YHVH, chaverim, ulevakker beheichalov, gaze upon the beauty of the Lord, my friends, and seek him in his temple. (Psalm 27:4b)