On Ten Strings

 The nation is approaching the holiday season with Thanksgiving just days away, and the world does its thing with food and festivities, gatherings with family and friends, more food, football, shopping and more food. Yet for those who celebrate the holiday with consideration toward the LORD God, it can mean so much more than all the other stuff we do. Personally, I enjoy the understanding that "thanksgiving" is an attitude and way of being that transcends time frames and really is for every day, even every moment, because it's being grateful to our Heavenly Father and to Jesus our Lord. 

Earlier this week I listened to an extraordinary discussion about the Creation and certain perspectives from Scripture along with some scientific perspectives as well that I found fascinating. As it is with the LORD and how He loves to confirm things to His people, it was just a day later from hearing that discussion that one of the devotionals I enjoy each day had me looking at Psalm 92. When I saw what caught my eye's attention in the Psalm and I dug a little deeper to understand what it was saying, it blossomed a whole new view, and it why I entitled this post "On Ten Strings." 

In Genesis chapter 1 we have the Word of the LORD concerning the first day of The Creation. Gen 1:1-5 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness.  And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. God determined in His Eternal Mind and uttered with His Eternal Voice. He uttered TEN things on the first day. In Scripture study we often practice the law of first mention, meaning what you find on a word or topic in its first mention in the Scriptures is pretty much the whole or the fullness of the concept or idea. And here we find the fullness of the first day of Creation. The number ten which is usually seen as relating to "completion or wholeness" appears here with ten things created: Heaven and Earth, an unformed chaos, a void, the Spirit (which is associated with "wind," waters, light, darkness, Day and Night. 

There are many scientific theories about how the Universe was made from man's perspective, but it was "String Theory" that caught my attention this time, even though I've read of it for many years.  Its basic premise is that the Universe is founded or built upon TEN dimensions that vibrate on strings. The Holy Scripture declares God SPOKE Creation into existence. His Voice vibrated. I love it, such an intriguing thought. And then the very next day I came to Psalm 92 as prompted by the Devotional for that day. Thank You Jesus! 

Psalm 92:1-15 [[A Psalm [or] Song for the sabbath day.]] [It is a] good [thing] to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night, Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound. For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands. O LORD, how great are thy works! [and] thy thoughts are very deep.  A brutish man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this.  When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; [it is] that they shall be destroyed forever:  But thou, LORD, [art most] high for evermore.  For, lo, thine enemies, O LORD, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.  But my horn shalt thou exalt like [the horn of] an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.  Mine eye also shall see [my desire] on mine enemies, [and] mine ears shall hear [my desire] of the wicked that rise up against me. The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; To shew that the LORD [is] upright: [he is] my rock, and [there is] no unrighteousness in him.

I was kind of blown away to see that this particular Psalm is stated as being a song for the sabbath day. The discussion I had listened to the day before also included thought concerning the "thousandths of years" namely 6000 and how, according to the Hebrew calendar of years, we are approaching the year 6000... the concept of SIX days of Creation, and the 7th Day of Rest, the 7th day being the Sabbath. The 7th thousandth year being a thousand years of Sabbath! Not everyone may flow with the thinking behind that, but there is SO MUCH in the Word of GOD concerning the Sabbath, that I for one, cannot ignore it here as it relates to what I'm seeing. Praise You O LORD! 

"Upon an instrument of ten strings..." Upon is the word "al" and it means "on, upon, over, used of a state of rest." Wow. The root word means "top, highest, height, above, Jehovah, the Most High." And the 2nd root word of "al" is "ala" which means "to go up, ascend, climb." An instrument of ten strings is the word "asor" and it means "tenth, ten, decade, 10-stringed, decachord, ten days, tenth day of the month or even the last day of a decade. 1st root word is "eser" and it means "10 with numbers (like 10 +1), in conjunction with ten fingers. Consider how you would play an physical instrument of ten strings... using your fingers! 

So here's a depiction of a ten stringed instrument more in the way or style of what King David might have constructed and played... or something similar, and then a depiction of hands/the fingers wielding colorful strings with a backdrop of the cosmos. 

The 3rd root word for an instrument of ten strings means "to tithe, take a tenth part, to give a tithe. The 4th and final root word is "asar" and it means "rich, enrich, richer; to be straight, to be or become rich or wealthy; to accumulate, to prosper, to be happy, to build up." Wow. 

We've got a flow of connection here from the first day of Creation, to the Sabbath, to praising the LORD upon an instrument of ten strings to tithing, which is giving to the LORD or namely giving of your substance to the purposes of the LORD in the Earth, and being "enriched" or "wealthy" in God. We can know this is not just about having financial wealth or riches or goods. The LORD indeed blesses many of His people with such material wealth, but there's a richness and wealth in the Spirit that is so much more beautiful and profound. 

Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. The whole chapter of Proverbs 10 speaks of the contrast between the righteous and the wicked. Just as there are many positive aspects of wealth and riches in the Scripture there are also many negative ones. Only the wealth attained, handled and used under the guidance of the LORD's righteousness, mercy and wisdom is what will be of enduring substance. That which is done in greed, corruption and evil intent will have its own end. 

Proverbs 10:2 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death.

Deuteronomy 8:17-18 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of [mine] hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for [it is] he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as [it is] this day.

The LORD has His own truth about riches and wealth, finances and what its purpose is for, and He deals graciously with it, but He also warns us. 

There's one more Hebrew word I looked into from Psalm 92, and that's the word for the solemn sound. It's the word "higayon" and it means very simply "meditation, musing, resounding music. It can also be associated with a "murmuring" sound which has negative implication. You know, someone can "murmur" something and it is used wickedly. However, it's the more positive understanding that captures my attention here. It's from Psalm 19... one of my favorite Scripture verses. 

Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

And that was the imagery that came to me as I looked upon Psalm 92 and the whole understanding of the instrument of ten strings and what it means to give thanks and praise unto the LORD.  Are you considering the ten strings of your heart before the LORD and His Christ? Before Yeshua? 

Here is an imagery of that for us: 

The left picture is of the human heart and its veins. Amazing how they look like "strings!" The right picture is just a depiction of the ten stringed instrument overlayed upon the human heart. 

O Blessed LORD God our Father and KING of Righteousness. If we would but look toward You for the wonderous things that You have done and are still doing today! Our hearts would be filled with an eternal abundance of Joy and Gladness and Thanks and utter Praise for Who You are and Who Your Dear Son is! The Universe and the Heavens and the Earth ALL belong to You O GOD, and may we each in this day and hour allow our hearts, the center of our beings and our consciousness to be filled with the Praise of Your Glory. May we each sound the meditation of our hearts upon the strings of redeemed blessedness, remembering always that the heart flows with blood and You were the First One to give it all. You gave it through Your Son, Yeshua, the GOD of Salvation. Yeshua, the Lamb Who gave His all, His Blood and His Body that we may have Your Sabbath Rest in Eternity with You.  While we may enjoy a gathering, a meal, a time of fellowship, the provision allowed to us and our households, our nations, let us keep our hearts before You pure in giving back to You the Thanks and the Praise You are Worthy of forever and forevermore. 

In Your Holy Name we pray saying Yes and Amen and Hallelujah!