Read Psalm 5 here (text coming …) or at Bible Gateway.
The Hebrew paragraph:
5:1-12 {p} YHVH abhors the workers of iniquity, but encompasses the righteous with lovingkindness
O YHVH, in the morning You shall hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer to You, and will look up. Psa 5:3
The Hebrew Root Words:
To order is Strong’s H6186 ארך arak, a primitive root meaning, “to arrange in order. The 3-letter root is aleph + resh + kaph. The parable is the strength (aleph) of a man (resh) tames (kaph) that which is in his purview. The r–k (or g) root can be seen in the Latin regulus, the diminutive of rex, a king.
Prayer is from Strong’s H6419 פלל palal, a primitive root meaning “to judge, to intercede.” The 3-letter root is pey + lamed + lamed. The parable is the mouth (pey) of delegated authority (lamed) speaking to absolute authority (lamed).
To look up is Strong’s H6822 צפה sapah, a primitive root meaning, “to look up or out,” that is, peering into the distance as a watchman. The 3-letter root is tsadey + pey + hey. The parable is to watch (tsadey, as a hunter watches the trail for game) for what the mouth (pey) will reveal (hey); that is, to wait expectantly for an answer. The verbal form is often, “to watch;” the concrete noun, a watchtower, and the abstract concept, expectation.
Ordered prayer is first, daily; the daily ordering of incense on the incense altar in the tablernacle is the Natural Picture depicting a believer’s daily ordering of his prayer up to God.
Ordered prayer is second, offered in the first fruits of the day, in the morning before one begins his daily tasks.
Ordered prayer is like The Lord’s Prayer, when the man speaks of all that is in his purview for that day. An ordered prayer is in contrast to a panic prayer, calling for help in the moment of trouble. There is nothing wrong with a panic prayer when we need it; but notice that ordered prayer is daily; a panic prayer is less often or hopefully seldom.
Isn’t it amazing that when someone orders their prayer in the morning, he then looks up: he waits expectantly for the answer, as a watchman diligently scans the horizon from his watchtower. Prayer, in the Hebraic worldview, carries with it the expectation of the answer; and is never a fruitless exercise.
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