Psalm 119 is about loving God’s Torah, His statutes, commands, and precepts. It is broken into sections with strange looking words or letters which are the Hebrew alphabet. In the Hebrew Scriptures, each line of each section starts with a word beginning with this letter. This is called an acrostic poem. Each Hebrew letter also has a word picture associated with it, giving deeper meaning and symbolism to each line of the specific section.
ד Dalet – Door
Pathway, doorway, moving in or out of
“I lie prostrate in the dust; revive me, in keeping with your word. I told you of my ways, and you answered me; teach me your laws. Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wonders. I am melting away from anxiety and grief; renew my strength, in keeping with your word. Keep deceitful ways far from me, and favor me with your Torah. I choose the way of trust; I set your rulings [before me]. I cling to your instruction; Adonai, don’t let me be put to shame! I will run the way of your mitzvot (commands), for you have broadened my understanding.”
Dalet means ‘door’ in Hebrew. There are numerous references to doors in Scripture, but two stand out. The first is in Revelation 3:20: “Here, I’m standing at the door, knocking. If someone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he will eat with me.” Yeshua “stands at the door and knocks.” He desires someone to open the door so he can eat with them. The Greek word for ‘eat’ in this passage is deipnon and means ‘supper, evening meal or banquet.’
Yeshua often used ‘banquet’ parables to describe the Kingdom of God. These ‘banquets’ revolved around a wedding feast or ‘appointed time’ of God. The Passover meal has an interesting ‘door’ tradition: a child goes to the door to see if Elijah is there because he is to come before the return of Yeshua. However, it is Yeshua who is standing at the door knocking and wants someone to open the door so he can have table fellowship.
When listing the Ten Commandments using the Hebrew alphabet, the fourth commandment is the fourth letter of the alef bet or dalet: “Remember the Sabbath day to set it apart for God” (Exodus 20:8). The Sabbath day is the first ‘appointed time’ given to Israel (Leviticus 23:3), but it was made holy and set-apart at creation. It is also a ‘sign’ between God and His people, and it will be celebrated in the new heavens and new earth (Ezekiel 20:20, Isaiah 66:23).
Yeshua stands at ‘the door’ of seventh-day Sabbath and wants someone to open the door. He wants to to enter into Sabbath fellowship with his brothers and sisters on his Father’s holy day. He wants a ‘date night’ with his Bride.
When I read these verses from Psalm 119, I see someone who needs to be revived, who has melted away from anxiety and grief, and needs renewed strength. The ‘door’ of the Sabbath is that place of rest and renewal; it still remains for those who want to cease work and end striving. Opening the Sabbath ‘door’ is to choose the ‘path of life’ and open ‘the door’ to a weekly taste of Eternity with the Creator.
©2014 Tentstake Ministries Publishing, all rights reserved. No copying or reproducing of this article without crediting the author or Tentstake Ministries Publishing.