Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; for the future of that man is peace. (Psalm 37:37)
There is a Hebrew word that we have highlighted from time to time; the word is תם tam (or the plural form תמיםtamim) and is translated here as “blameless.” In other verses, it is translated as “perfect” or “whole.” In Scripture it describes a person who lacks nothing (or very little) in regard to his commitment to God and that his life is an example to others in terms of spiritual maturity. For example, Abraham was told to “Walk before me and be blameless” (tamim); a call that, in time, came to pass. If it were not so would those in Messiah be called the ”seed of Abraham”?
The same word, tam, is used to describe Abraham’s grandson; as it is written, “Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents” (Genesis 25:27). Though it is translated as “mild,” the notion is that Jacob, especially when compared to Esau, was a wholesome man who recognized the eternal value of the birthright and blessing. His brother hated him for it and intended to kill him because of it, but Jacob held fast to the sacredness of the covenant God had established with Abraham and, in time, was renamed Israel. The root of the name Israel is ישר yashar, which is the Hebrew word that means “upright.”
David encouraged God’s people to pay close attention to the man who is tam — blameless — and keep our eye on the man who is yashar — the one who walks upright before God. We could make the case that David’s description could be assigned to the man Jacob. Though his detractors have tried, through the years, to convince us he was a supplanter and deceiver, Jacob was a man who preferred what was holy and sacred. He did not repay evil with evil but did what was right in the face of adversity and accusation. His life was filled with hardship and loss but through it all he kept pressing toward the mark. At the end of his life, he was surrounded by those he loved and was assured that there was a future for his family.
God has given us this and other examples of men and women who remained faithful throughout their lives and who, consequently, serve as a template for how we should live. It is as David said: we should mark them and observe them because, in spite of the the trials and troubles they had to overcome, the end result for them — and for us if we do likewise — is shalom.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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