The last year of my life has been one of great ups and downs. I was blessed to lead a trip to Kenya and meet some of the most wonderful people, full of music, passion, dance, and love. However, right before that trip, I faced a cervical neck fusion surgery, taking me out of commission for 6 weeks, and left me with limited ability for 3 months. In fact, I was just short of three months post-surgery when my plane took off. Healing is slow, and getting old is hard. After the three-month recovery period, I was working full-time, substituting part-time, and attending college. As summer approaches and the school year ends for subbing, and college wraps up, I will finally graduate; I find myself having familiar pain and symptoms in my neck and arms. Ten months post-surgery, and I find myself with another herniated disc, just above the fusion from last summer. No one knows why. We compared the two MRI’s, and there was no evidence of damage in this portion of my neck a year ago. I tell you all that not to make you feel bad for me, but to set the stage for something powerful the Lord showed me this morning.
I am doing a study called Summer of Psalms with some ladies from my church. Just simply reading the book of Psalms through June and July. Because I am a Bible geek, researcher, and questioner, I wanted to know what the terms in the Psalm superscripts mean. The superscript is the small lettering that explains who wrote the Psalm, a brief sentence of what was happening in their lives at the time, and sometimes it tells you to the tune of…. or lists a musical term such as The Sheminith, or A Shiggaion.
Today I read “Psalm 6 – O Lord Deliver of my Life, To the choirmaster with stringed instruments according to the Sheminnith, a Psalm of David.” If you never stop to read the superscript, I would encourage you to do so, as it gives a little more context for the Psalm. And if you are a Bible researching geek like me, look up those musical terms; they shed great light on what you are reading. I looked up Sheminnith, and I found some amazing things as I kept digging to get past the definition of “probably a musical term.” It is more or less a reference to the number 8 and means plumpness. The idea is a surplus above the Biblically perfect number 7. While the musical term is not found in other verses outside of Psalms, the root term relating to the number 8 is all over the Bible. In the Old Testament, the number 8 represents a new start, a new beginning. In the story of Noah, after the flood, the dove was released and came back with the olive branch. The dove was released for good on the 8th day. The Feast of Tabernacles celebrates the 8th day, and some think the marriage supper of the Lamb for Revelation will be on the 8th day. All pointing to something new.
That’s just the beginning. Psalm 6 was written by David, who is the 8th son of Jesse, according to 1 Samuel 16:1-10. Micah 5:5 says, “And he shall be their peace. When the Assyrian comes into our land and reads in our palaces, then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes of men.” This is a dual prophetic verse; we know that Assyria did invade Israel, but the text is alluding to something beyond that. It is also a poetic escalation portraying superabundant security. Lastly, in Leviticus 23:36 & 39, both mention the 8th day of the celebration. The added day to these corporate celebration invites the Israelites to linger with the Lord, anticipating the future dwelling of God with His people from Revelation 21:3.
Psalm 7 – In You do I take Refuge A Shiggaion of David.
The meaning of Shiggaion is not as robust as Sheminith, but it is just as powerful. The term, in its root form, means to wander. It is possibly an erratic style of music that is quick to change tempo and mood. It is deeply personal and intended to convey a sense of urgency or distress.
With that in mind, read those Psalms. Psalm 6 is written when David’s own son is trying to kill him, talk about deeply distressing and personal, yet it is written with the idea that God is our abundance of peace, of security, He brings new beginnings, He is our surplus. Psalm 7 is written after a man named Cush (some scholars think this is Saul, and it’s a play on his name and his dad’s name, Kish, combined) publicly slanders David.
So as I sat early in the morning before the sun was up, reading researching, and praying, God said for me and others who need healing, who have been attacked by the enemy, or who are just facing a really hard situation in life, to write a prayer with Shaggaion, something deeply personal, crying out for God to do something NOW in the situation, to move NOW, heal NOW, set free NOW and to pray with Shiminith, God you are BIG ENOUGH, STRONG ENOUGH, you are the one on High above it all. Sometimes, and for good reasons, life gets us all wrapped up in the here and now, taking our eyes off eternity and placing them squarely on our situation and all we have to face in a day. But God says, “Stop, linger with me for a bit, the one who created the 8th day. Invite me into your situation, tell me all about it any way you can. I am here, I dwell with you, and I can handle anything. You, my little one, cannot, so pour out your soul, your frustration, then let me heal, fix, renew the way I know best.”
If you are going through sickness, hardship, hurt, or disappointment like me, why not take time today to pray like David – passionate, erratic, but full of faith with eyes focused on God and eternity? If that feels too much right now, start with how you feel. Be honest. God already knows anyway, and He loves you still. Then ask Him to move you into a place of Shaggaion – a new start.
