Satisfied?

Have you ever asked: Am I satisfied?  Am I satisfied with life?  Am I satisfied with my life?   In the Book of Genesis, we find a narrative about a man who is satisfied with his life.  That man is Abraham.  The narrative tells us, “Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age; an old man and satisfied with life,” Genesis 25:8.  This begs questions:  Why was he satisfied?  How was he satisfied?  To help answer these questions, we must start a little earlier, in Genesis 23:1, the account of the death of Sarah, Abraham's wife.  We must also look at the account of the last years of King David, in 1 Kings 1:1-31.  There's a connection.  We must also dig into a little Hebrew, starting with the Hebrew words for “old age” and “satisfied.”

Abraham is described as dying at a good “old age,”say-vah, and “satisfied,” sah-vay-ah.  The Hebrew word say-vah really means someone with a head of gray hair.  In modern Hebrew there is a word for the feeling that “life is good”, “everything is cool”, “it's awesome”; the word is, sah-bah-bah!  In Abraham's case, “satisfied” is much deeper - much, much deeper than sah-bah-bah.

Contained in the Genesis and 1 Kings narratives is the mention of both Abraham and David coming to a similar point in life – they were both “old, advanced in years,” Genesis 24:1 & 1 Kings 1:1; but, they were each having very different experiences.

Abraham is seeing to it that his family has a permanent place for burial: First Sarah, later, himself and all the patriarchal family.  He is also securing a future as he instructs his chief steward about a wife for his son, Isaac.  He is active in fulfilling God's words about His covenant between Himself and Abraham.  Part of God's covenant was all about Abraham's descendants.

David's experience as he is “old, advanced in years” is more tumultuous. He is facing physical disability and shortly before his death, there is contention for his throne.  His oldest living son, Adonijah (ah-doh-nee-yah), declared himself king.  David must be prompted to immediately have his choice for successor, Solomon, anointed king.  1 Kings 1 continues the narrative of the ensuing turmoil.

It's not said of David that he died sah-vay-ah, “satisfied” like Abraham.  Am I saying David wasn't righteous?  May it never be!  He was a man, “after God's Own Heart,” 1 Samuel 13:14 The sages, the wise men, say they both achieved “old age,” an endearing term, telling us of a life worthy of a crown.  But only Abraham was “satisfied” at the end.  Why?

Did you notice the harmony in the Hebrew in the description of Abraham? - Dying say-vah, at a good “old age”, and sah-vay-ah, “satisfied?”  The play on the two words in Hebrew suggests a deeper meaning than just being “old” and “satisfied”.  The sages suggest say-vah and sah-vay-ah as balance between your physical being and your very soul.  Your life and how you live it.  Or better – Your life and Who you live it for.  

The sages remember Proverbs 16:31, “A gray head (of old age), say-vah, is a crown of glory.”  And how is that obtained, they ask?  “It is achieved by the way of righteousness.”  And from whom can you learn this?  From Abraham; for it is written of him; “ . . . that his descendants keep the way of the LORD, doing righteousness and justice, . . ,” Genesis 18:19.  It was through Abraham, and his life, that his descendants learned the way of righteousness.

We need to look at one more Hebrew word, the Hebrew for path or “way”.  The Hebrew has several words for path or “way.”  But it is ha-deh-rekh¹, the Path, the Way that leads to righteousness: The Path, “The Way,” that leads to Salvation.  The sages say to us, “If you are on “The Path” – If you are on “The Way,” HaDerekh, your place in the world to come (Heaven) will be there!  Keep to HaDerekh!”

The first Believers inJesus, were known as followers of “The Way,” HaDerekh (Acts 22:4, 24:14).  Do you know why?  Jesus, tells us, “I am HaDerekh . . . ,” John 14:6.

So . . . What about you?  What path are you on?  Which “way” do you keep?  There are many paths to follow; there are many ways to go through life.  But, there is only One Path that leads to righteousness.  There is only One Way, that in the end, makes you satisfied with life.

We pray that you are keeping to HaDerekh - The Way of Righteousness – The Way that leads to a Good Place in the World To Come – The Way that leads to Salvation!

Shalom Uvrakhah* (Peace and Blessing)

*Shah-lom Oov-rah-khah

¹“kh” is a distinct sound.  Imagine the sound of forcing phlegm from your throat.