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"The salvation of the Lord which He will show you" (Exod. 14: 13).
"The Egyptians whom ye have seen to-day" (Exod. 14: 13).
Both "which" and "whom" are translations of ashere. If the reader will attempt to
re-write these sentences and avoid using "which" or "whom" he will appreciate the
Hebrew use of the word that "goes forward".
There is close affinity between ashere and yashar, "straight", and the root idea of
"blessedness", as expressed by the Hebrew word ashere, appears to be: "Prosperity as
the necessary accompaniment of uprightness." The reader will probably turn to Psa. 1: 1
as a pointed illustration of this meaning. This we must consider later: for the moment we
are concerned with the statement of Prov. 10: 22 as to "the blessing of the Lord".
This blessing of the Lord, we learn, "maketh rich". We must now introduce the reader
to another feature, not evident in the translation, but very evident in the original. We
have seen that the word "blessed" is ashere: we now learn that the words "maketh rich"
translate ashar. The vowels with which the two words commence are not the same,
though expressed in English by the letter "a". This play upon words is a feature far more
common than many think, and, as the following examples show, impresses the mind with
the truth conveyed:--
"And the earth became tohu and bohu" (without form and void) (Gen. 1: 2).
"The gods that have not made (avadu) the heavens and the earth, even they shall
perish" (yevadu) (Jer. 10: 11).
Blessing and enrichment are evidently to be thought of together.
What a plenitude of riches constitutes the blessings of the Lord as unfolded in the
N.T.! There we read of riches of goodness, riches of glory, riches of wisdom and
riches of grace (Rom. 2: 4; 9: 23; 11: 33; Eph. 1: 7; 2: 7; 3: 16). And, even so, we
have not named the blessing of the Lord as a whole, for there are two sides of His
benediction. Positively, the blessing of the Lord maketh rich. Negatively, He addeth no
sorrow with it. The Scriptures abound with references to the fact that "riches" and
"sorrow" often keep company:--
"They that will to be rich fall into temptation, and a snare, and into many foolish and
hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a
root of all evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and
pierced themselves through many sorrows" (I Tim. 6: 9, 10).
"Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in
uncertain riches, but in the living God, Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy"
(I Tim. 6: 17).
"He went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions" (Matt. 19: 22).
Here, then, we pause and contemplate the source, nature and the essential
distinctiveness of Biblical blessings:--
(1)
THE SOURCE.--"The blessing of the Lord."
(2)
THE NATURE.--"Blessing" has to do with progress and uprightness.
(3)
THE ESSENTIAL DISTINCTIVENESS.--(a) It maketh rich, and
(b) adds no sorrow.