THE LORD WILL SPEAK PEACE
I will listenH8085 to what God the LORD will sayH1696;
for He will surely speakH1696 peaceH7965 to His people and His saints;
He will not let them return to follyH3690. Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him,
that His glory may dwell in our land.
Psalm 85:8-9
The Complete Word Study Dictionary: Old Testament defines the Greek word translated “folly”:
H3690. kislāh: A feminine noun meaning foolishness, stupidity, confidence. The root idea of fatness (see kāsal[3688]) may have two implications. In Job 4:6, kesilāh means the confidence of one who is fat and firm. Eliphaz cast doubt on Job’s righteousness by asking why he was confused if he really feared God. In Psalm 85:8[9], on the other hand, God warned His restored people not to return to their former folly. In that verse, the word refers to sluggish foolishness that is no longer alive to the fear of God. (23)
In the context of verse 8, the Hebrew word for “say” and “speak” could mean to declare as in “I will listen to what God the Lord will declare, for He will surely declare peace . . .” The word translated “listen” often means to “hear intelligently often with implication of attention, obedience . . .” (Strong’s H8085). When we are listening attentively to what the Lord declares (in our case reading it in His word) and trusting Jesus for our salvation, we will have peace with God and the peace of God. In addition, the Holy Spirit within us will prevent us from straying from God’s path and venturing back into the old ways of placing our confidence in our own works, the folly of trusting self rather than Jesus. We must realize our dependence on His dying on the cross in our place and glorious resurrection. The Apostle Paul warns in Philippians 3 against placing confidence in the works of the flesh:
Philippians 3:2-3 (BSB) Watch out for those dogs, those workers of evil, those mutilators of the flesh! For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh . . .
Philippians 3:2-3 (VOICE) Watch out for the dogs—wicked workers who run in packs looking for someone to maul with their false circumcision. We are the true circumcision—those who worship God in Spirit and make our boast in Jesus the Anointed, the Liberating King—so we do not rely on what we have accomplished in the flesh . . .
Paul then proceeds to list all of his accomplishments which would far surpass most of his listeners but concludes in Philippians 3:8 that all his “righteous works” done apart from Christ are “rubbish,” “garbage,” or in some translations, “dung.”
Since the Lord has shown us extreme mercy and grace by sending His Son to die in our place, the response to such great love should be a desire to please Him by obeying Him. We cannot obey what God has declared unless we know what that is. In our case, reading the Bible as the Holy Spirit within us illuminates it should lead us to obedience. Are you reading God’s word intelligently, attentively, with the intention of obedience to what is declared? Before you begin reading, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal anything in you that needs to be changed and to give you the courage to make those changes. Walking according to God’s plan will definitely bring you peace with God and the peace of God.
Father, as we study the Bible, help us to see Your direction for each day, the things we need to change in order to come into agreement with Your word and to live in complete peace.