The word commit or commitment carries very strong meaning. As a verb it carries—whether for crime, marriage, or to obligate/involve oneself—a meaning singularly to put extra effort, passion, or your whole heart into something. Whether someone commits a crime, commits to marriage, or commits to a task, the English language makes the term fairly easy to define.
This morning after praying I went to the Word and found a word that caught my attention. And despite reading this particular proverb hundreds of times, this one time the word commit when I looked at its meaning (because I have a study Bible it will sometimes provide the Hebrew or Greek meaning to a particular word). When I pulled out my Strong’s (the book, not an app or online), I was quite surprised that the word commit (including committed, committest, etc.) has almost as many unique meanings to the word as there are the times the word (and in its variations) are found in the Bible.
The first time this word commit is used (Law of first mention, but this time with a twist) is found in Exodus 20:14, “You shall not commit adultery.” In fact, many of the times in Hebrew the word commit and whatever is being committed are not two separate words but a combined meaning. For example with this verse commit adultery is not apart in their words of commit and adultery as we often are lead to understand in the English language. This particular case, ignoring the word defining the word in its definition, figuratively means to apostatize which means to renounce a religious, political belief, or principle in the English language. When looking (and it is only found in the Hebrew meaning) at this word it means to fall away, to go back, or to backslide. So to go back to our meaning for commit adultery, it means to recant or to backslide our loyalty to our spouse. And as a number of Old Testament prophets spoke (as a mouthpiece for God), there isn’t just the marital adultery that occurs when a husband or a wife chooses to by unfaithful. Israel, a number of times, committed harlotry or adultery in their commitment towards God in their relationship. And yet God’s full desire is to restore, as if the garment were never ripped with the violation. With its foundation in Jeremiah 3:14-15, “’Return, O backsliding children,’ says the LORD; ‘for I am married to you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with the knowledge and understanding.’” And for every act of commit found in the Bible, God is there every single time.
So what caught my attention this morning was Proverb 16:3, “Commit your works to the LORD, and your thoughts will be established.” One supporting Bible verse come from Psalm 37:5 (however I would like to convey the whole meaning, so I will share verses 3-7), “Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.” The initial—to use the English language—understanding is to dive in or to fully commit or to give your whole heart or trust (and beyond) to the LORD. In another way to look at it from Proverbs 16 is to give your works—job, ministry, school/education—to the Lord. In an initial meaning it compliments Colossians 3:23-24, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to mean, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” So we look at it from a man-centered or effort-centered meaning to be more dedicated, faithful, or involved. As some employers desire, a more committed team or set of employees who can be counted on not just in the good or relaxed times but in the hard or bad times.
But as I said, the Hebrew meaning for the word commit has many definitions versus the easy singular meaning we ascribe in the English language. The word commit in Hebrew for both Proverbs 16 and Psalm 37 are personified with a camel (and talk about a mind-explosion when I discovered this this morning). After a camel travel for miles carrying its cargo or burden on its back, the camel will kneel down to begin step one of the processes, but then step two is to intentionally shift the body so its cargo/load rolls off the back. So instead of reading Proverbs 16:3, “Be more dedicate…” or “Dedicate…” or “Be more faithful to the LORD…” and Psalm 37:5, “Dedicated your way to the LORD…” or “Be more involved in the LORD…” as if we need to be more involved, faithful, diligent, etc…which are all man-centered efforts toward the Lord (as if the result comes by our ability or strength). But when we look at its real meaning to roll off (like dumping the burden). So Proverbs 16:3 then reads, “Roll off your works to the LORD…” and Psalm 37:5, “Roll off your way to the LORD…”. Initially this doesn’t make sense (beyond the camel image) until we tie in the three following New Testament scriptures. Matthew 11:28-30 (Jesus speaking), “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” 1 Peter 5:7, “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” And then Hebrews 12:1, “…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us…” So this commitment is not matter of dedication or involvement but to offload (or roll off) sins, worries, frustrations, stress, our plans, our will, our problems, our addictions, our habits, our shortcomings, our insecurities, our pride, our rebellion, our bitterness, our unforgiveness, our…well, you get the picture onto Jesus.
So why do we insist to carry our burden (whatever it may be)? Why is this rolling off so necessary and important when we are so result driven and motivated by success in/by our hands. And that is the rub to the whole thing. God never gets the glory when we do things ourselves—no matter how many times or words we use during prayer time or however many “momma roda honda” we utter to impress others that we are spiritual—but God gets the glory when not only is God involved, but our dependence is UPON God. Or in short, we surrender all and our all. So let us use one of my favorite words surrender in connection with those two verses, “Surrender your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass” and “Surrender your works to the LORD, and your thoughts will be established”. When we roll off or surrender whatever it may be to the Lord, then God is the one who establishes our thoughts or bring His will to pass.
What is it that we keep fighting, wrestling, involving ourselves—even with fasting and praying? Let us, instead of trusting in ourselves, commit it (or roll it off, or surrender) to God so God’s plans and promises—in His time and in His way—will come to pass.