“What have you done for me lately?”

You’ve heard that old joke, haven’t you? It’s one of those jokes that’s never been particularly funny, but everyone knows it because it’s so true to life. Maybe the people in the joke are worse than real life, but the basic idea’s still there: the friend who has done everything for his (or her) friend, only to be turned down when they ask for a return on the favor. And the selfish “friend” defends their selfishness by saying, “What have you done for me lately?”

At this time of year, Jews all over the world are celebrating Passover. We read about Passover and sometimes we even have a Seder or some other Christianized celebration of the holiday (maybe we just watch “The Ten Commandments” and fire off a couple shots with our rifle).

For those who celebrate a traditional Passover, one part of the celebration is the “Dayeinu” (which I am probably not pronouncing right—I looked all over and couldn’t find a pronunciation key). In some houses this is a song that is sung, but in some houses it is more of a recitation, with the father or head of the household saying the main lines and the rest of the household responding back.

Let me read you a little bit of it.

Had he brought us out of Egypt and not executed judgment against them...

Dayeinu

Had he executed judgment against them and not done justice to their idols...

Dayeinu

Had he done justice to their idols and not slain their first-born...

Dayeinu

The song (or reading) goes on for quite a while, detailing almost all of the events of the Exodus. And after each line, the chorus either speaks or sings in response, “Dayeinu”. Well, now you’re probably wondering what “Dayeinu” means, right?

Dayeinu is a Hebrew word that means, “It would have been enough if that was all God did for us.”

Let’s look at the scripture for today …

Psalm 23:3
He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. (ESV)

Or, as the CEV puts it, “You are true to your name.”

Now, David was a man who celebrated Passover. Whether they had the singing of “Dayeinu” or not I don’t know, but what David’s telling us here in this verse is the very essence of the concept.

David’s already explored the concept of “Dayeinu” back in the 8th Psalm.

Psalm 8:4
What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? (ESV)

Think about all we ask of God. And he wants us to ask. He’s told us to come to him with prayers and petitions. He’s told us to ask. So don’t get me wrong and think I’m saying we shouldn’t ask.

But sometimes we get a little upset because it doesn’t seem like he answers. There’s a story of a little boy who prayed to God for a new bicycle. When his birthday came, he didn’t get the bike. The boy’s brother wanted to pick on him a little and said, “I guess God didn’t hear your prayer.” The little boy replied, “He heard it. The answer was ‘no’.”

Isn’t it enough that we get HIM, whether we get anything else?!?! The Jews, in their Passover song, are saying that it would have been enough even if they had died by the Red Sea, because they still would have had God. It would have been enough if they had died in the desert, because they still would have had God.

Can we say the same? Are we satisfied with God’s love so that we can say, “It would be enough to know God, even if I lived in poverty”? Can we say, “God’s love would be enough, even if I had nothing else in my life.”

We have God’s love. David is reminding us that not only does God know our name, we get to know his. And God is love!

He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Is there a bigger “WOW” moment in this Psalm? God’s love restores our soul. For the sake of his name—love itself—he shows us the right path.

Philippians 2:9-11
For this reason God raised him to the highest place above and gave him the name that is greater than any other name. And so, in honor of the name of Jesus all beings in heaven, on earth, and in the world below will fall on their knees, and all will openly proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (GNB)

What do I DO with this?

Find a way to show God love. Show it to your fellow man. Write a song. Just find a way to express your love (and gratitude) for God, who could have just stopped with being there—that would have been enough—but has chosen to get involved, to tell us his name, to love us.

Comments (or a pronunciation key?!?!) email me at martha917@yahoo.com