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From the Heart
Selah
By Marilyn Anderes

My friend, Jenny Prince, is a songwriter of sorts. Though you won’t find her creations on the top of the contemporary Christian charts, they are effective nonetheless. In one of her tunes, what is significant is not the lyrics, nor the rhythm, nor the notes. What jars the soul is the musical rest she employs. Her words motivate a healthy response. See what I mean. “Stop where you are. Look to the Lord. Listen to him carefully; to what he has to…say.”

The psalmists understood the use of this musical tool. In Hebrew poetry that made its way to the psaltery, the “Selah” is most effective and productive. It is a lyrical interlude. A pause. A rest. A deep breath.

Probably one of the most wonderful examples of the use of “Selah” is in Psalm 3. This song is a lament written by David during the sorrowful time of his flight from his own son, Absalom. Verses one and two make accurate but woeful observations. “O Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, ‘God will not deliver him.’” This dirge was an unembellished view of the king’s life circumstance. Feet were pursuing David with evil intent. Tongues were wagging at him, tempting him to doubt his God.

Out of nowhere comes Psalm 3:3, the very next verse. “But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.” So, how did the 180 occur? What came between complaint and confidence? What turned woe into wonder and worship? The answer is simple. The Selah. David took a deep breath. He focused on the Lord and it changed his entire perspective.

Another poignant use of the Selah comes in Psalm 84. Three sections emerge in the text, each four verses long. Three pictures are drawn to show us different places we might be on our journeys with him. In the first scenario, we see one who is sitting in the Father’s lap—in the nest, so to speak—finding blessing in his dwelling place. Selah. In the second picture, we see a pilgrim walking through hard places and going from strength to strength through prayer. He walks the way of blessing hand in hand with his God. Selah. The third glimpse is of a doorkeeper, blessed in his trust of the Most High God. He watches with God’s eyes, knowing what is happening on both sides of the door.

It’s as if the Selah makes the pictures more clear.  The Selah slows us down to ponder. “A place near your altar” (verse 3) is a sweet rest, helping us position ourselves in the midst of it all. He prods us to ask questions. Am I in the nest or on a personal pilgrimage or looking out for others? Am I in God’s lap or holding hands with him or watching with his eyes? The Selah slows us down from our hectic pace of life to make a realistic evaluation.     

I don’t know about you, but I suspect you may sometimes feel as I do; like you’re on a treadmill and the “Off” button is forever out of reach. It must be true of many of us, since stress management books and seminars are so plentiful.

Recently I heard about a motivational speaker addressing this very topic. He lifted a glass of water for his audience to see. “How much does this glass weigh,” he challenged. The answers logged in anywhere from eight to twenty ounces.

He continued with this statement. “It really doesn’t matter what the actual weight is. What is more important for our discussion is how long you hold it. The longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”

It’s the same with burdens. If we insist on carrying them all alone for extended periods of time, they will become heavier with each passing moment and soon we will not be able to deal with them at all. We must lay them down and get some rest. Pause. Take a deep breath. Employ the Selah. Hand them over to God. It will steady our whole perspective.

The fact is that God is ready to help us if we will allow him to. In Psalm 68:19 David testifies: “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens” (italics mine). In 1 Peter 5:7 the apostle directs our hearts: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” And, in the letter to the Philippian church, Paul exhorts: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

Our Savior understood the importance of the Selah. Hear the heart of Jesus. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). Selah.



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