TRUST/RELY: batakh, verb (Strong’s 982); bitakh, feminine noun (Strong’s 985); bittakhohn, masculine noun (Strong’s 986); mi-v’takh, masculine noun (Strong’s 4009)
Root: בָּטח
Sounds like: ba-tawk, va-tawk
Isaiah 26:4
“Trust [bit’khu בִּטְח֥וּ] in YHWH forever, For in YAH YHWH, we have an everlasting Rock.”
Do you ever feel like your life is out of control? I do. I sometimes feel like the world is spinning around me and, at any moment, I’m going to be swept up in it, flailing about without any control over the direction I’m about to be hurled. It’s a terrible feeling.
The only thing that really keeps me grounded is that I can rely on one thing. YHWH is in control. I may not be, but He is. I can put my trust in the God of the Universe and feel safe. Life may continue to spin around me, but by putting my trust in YHWH I don’t have to be swept up in the craziness. It’s like holding onto a life-saver in the midst of the tumultuous sea. It may be chaos around me, but I have something to hold onto, and it is enough.
Trust is a big deal. If you do not trust someone you can never fully rely on them. There’s always the chance they will disappoint you or let you down. The Bible is quite clear on the stance that YHWH never ever lets anyone down. If you can trust in anything or anyone, it is YHWH.
King David trusting in King YHWH
David was a great king, and a prolific writer of psalms. Trusting in YHWH was a key emphasis in his writings, it seems more than any other of the scripture writers:
Psalm 21:7
[David:] For the king trusts [boteyakh בֹּטֵ֣חַ] in YHWH, and through the faithfulness of the Most High he will not be shaken.
Psalm 4:4-5
[David:] Tremble, and do not sin; meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and trust in YHWH [u-vit’khu el YHWH וּ֝בִטְח֗וּ אֶל־יְהוָֽה].
Psalm 28:6-7
[David:] Blessed be YHWH, because He has heard the sound of my pleading.
YHWH is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts [vatakh בָטַ֥ח] in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart triumphs, and with my song I shall thank Him.
Psalm 32:10
[David:] The sorrows of the wicked are many, but the one who trusts [w-ha-boteyakh וְהַבּוֹטֵ֥חַ] in YHWH, goodness will surround him.
Psalm 37:3-6
[David:] Trust in YHWH [b’takh ba-YHWH בְּטַ֣ח בַּֽ֭יהוָה] and do good; live in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in YHWH; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to YHWH, and trust [u-v’takh וּבְטַ֥ח] also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring out your righteousness as the light, and your judgment as the noonday.
In many of David’s psalms he talked directly to God and emphasised how much he trusted in Him:
Psalm 31:14
[David to YHWH:] But as for me, I trust [vatakh’ti בָטַ֣חְתִּי] in You, YHWH, I say, “You are my God.”
Psalm 25:2
[David to YHWH:] My God, in You I trust [vatakh’ti בָ֭טַחְתִּי], do not let me be ashamed; do not let my enemies rejoice over me.
Psalm 86:1-2
[David to YHWH:] Incline Your ear, YHWH, and answer me; for I am afflicted and needy. Protect my soul, for I am godly; You my God, save Your servant who trusts [ha-boteyakh הַבּוֹטֵ֥חַ] in You.
Psalm 26:1
[David to YHWH:] Vindicate me, YHWH, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted [batakh’ti בָּ֝טַ֗חְתִּי] in YHWH without wavering.
Psalm 56:3-4, 11
[David to YHWH:] When I am afraid, I will put my trust [eh-v’takh אֶבְטָֽח] in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust [bey-Elohim batakh’ti בֵּאלֹהִ֣ים בָּ֭טַחְתִּי]; I shall not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?…
…In God I have put my trust [bey-Elohim batakh’ti בֵּאלֹהִ֣ים בָּ֭טַחְתִּי], I shall not be afraid. What can mankind do to me?
Psalm 143:7-8
[David to YHWH:] Answer me quickly, YHWH, my spirit fails; do not hide Your face from me, or I will be the same as those who go down to the pit. Let me hear Your faithfulness in the morning, for I trust [vatakh’ti בָ֫טָ֥חְתִּי] in You; teach me the way in which I should walk; for to You I lift up my soul.
David was adamant that he fully trusted in YHWH, but most people didn’t put their utmost trust in God; they trusted in other things.
Some people trusted in fortifications and cities to save them (Deuteronomy 28:52, Jeremiah 5:17, Proverbs 21:22).
Zephaniah 3:1-2
Woe to her [Jerusalem] who is rebellious and defiled, the oppressive city!
She obeyed no voice, she accepted no discipline. She did not trust [lo batakhah לֹ֣א בָטָ֔חָה] in YHWH, she did not approach her God.
Some people put the bulk of their trust in human political and/or military leaders (Joshua 9:26; Jeremiah 46:25-26). Some people trusted oppression and crookedness (Isaiah 30:12), lies and deception (Jeremiah 13:25, Jeremiah 28:15, Jeremiah 29:31):
Isaiah 59:2-4
But your wrongdoings have caused a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with wrongdoing; your lips have spoken deceit, your tongue mutters wickedness. No one sues righteously and no one pleads honestly. They trust [batoakh בָּט֤וֹחַ] in confusion and speak lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to disaster.
Some people trusted in their own hearts and their own way (Proverbs 28:26, Hosea 10:13), or even their own beauty (Ezekiel 16:15). And many people trusted in the power of weapons, horses and chariots (Psalm 44:6, Isaiah 31:1) rather than the divine power of YHWH.
A great many people trusted in their wealth and achievements to save them (Psalm 49:6, Psalm 52:7, Psalm 62:8-10, Proverbs 11:28, Job 31:24-25, Jeremiah 48:7, Jeremiah 49:4):
Psalm 52:7-8
[David:] “Behold, the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted [wa-yi-v’takh וַ֭יִּבְטַח] in the abundance of his riches and was strong in his evil desire.”
But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust [batakh’ti בָּטַ֥חְתִּי] in the lovingkindness of God forever and ever.
One of the most grievous rejections was that people trusted in idols (Isaiah 42:17, Habakkuk 2:18-19) more than the living God:
Psalm 135:15-18
The idols of the nations are nothing but silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; they have eyes, but they do not see; they have ears, but they do not hear, nor is there any breath at all in their mouths.
Those who make them will become like them, yes, everyone who trusts [boteyakh בֹּטֵ֣חַ] in them.
People then and now have mislaid their trust. When it comes to dying your money can’t save you, weapons and warriors can’t save you, other people can’t save you, and you really can’t save yourself. If you want to live beyond the life you have here, you have one choice. The only one you can trust to save your life is YHWH!
A Story of Trust
There’s a story in the Tanakh that is filled, more than most, with the word trust (batakh). King Hezekiah was loyal to YHWH. When he became king of Judah he reversed the idolatry that was rampant in his kingdom. He tore down the cultic worship places and items and he reinstated exclusive YHWH worship.
2 Kings 18:5-6
He (Hezekiah) trusted [batakh בָּטָ֑ח] in YHWH, the God of Israel; and after him there was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who came before him. For he clung to YHWH; he did not desist from following Him, but kept His commandments, which YHWH had commanded Moses.
Hezekiah was the king of Judah during the Assyrian invasion of Israel. After a three year battle, Samaria fell to the Assyrians and they turned their attention to the kingdom of Judah. To avoid war and protect his people, king Hezekiah originally agreed to pay tribute to the Assyrians if they would return home and not attack them. But greedy for war and control, King Sennacherib of Assyria sent his emissary Rabshakeh to threaten the people of Jerusalem:
2 Kings 18:19-25
And Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria says: “What is this confidence trust [ha-bitakhown הַבִּטָּח֛וֹן] that you have? You say—but they are only empty words—‘I have a plan and strength for the war.’ Now on whom have you trusted [vatakh’ta בָטַ֔חְתָּ], that you have revolted against me?
Now behold, you have trusted [vatakh’ta בָטַ֣חְתָּ] on the support of this broken reed, on Egypt; on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. That is how Pharaoh king of Egypt is to all who rely on [trust in: ha-boht’khim הַבֹּטְחִ֖ים] him. However, if you say to me, ‘We have trusted [batakh’nu בָּטָ֑חְנוּ] in YHWH our God,’ is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has removed, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem’?
Now then, come make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to put riders on them! How then can you drive back even one official of the least of my master’s servants, and rely on [and trust in: wa-tiv’takh] Egypt for chariots and horsemen? Have I now come up without YHWH’s approval against this place to destroy it? YHWH said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it.’”’”
The Assyrian official, Rabshakeh, was like a lawyer, making his case for submission. He spoke only to a few of Hezekiah’s officials, claiming that YHWH spoke to him and this was YHWH’s plan for the people of Jerusalem. They were to stop trusting in Egypt as an ally and they were to trust in their God, YHWH, but according to Rabshakeh, what God really wanted was Assyria to win and take over Judah.
Realizing the resistance of Hezekiah’s officials Rabshakeh then spoke to the greater community, but at this point he changed his argument. This time he appealed to the people’s weaknesses and desire for comfort. Essentially he said, give up, and we’ll take you to a land where you can have everything:
2 Kings 18:28-35
Then Rabshakeh stood up and shouted with a loud voice in Judean, saying, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! This is what the king says: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to save you from my hand. And do not let Hezekiah lead you to trust [yav’takh יַבְטַ֨ח] in YHWH by saying, “YHWH will certainly save us, and this city will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.” Do not listen to Hezekiah, for this is what the king of Assyria says: “Make your peace with me and come out to me, and eat, each one, from his vine and each from his fig tree, and drink, each one, the waters of his own cistern, until I come and take you to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees producing oil, and of honey, so that you will live and not die.” But do not listen to Hezekiah, because he misleads you by saying, “YHWH will save us.” Has any of the gods of the nations actually saved his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they saved Samaria from my hand? Who among all the gods of the lands are there who have saved their land from my hand, that YHWH would save Jerusalem from my hand?’”
To the general population Rabshakeh said that trusting in YHWH was pointless because He had no more power than the other gods who did not protect their nations from Assyria. Best to just give up and be exiled to better, more prosperous, lands.
Of course this did not go well for Assyria. YHWH heard their blasphemous words and He annihilated the Assyrian army. King Sennacharib returned to his country and was assassinated by his sons.
Hezekiah trusted in YHWH and YHWH delivered. Jerusalem was saved, and the threat of Assyria faded away.
Trust for Salvation
The relationship between the Creator and humanity is actually quite beautiful. It is uniquely built on trust. Holocaust survivor, Corrie ten Boom, once said, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God”. We cannot see the face of God (yet) but we hold onto hope that there is a Creator who loves us, and that He has a plan for each one of us. He holds out His hand to bless us, and nurture us… and we simply have to trust that by His merciful love, He will save us.
After Adam and Eve were exiled out of the Garden YHWH promised to find a way to save them and bring them back home. Salvation was the goal and God would provide a way. But what was He saving them from?
Death.
YHWH was the God of Life and He would not let His people go to the grave and decay. He would find a way for them to live… and only He could do that:
Psalm 146:3
Do not trust [al ti-v’t’khu אַל־תִּבְטְח֥וּ] in noblemen, in mortal man, in whom there is no salvation.
Humans became the cause of their own destruction because they did not trust that God could, or would, save them:
Psalm 78:19-22
Then they spoke against God; they said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? Behold, He struck the rock so that waters gushed out, and streams were overflowing; can He also provide bread? Will He prepare meat for His people?”
Therefore YHWH heard and was full of wrath; and a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also mounted against Israel, because they did not believe in God and did not trust [w-lo vat’khu וְלֹ֥א בָ֝טְח֗וּ] in His salvation.
There was only once choice for trust, humans could trust in themselves or they could trust in YHWH:
Jeremiah 17:5-8
This is what YHWH says:
“Cursed is the man who trusts [yi-v’takh יִבְטַ֣ח] in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from YHWH. For he will be like a bush in the desert, and will not see when prosperity comes, but will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, a land of salt that is not inhabited.
Blessed is the man who trusts [yi-v’takh יִבְטַ֖ח] in YHWH, and whose trust [mi-v’takhow מִבְטַחֽוֹ] is YHWH. For he will be like a tree planted by the water that extends its roots by a stream, and does not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought, nor cease to yield fruit.”
We humans cannot save ourselves, only by the grace of God can we be redeemed:
Isaiah 12:2
“Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust [eh-v’takh אֶבְטַ֖ח] and not be afraid; for YAH YHWH is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.”
Not surprisingly, David also connected trust to salvation:
Psalm 13:5-6
^^[David:] But I have trusted [vatakh’ti בָטַחְתִּי֮] in Your lovingkindness; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to YHWH, because He has looked after me.
Psalm 65:5
[David:] By awesome deeds You answer us in righteousness, God of our salvation, You who are the trust [mi-v’takh מִבְטָ֥ח] of all the ends of the earth and the farthest sea.
In fact, God promised He would save us simply because we trusted:
Jeremiah 39:17-18
“But I will save you on that day,” declares YHWH, “and you will not be handed over to the men of whom you are afraid. For I will assuredly rescue you, and you will not fall by the sword; but you will have your own life as plunder, because you have trusted [vatakh’ta בָטַ֥חְתָּ] in Me,” declares YHWH.
YHWH consistently helped those who trusted in him. When the sons of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh went to war they were successful because “they cried out to God in the battle, and He answered their prayers because they trusted [vat’khu בָ֥טְחוּ] in Him” (1 Chronicles 5:20b).
When the Hebrew people trusted in the name of YHWH they were on the right path leading to the presence of YHWH the Redeemer:
Psalm 9:7-10
[David:] But YHWH sits as King forever; He has established His throne for judgment, and He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the peoples fairly.
YHWH will also be a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble; and those who know Your name will put their trust [w-yi-v’t’khu וְיִבְטְח֣וּ] in You, for You, YHWH, have not abandoned those who seek You.
YHWH has never abandoned those who seek Him, but life can be difficult and we sometimes feel alone (even when we know YHWH is with us):
Isaiah 50:10
Who is among you who fears YHWH, who obeys the voice of His servant, who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust [yi-v’takh יִבְטַח֙] in the name of YHWH and lean on his God.
Trust and the End Game
Our trust in God has an end game. We don’t trust him for nothing. There is a reward: a glorious reunion! We get to go back to the Garden Kingdom of YHWH and walk with Him and talk with Him, just like Eve and Adam did at the beginning of the human story:
Psalm 33:20-22
Our soul waits for YHWH; He is our help and our shield. For our heart rejoices in Him, because we trust [vatakkh’nu בָטָֽחְנוּ] in His holy name. Let Your favour, YHWH, be upon us, since we have waited for You.
And after years and years of waiting YHWH fulfilled His mission. He sent His Son, Yeshua (Jesus) to save humanity from death by (plot twist!) dying.
But many of the people had abandoned God. They trusted in themselves, in their own wealth and power, so when Yeshua came to the scene and pointed out their hypocrisy, they were angry enough to kill Him. Yeshua was accused, tried, found guilty and sentenced to death. While he hung in agony the people mocked Him for His trust in God:
Matthew 27:41-44
In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself! He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. He has trusted [Greek: pepoithen] in God, let God rescue Him now, if He takes pleasure in Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” And the rebels who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him in the same way.
In his final moments on the cross, Yeshua cried out in agony and quoted Psalm 22:
Matthew 27:45-46
Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabaktaneiI?” that is, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?”
This moment wasn’t just some crazy utterance by a dying man. Yeshua was actually quoting Scripture, one of David’s psalms:
Psalm 22:1-22
[David:] My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my help are the words of my groaning. My God, I cry out by day, but You do not answer; and by night, but I have no rest.
Yet You are holy, You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. In You our fathers trusted [bat’khu בָּטְח֣וּ]; they trusted [bat’khu בָּ֝טְח֗וּ] and You rescued them. To You they cried out and they fled to safety; in You they trusted [bat’khu בָטְח֣וּ] and were not disappointed.
But I am a worm and not a person, a disgrace of mankind and despised by the people. All who see me deride me; they sneer, they shake their heads, saying, “Turn him over to YHWH; let Him save him; let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.”
Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb; You made me trust [ma-v’tikhi מַ֝בְטִיחִ֗י] when upon my mother’s breasts. I was cast upon You from birth; You have been my God from my mother’s womb. Do not be far from me, for trouble is near; for there is no one to help.”
Many bulls have surrounded me; strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me. They open their mouths wide at me, as a ravening and roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within me. My strength is dried up like a piece of pottery, and my tongue clings to my jaws; and You lay me in the dust of death.
For dogs have surrounded me; a band of evildoers has encompassed me; they pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; they divide my garments among them, and they cast lots for my clothing.
But You, YHWH, do not be far away; You who are my help, hurry to my assistance. Save my soul from the sword, my only life from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion’s mouth; from the horns of the wild oxen You answer me. I will proclaim Your name to my brothers; in the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
Yeshua trusted YHWH’s plan for salvation. He knew the plan. He knew He would feel every inch of the pain and He knew that death would swallow Him up. He also knew that YHWH would turn away and forsake Him, for a time, in order for the plan of Salvation to be successful. Yeshua trusted in the plan and He willingly sacrificed His humanity in order to bring us home. He went to the grave, conquered death, and paid for our entrance fee back into Eden. With His sacrifice we can trust that the ticket is good and valid for all who ask to be let in.
We cannot trust in ourselves and we cannot trust in money, military power, or great leaders to ensure our eternal salvation. Only YHWH can bring us home.
In your darkest hours, trust that you are not alone. There is a God who loves you and He has a plan that will save you. Walk in the path that leads you to YHWH. Put your trust in the God you cannot see now, but WILL see, face to face, when you are called home:
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in YHWH [B’takh el YHWH בְּטַ֣ח אֶל־יְ֭הוָה] with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Next week: PAIN
Hebrew Word Lessons 