Selah

God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;
Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride.
Selah.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered;
He raised His voice, the earth melted.
The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Selah.

Come, behold the works of the LORD,
Who has wrought desolations in the earth.
He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariots with fire.
"Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Selah. —Psalm 46

I have written before about my habit of reading five Psalms each day. In all that reading, it is impossible to ignore the prevalence of Selah throughout the Psalms. It occurs seventy-one times! Plus three more in Habakkuk.

That's a total of seventy-four (74) occurrences of the term — one that no one seems to be able to agree on the meaning of. Suggestions include to pause and reflect, a musical instruction to lift voices or instruments, an interlude for instrumental music, or a signal that the previous thought carries special weight.

But even though we can't be sure exactly what it means, we can't ignore it either. God doesn't do anything 74 time just because… He is saying something to us.

Maybe we should take a moment to consider what that might be...

Psalm 46 allows an easy case study. Consider the placement of Selah throughout the Psalm. Any of the four suggested meanings could fit. But the one that settles in my spirit is pause.

I have developed the bad habit of reading the Psalms as if I already know what is being said and what follows. While this is true on a surface level, any one who has spent much time in my writings knows how often I see something new in the Psalms. This only happens when I force myself to slow down and consider the words on the page — and realize again that they are more than words.

It's when I linger that I hear God's voice the clearest.

I have long loved the Sons of Korah's urging to Cease striving and know that I am God. It is only in pausing that I began to consider what comes before that verse. It turns out there is good reason to Cease striving; God has already proven His ability and faithfulness to subdue my enemies. I don't know how many times I read that, but missed it because I was looking forward to Cease striving. Until the morning I tripped over the Selah at the end.

One day, we may finally be given a definitive definition of Selah. But until then, why not read it as a Stop sign. An invitation to pause and consider what preceded it. Finishing the Psalm offers no bonus points. There is no prize that follows reading more verses, more chapters, or more books.

Slow down.

There just may be a Pearl of Great Price hidden right before our eyes.