Considering the Bible

My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.

This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.

I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.

Psalm 51

1 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!

I honestly tried to finish the above two verses in our last post but the mercy concept just ate me up. Can we revisit this passage for a short time, and consider verse 2?

As I mentioned in the earlier post, David is taking the sacrificial system that the priests worked at, and as prescribed by God, and internalized it, applying the washing and cleansing performed at the brazen altar to actions he needs for his life, actions that need to be done by God.

Let’s consider the first phrase – Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity

Wash

Out of the 51 times this term is found in the Old Testament, Leviticus has the overwhelming number of occurrences (31 times), and is used for the cleansing of those that have been defiled. It is used of anyone who has become defiled, and the required cleansing of the garments (and/or his flesh) required to be performed in order to become clean before God and remain in the camp of Israel. Leviticus is the book of holiness and as such speaks of the methods required to be practiced by the Israelites to walk before the Lord in a prescribed way. Without this cleansing, approaching the Lord was not allowed, with the person actually retaining his iniquity.

Leviticus 17:16 But if he does not wash them or bathe his flesh, he shall bear his iniquity.”

When I hear of washing spoken, especially in this reference, I have the picture of water flowing over my heart, like a waterfall, crystal clear, warm and comforting, gently washing any filth off my “skin”. I’m afraid this picture is simply not the image I should imagine as I read this passage.

The term translated as washed in the second verse is כָּבַס kâbaç kāḇas, and is related to a term which means to trample. The term describes the washing of garments by the stamping of the feet. This type of washing is not the image I had in mind above! The garment is being scrubbed with much force, underfoot and seemingly without mercy. I have an image in my mind of being down at the river bank, with the garments being rubbed/scrubbed against the rocks, a somewhat forceful undertaking. No gentle flow of water comforting the subject, but of trampling, crushing, scouring.

David is begging the Lord to wash him, to “trample on him” in order to produce the cleansing required, that the washing would rid him of his iniquity. This term “iniquity” isn’t used much nowadays, but it speaks of perversity or depravity, a moral evil, and we certainly can see a connection with this concept in David’s past actions. He has, in one decision on the roof of his house, fallen into a depravity that seemed impossible prior to it’s occurrence. This was the man who followed after God’s heart, and yet fell to such a depth of sin. Consider this for our own lives my friend.

1 Corinthians 10:12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

cleanse

This term is what I expected, but it does have a few implications that are of interest. Again, it is a term that the book of Leviticus uses heavily (43 times out of 80 verses in the Old Testament), and relates to the cleansing of the defiled one who seeks to be clean before the Lord. The term speaks of purity, and of a cleansing both ceremonially and morally. It came from a root term meaning “to be bright”. It is used very often in relation to the cleansing of leprosy.

David connects this cleansing to his “sin”, the familiar term we associate with evil in our lives. Since this psalm is speaking of confession sin, it may be good to review all of the ways David speaks of sin in this Psalm

David expressed his sin in multiple terms, and multiple ways to make his confession before God. Granted two of the references are possibly speaking of David’s conception (brought forth in iniquity, in sin did my mother…), yet it is David’s description of not only his deeds in relation to God, but his condition before God, his history, his very existence.

You might notice in the table above a repetition of 3 Hebrew root words, that speak of an escalation of evil in the human experience.

châṭâʼ – to miss the mark. May refer to an unintentional sin. May speak of inability to hit the mark, or lack of skill in hitting a mark.

ʻâvâh – to bend or distort. To know the good and to twist or distort.

pâshaʻ – to rebel or revolt. to act defiantly, to know the good and to fight against it

King David was asking for forgiveness, yet he did not shy away from expressing the multiple ways he had offended God. He sought a washing and a cleansing from his sin, and he knew the only One who could provide this was the One whom he had offended.

His name is Jesus and He is the One who not only knows your sin, He entered into our existence in order to deliver us from all our inabilities, distortions and rebellion. Will you look to Him for your salvation, for your deliverance from a wasted life, from a life of distortion and revolt against the truth?

He is the Savior and He is the Lord. Confession of sin is to be addressed to Him, for He died to provide full forgiveness to those who seek Him.

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.

This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.

I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.

Psalm 51

1 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!

David was so New Testamental!

I have this picture in my mind of an Old Testament saint, after committing sin, getting a sacrifice in order, finding a priest and providing the sacrifice to the priest in order to absolve the saint of sin. After all the sacrificial system was set up in order to take care of our sins, right?

When David is confronted by Nathan, and he comes to realizing the depth of his sin, how in his desire for another man’s wife, God’s laws were trampled on, how his action caused the complete decimation of God’s second tablet of the law, including his acts of murder, adultery, theft, lies and coveting, his reaction is not what I would have considered typical for the Old Testament Saint.

No, he takes the sacrificial system provided by God, and transforms it from a physical approach to an altar to an personal inner approach directly to God.

His first thought is to depend on the living God, and not on a system of sacrifice, a set of rules that the living God provided. He goes directly to the source, not depending on any human intermediary. In approaching God (full of sin) he asks for mercy first and up front. He has just committed a minimum of breaking six of God’s laws, and has the audacity to request mercy.

This speaks of the nature of mercy, does it not? For mercy to be exercised by the giver, it implies the mercy giver is in the position of strength, that is that the one offended has the right to exercise his justice upon the one who is in the wrong.

God is a righteous judge, and David knew this, yet his request for mercy is actually an effort to disarm God of his rightful choice of demanding retribution upon a sinful and thankless saint, a rebellious man who had experienced being personally lifted by God from being a lonely shepherd in the back 40 of his fathers ranch into the highest office of the land. Beyond this, God promised David an eternal Kingdom through his Son, a covenant referred to as the Davidic Covenant. No small commitment! And after all these expressions of love God showers on David, he goes off and runs ragged over the commandments of God.

And then seeks mercy! Let’s take a moment to understand what he is asking for from God. Three Hebrew terms are translated as mercy in the Old Testament.

כַּפֹּרֶת kappôreth refers to the mercy seat, originally defining a “covering”. The mercy seat was the top of the ark and emphasized, not the judgement that may be due, but the mercy afforded to the one who approached, though it be infrequent (yearly) and by the high priest only.

רָחַם râcham is to be compassionate, or to show compassion. The term is not restricted to God showing compassion or love, for David himself, in earlier days expressed his râcham to God in Psalm 18:1.

Psalm 18:1 … who addressed the words of this song to the LORD on the day when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said: I love you, O LORD, my strength.

חָסִיד châçîyd is often translated as steadfast love in the Old Testament, and refers to a faithfulness in showing love. A love that is shown at the worst of times, Consider

Isaiah 54:10 For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

When our limits of expressing love ends, this steadfast love continues

Lamentations 3:31-32 For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love;

This last one is the term David uses in relating to God’s character. It is not referring to the mercy seat, as I may have expected, or to compassion as the second term emphasizes. David goes to the character of God, the very heart of the One who he has to face. David is looking to the One who is steadfast love. It is who God is, and David understood this. Oh that I would understand God as the One who is steadfast in His love.

Yet I have missed the first term David used when requesting mercy, for when David states “Have mercy”, he uses the Hebrew term חָנַן chânan. This term is often translated as gracious, as in 2 Samuel 12:22

2 Samuel 12:22 He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’

David, in Psalm 51 seeks grace from God in relation to his sin before God. Months later, when the child who is the result of this sin is born very sick, David again reverts to asking for grace in relation to this child. Boy oh boy – David had hutzpah, nerve, gall! How dare he continue to ask for mercy, for grace. Maybe he knew something we sometimes forget about the God we serve.

In closing, as I opened up this post, I mentioned that David was so New Testamental. Lets take a few moments to remind ourselves of the grace we live under.

Matthew 9:13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

James 2:13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

In adding Matthew 5:7, I want to leave my readers with the challenge of expressing mercy to those around you in your daily lives. Let us be like the God David called out to, and show mercy to those who do not deserve mercy, for that is the very nature of mercy!

Be blessed and walk in peace towards those who you come in contact with!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.

This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.

I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.

Psalm 50:22-23

22 “Mark this, then, you who forget God, lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver! 23 The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!”

Two short verses to finish our time in the 50th Psalm

God is delivering His final judgement, and that is of a coming discipline, a coming trial. God speaks of a tearing apart. This term is often used in the Old Testament of the fate of one at the hand of a ravenous animal.

Exodus 22:13 If it is torn by beasts, let him bring it as evidence. He shall not make restitution for what has been torn.
Job 16:9 He has torn me in his wrath and hated me; he has gnashed his teeth at me; my adversary sharpens his eyes against me.
Psalm 7:2 lest like a lion they tear my soul apart, rending it in pieces, with none to deliver.
Psalm 22:13 they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion.
Jeremiah 5:6 Therefore a lion from the forest shall strike them down; a wolf from the desert shall devastate them. A leopard is watching their cities; everyone who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces, because their transgressions are many, their apostasies are great.

The tearing apart is that of one being consumed, of being a true victim, of the end of a life. God does not mince words here, for there have been previous times where the nation or people of God were destined to be torn apart, but for the deliverance of God in their lives.

When God is tearing, there are none to deliver. How could there be, for the Lord is delivering His verdict, His judgement upon a thankless people, to a people who do not consider His guidance to be of any worth.

Even in His judgements, God offers hope. Offer thanksgiving for the privilege of knowing the eternal One. If you are not of a thankful spirit, it may be wise to examine yourself, to see if you are in the faith. How could one know God and be thankless? Bow the knee to Him, confess your rejection of His love and provision, seek to know Him through intentional acts, such as reading the Word, praying to the Father, fellowshipping with saints, and sharing what you find with other’s.

He who orders his way rightly will see the salvation of God.

Be thankful and order your lives according to His Word. And see the salvation of God in your life.

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.

This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.

I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.

Psalm 50:16-21

16 But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips? 17 For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you. 18 If you see a thief, you are pleased with him, and you keep company with adulterers. 19 “You give your mouth free rein for evil, and your tongue frames deceit. 20 You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother’s son. 21 These things you have done, and I have been silent; you thought that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.

In our last post, God spoke to Israel, to His people. He corrected them in the sacrificial service, not in the actions but in the attitudes they were to live in.

This portion of Psalm 50 speaks to the wicked. OK, the problem with introducing the wicked is whether they are of the people of God also or a separate group outside of the nation of Israel? Let me explain my conundrum.

Is the nation of Israel the people of God, even in the Old Testament? Although I have previously understood the entire physical nation of Israel, (that is every person with Jewish blood coursing through their veins) to be of the people of God, I fear this passage does not support that thinking.

God is addressing two groups within the physical nation. His people, as in our previous post, where God gives direction to be thankful and pay their vows, and this group, designated as wicked. As we see in verse 16, when describing the wicked, God brings to our attention that they recite His statutes and take His covenant on their lips. The nations did not have His statutes or covenant. The only people that had his covenant and statutes were the physical nation of Israel, which requires us to understand the wicked were of the nation of Israel.

In all of this, the teaching of the remnant throughout the Word has become clearer and clearer to me as I stumble through my studies. Within the physical nation of Israel, there were two groups. The possessors and the professors. The same condition exists within the church.

To the wicked, God brings a stinging rebuke. Unless you are going to walk the walk, don’t talk the talk.

Do not take the name of the Lord in vain, use His law as a (religious convenience), refuse His direction and reject His counsel. The wicked literally cast His words behind them. The term cast in this passage refers to something hurled down, or thrown down. It is the picture of rejection as of something thrown out.

This is not ignorance but rebellion on the part of the wicked. This does not describe the believer, the one who has faith in God. A believer cannot simply toss His words behind him, reject the counsel He gives. Struggle with it, wrestle with it? Yes. Reject it as one who throws litter on the ground? This does not make sense to me.

Does this passage apply to you? Do you reject His counsel, His teaching, His direction? God is looking for those who would seek His deliverance. As believers, we need to accept discipline (vs17), rebuke thieves and adulterers (vs 18), keep our mouths free of evil (vs 19), and speak well of our brothers (vs 20).

All these actions are the hallmarks of a believer. Those who reject His counsel automatically fall into the opposing actions as described above.

Trust God and do good. Do good according to His directions, counsel and guidance, not according to your understanding!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com