Ash Wednesday was the start a series of readings by Tom Wright in his book ‘Lent for Everyone – Matthew’ which the Encounter Groups will be studying during Lent. During the coming Sundays we will be looking at the Psalm for the day. Today is Psalm 32.
One of the great theologians Saint Augustine said ‘that the beginning of knowledge is to know oneself to be a sinner’. So it is no surprise then that Psalm 32 was the his favourite and It was reported that as he lay dying, he had the Psalm posted next to his bed, so he could constantly remind himself not only of his need to admit his sin, but also to remind himself of God’s forgiveness. Knowing that we are sinners in need of forgiveness and that God offers His mercy to those who confess their sin should be the greatest delight of every person.
Now I am not sure which particular sin David refers to in this Psalm and is not important. There are plenty to choose from - that's one of the reassuring things about David's life, he was "just like us," with all the weaknesses and frailties that we experience. Maybe it was his sin of adultery that he committed with Bathsheba, or the sin of murder he committed by ordering Uriah to be executed on the battlefield. It may be been something else. The important issue of the Psalm is not the sin but the forgiveness that God gives to those who repent. And with forgiveness comes joy. In verse 1 we see that God provides happiness and happiness comes when we have the correct view of ourselves - (verses 1-2a).
As we look at the Psalms, we will see the words Transgression, Sin or Iniquity, often and please forgive me if I am explaining something you already know but I feel these words need explaining in order for us to understand just how easy it can be to fall into error sometimes without realising.
The word transgression means to rebel against God’s authority. Or move away from God’s rule. To have an attitude of rebellion, a mindset of corruption. It's a self-centered decision to ignore God as we go about our life. Does our day go by without reference to God? So often we can go through our daily routines and God does not enter the picture. Excluding God from it – that’s transgression.
Sin describes a faulty action, or to miss the mark. It refers to individual, specific acts of wrongdoing. These are the "things" we do or do not do. But to call ourselves sinners is to admit the obvious - we fail God’s commands in all we think, say and do.
Iniquity comes from the same Hebrew word meaning "twisted" or "distorted." Iniquity refers to a basic "crookedness" in our nature, which leads to the attitude or mindset of rebellion against God (transgression) which in turn leads to actual, specific "sins."
By piling up these words, David covers the ground of what is offensive to God. The happiness which God provides comes only when all that is offensive to God is removed. How does God bring happiness, bless us when we have such a record of wrong doing? By His grace to forgive us. Forgiven means to lift or remove. The transgressions, the rebellious attitude, the self-centered outlook which demands our own way and ignores God’s, are taken away. When we come to God sin isn’t hidden from us as though we no longer see it, nor is it covered from God’s presence, but from His vindicated justice. When God pardons sin He does not dredge up the past. Not counted against means that the distortion which is at our core is no longer considered an issue. In its place the righteousness of another is considered ours; Christ’s right standing before God is ours and our sin His. Happiness comes when we agree with God.
In the mid 1990’s, an issue came to dominate British politics – the question of sleaze. Hardly a week went by, without some sordid scandal emerging about an MP or public figure, so much so that this matter in larger part contributed to the humiliating defeat of the Conservative government in 1997. Today as well as back then countless prominent people have had cause over the years to wish they had come clean when they could, rather than have their guilty secrets splashed out later on the front pages of the newspapers. The reason they keep quiet, of course, is that they are afraid honesty might harm their careers.
Fear can similarly come to rule our lives. The stakes involved may not be quite so high, but we hesitate to admit to past errors or present indiscretions for fear of losing face, endangering a relationship, or causing hurt to others and embarrassment to ourselves. At the time, sweeping a mistake under the carpet might have seemed like an attractive option; but it is only later that we learn how wrong we are, as guilt eats away at our conscience and the fear of being found out nags away at the back of our minds. Saying sorry is never easy and can prove costly, but it is the only way to resolution and reconciliation. Refusing to admit our mistakes may ultimately prove more costly still. How easy is it for us to admit we are sinners? How easy is it to admit to sin when confronted?
It is time we stop dealing deceitfully with ourselves and God and readily admit our inward corruption. We need to get beyond the moral point that distorts our view of ourselves. Each Sunday we confess our sins as God’s people; each time we pray we should readily acknowledge this truth. Recalling and confessing our sin is like taking out the rubbish - once is not enough, we have to do it daily, weekly – at least!
When we refuse to see our sin for what it is, it can feel that God is weighing us down. When thoughts rattle around our heads until we can’t see or think straight and sleep escapes us. We become tormented. Remember that discipleship means discipline. The disciple is one who has come with his ignorance, superstition, and sin, to find learning, truth, and forgiveness from the Savior. Without discipline we are not disciples. And when we are forgiven the weighing down is lifted off of our shoulders – the heartache is removed. God is only too pleased when, bleary eyed and on our knees through tiredness, we hand over the whole problem and ask him to forgive us. The relief hits us like a bucket of cold water. None of us is so near perfect that getting things wrong never enters our head. It is easy to get messed up with things that are unhealthy for our hearts and minds, but it is just as easy to prevent all the hassle that accompanies the mess and talk the whole thing through with God.
We all know how we feel when we have got involved in situations that mess up our heads and cause us to feel dreadful. And just because we know that feeling, it’s important that we don’t make other people go through the same trauma. Forgiving somebody doesn’t make their actions right but it goes a long way to restoring the relationship and then trying to sort out the difficulty. We need to remember that when we are trying to deal with a hassle, we need to get God involved. After all, it makes perfect sense, doesn’t it?
When Robert Bruce of Scotland led his men in a battle to gain independence from England, he knew the English wanted to capture him to keep him from the Scottish crown. The English put his own bloodhounds on his trail. When the hounds got close, Bruce could hear their baying. Bruce headed for a stream that flowed through the forest. He plunged in and waded upstream and came out on the other bank, just as the hounds reached the bank but they went no further. The English soldiers urged them on, but the trail was broken. The stream had carried the scent away. A short time later, the crown of Scotland rested on the head of Robert Bruce.
The memory of our sins, prodded on by Satan, can be like those baying dogs - but a stream flows, red with the blood of God's own Son. By grace through faith we are safe. No sin-hound can touch us. The trail is broken by the precious blood of Christ. And freedom and joy are poured within us. This can only lead to celebration as our rubbish dumps are cleaned out and are filled with the rich blessings and joys God so longs to give us.
Father, help us, this Lent, to confess our sin honestly and to celebrate the new life you give to those who trust you. Amen.
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