An Important Prayer

Psalm 19:12 (BES) (18:13) Who will understand his transgressions? purge thou me from my secret sins.

(Proverbs 19 also read)

There’s a phrase that I have heard, “secret sin”.  Usually when we hear that we think of the hidden recesses of our mind where we think we can hide the sins that we have committed.  Obviously that is a vain hope.  God not only knows our hearts and minds, but He sees everything we do and hears everything we think.  So there are no secret sins from God.

I think this is talking about those “transgressions” which we might not even be aware of.  I know when we get into an emphasis on repentance and making things right with God one of the concerns that I’ve heard expressed is “What about the sins that I can’t remember?”  I’m sure there are many.  They are even sins, or what would be sins if I were aware of them, which I do not know I have committed.  This is a prayer for those situations.

So?  As long as it’s offered thoughtfully and with a sincere heart, I think we can ask God to forgive those things that we’re not really remembering at the moment.  Not a bad habit to get into.  

The Pay-Off

Psalm 19:11 (KJV) Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.

(Proverbs 13 also read)

As I continue to say, the Law gets a bum rap.  We hear legalism condemned.  Paul has a constant rant about the Law.  We hear about the 613 that can’t be kept.  The Law gets a lot of bad press.  That is to our detriment.

We cannot be saved by the Law, true, but even in the OT that is the case.  The point of the Law was not salvation but teaching people how to live like civilized citizens of God’s kingdom.  Those principles are still very effective when used for their intended purpose.  For most people it is like trying to use a wrench to hammer a nail or, even worse, using a hammer to remove a nut. 

So?  The Law is a tool.  As this says, following God’s rules has a reward.  It is there waiting for you.  

Dr. Livingstone, I Presume

Psalms 19:13 (KJV) Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.

(Proverbs 6 also read)

This is the only place in the KJV where the Hebrew word is translated “presumptuous.”  Every other place it is simply “proud.”  I also noticed that the word “sins” is in italics, which indicates it is not in the Hebrew.  In the title I took the quote from Stanley when he met David Livingstone in the jungle.  The presumption was that he did not know for sure, but he had enough information to feel like he knew what he was talking about.  David is reminding us in his confession that we have a tendency to be a bit presumptuous when are thinking about ourselves and are communicating with God.

We need to make sure that our assumptions are based in scripture and not in culture.  They need to be grounded in the objective world God created not in the subjective environment we have established.

So?  Start your day by listening.  That’s really what meditation is and it’s an important part of worship.  Act like you are listening for instructions on an activity that you don’t know how to do or have not done before.  In a sense make each day new. 

Only Psalms

(Psa 19:8 KJV)  The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

(Proverbs 29 also read)

As I was thinking about how Psalm 19 praises the law, I started reading through it, and I came to this verse, and I did a little research into the word “statutes.  As I was glancing down the different places it was used, I noticed that this particular Hebrew word is used only in the book of Psalms. I wonder if that’s significant.

In the book of Psalms, the law is praised universally.  One of the words used to talk about the law is this one.  And looking over the reference material it said that it’s always plural.  And this would probably imply that the body of the law is a glorious thing.  The effect of the collective law is transforming.  By adhering to God’s way of doing things we open up avenues of glory that we would’ve never considered before.

So?  Collectively, the law is not something to dread.  It is not something to avoid.  We are not supposed to be working around it to find ways to get done what we want done.  It is a collection of wisdom that we are going to embrace to internalize, and to make vital to our daily walk.