Psalm 19:7-14
Whether we’ve read it or not, we’ve heard verse 14 countless times when a preacher begins his sermon: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. It’s also quite likely that the first few verses in today’s reading are familiar, having been set to music – although I can’t remember how it is sung beyond a few lines. Maybe I’ll have Carol sing it for me!
My focus today is on verses 12b-13a: Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins… We are more familiar with those presumptuous sins. We often speak of sins of omission and commission – things we have not done that we should have done and things that we did that we should not have done. But those hidden faults… What are they? I can relate to telling a police officer that I didn’t know that the speed limit had changed. That actually happened to me – twice! Our daughter, Nancy saw our nephew, Matthew standing on his head on the couch. His reply: “You told me not to jump on the couch.” How do we cover all the bases? How do we discern all right vs. wrong? I remember Bill Clinton saying that he was “anti-abortion, pro-choice”. Joe Biden seems also to be in that camp: If we outlaw abortion, then the evil that is black-market, illegal abortion will become more prominent. If we can reasonably justify our position on something that we believe or something that we do or if we are ignorant of all the facts of a particular issue, are we guilty of wrongdoing? Is that a “hidden fault”? Is that where David wants to be declared innocent?
How to discern our “hidden faults”…? That’s a good question to ponder.
I was thinking along the line of those sins we see in others but not recognize in ourselves.
Yes, to me hidden faults are those where I am not even aware of them. As I go deeper into Christ, I keep finding another fault, sin, issue that I hadn’t even been aware of before. Like layers of an onion, I keep peeling back to find more. Oh wretch that I am, who can save me? Praise God, Christ has already done that!
Then there are those that I intentionally do. Not committing by mistake, but meaning to do it and knowing it is wrong.
These two verses are confessions, but follow five verses of how wonderful God’s way is, and followed by praise. Helps me to remember that honesty with God and to myself (confession) is set in the context of my praise and Thanksgiving!