Psalm 51:6

Psalm 51:6

When did my sin begin?

This is a curious verse, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone preach on it or even mention in it before! The teaching of my childhood and youth was based on the King James Bible which translates the verse rather differently, “Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts; and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.” In fact, I have checked 27 versions of this text and only 2 mention the womb, the rest use variations of the idea of “inner parts” or the inner man. (By the way, if you have an NIV and are wondering what I am talking about, some versions do not mention “innermost part” but substitute this for womb. Mine reads, “Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.”) So, who is right? What is David saying here? 

Firstly, this is a continuation of the previous verse that tells us that we were sinful from the moment of conception. In Judaism, no one is born a sinner! The correct translation of verse 5 reads, “Behold, with (or in) sin I was formed, and with (or in) sin my mother conceived me.” The question is, to whom the sin is attributed, to the speaker or the act of conception, or maybe the people doing the conceiving? In Judaism, it must be one of the last two. According to commentaries, the reference is either the act of intercourse, which, while not a sin in and of itself, is a source of many sins, or the parents who conceived the writer and who have, no doubt, committed many sins. Either way, the idea is that it is no wonder that the writer is a sinner, given that he has been exposed to sin since his conception.

The New Testament of our Bibles, especially Ephesians talks of us being “chosen in Him before the creation of the world.”Ephesians 1:4. Psalm 139:16 tells us that, “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.” God already knows who we are and the course that our life will take. He knows that there are those of us who will respond to Him by faith, who are “chosen” from birth. Is it too much to ask that this process actually begins in the womb, that the seed of His truth is planted, even before we are born? Think on!

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Psalm 106:13

Psalm 106:13 Do not forget We need to remember that Israel’s relationship with the Lord God was based on His laws and their obedience. It was possible for them to live lives that were highly blessed, that incorporated the provision of God in every tiny detail of their national and individual existence. God was prepared to give them everything they needed, He would provide food and water for them and their flocks. He would guide them on their journey. He would protect them from their enemies. He would inspire and direct their leaders. He would keep them from the heat of the sun and the terrors of the desert night. He would take them to the land that He had promised, in double quick time. There was no reason why they could not be in situ in just a few months. Everything they could possibly need was His to provide and He was willing to sacrifice anything to see them gratefully settled in Canaan.  There was just one snag, it all depended upon their obedience and faithfulness. God insisted
Read more

Psalm 51:4

Psalm 51:4 Deliberate sin In Genesis 20 we read the story of Abimelek and Abraham. The latter had passed off his wife Sarah as his sister and Abimelek had taken her with a view to her becoming his wife. The relationship was not consummated, and the Lord used a dream to reveal to Abimelek just what was going on. The insulted king pleaded innocence,  “I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands ” he said, to the Lord. And God agreed,  “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me.”  This is a big subject but there is clearly a difference between sinful intentions and deeds where the participant knows that he/she is doing wrong, and those occasions where an action is carried out in innocence.  David knew all along that every detail of his relationship with Bathsheba was sinful, as were his actions in the cover-up. Therefore, he sinned against the Lord God and broke the commandments which said that  “You shall not commit adul
Read more

Psalm 57:8

Psalm 57:8 Awake my soul! This verse calls on three different elements to wake up! It follows on from the previous statement that David intends to sing and make music. We can imagine him opening his eyes one morning and all is silent and dark. The first birds have not yet started to sing, and the eastern sky is not yet pink. In contrast to the days of despair and defeat David is ready for this day and he is going to celebrate. He may be living in a gloomy, dank cave but hope is at hand, God is with him and he will triumph over his enemies. Maybe some of his companions got a shock that morning as their leader launched his early morning praise assault on the kingdoms of darkness! ·        Awake my soul. ·        Awake, harp and lyre. ·        Awake – the dawn. Sometimes we have to address the inner man and let our minds take control of our emotions and our desires. The negatives can be defeated, the whispering doubts can be silenced, the tide of fear and trepidation can be driven back. A
Read more