Psalm 106:6

Psalm 106:6

We have sinned

This verse begins a depressing analysis of the history of Israel and the Jews. It begins in Egypt, and it ends, forty verses later, with their captivities under different nations. Throughout all of this the Lord God remains faithful and true to His promises whilst His people consistently rebel and violate His laws. The most disquieting factor is that the people were so quick to praise the Lord and to affirm their trust in Him, but they were just as quick to turn their backs on Him and go after other gods. When David brought the Ark of the Covenant up to Jerusalem for the first time, it was as if they had reached the pinnacle of their faith and trust in God Almighty. They sang together, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. … Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.”  1 Chronicles 16:34-36. The problem was that those words were soon forgotten, the love of the Lord was spurned, His everlasting covenant was ignored, the lures of foreign gods were more attractive! 

It is so easy, for believers in Yeshua, to say and sing the right words in heady, public events when the music and the songs are captivating, and the Holy Spirit is at work. The Lord urges us to enjoy such occasions, but the reality of our faith is revealed when we are alone, when we grapple with the difficulties of life, when the enemy plants lures before us and whispers that there are better and more pleasing gods that we may worship. True faith is about remaining loyal to our God when the chips are down, it is about serving Him and remaining obedient when the temptations are rife, it’s about staying true to His Word when the world offers what appear to be better options. If we fail, and we all have, then let this verse be our guide for we must return to the Lord and admit our sin. As John writes, “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9. 

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