September 20 I Monday

Ecclesiastes 4-6

2 Corinthians 12

“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”   —Psalm 19:14

Psalm 19 begins with cosmic worship as the heavens declare the glory of God before it moves into encountering the God of creation through His Word. As David goes deeper into his own experience, God’s Word not only reveals God, but it also reveals our sinful desires to ourselves. David says, “But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults” (Psalm 19:12). In light of God’s Word, David is aware of his own sinful tendencies. He recognizes that he has blind spots and a lack of awareness. Then David prays, “Keep Your servant also from wilful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression” (Psalm 19:13).

      There are a few words in Hebrew for sin, iniquity or transgression. Sin is simply missing the mark, like taking the wrong turn. Iniquity is like willfully driving off the road after taking the wrong turn, where there is a little more intentionality to it. Transgression is like the “big” sin, where one is deliberately and rebelliously driving in the wrong direction.

      In Psalm 19:13, David asks God to help him not fall into willful sin, because the Scriptures reveal to us that when we willingly participate in sin, it can end up ruling over us and lead to great transgression. Sin is never interested in a peer-to-peer relationship. As we give ourselves over to it and participate willfully, it becomes a master-slave relationship. Hence, David goes to God asking for help. Our God is not a distant God far removed from us, but one who comes and dwells with us. He came in the person of Jesus Christ to reveal who God is, to die on our behalf on the cross for our sins, our iniquities and our transgressions. David invites God to guide and keep him from sin. We see this in the New Testament, where Christ gives the Holy Spirit to sustain us, empower us, remind us and prompt us to holiness.

      David closes the psalm by adding his voice to the worship: “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14). He has gone from the grand design of the cosmos to this mystery of a covenant relational God who is present with him, from a recognition of his inability to walk in God’s way to grateful humility before his Redeemer. Psalm 19 is a remarkable journey; it reminds us that the God of the cosmos is the God of the covenant, and He is the God who is our Rock and our Redeemer.

Prayer: Gracious God, thank You for sending Jesus to die on my behalf on the cross for my sins, my iniquities and my transgressions. You are indeed my Rock and my Redeemer. Praise You!