C, The Third Sunday after Epiphany - Psalm 19:12-14 "Presumptuous Sins"
These are the words
of King David. Why does he end this psalm
in this way? We’ve all heard variations
of these words before. Usually as a
prayer… May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be
acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our
rock and our redeemer. Amen.
Often prayed at the
beginning of a sermon, pastors pray that they preach God’s word acceptably in his
sight, to the congregation. Hopefully,
this preaching comes about through the pastor allowing the Holy Spirit to guide
his meditations in God’s word, so what is preached is what the Lord God needs
his people to hear. So therefore,
pastors pray that the hearer’s meditations are also acceptable to the Lord, our
Rock and Redeemer.
So why does David
end the psalm this way? He wants to be
blameless and innocent of great transgression. Why does the pastor pray this
way? Pastors, faithful to the word of
God, know they are accountable to God for what is taught and preached to God’s
people.
In the letter to
the Hebrews we hear, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for
they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an
account.” (Hebrews 13:17a ESV)
And from the
epistle of James, “Not many of you should become teachers, my
brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater
strictness.” (James 3:1 ESV)
Although David has
many liberties as king, he knew as the leader of the liturgical congregation of
Israel, David does not presume anything.
He does not gauge his blamelessness nor his innocence by his position or
how he feels! But rather, he is
counselled by the warnings in God’s word, spoken by the likes of Samuel and
Nathan, and those who came before.
Again, we should
ask, “why does he the king, listen to God’s word of warning?” David knows his true hidden self, in the face
of God’s word! He is a leader in
constant learning in the face of death.
David does not have to think too hard to remember, both his failures,
and the forgiveness of his failures. He
also knows his rise to power came at the Lord’s hand, in the wake of King
Saul’s presumption, removal from leadership, and death.
King David knew he
was a sinful man forgiven and sustained by God after his lustful adultery with
Bathsheba and its coveting that led to the murder of her husband Uriah the
Hittite. Just as Nathan the prophet was
sent to call David out for these sins, David knew of Saul’s fate sealed by the
judge and prophet Samuel who revoked his life and leadership saying, “For
rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and
idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected
you from being king.” (1
Samuel 15:23 ESV)
David knew that being
presumptuous was deadly and he didn’t want what happened to Saul, to happen to
him. Like David, we cannot declare
ourselves innocent nor blameless, nor do we want our death to be eternal. The knowledge of death brings a baptised
Christian back to the foot of the cross, where like David, we seek the mercy of
he who created all things, and continues to sustain us and his creation,
despite our corruption and creation’s corruption.
This knowledge of
death comes as a shock to humanity who’ve made the presumption that their
goodness will save them from death.
Especially those who no longer believe God exists, nor created life,
justice, and love. Without God, life is
shallow and hopeless. Without God,
justice is every man for himself. And
without God, love is nothing more than human yearnings, boiling in the bowels
of desire.
In fact, this is
the definition of presumption. The
Hebrew word for presumption is the same word for cooking or boiling stew. This reminds us of the presumption of both
Esau and Jacob when Esau despised and sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl
of boiling stew. Like Esau, we all know how the smell of boiling food can
entice presumptuous desires within us.
Similarly, like Jacob, we know how to act with hidden deceit, cooking up
presumptuous plans to get what we want, to get our own way!
But these are not God’s
way. Presumption is meditation without
Godly wisdom. Presumption takes the will
and ways of the heart and leads a person to death. Presumption works in the realm of unwise
jealousy and selfish ambition. As we
hear, “This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly,
unspiritual, demonic.” (James
3:15 ESV)
How often does your
frustrations lead you to presume you’re better than your neighbour, to force
your way as the way! This is playing
God. Our presumption works contrary to
God’s word, especially the wisdom and meekness of God’s word implanted
within. Presumption opposes the way of
Jesus. Presumption uses the truth of Jesus’
word to serve one’s own imperfect truth. And presumption foolishly leads one to believe
the human spirit over against the Holy Spirit for life.
This is why like
King David we call out to God and pray, “Create in me a clean heart, O
God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.” (Psalm 51:10–12 ESV)
Three times David
says, renew a right spirit within me,
take not your Holy Spirit from me, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Like
David, every believer’s spirit needs to be sustained by the Holy Spirit. Presumption makes us forget we are human, or
at least what being human is, and tricks us into putting God aside in favour of
everything else. Presumption makes fools
of us!
Being recreated,
not cast away through repentance and forgiveness, restored and upheld by the
Holy Spirit, David says, “Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.”
(Psalm 51: 13 ESV)
And he does just
that here in Psalm nineteen. Don’t be
fazed by the numbering of the Psalms.
They were liturgically ordered and numbered years later. Nevertheless, David reigned thirty-three
years in Israel, and constantly struggled with the sins of his humanity,
especially within, when threatened from others, tempting him to look to himself
instead of God.
And so, David not
only teaches the congregation of Israel. But he himself is taught by the words
of this psalm and others he authored and authorised for use as he leads the
congregation in Jerusalem.
From Isaiah
sixty-two Jesus proclaims, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he
has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim
liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty
those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” (Luke 4:18–19 ESV)
After saying this
he says, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4: 21 ESV)
David sought not to
be presumptuous and trusted the Holy Spirit to lead him with the Word of
God. In meekness, Jesus came to implant
the fulfilment of his word within us.
The Holy Spirit was upon Jesus to do this, and the Holy Spirit continues
to work faith within us and remove presumption from within.
We hear in James, “Therefore
put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the
implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” (James 1:21 ESV)
Jesus is the Word
made flesh implanted in us by the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit counsels us to remain in what we’ve received through
being baptised into Jesus’ wisdom and meekness.
This is the wisdom and meekness that overcomes your humanity, your
presumption.
The words of Psalm
nineteen are fulfilled in Jesus, as are all of the Psalms.
Jesus perfects the
law of the Lord, reviving the
soul; Jesus’ testimony is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts or
teachings of Jesus are right, rejoicing the heart. Jesus has kept the commandments of the Lord pure, enlightening our eyes, to
allow the Holy Spirit’s enduring cleansing with Christlike meekness and
wisdom. The rules of the Lord’s law of liberty are true, and
righteous altogether. More to be desired is Jesus than gold, even much fine
gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by Jesus’ words is your servant
warned; in keeping them there is great eternal reward. Let us pray.
Dear Lord Jesus
Christ, by ourselves we cannot discern the errors of our human spirit from the
new person you have recreated each of us to be!
Thank you for daily sending the Holy Spirit with your implanted word, to
expose and set each of us free from the desires and deeds that frustrate and
cause us to seek our own way. You declare
me, and other repentant sinners, innocent from hidden faults. Help us to believe this equally of ourselves
and of others. Keep back your servants, from presumptuous sins seething within;
let them not boil up and have dominion over us! In feeling the bubbling dread of our guilt, lead
us to innocence through the confession of our transgressions.
Lord Jesus, let the words of your mouth and the meditations of your heart be sweet desirable honey and gold in my life, and in the lives of this congregation, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.
