“You must be blameless before the Lord your God” Deuteronomy 18:13

Blameless is a Social Concept

Blameless – The basic idea behind the Hebrew word tamam is “to be complete”.  When it is translated as “blameless”, it carries the idea of something that is free from impurity.  That’s why this word is often used about animal sacrifices.  Sometimes the word is associated with morally upright behavior.  That’s the way that David uses it when he says that he will walk blamelessly in his house.  But we tend to think of something else when we hear the word “blameless”.  We think about sinless perfection.  And thinking like this might create a big problem for understanding the Old Testament.

Does God want you to be sinless?  Of course He does.  If you are going to be holy, your life must become more and more like Him.  But human beings have a tendency to turn the goal into the method.  We begin to act as though perfectionism can be legislated and achieved here and now.  We easily slip toward the Pharisees when we think that it’s just a matter of following all the rules.

Job is the pre-eminent example of a blameless man.  In fact, this Hebrew word is used to describe him more than once.  But in the end we see that even blameless Job admits he has sinned.  He repents and is restored.  Blamelessness doesn’t even mean sinless perfection in the Old Testament’s most blameless man.  If this is true, then what does “blameless” mean?

An Old Testament man’s claim to be blameless was a claim about social relations.  It was like saying, “I have nothing to do with the wicked.  I keep myself away from all the unrighteous.”  It was a statement about my social circle.  It was a claim that I choose my friendships with others on the basis of God’s point of view.

Let that sink in a bit.  Do you see that this implies that we can become guilty (the opposite of blameless) by association?  This Hebrew word is both a statement and a warning.  Be careful whom you hang around.  Wickedness has a way of rubbing off.  If you want to be blameless, you have to make social choices too.  It’s not just about what you do.  It’s also about whom you choose.

Are you socially blameless?