Bull’s Eye

See my affliction and suffering and forgive all my offenses.  Psalm 25:18  Robert Alter translation

Offenses – hatta’t is the predominate Hebrew word for “sin.”  It is a picture of missing the mark, as if we each were shooting arrows at God’s target and missing the dead center bull’s eye.  Livingston notes the following insight:

“Thus like other words related to the notion of ‘sin’ it assumes an absolute standard or law. But, whereas pešaʿ signifies a ‘revolt against the standard,’ and ʿāwâ means either ‘to deviate from the standard’ or ‘to twist the standard,’ ḥātāʾ means ‘to miss, to fall short of the standard.’ The Greek word anomia ‘sin,’ consists of the privative prefix with the word for ‘law,’ thus ‘without law.’ Therefore judgment is implied, for the law in fact is binding even if the sinner thinks himself to be ‘without law.’”^[1]

Now you have the theological implications, but what about your personal application?  First, we must pay very close attention to Dwight Prior’s correction of our idea of law.  Yes, God does have an absolute standard.  Yes, we often fall short of it.  Yes, that standard is the Law—the Torah.  But, “No!” God is not a Judge who relishes the opportunity to mete out legal justice by demanding punishment for those who don’t shoot straight.  In fact, God is much more like the archery coach, providing careful instruction over every aspect of the aim and release so that His joy can be fulfilled in our accuracy.  God is not angry when we miss.  He is heartbroken.  Time to start training again so that we will hit the target and rejoice with Him.

If we read this verse in Psalm 25 as though David is pleading with God not to exact vengeance upon him for his mistakes, we will come away with the impression that God’s righteous anger waits to be poured out on sinners.  We will hear echoes of Jonathan Edward’s sermon scaring the hell out of us.  We will not recognize God as nourisher, coach, helper, advocate and champion of our intended righteousness.  And we certainly won’t feel comfortable coming into God’s presence with targets that demonstrate our lack of concentration.  If God must be appeased, we will avoid Him even if Yeshua has done the appeasing.  There is no comfort in being in the presence of a pacified God.

We will stop praying.  What is the point of prayer if God is upset with me?  We will stop studying.  Why study when I know that I am unworthy?  We will stop sacrificing.  Yeshua took care of that so I can avoid the feelings of guilt when I stand at the altar.  We will stop communicating.  There is nothing more psychologically settling than knowing that I am such damaged goods that someone else has to die for me.  In other words, we won’t be able to identify with David at all, except for the feelings of guilt that still condemn us.  We won’t see that David, despite his pitiful aim, still rushes into God’s presence because he knows the heart of a Father.  We will miss the beauty and comfort of tender correction—and of encouragement to try again.

Topical Index:  hatta’h, sin, guilt, judge, Father, aim, target, Psalm 25:18