The Departed
As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12 NASB
Removed – How far is sunrise from sunset? A day’s journey? Or is it more than that? Is it a distance that cannot be traversed? Does sunrise ever meet sunset to share a moment of reminiscing? Never! The psalmist writes eloquently that as far as sunrise is from sunset, so far has YHVH removed our transgressions from us. We will never meet them again.
The Hebrew verb David employs is rahaq. Basically it means, “to be far, be distant, be removed.” It is the verb used for the warning to stay far away from pagans and their gods. William White notes, “Isaiah gives the root rāḥaq its most profound meaning in the five occurrences which appear. In the first usage (46:13), God’s righteousness will not “be far,” in the second (49:19) the enemies which had troubled Judah during her affliction shall be “far away” so as not to trouble her anymore. In the third usage (54:14) oppression itself shall be removed “far off.” In the last two occurrences (59:9, 11), God’s judgment is again in view and the root refers to the separation which sin causes to come between God and his people. In these five uses in Isaiah, the verb receives its ultimate meaning for the theology of the ot.”[1]
Perhaps Isaiah borrowed a little from David. If there were ever a man who needed to know that his sins were far removed so that he could once again draw close, it would be David—or you and me. What does it mean to have our iniquities described as rahaq? Frankly, the concept is very difficult for us to imagine. You see, we remember! Over time the memory may fade, but it never quite disappears. And we encounter reminders. Our view of sins removed is merely temporary. Theologically we may know that God no longer views them, but we do. So the idea that they are as distant from us as sunrise is to sunset is in many respects proleptic. It anticipates a day when the reality of forgetfulness will mean utterly forgotten, never to come to mind again. In that day, the real results of forgiveness will be manifest in the sinner.
But what do we do in the meanwhile? In the meanwhile we must act on the basis of this promise. We must do as Brother Lawrence did, confess immediately and go on with living in His presence. One of the greatest ploys of the yetzer ha’ra is to convince us that we are still guilty because we remember what we did. It takes persistent spiritual discipline to enforce the promise of YHVH rather than listen to our own inner voices, but it is absolutely crucial to do so. Otherwise we will defeat ourselves in the process of drawing near.
Topical Index: removed, rahaq, Psalm 103:12, Isaiah 46:13; 49:19; 54:14; 59:9, 11
[1] White, W. (1999). 2151 רָחַק. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament.
What a great insight! It does indeed take discipline to not allow past sins to define us and it is worth every bit of effort many times over.
I spent many years in chronic depression because of not knowing anything about the kind of spiritual discipline taught here.
There is no one on the planet more grateful than me to not be bound up in depression at all now, and it is largely because someone taught me about the idea that Skip is promoting in his post above!
Get a hold of the idea and do something with it every day and in fact, many times every day.
Richard, amen! Those memories are profound, and, if it is like my case, where I got up and used the thought of my past failures to drive my present actions, the past can so completely cripple the present that the future just dies in the borning. Guilt has great power! The memory of guilt has great power, too! How do we tell the difference? Good question!
I also think depression is driven by memories of the past. I have noticed that, such as in the use of something called selective amnesia by the armed forces in their treatment of returning soldiers with PTSD and crippling depression, people have realized that we have to do something about those memories. Either we have to remove them from us, or we have to remove ourselves from them. I was depressed because I was horrified by the past; specifically, by the memory of my failures in that past. My confidence in the present, much less the future, was shattered by that self-horror. I was depressed because I could find in my self no trust of myself; I knew better! The whip I used to drive my own righteousness – my attempt to love in the present – was despair. I loved like a drowning person. It was scary love; even to me!
What typically gives depression its power, so I was taught, is deep conflict at the spirit and soul level, and a lack of self esteem that is uncoupled to the present; in other words, you don’t like yourself, and you don’t even need to know why. Depression is all about ME. It requires a narcissistic focus on myself, and my reaction to myself. Depression, in fact, is where the church of Self decides that death or the end of the world is much too far away for paying hell: hell, Judgment Day is NOW! I beat myself up every day. I used self-hatred driven by self-rejection, for we hate all that we do not identify with, and I was an alien in my world. That left me very afraid of myself, anxious about myself, and so totally stressed out by even the thought that I would have to rely on my own lungs for my next breath, say, that I could not even bring my mind to think about it! I lacked faith in my next breath, because I knew that if it were up to me AT ALL, I would not even be able to breathe. I thought that my self hatred was only just, given the level that I knew I was failing at. People who don’t even try have depression, I know, for the depression convinces them not to, but people who try their very hardest, and fail, have even more!
I would like to say something to people who struggle with depression. I would like to say that I know there are people in this world who fail at love, but who find a way to blow it off by blaming others. Depressed people blame themselves. If others done me wrong, I hate them. If I was the one, I hate myself. But, if I was wrong, then that also gives me something to do about it. Depression is a hallmark of the church of Self, for only when we worship ourselves could we ever think that we could judge and condemn ourselves. 1John 3:20 says that if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows all things. I have to excommunicate myself from that church, and start going to a church where there is Someone bigger than my heart, and Who knows ALL things. Y’all, I finally realized I don’t know nuttin’! Whew! What a relief!
To walk back out from depression is to recognize that I am depressed in all the places I am still worshiping self because, as much as I don’t like or trust myself, I am afraid of trusting God more. I have to find a way to repent for that first. Anything that I can identify that has the word self in front of it, whether it is self hatred, self rejection, self condemnation, or any action (or reaction!), just about, of self directed at self, is going to wrong, guaranteed, for we do not know how to love ourselves as we ought, and so all self-directed activity is going to be unloving. No kidding! I have to learn how to hang onto my Father’s love for me, and learn to love myself through His love, for that is a love I can trust. Halleluah!
Will I drown in the shallowness of sin, despair, hatred toward self and others; or, will I dive into the depths of the King’s love, forgiveness, and acceptance . . . and live?
I came forth into a home that sustained hatred toward self and others. Then I was part of a church system in my teenage years which amplified exponentially this road of destruction. When one tries to walk in relationship with YHWH, self, others, and the world around you with these twisted ropes of hatred toward self and others; well, it is a journey of anger, anguish, and great despair for you and others.
Thank you, YHWH, for not giving up on me! The journey continues and is still unfolding!
I have had a strong tendency in my journey to focus on my sins and failures of the past. I am in the process of changing this tendency. How am I doing this seemingly impossible task? My family is now fasting and praying together. This has catapulted me into some life changing moments. I have also rediscovered transparency (no hiding) with my wife and child. These simple steps have led to the advancement of the kingdom of heaven in my life and the life of my family.
And through this process, YHWH’s word is coming alive to me once again. What has profoundly impacted me is the realization of the Father’s desire for me to draw near/come near. He has always made provision for His people to draw near/come near. He always wants us close! He always wants to be close! The Father knows His house is the best place for me/us to be.
My family is facing huge obstacles at this time. I am here; I am near; I am choosing to stand and see the advancing of the kingdom in our lives.