The Judgment
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. Psalm 51:17 NASB
Broken and contrite – How would you recognize a broken and contrite heart? Is this just some kind of inner psychological state, a feeling you experience? Is it spiritual depression or humility? The Hebrew verbs help us identify what is happening here. The first (broken) is shabar, a verb that often describes God’s judgments. It is also used when God “breaks the yoke” of bondage or when He breaks pagan idols. Perhaps we can think of this verb in relation to God’s actions against anything unholy. If you are experiencing a broken heart, you are probably feeling the punishment of the Lord. It’s not a very pleasant thing even if the final result is a restored relationship.
The second verb is daka. TWOT notes, “The verb appears only in laments and is consistently used of one who is physically and emotionally crushed because of sin or the onslaught of an enemy.”[1] Here we note that the verb describes more than a mental state of distress. The experience involves both emotional and physical reactions. Perhaps we capture it best in the words “sick about sin.”
David uses two extremely powerful verbs of adversity in order to describe something God will not despise. The Hebrew suggests that the Lord will not undervalue or count as worthless this sort of agony. The opposite of despise is honor and David’s poem informs us that God honors our distress about sin. Doesn’t that strike you as odd? The Lord is the one who brings about this distress. His judgment precipitates our brokenness. Yet this is what He honors. He causes the very discomfort that He values highly. Are we just the victims of His actions or do we have some role to play in this cosmic drama?
Might we suggest the following: Certainly YHVH abhors sin in our lives. As a corrective Father, He responsibly engineers circumstances so that we are confronted with our disobedience. He pushes us toward repentance by making life very uncomfortable. We feel His judgment. So far He is the actor. But then things change. We choose. We choose to let this judgment propel us toward reconciliation or we choose to ignore His prodding and either battle or accommodate. If we choose to repent, we choose to feel the entire weight of our discomfort. We do not ignore the signs. We agonize. We hurt. We suffer—and in that suffering we find a God who honors our willingness to recognize and admit our unworthiness. As a result, we are restored to fellowship. The odd part of this little play is that until we suffer we cannot be renewed. But when we accept our suffering, God steps in on our behalf. The judgment of the Lord is counterintuitive. We are renewed by stepping into our grief, not by attempting to remove it. Do you want to know if you have a broken and contrite heart? Ask yourself if you agonize over sin.
Topical Index: broken, shabar, contrite, daka, sin, despise, Psalm 51:17
[1] Wolf, H. (1999). 428 דָּכָה. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament
Skip,
Here in Today’s Word the TWOT citation states that ‘daka’ appears “only in laments” whereas in your offering on Psalms 51:8 “Daily Grind” you state; “The verb is very rare, used only in Psalms”.
As I force my old eyes to focus in the wee hours of the morning, trying to get my mind to do the same…I have not gone any further to research if the citations are somehow both the same in some way. Or in context, perhaps I am missing the application of either statement. Hoping not to forget to analyze this at a more opportune time, is there any clarification you might offer?
Thanks, Rick
Both statements are true. It is used only in Psalms and only in laments (that it, Psalms that are laments).
“This verb is a by-form of the verb dkʾ, which also means “to crush,” and of dûk, “to pound, beat.” It is used only in Ps, twice in the Niphal (38:8 [H 9]; 51:17 [H 19]) and twice in the Piel (44:19 [H 20]; 51:8 [H 10]). The form in Ps 10:10 is disputed, though it is possibly a use of the Qal. Most versions render it “he crouches” (KJV, ASV), although “he is crushed” is also plausible.
The verb appears only in laments and is consistently used of one who is physically and emotionally crushed because of sin or the on slaught of an enemy.”
Wolf, H. (1999). 428 דָּכָה. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (189). Chicago: Moody Press.
Tough Love
~ If you are experiencing a broken heart, you are probably feeling the punishment of the Lord. It’s not a very pleasant thing even if the final result is a restored relationship ~
Please. Not to split hairs on dance on the head of a pin, but “punishment” and “chastisement” are miles apart. Criminals and children do not receive the same treatment. Chastisement is always with a view towards correction. Our goal in chastening our children is “maturity.” Our desire is for them is to grow up or mature to be productive, God-fearing citizens.
So much depends upon our “training.” Certainly our “early” training. A pit bull can turn either way, dependent upon the training received. Sometimes we have to be “untrained” in order to be trained! Discipline is certainly an art and God, our Father is certainly the Master of this art!! “May I have your full and undivided attention, please?” “For when the student is ready, the Teacher will show up!” Somehow, there is a connection between the “rod of correction” and our ability to hear what is being said. God never “yells” at us, but He does have many [perfect] Ways of getting our attention!! BTW, the “name of the game” is “Pay Attention!” May we never stop learning!!
~ We [children] don’t enjoy being disciplined. It always seems to cause more pain than joy. But later on, those who learn from that discipline have peace that comes from doing what is right ~ (Hebrews 12.11)
~To discipline [by rod and reproof] a child produces wisdom, but a mother [or father] is disgraced by an undisciplined child ~ (Proverbs 29.15)
~ Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the One who loves their children is careful to discipline them ~ (Proverbs 13.24)
Does God love us? Without a doubt, – Yes!! Since this is true, we may expect to be “chastened” or “disciplined” (can you see the word “disciple?”) by our Father. What is the purpose of our Father’s loving and wise “chastening?”
~ [Afterwards!] It yields the fruit of peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it. ~
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OcaZG_EPZk
What a beautiful song. Can’t believe I have not heard it before. Thanks, Carl!
“Until we suffer, we cannot be renewed… we are renewed by stepping into our grief.”
I don’t know about you, but I don’t like to wait until the axe falls. I want to DO SOMETHING before that happens. I anticipate the blow, and so I want to duck. I want renewal, and so I attempt to engineer the suffering on my own. Oh, the myriad ways we have invented to react wrongly to the fact of suffering! What to do about suffering…
Denial is the first stage of grief. I think we all try denial out first – “I don’t really have a problem: there isn’t a problem.” When that fails we attempt to redefine the problem so as to leave ourselves out of it. We try to bury the chain. We roll the sin dice for higher stakes: we trade in a little sin for a little more sin. We try to say it was never sin (redefine love ourselves), or is no longer sin (Jesus changed the definition of sin so now love means something different than it did before). When the guilt still overwhelms, then we turn to blame. Blame is a form of accusation, and thus it serves the Accuser. God does not accuse us, and it is not godly to turn to accusation ourselves, either. Blame is a tool of the devil, but, we use it. Why? Because blame puts off having to fix the problem. So, incidentally, do fear and shame. When we agree to these realities, we agree to continue to avoid facing dealing with the problem. Fear, shame, and guilt are supposed to alert us to the fact that we must do something RIGHT NOW, for death is in this place, but, what do we do instead? We invite those guests in, and accommodate them! We justify them! We agree with them and perpetuate them! We MEDICATE them.
I have come to the sad conclusion that all law-breaking is addictive; you can never be satisfied with just one; no, you have to continue justifying until you have broken them all. Also, as part of that addictive reality, sin puts us into an altered state of reality. Sin demands that we turn to altered states, because sin is insanity, and only in an altered state can we avoid recognizing or dealing with that insanity. Sin makes us crazy! We then seek out further altered states of reality, because we can no longer stand ourselves in the present; hey – we can no longer even show up in that present! I think we have been forbidden to seek out or indulge in altered states, because of the fact that what we are attempting to do in them is to avoid our misery, but it is only through that misery that we can get to a place where we are safe from that sin.
Suffering does produce righteousness, yes, but only when we are not initiating it OR TURNING TO OTHER SOURCES TO INITIATE IT. I can go pick up a board and smack myself in the face, and do penance rituals til the cows come home, but be no nearer my salvation than when I first began, but God! When I accept the misery as from His hand, then I can change, for it is only misery that can induce me to that change! When I can be persuaded to let that pet sin go out of my grubby little hand, then, and only then, can my Father destroy it without destroying me. Misery is where I turn loose, but when I do turn loose (which is the only purpose of that misery) then the misery ceases, for it was only the fracture that I was holding that was ever causing that misery. I think misery was designed as a self-corrective phenomenon. I would sit in my 12-step meeting and get told that suffering was optional, and wonder what they were talking about. Now I understand that I hold all the keys to that misery, and I can let them go.
Note to all pagans: the only thing the world has to offer as far as the understanding that I am holding the key to my misery, is to tell me that I must negate MYSELF to get rid of it. Incidentally, meditation practices are designed to teach us how to attempt to do just that, but the Bible does not teach us these ways. Instead, we are told to put something specific in our head to meditate (chew on our cud) with; namely the Word. Sin joins me to my misery, yes, and the world does not have a way to release me from it: instead it pushes me over the cliff with it. Salvation, on the other hand, says that sin can go, and I can stay. Now, I would call that a better deal! Halleluah!
“The odd part of this little play is that until we suffer we cannot be renewed….” This is a great blessing, being sensitive in our spirits being convicted of our errors, rather than to be in oblivion to what YHWH is trying to point us to- the refining process.
” We are renewed by stepping into our grief, not by attempting to remove it.” Nor by burying our heads into the sand, happily ignoring/ denying “the entire weight of our discomfort.” and… missing out of a great intended blessing of the correction.
Very sad if we are deprived of “both emotional and physical reactions” caused by our transgressions, thus being robbed of the grace and the very opportunity to being cleansed, and renewed.
“Until we are crushed like grapes, we cannot bring forth wine” is a wonderful song.
I know what the psalmist said about a contrite heart (regretting sin) not being despised; but, I wonder if a broken heart that is a result of suffering for some unknown (or known) reason can also be a sacrifice of sorts. Does sin have to be part of the picture here? Sometimes suffering draws us close to the Father. We draw near and worship in spite of our enormous pain and suffering while we are totally broken over things that are way beyond what we can control. I’m still thinking about your statement at fotVA that often people suffer because God knows they are strong and can take it. There has to be much more to it than that. I don’t think that’s always accurate. Perhaps it’s to make that person stronger and not because they are already strong. It’s probably multi-faceted if more than one person is involved. I must be incredibly chayil if the former is the case although that would be hard to imagine. Suffering in someone’s life may not be a result of that person’s sin, but the result of another person’s sin. When the Father disciplines or executes judgment, it can affect more than the offender. It can definitely affect others who may abhor the sin of the offender as well; it can cause them to be emotionally and physically crushed. What’s worse is the cycle of suffering may continue if the sinner refuses to repent. Long-term relief for those close to the sinner seems a lifetime away.
You make good points. It is not a simple answer. Sometimes I think we suffer FOR others. For example, it appears as if the suffering of Israel actually acts a expiation for the sins of others. The topic requires a great more diligent attention