Undeserving
Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Psalm 25:16 NASB
Be gracious – Do you deserve God’s help? Most of us will answer, “No.” We know our failings only too well. If God rewards those who are obedient, we strike out. In fact, according to Paul, everyone does. There’s not a righteous man among us, at least not in the sense that we have earned the favor of God. If that’s the case, how can David beg God to be gracious? Certainly David is no less free from sin than any of the rest of us, yet he somehow has the audacity to ask for compassionate restoration. How is this possible?
The answer is: ḥānan. “The verb ḥānan depicts a heartfelt response by someone who has something to give to one who has a need.”[1] The critically important element of ḥānan is that the response is predicated solely upon the need to the receiving party. There is no necessity for the one receiving this favor to have any right to it. The giver simply responds to the need because he is able to do so. This is a “no-strings-attached” decision. It is similar to the feelings and choices that you and I make when we show favor to someone struggling with daily living. We may never know the person’s name. We may never know the circumstances that caused the suffering. And we may subsequently go on our way without requiring or expecting anything more from the person. We simply showed favor because of an internal desire to help. That was enough. And it’s also enough for God. He is able and He desires to show His favor, not because we are deserving in any way but simply because we are pitiful and helpless.
This characteristic is one of the attributes God assigns to himself in those momentous words uttered to Moses (Exodus 34:6-7). God is a god of ḥānan. No further explanation is necessary. When David appeals for graciousness, he knows that he is addressing a fundamental trait of YHVH. He doesn’t have to justify his appeal on any other grounds. In fact, he cannot justify it on any other grounds. If YHVH were not such a god (and there were many pagan gods who did not have this characteristic), David’s plea would be in vain.
Now we might comprehend the magnificence of David’s intuition about God’s character. You and I, just like David, know loneliness and affliction. That we deserve! As a result, we know despair (if we allow ourselves to search the depths). But this is a despair that has no human solution. It is a fundamental disconnection from my world, my neighbors and myself. And only the Creator, the beneficent Creator, can put us back together again. Why does He do this? Because He wants to. Is that enough for you?
Topical Index: ḥānan, be gracious, Psalm 25:16
[1] Yamauchi, E. (1999). 694 חָנַן. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament .
Enough for me
YHVH is so very good compassionate and understanding it’s really incomprehensible from our perspective. Consider Gideon cowering in the threshing floor, along comes the word of YHVH “oh mighty man of God”. I relate to this. Much of my life has been founded, even developed based on standing in, professing, expressing what the word says I am. Yes I know “you worm Jacob” is in there too. But the creative, life sustaining benedictions in the word are what I choose to advance. This is not to deny, ignore gloss over the very real pain, suffering, struggles and losses common to our shared humanity. We feel these profoundly and much of our chrachter is formed by our responses to them. But the Character of Messiah is created by our alignment with and adherence to his word way and spirit, mostly when we don’t feel it or feel worthy of or able to stan or belite it. My default mode is now to advance from a confidence in his abilities to hold and keep me, this has come from knowing profoundly my disabilities. Hose 2:15 tells us “I will give you the Valley of Achor as a door of hope” This is Mm testomony. My hope, strength and faith has grown because I refuse to camp in the Valley of Achor. The valley named for swallowing up Anech who rebelled , his name means Truble. The valley of truble also was the garbage dump smoldering with piles of ashes “outside the gates” of Jerusalem. Suley this place is where, but for the grace of YHVH I belong, and by that grace I will not be moved to return there no mAtter how deserving, nor how loudly the accusers suggest it shold be my home. It has bEcole my dor of hopen for I passume though it to the gates of Zion…
Ugh , “Surely this place is where, but for the grace of YHVH I belong. By that grace I will not return there, nor stop long on my way through it, no matter how deserving, nor how loudly the Accusers suggest it should be my home . It has become my door of hope, for I pass through it on my way to the gates of Zion.” Zion now is to be my home not the valley of Truble.