Allocution

If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?  But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared.  Psalm 130:3-4 NASB

Feared– Let’s fix this translation. Yes, the word is yārēʾ and it can be translated “fear” but is that what the psalmist is really saying?  Is he saying that because YHVH overlooks our guilt and forgives we will fear Him, or is yārēʾ to be understood as “worship,” as the phrase “God-fearer” would imply?  Does forgiveness engender trepidation or devotion?  It seems to me that the choice should be “that You may be worshipped.”

Why worship YHVH?  Notice the psalmist’s reasoning.  If God actually keeps the score of our ‘āwōnot (iniquities), then we truly are lost, hopelessly condemned and without recourse.  But we admit this!  We are sinners.  We are not avoiding the subject and we are drawing attention to the obvious conclusion.  Finished!  Done for!  No excuses!  The point the psalmist is making is that no one survives God’s scrutiny.  Paul says pretty much the same thing a thousand years later.  But this is only the opening premise.  The next step is the one that matters.

God forgives.

Actually, it’s a bit more than that.  God’s character is defined by sĕlîḥâ (forgiveness).  It isn’t just that God relent sand makes allowances for our miserable performance.  It’s that He loves to forgive.  He is the God of second chances.  He is most divine when He pardons.  TWOT notes: “This verb, together with a few others, such as bāraʾ“to create,” is used in Scripture solely of God. sālaḥ is used of God’s offer of pardon and forgiveness to the sinner. Never does this word in any of its forms refer to people forgiving each other.”^[1]  That tells us something important.  This is a God-only activity.

Now the psalmist’s reasoning takes full shape.  We are miserable non-performers.  Everyone, including God, knows it.  But, as the prayer of Manasseh says, God is most glorified when He does what no one else can do, namely, forgive the unforgiveable.  It’s not the righteous that make God’s character stand out above all others.  It’s the sinner.  To forgive those who most deservedly are convicted glorifies God as the truly compassionate Father like no other action.  And since those who most deserve punishment are most willing to praise the One who removes that specter of disaster, it is sinners whose praise is most valued.

So join me.  My name is _____________.  I am a sinner forgiven by the most gracious God whose name is worthy of all my praise.

Topical Index: sĕlîḥâ, forgiveness, glorify, sinner, Psalm 130:3-4

^[1]Kaiser, W. C. (1999). 1505 סָלַח. 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.) (626). Chicago: Moody Press.