David and the Midrash
“With reproofs You chasten a man for iniquity; You consume as a moth what is precious to him; surely every man is a mere breath.” Selah. Psalm 39:11 NASB
Reproofs– The apostolic letters don’t stray far from roots in the Tanakh. We should not be surprised. The letters are commentary on the Bible of the apostles, the Tanakh. So when we read something like this (below), we should immediately seek connections to the ancient authors of Scripture. And the author of Hebrews doesn’t disappoint. Notice the similarity, especially the combined citation found in the second part of this passage.
You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
Nor faint when you are reproved by Him;
For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines,
And He scourges every son whom He receives.”[1]
A quick search reveals that the idea of discipline is found in Deuteronomy 8:5, Psalm 94:12, Psalm 119:75, Proverbs 3:11-12, and here, in Psalm 39. Paul follows the same idea in his comment to Timothy. “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;” (2 Timothy 3:16). In all these instances, the context is positive, but here, in Psalm 39, it appears that “reproofs” for iniquity swallow up the man so there is nothing left. The Hebrew term means “judgment, decision, rebuke” or “correction.” Why does David feel, in this instance, that what would otherwise be essential for spiritual growth now seems to bring death (“You consume as a moth”)?
Remember the audience! David sets reproofs (tôkēḥot) in the context of “iniquity” (ʿāwōn), not “sin” (ḥaṭṭāʾt). What is the difference?
ʿāwōn:
The basic meaning of the verb, “to bend, twist, distort,” can be seen in its concrete, non-theological uses: “I am bent over” (Niphal) (Ps 38:7); “the lord lays the earth waste, devastates it; and he ruins (Piel) it” (Isa 24:1). From this primary notion it derives the sense “to distort, to make crooked, to pervert”:[2]
ḥaṭṭāʾt
The basic meaning of the root is to miss a mark or a way. . . The verb has the connotation of breach of civil law, i.e. failure to live up to expectations[3]
David’s audience is not judged for infractions of civil law. His royal court has a much deeper problem, i.e., rebellion, the twisting of circumstances for personal gain. David is addressing an attitude of wickedness, not individual indiscretions. Therefore, these reproofs consume. They burn up this buried rebellion by melting away obstinacy and denial. The audience is exposed through the admissions of the king. David faces his own deep rebellion and admits that his life requires consuming reproofs. If the king can reveal such personal guilt, won’t the audience be forced to follow suit? Pretense and denial are impossible now.
Perhaps we can find ourselves in David’s audience. Before those reproofs can have a positive effect, they must first consume our twisted and bent condition. Oh, and by the way, the same word is used in the crucial description of the character of YHVH in Exodus 34:7. He is the One who forgives twisted and bent. There is still hope.
Topical Index: tôkēḥot, reproofs, ʿāwōn, iniquity, twist, bend, ḥaṭṭāʾt, sin, Psalm 39:11
[2]Schultz, C. (1999). 1577 עָוָה. R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament(electronic ed., p. 650). Chicago: Moody Press.
[3]Livingston, G. H. (1999). 638 חָטָא. R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament(electronic ed., p. 277). Chicago: Moody Press.
All Scripture “IS” inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;” (2 Timothy 3:16
The meaning of this verse is a problem for many, because it would suggest the entire
(English Holy bible) is “Inspired by God”
However take away the added word not found in the Greek “is” and maybe put a comma after “by God” and it makes a lot more sense
So would sin be the action of disconnection or fracture; and iniquity be the resulting state of that disconnection, or brokenness (at least until the sin is repented and restituted for)?
Setting a broken bone straight is painful. Setting a self bent(!) on itself straight is painful, too.
I believe all sin is self focused. Dying to self, then, is HOW we turn our gaze back on our real Lover. It feels like death because it is. And, like killing off a yeast overgrowth or a bacterial infection, it takes time, because we can’t get rid of the toxic stuff faster than we can stand to deal with the resulting debris and toxins that that die off creates. Also, our identity has to be renewed back into the Creator’s image. If we go too fast, I think we can lose our sense of identity altogether (which could possibly be what David is trying to describe?). I think this may be why the Good Shepherd says He paces the progress to the weakest parts. This is also why I believe none of us can determine the progress of righteousness for another. Too many people, I have seen, that try to tell somebody else how to get rid of sin just seem to end up overwhelming them in toxic shame and disorienting them by making them lose their sense of who they are.
David was obviously more inclined to jump off the deep end; but, then, that was who he was. I would like to say that I think not everybody can handle that approach. Some of us are lambs instead of rams (like David?), after all. Some of us need to be nurtured out of oblivion, not pushed off the dock. Not everybody is a David, I would like to say. Surely only the Shepherd can truly know who is who. And, I trust Him. Halleluah!
I can really relate to what you are saying here, Laurita, in a number of ways . Your reference beginning with “too many people ….” is confirming to me because I have found that as I am privileged to shepherd a certain amount of sheep, it is easy to fall into the fix it trap of majoring on getting rid of the sin in their lives. I think this takes the focus off of the heart, out of which all of these things proceed and emphasis gets put on performance/works. Cleaning up or out/DIY. Then we are simply trying to gussy up ourselves and others to be presentable, instead of cleansed. God always seems to work from the inside out. We tried to get rid of the weed by cutting it off instead of taking the time to deal with the roots which produce the weed. Graham Cooke says, “ it’s not what’s wrong, it’s what’s missing”. I think this helps us to have the correct focus. God help me to let him into the recesses of my being where the issues to some of my struggles are hidden. David said, “search me oh God and know my heart, try me and know my thoughts ….. see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting”. Also I feel a scripture that ties in here is Matthew 6:33. He tells us to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and then all of these things will be added unto us. Prioritizing. So waiting on the Lord, sitting in his presence is so crucial to allow the Holy Spirit to do his work in our lives. I have always liked Hebrews 4:12-13. To me, it describes the whole process of what the word of God does with in us. It’s a beautiful and powerful passage. I appreciate it in the amplified version. The power of God’s word. The counselor or therapist of God, resident within us. We are transformed by the renewing of our minds, this renewing occurs as the word of God is allowed access into our hearts and minds. A download of data that changes the programs, we have operated with . Constant upgrading and changing process going on within us. For it is God who works in us, both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
In regards to your comment about God pacing our progress. I have found that to be true more and more as time goes on. He majors on the majors…. and as time goes on and change occurs, he seems to go on to the next concern. What we see as important or crucial and so often the thing that we are trying to rid ourselves of, is the very thing that is causing us to grow and develop. We are to let patience have its perfect work,( this includes allowing God’s work in the lives of those we are privileged to work with) that we might be perfect and entire, wanting nothing! Now that’s a mouthful! The promise is to us, that he would perfect that which concerns us ! The author and finisher of our salvation.
Thank you Skip for this incredible teaching and for your invaluable insights and understanding.
Thank you God, for Skip! Truly a gift to the body of Christ !
Quote “David is addressing an attitude of wickedness….” end quote
It’s so subtle, yet pervasive in our gathering places, this “attitude of wickedness“. I call it a spirit, a spiritual stronghold, to be more precise. And it is not blatant, it’s so subtle as to be acceptable and yet, if your press on it with Truth, with Scripture, it is glaring.
Unmistakable.
Error is taught from the front (pulpit) and the innocents in the pews pick it up and carry it out in their lives, like a virus. Understanding Scripture in the culture and context of the time could pretty much eradicate these misconceptions but that would mean those in power would have to adjust their paradigms.
I see these things floating around on fb and instagram where people are proclaiming “wrong can not be made right, sin can not be made holy, even if every one is doing it or agrees with it” and the very people who are posting them are in agreement with stuff that Torah shames.
Teaching and believing Scriptural error, even if everyone has been teaching and believing for decades, centuries, won’t make it holy.
Heresy will always be heresy and until those pushing it figure out that yes, they are wrong and make the necessary adjustments….
Heresy will be the status quo in many churches.
WAMB, You noted that “error is taught from the front (pulpit) and the innocents in the pews pick it up and carry it out in their lives, like a virus.” Maybe we can call it “Heresy by Hearsay”.
Great observations, Where are my boots.
I have been meditating on the Body; specifically on how we have been given an allegory of something to be found in nature, which are, of course actual bodies. We see that differing members of the Body of Christ have different functions, such as the heart or the hand, but lately science has discovered a hidden world of life inside all bodies: the microbiome. I have begun to wonder if the microbiome might not better represent how the lives of individual people contribute to the collective Body of Christ.
It is estimated that less than 1% of the genetics we depend on each day come from our own genome: we depend upon genetic functions of all those ‘alien’ lives living inside us. It gets stranger: it is now starting to appear that most metabolic (think chronic) diseases are malfunctions of the mitochodrial genome (which is completely independent of our own genome and reproduces itself independently, too), and not of our ‘own’. Even stranger, stuff called “biofilm”; consisting of a mat of interacting species of organisms can collect around toxins such as heavy metals, and use those toxins (including toxins that they exude, too) to build an impenetrable fortress that the body cannot break down and detoxify. Yet, we are completely dependent upon these individual organisms, as a whole, for life itself, and all of them are supposed to ‘understand’ (work together) to keep us – their ‘host’ – alive, for when we tank, so do they.
Back to the biofilm and your groups of toxic folks subscribing to (protecting?) heresy and other wicked collective mindsets (spiritual toxins for the Body). Is this a subset of spiritual wickedness making the Body sick instead of contributing life through obedience to love?
I think the definition of wickedness is simple: anything that does not keep the Body alive and healthy is wickedness. I am not going to say “heresy” because that word is dependent upon perspective. Heresy is bad if it is questioning the good, but vital if it is questioning the bad, right?
It is hard to realize that “I” cannot have true life unless my Host Body is providing me with it, but it cannot have life unless I am providing my own life for the good of all (“one”). “All for one, and one for all” is probably not a concept we learned from our Greek heritage, however….
Laurita you have now nicely explained what Paul wrote in Eph 4 to 6 and 1 Cor. 12. I also find it amazing that each bodily part needs the other part for the body to function according to its created intent. The most awesome revelation you have just made is that there exists another life independent of ours that determines our wellness and lifespan. When I relate this to the body of anointed individuals I do not find this independent living organisms but rather a God orchistrated intent that makes a certain united or anointed function purposeful for a specific period.
A lot of depth in this God created reality of the living organisms we have no control over for if we kill it we will also harm ourselves. Think of a cancer cell you previously posted on. Also a very deep reality.
These organisms cannot really harm us until they overgrow or are fed through our malnutrition or tampered with forcing them to grow at alarming rate…
Thank you for sharing your very interesting research hobby.
Dr. Lewis Thomas, the famous biologist quipped: “The man who catches a meningococcus is in considerably less danger for his life.. than meningococci with the bad luck to catch a man”.
I wonder if YHWH doesn’t sometimes feel “unlucky” or even sick to His stomach for having “caught” some of us? At least He has a better Healthcare plan for ME than me.