Penitence

by R. Hickling, Nottingham, England | Category: Meditations In The Psalms | May 1990

In his first letter, the apostle John makes a succinct statement of the utmost importance to a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. John writes, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8).

Our eternal salvation is not in question here; John's words relate to the day by day sin which we commit, whether wittingly or unwittingly. As believers we sometimes sing:

And they who fain would serve Thee best

Are conscious most of wrong within.

As children of God, we should not deceive ourselves, but be alert to recognize the sin "which doth so easily beset us", and in view of it, should be characterized by a spirit of penitence.

Continuing, John writes, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). This brings before us not only the importance of the consciousness of sin, contrition and confession, but also, that penitence has in view forgiveness and restoration both of communion and service.

The Old Testament Scriptures contain examples of some who, although walking closely with God, knew times of sin and failure. Such a one was David. In the Psalms we can read the outpourings of David's soul as he passed through times of spiritual dearth and sin. Such psalms are instructive for the believer today, as we trace the pattern of God's dealings with His sinning or downcast servants.

There are seven psalms (6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130 and 143) which are usually designated "Penitential Psalms". Five of them are attributed to David, and the other two are by unknown writers. They describe in vivid language the thoughts, emotions and experiences of the psalmists as, having passed through a period of sin or particular distress, they examine themselves and seek forgiveness. Even a casual reading of the psalms would impress upon the reader that the penitence expressed is no formal thing, but the outcome of deep exercise of heart before God. Sincerity is the hallmark of true penitence.

But, we might ask ourselves, "What is penitence"? A dictionary definition (OED) is "the state of being sorry, relenting, contrite and repentant". All these words are closely related, showing different aspects of penitence. This is amply illustrated in the penitential psalms, as a brief consideration of some will show.

Psalms 51 and 32

Outstanding among the penitential psalms is Psalm 51, which should be read along with 2 Samuel 12, which portion of scripture records events forming the background to the words of David in Psalm 51, and in other psalms. David had sinned grievously against God (1 Kings 15:5) and as a result knew a breakdown in the communion with Him, which David had always treasured. He was a thoughtful man, as his meditations on the greatness of God in creation show (e.g. 19 and 139), yet in Psalm 51 and related scriptures we see a picture of one who is very conscious of the barrier which had arisen between him and God, and the resultant suffering. In moving language, he describes his experiences. "For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me" (Ps. 32:4). In similar circumstances he writes, "thine arrows stick fast in me, and Thy hand presseth me sore ... for mine iniquities are gone over mine head ... my wounds stink and are corrupt" (Ps. 38: 2,4,5). How David suffered, and what a miserable state he was in! Yet, in spite of his condition, for some time he was loath to confess his sin. He "kept silence" as he expressed it in Psalm 32.

What was it that caused David to end his time of silence, to acknowledge his sin, to exercise penitence, and seek pardon? It was a searching message from God through Nathan the prophet. At first, Nathan spoke to David in a parable, and as the story unfolded, all David's sense of justice and righteous indignation was aroused, "the man that hath done this is worthy to die" (2 Sam. 12:5). David had committed his sin secretly, but God sees all." How terrible the response of Nathan to David's words! "Thou art the man"! The heaven-sent message goes home; David is convicted of his sin and failure. With true contrition he confesses, "I have sinned against the LORD" (2 Sam. 12:13). We should take careful note of David's words as we consider the subject of penitence. David was examining himself in the sight of a thrice-holy God. Certainly he had wronged both Bathsheba and Uriah, but it was his sin against the Lord that weighed most heavily on his soul as verse 4 of Psalm 51 shows; "Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in Thy sight" (Ps. 51:4). In his attitude of self-examination, contrition and confession, David was engaging in one of the first essentials of penitence.

The choice of words David uses in the first and second verses of Psalm 51 testify to his penitent state. He writes of his transgression, iniquity and sin. This is not a repetition of the same thought, but emphasizes different aspects of his guilt. Transgression stresses the sense of disobedience, going beyond God's commands. Iniquity is lawlessness, setting aside God's divine law in preference for human self-will. Sin is a more general term, embracing different aspects of human guilt before a holy God.

Penitence and Pardon

The purpose of penitence is to receive pardon and restoration. The terms David uses in his appeal for forgiveness show how he longed for every trace of his sin to be removed. He pleads, "blot out my transgressions" (Ps. 51:1). The Hebrew word means "to erase", and implies the blotting Out of sin as a debt; the wiping away of pollution. "Wash me" (v.2) has the significance of "to wash garments by treading or trampling them in a trough". One authority says of "cleanse me" (v.2) that it is impossible to express in English the full meaning of the Hebrew word, but to carry over the thought literally one would have to use the word "unsin".

It is important to notice the basis on which David pleads for pardon. It is according to the multitude of God's tender mercies. David brought nothing of himself as a plea to God. It was not a case of "doing penance" in an effort to merit forgiveness, but rather of God acting in mercy toward him. "A broken and a contrite heart, 0 God, Thou wilt not despise" (Ps. 51:17). After David's confession, Nathan said to him, "The LORD also hath put away thy sin" (2 Sam. 12:13). How sweet were these words to David, and in Psalm 32 he gives expressions to his feelings, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity" (vv. 1,2).

Psalm 6

We cannot say for certain what event in David's life gave rise to the writing of Psalm 6, but there is no mistaking the expression of deep contrition which the psalm contains. It has been described as a-n of grief, and some of David's words bear resemblance to those of Psalm 32. In contrast to other penitential psalms, the writer makes no reference to his own sin, although certain words and phrases would give the impression that in some way he had transgressed. David writes of the anger of the Lord and His hot displeasure (v.1), and cries "Return, 0 LORD, deliver my soul" (v.4). Verse 6 of the psalm shows his deep distress. Whatever the circumstances of the psalm, there is clear evidence of a progressive experience leading to the anxious appeal of the penitent, "And Thou, 0 LORD, how long?" (v.3). He throws himself on the mercy of the Lord. Nor is the cry of the penitent ignored, for he declares his supplication has been heard and his prayer received. The emphasis is again on the penitent one showing heartfelt penitence for his sins, and seeking forgiveness.

Psalm 102

The emphasis in Psalm 102 seems to be on sorrow rather than sin, although, once again, references to the Lord's indignation and wrath (v.10) would indicate sin was in the background. The unknown psalmist's grief relates, not only to himself, but also to the people of God in captivity, and to Zion in ruins. He is expressing confession and penitence for his people as did Daniel (Dan. 9). The writer is confident the Lord will hear his penitential prayer and build up Zion, and that the praise of the Lord would be sung in Jerusalem (Ps. 102:14-22). Our confession and penitence should not be restricted to our individual state, but viewing a wider horizon, we can mourn and confess before God concerning any condition of collective departure we might fear or discern, for a collective penitent attitude God will not despise. Here, in Psalm 102, we have a glimpse of that delightful time when a truly repentant remnant of Israel enters into the blessings of the millennial reign of Christ (vv. 19-22).

The Fruits of Penitence

The cries of anguish and sorrow which we have noted in the penitential psalms are certainly recorded for our learning. Yet it is not the will of God that we should remain in distress, burdened with sin. We have traced something of the experience of those who knew penitence. Conviction under the power of God's Word brought repentance and confession with earnest appeals for forgiveness. In the mercy of God this was given in full measure to the penitent one and with it the delights of restored communion. Consider the words 'of Psalm 51:10-12. David anticipated the joys that would follow his cleansing; the maintenance of fellowship with God, the joy of salvation in exchange for despair of the soul, and a free (willing RVM) spirit acceptable to God. Then David would be in a position to testify to others in teaching transgressors the ways of God, and having opened lips to praise Him. There is no better teacher than one who has had experience of the things he teaches.

Such are the fruits of penitence. Will they not be ours also if we ponder again the scripture to which we referred early in this article? "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:8,9).

R. Hickling, Nottingham, England | May 1990
Meditations In The Psalms