His iniquities

August 18, 2017

The call for the king to repent (Dan 4:26-4:27)

“As it was commanded

To leave the stump,

As well as the roots

Of the tree,

Your kingdom

Shall be reestablished

For you,

From the time

That you learn

That Heaven is sovereign.

Therefore,

O king!

May my counsel

Be acceptable to you!

Atone

For your sins

With righteousness!

Atone

For your iniquities

By showing mercy

To the oppressed!

Thus,

Your prosperity

May be prolonged!”

Daniel continued with the interpretation of the dream. Just as the stump and the roots of the tree remained, so too the king would be restored or reestablished in his kingdom, as soon as he recognized the heavenly control of all kingdoms. Daniel gave him some more advice. The king was to atone for sins by doing right and good things. He was to atone for his iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed. If he did this, his prosperity would be prolonged.

October 3, 2015

May God have mercy (Ps 51:1-51:2)

To the choirmaster leader, a psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone into Bathsheba

“Have mercy on me!

O God!

According to your steadfast love,

According to your abundant mercy,

Blot out my transgressions!

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity!

Cleanse me from my sin!”

Psalm 51 is the great penitential psalm when David was confronted by the prophet Nathan for his sexual encounter with Bathsheba in 2 Samuel, chapters 11 and 12. Eventually, David and Bathsheba were punished with the death of their first born. David wanted God’s mercy because of God’s steadfast love. This psalm is like Psalm 6 as a lament that is addressed to God directly. David wanted his transgressions blotted out. He wanted his iniquities washed away. He wanted to be cleansed from his sin. He wanted everything back to normal.

September 23, 2015

Asking for mercy (Ps 40:11-40:13)

“Yahweh!

Do no withhold your mercy from me!

Let your steadfast love,

Let your faithfulness,

Keep me safe forever!

Evils have encompassed me

Without number.

My iniquities have overtaken me,

Until I cannot see.

They are more than the hairs of my head.

My heart fails me.

Be pleased!

Yahweh!

Rescue me!

Yahweh!

Make haste to help me!”

David is asking for Yahweh’s mercy. He wanted Yahweh’s steadfast love and faithfulness to keep him safe forever. The problem was that innumerable evils had surrounded him. His iniquities had overtaken him so that he could not see anymore. There were more problems than hairs on his head. His heart was failing him. He wanted to be rescued as soon as possible.