February 1
My Transgression in Antwerp
Psalm 32:1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
When I rode a bicycle through six European countries I
learned about cultures and customs I was not familiar with. But when I was in
Antwerp, Belgium I transgressed. Before
you imagine some sinister thing I was guilty of we need to understand what the
word transgression means. My Webster’s
defines it as “..passing over a boundary: violating some restriction or
command”. Knowing what a transgression
is I must plead guilty; I did indeed violate a restriction, but not
intentionally.
I found the large
and beautiful post office building downtown Antwerp. I wanted to send a post
card to a lovely girl (now my wife) who lived in the United States. A line of 15 or 20 large cast iron mail boxes
lined the sidewalk in front of the post office. I had no idea which one was for
foreign mail. Then at the end of the
line of green painted boxes I saw a red one. Yes, that must be the one for
overseas mail. There was a sign with
about 5 inch high letters describing what kind of mail box it was. A large red cast iron ball was attached to a
long handle which opened the slot for mail. When I reached for it I knew at
that moment I had transgressed. I also knew exactly what the sign said, even
though I did not read Flemish. It said
“Wet Paint” and my hand was covered with fresh red paint. Yes I had transgressed.
In the verse in psalm 32 we find two words that seem to say
the same thing, transgression and sin.
They are similar but I think there is a difference that we should
understand. A transgression is to pass over a boundary – to violate a command –
in plain words it is doing something we should not do. Like ignoring a wet paint sign! Or as in the psalmist case, murder and
adultery.
Sin is a broad and encompassing word. But one meaning of
“sin” is to miss the mark. We are told to do something and we do not. We might come close but we miss the mark. So
the two words cover both commission (don’t but we do) and omission (do but we
don’t) With that understanding we can
better appreciate psalms 32:1.
This psalm of David was written after he had been forgiven
his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband. His twin transgressions were great, awful and
vile, but not beyond God’s mercy and grace.
No wonder he felt blessed. Psalm
51 records David’s confession and plea for forgiveness.
Ps 51:3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin
is ever before me.
David had known the agony of sin. For a year he had tried to
cover his sin, but his bones waxed old, his joy was gone, his sin was ever
before him, and his conscience roared within him. Finally after a year of
hiding his sin, he turns to God in a great confession and feels the joy of a
clear conscience as God lifts the sin burden from him. No wonder he starts the
psalm by saying “Blessed” (double happy) is the person whose sin has been
pardoned.
The lesson for us is obvious. Are you blessed of God? Or as we talked of David’s sin did your
conscience spring to life and force you to think of some transgression or sin
that lingers in your life? Have you become a transgressor, rebelling against
some limit or boundary? Or does sin
cling to you because you miss the mark, fall short of what God wants for
you? If so, welcome to the crowd.
Ro 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory
of God;
The remedy for all of us is the same. Confession. We must stop trying to cover, hide, and deny
our sin and transgression. A guilty conscience is a heavy burden.
1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
May the blessing of God be upon you today. Happiness is a gift from God. “Blessed is he whose transgression is
forgiven, whose sin is covered.”
My sin!
Oh the bliss of this glorious thought
My sin,
not the part but the whole
Is nailed to His cross and I bear it
no more
Praise
the Lord, Praise the Lord, Oh my soul.
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