Posts Tagged: Proverbs 28:13

“Confession Isn’t Enough”

On August 30, 2024 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

“Prov. 28:13   Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,

            but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” (English Standard Version)

Sometimes I think that we Christians put too much emphasis on confessing our sins and not enough emphasis on forsaking them. Confession isn’t easy, but forsaking is much harder.

The Hebrew word in this verse that is translated “forsakes” is a strong word that is used for a man or woman divorcing their spouse, or for a person who walks away from God. Forsaking anything is a serious business. Furthermore, the form of this Hebrew verb suggests on an ongoing action flowing out of the very nature of the one performing it. Forsaking sin isn’t an action; it is a lifestyle.

How on earth do we cultivate a lifestyle of forsaking sin? I wish I knew, dear reader! I still struggle with the same sorts of things I battled when I was knee-high to a grasshopper. But while I don’t have a lot of wisdom about this, I do have some suspicions.

First, praying for discernment of our own sin is important. We are all pretty good at noticing the wrongdoing of others, but our sin (like our own body odor) is something we get used to pretty quickly.

Second, it is vital that we confess our sins. To God? Yes, of course. Even though God already knows us and our sins, we don’t always know ourselves until we confess and are willing to forsake those sins. And the Bible talks about confessing our sins to one another too. There is the need for human accountability and support if we are to live a forsaking lifestyle.

Third, falling in love is a good way to forsake something (or someone). If we fall in love with a good person or a good activity, we will find it much easier to forsake the not-so-good things in our lives. If we love God and people—and even the best version of ourselves—we will find it much easier to forsake the things that compromise that love.

Easier, but not easy. Maybe I should say, less difficult instead of easier.

,

“Of Cover Ups and Mercy”

On May 1, 2019 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer


“Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,

but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13, English Standard Version)

“You’re only as sick as your secrets.”  (Twelve-step saying)

I want to live a H.O.T. life: Honest, Open, and Transparent.  Sad to say, I don’t always.  I think I’ve opened up to those who need to know about my big struggles.  However, not so much on little things.  At least, I want to think they are little things.  And, in any case, little hidden transgressions have the same tendency as termites and cancer: They eat away at us from their places of concealment.

And let’s face it.  This world is not really geared for honesty, openness, and transparency.  Neither is any of us.  We play at hide and seek when we’re young.  As we get older, it’s not a game anymore.  We work at hiding—and hope that no one finds us.

In Proverbs 28:13, the Hebrew words translated “confesses” and “forsakes” are participles.  Participles are verbal nouns. In other words, they are a cross between nouns and verbs.  In Hebrew, when participles have a verbal thrust, they often suggest repetitive action that flows from the very character of a person.  They often suggest a continual or repetitive action.

If this is true of the participles in Proverbs 28:13, the verse could be unpacked in the following manner:

“Whoever makes a habit of concealing his transgressions will not prosper,

but he who makes a habit of confessing and forsaking them will obtain mercy.”

Now, we are really good at confessing the wrong-doings of other people.  However, Proverbs 17:9 says that this is precisely what we ought not to do.  In fact, the same words are used for concealing transgression as in 28:13!

The word for “forsaking” is a strong word.  It is used in Genesis 2:24 for a man forsaking his father and mother to marry his wife.  It is also used of divorcing a wife.  Sometimes, we think that it is enough to confess our sins.  It isn’t.  We need to forsake them.

And, as much as I would like to believe it—and as much as you would like to hear it—this is not a one shot deal.  When people come to faith in Christ, that is only the beginning.  That’s when the real battle begins.

We tend to think that mercy is about God’s kind treatment of us when we’ve messed up.  That’s true.  But there is another, harder truth: Mercy is also given to those who confess and forsake their transgressions.

I’m not saying that living a HOT life is easy.  However, honesty, openness, and transparency set us up to receive mercy.  And that is hot!

, , , , , , ,

On May 14, 2018 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

DTEB, “HOLY COVERUPS”

My pastor is encouraging us to meditate on the Scriptures, to chew it up thoroughly, like a cow chewing the cud.  That is a good reminder for me.  I used to be better at doing this consistently than I have been of late.

So, this morning I awoke determined to thoroughly chew and digest some Scripture.  Unfortunately (or was it?), my eyes fell on a verse from Proverbs, and I got no further.  Here is the verse:

“He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.” (Proverbs 17:9, New International Version)

The Bible says two things about covering up sin.

  1. Don’t do it!  In the long run it is neither healthy nor possible.  (Proverbs 28:13; James 5:16)
  2. Do it!  It is essential.  (Proverbs 28:13; 1 Peter 4:8)

Psalm 32:1-5 points out the proper order of covering and uncovering.  Verses 1 and 5 use the same Hebrew word for “to cover” that is used in Proverbs 17:9.  (I have used red font for the translation and have transliterated the Hebrew word in these verses.)

1 “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight (caseh)!

2 Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!

3 When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long.

4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude

5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide (caseh) my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Interlude” (New Living Translation)

The psalmist confesses that he had tried in the past to hide his sin, and that only when he confessed it, did he have a sense of blessed forgiveness.  Hiding our own sin is not a good idea, to put it mildly.

However, Proverbs 17:9 is not about hiding my sin.  Rather, it is about hiding the wrongdoing of the other.

Now, this can certainly be abused.  There is a type of cover-up that is not at all helpful.  Denying that someone has harmed you will make you sick.  Furthermore, such a cover-up will not help the wrongdoer.  The Bible has a great deal to say about confronting your brother or sister about serious wrongdoing (Matthew 18:15; 1 Timothy 5:20; James 5:19-20)

However, as I meditated (and masticated) on Proverbs 17:9, I realized (with the help of some good commentaries) that this Proverb is suggesting that we not “repeat” a person’s offense.  Literally, the Hebrew word that is translated “repeat” in many translations of this verse means “to do something again.”  This verse does not suggest that we ought not to talk with a person who has offended us.  But it is does suggest two possible things to avoid.

  1. Don’t repeat the matter to others.  That is why some translations use the word “gossip.”
  2. Don’t bring up the matter again with the person who has wronged you.

Both of these things are very difficult.  However, how do you feel when someone gossips about you?  Furthermore, if you are like me, when you indulge in gossip, it leaves a bad taste in your own mouth as well.

And, of course, bringing up past wrong-doings again and again is neither wise nor helpful.  It doesn’t help the other person at all, and it doesn’t help you either—unless, of course, you need some help in being bitter and unforgiving.  Most of us don’t need any help at all with those things.

Or, to put it more positively (as Proverbs 17:9a does), properly covering over someone’s sin “promotes love.”  And, most certainly, love needs to be promoted.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Continue Reading
Follow on Feedly