For this lent season, I am doing a forty-day study in the Psalms looking for aspects of the atonement that will end around Easter. My hope is to generate a newfound awe of what Christ did on the cross.
Psalm 78:35-39
[35] They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God their redeemer. [36] But they flattered him with their mouths; they lied to Him with their tongues. [37] Their heart was not steadfast toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant. [38] Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all His wrath. [39] He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes and comes not again.
God is talking about Israel in this Psalm and after I read this I began to think about how often had I just repented with my mouth? How often I was giving God lip service when I said things like, “I'm sorry”, when I really wasn't? Or saying things like, “I trust you” when I really don't. Worse yet worshiping God with my mouth while I was worshiping an idol with my heart. I know there have been times where I was singing a worship song at the same time my heart was bitter against another brother. So, I'm singing a song to God of the universe; Creator of heaven and earth, the Redeemer of my soul with my mouth at the same time worshiping the god of entitlement with my heart. That's called adultery to my God. Repentance is of the heart. God calls it "rending" your heart, in other words ripping your heart. Back in the old days they used to rip their clothes as a sign of mourning so in Joel Chapter 2 God says to “rip your hearts not your clothes”
Joel 2:12-13
[12] “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; [13] and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.
How many ways do we rip our clothes instead of our hearts when we sin? Thanks to God's mercy and grace God placed our sin on Christ. It is amazing to me that even in the act of adultery God still loves us. What's even more amazing is that when we give lip service to God in repentance he doesn't hold that against us as He held it against Jesus. Jesus died the adulterer. Now that doesn't give us permission to keep on sinning by ungodly repentance. It gives us permission to be in awe of God's love; in awe of the love of Christ. How do we rip our hearts after we sin? We realize our absolute desperation for a crucified God!
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