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I said, “I will guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle while the wicked are in my presence.” Psalm 39:1 NASB
In my presence – Listen! We’re surrounded by wickedness. Pick up any newspaper. Turn on any news channel. Listen to the gossip and rumors. Corruption, abuse, injury, malfeasance abound. Always has. Always will. Isn’t that God’s assessment in Genesis 6? In Jeremiah 17? If you want to get away from it all, you’ll have to wait for the return of the King. Until then, le-negdi, “in my presence.”
But what David has in mind isn’t drift. The use of the noun negedplaces the emphasis on something beyond the milieu of everyday lawlessness. “This root basically denotes ‘to place a matter high, conspicuous before a person’ (KB). The Arabic nagada means ‘be conspicuous’ and the noun nagdn means ‘highland.’ Usually the ‘matter’ was previously unknown or unknowable to the object.”[1] In other words, David is calling attention to wickedness previously concealed but now brought to prominence. This is evil that sticks out. It can’t be ignored or denied any longer. This is today’s big story. David sees it, perhaps for the first time, and it slaps his moral consciousness with the back of the hand.
Now we have even more questions about David’s choice of silence. nāgad demands confrontation. If that’s the case, why does David choose to say nothing? Even more so, why does he restrain himself from speaking? And why would he imagine that voicing condemnation of this now-obvious evil would lead to sin? Is it because he’s afraid that his anger at this breach of morality will explode into vengeance? Is he worried that this affront to God and men will cause him to render immediate judgment as the king? Or is something else happening here?
Who are the wicked and why should David be so concerned about them? The Hebrew word is rāšāʿ. Notice Livingston’s comment: “The verb is denominative from rešaʿ ‘wrong, wickedness,’ and seems to have two meanings, a) to act wickedly, and b) to condemn as guilty.”[2] Do you suppose that David fears condemning these people as another instance of the same disease? If you and I condemn those who we view as wicked, what does that say about us? Are we the pure and righteous ones, empowered to pass judgment on the unholy? There was a man once who was given divine power to forgive, but even he refused to read the second half of Isaiah 61:2. Could it be that this king of Israel fears the power he holds to pass judgment on others? Now we have to face the possibility ourselves. What is the difference between discriminating between good and evil and judging between good and evil? Do you know?
Topical Index: le-negdi, in my presence, rāšāʿ, wicked, judgment, Psalm 39:1
[1]Coppes, L. J. (1999). 1289 נָגַד. R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament(electronic ed., p. 549). Chicago: Moody Press.
[2]Livingston, G. H. (1999). 2222 רָשַׁע. R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament(electronic ed., p. 863). Chicago: Moody Press.
Hello, I would like to start by saying oh, I am being slow to speak and quick to listen. I remember when our youngest son was in seminary, and he was learning the phrase righteous indignation, we must be aware where this righteousness comes from… our own righteousness is as filthy rags yet his righteousness makes us pure, the king of righteousness Melchizedek. Micah 6:8 to act justly love Mercy and walk humbly before our God. This is our requirement. Wow I’ve always needed to looking to the meanings of these words before I came out of a freeze mode. Currently I am getting a lot of input on Satan’s biggest play is giving an offense, if we take the offense then we are offended. And that is so wrong. If anyone would want to correct any of this mindset, please I allow you to do so. Being in the place I am right now. So many things are being aligned in my life I’m being brought full circle, in so many areas oh, I see God is merciful. Thank you.
Oh, yes, Brett; you reminded me: unauthorized accusation is ALWAYS offensive. All it really does, then, is either raise the hackles of another, or (if they are in victim mode) arouse the temptation in them to co-depend. No restoration (true fruit) in sight! Good comment; for me, anyway. Thank you.
Skip, you ask ” What is the difference between discriminating between good and evil and judging between good and evil?” I think it could be all the difference between “keeping” ourselves from reacting in kind (on one hand) and being authorized to throw that first stone. “Judge not that ye be not judged” comes into play here, too. I have noticed that the first thing people who are guilty and feeling the weight of internal accusation do is to want to turn around and point the finger at another; to share that weight and get the spotlight off themselves, too. (I have noticed that it can sure feel very ‘righteous’, too!) Those who are not suffering condemnation, however, usually seem to be much more interested in getting the other person out of their ditch than concerned with why (or, judging – which I believe is the ACTION of unauthorized accusation) they are in it.
Judgment Day has been set, but that day is not yet. Until then, condemnation is something we personally CHOOSE to put ourselves under, but the way I read my Bible, anyway, it is considered a sin to stay there, for heaven, at great cost, has provided an ample way for all to stay out from under that condemnation. Nowhere do I read that we are given the ‘job’ of condemning another, or of even accusing (morally judging) them.
As far as I have been able to search the Scripture, anyway, our calling, as fellow sinners, is to stick to witness (personal testimony), forgiveness (nowhere did our Example accuse or judge; He always and only forgave) and restoration, which I believe is the act of having faith and trust FOR another; to hold their door open for them until they can do it for themselves again. We are to be “known by our love”, after all: not our acute sense of someone else’s moral worth. Hey; we don’t even have enough sense to get out of our own rain (accusation!).
These days, I know to leave the accusation to the Accuser and the judging to the Judge (and to NOT accept the accusations of myself or others, either) neither of which happen to be me (or others, either). As sinners, none of us are in a good (non-glassed?) place to pick up those stones. Nobody is walking around with Urim and Thummim on their shoulders, either.
I think discernment of evil is limited to asking where MY responsibility lies, and reaction to evil in others to insisting that THEY take responsibility for theirs. After all, who among us really knows exactly why any of us are doing what we do?
Psalm 51:15 (ESV)
15 O LORD, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
We are products of the industrial and technological eras. David lived close to nature and would have been more in touch with his body’s wisdom and intuition. Was he far more sensitive to the energy of others when he was in their presence? He was anointed with the Spirit so did the Spirit teach him that the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God? He wrote that we should not become enraged over evil doers or it will lead to doing evil ourselves. Maybe he kept quiet because he really was seeking God’s heart. God’s heart is the only one that knows that place where justice and mercy meet. David remained quiet in the presence of the wicked. Yeshua modeled that same reaction when questioned by Herod. I have much to learn!
Just wait. There is a lot more to come.
Ever so patiently waiting
me too
I’m confused. If this king of Israel “fears condemning people” then who is this David that said in Psalms 139:21–22 (ESV)
“Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.”
And in Psalm 26:4-6 (NIV) we have the same King David saying: “I do not sit with the deceitful, nor do I associate with hypocrites. I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked.”
In these verses (and more) it doesn’t seem to me that he is having too much trouble “discriminating between good and evil and judging between good and evil”.
David is a man of feelings. What he feels in Psalm 39 isn’t what he feels in other psalms. Did you really think that being consistent is human? Aren’t we all up and down with emotions? So is David. You don’t have to be confused as long as you realize that David isn’t consistent.
The difference between a judgment and discrimination, imho, is power…. Or the difference between a verdict and a choice. When we judge, the verdict is the dispensation of either reward or punishment, – which only in God’s power to do, – but when we discriminate – we ourselves can do that which is in our power – to choose.
Could it be that he, like Jonah, did not want to say anything because they might then repent and then they would not receive the judgement of the Almighty as he hoped they would? Could it be that he was following the admonition of YHVH given to Jeremiah as we read in Jer. 7? “As for you, do not pray for this people. Do not offer any supplication or petition for them, nor entreat Me, because I will not hear you.”
Skip, you ask ” What is the difference between discriminating between good and evil and judging between good and evil?”
I would say that the answer goes all the way back to the Tree of Kwowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden
Alfredo yes I would agree that perceived knowledge would provide the answer, something along the line…
Discriminate is to classify what belongs were and why.
Judging is to decide what the worth of each concepts purpose value or intent is…
Im afraid that Judging goes beyond that, Seeker… and that is our problem… we reach for that fruit so many often…
Shalom to all
I have gone a fuller circle on this one too. Zeal is often not zeal but the wrong spirit……..Shall we ask of Heaven to send down lightnings on them!.
The true Spirit appears to be the opposite to judgements unto death but full of mercy and grace and of course Truth. ( I actually like that for my sin) If the scripture is true that Love covers over a multitude of sins…….
Perhaps we should look at applying the medical first aid to the obvious outside wound of others sin to OUR eyes and hearts and await for God as to the wisdoms required to heal the internal sin manifesting in “our head and heart space to create self justified offence” before we go off chopping heads of perceived wrong doers.
In the short time it takes any of us to get to ‘righteous judgment mode’ shouldn’t we be praying for the Revealer of Truth to be at work in our faults and lack of self control to show mercy and appealing to the other person in the way of love which may just be silence anyway and showing grace by allowing them space to grow away from darkness instead of abandoning them in their fault.
Perhaps growing love and keeping the connection alive is a long term investment for the ‘perhaps moment'( that true hope requires us to carry) ready to plant and water when the Spirit of Truth will actually be the source to give the required message at the time required. Do we trust & are we actually meek.?
The prophets like John the Baptist & Yeshua who called spades spades were working amongst those who actually claimed loudly and long they knew better and exalted themselves as dividers of truth but more often we are walking amongst those who have no clue which direction is up or down or miss the point entirely in lives that are hidden from God in their own minds.
The point then is to offend with the gospel message alone and allow the ‘Third Party’ the first place. The Holy Spirit is the one to convict and convince a person of sin. Let us love, love and allow God to choose whom he has called and allow Messiah to build the Kingdom of called out ones..and not despise His choices for vessels unto destruction or vessels for special noble purpose. It is not our call.
Shouldn’t we look to scripture and repair the breaches of mistranslation and misinterpretation so our life message is consistent with what is required of us personally instead of what another should do.
Shavua Tov Friends
FJ
Let me ask the stupid question… Who is ” There was a man once who was given divine power to forgive, but even he refused to read the second half of Isaiah 61:2.”….