We all make mistakes. Sometimes those mistakes are accidental and sometimes they were intentional. Generally, regardless if our mistake was an accident or we erred in judgment or action and made a mistake on purpose, we try to hide our mistakes and poor decisions. Why? The answer is simple. We are embarrassed. We don’t want others to know what we’ve done because they might look at us differently or act differently around us or think less of us. So, we attempt to bury and hide our mistakes which often just compounds the consequences of our mistakes. Either we don’t change our decision making and continue with that mistake or our minds become so burdened with guilt and shame because we refuse to let others help us carry the load.
Solomon tells us not to be that way. He says those who conceal their sins will not ultimately prosper while those confess AND forsake their sins will have mercy. Solomon is telling us there are two different paths we can take regarding our sins.
One we can try to hide them and pretend we have committed them or that no one knows. That path leads to destruction. And while we might prosper on earth (at least on the surface level) we will not prosper at the end of all things. Why? Because we have not concealed our sins from God. He sees them all. He knows them all. He will hold us accountable for them all. And those who take the path of trying to conceal their sins demonstrate an arrogant and unyielding heart to God. We actually think we can hide our sins from Him and because of that we continue in those sins. Both attitudes are repugnant to God.
The other path is to confess and forsake our sins. By confessing our sins to others, we will have accountability and support. It will be harder to continue in those mistakes because someone else knows we are struggling with them. By confessing our sins to others, we show a humble heart which in turn can be a blessing to the hearer. Sometimes others need to hear us confess to them so they realize they are not alone in their mistakes. It helps the hearer seek help. We also confess our sins to God because He is the source of our forgiveness and because ultimately every sin we commit is a direct cut against God. We must make that right.
But Solomon says this is not just a pathway of confession but also of forsaking. What good does it do to confess our sins if we plan to continue in them? None. We must also forsake them and continue in them no more. But that is far easier to do when we’ve confessed our sins to others and to God.
The second path is the pathway that leads to mercy. Mercy from others and mercy from God because it demonstrates a humble and penitent heart. It shows God and others we are aware we are not perfect and need help to become better – that becoming a better person and a better servant of God requires assistances from others and most importantly from God.
Ultimately confession is the acknowledgment we know we are not perfect. Forsaking or repenting of our sins is the ultimate demonstration of realizing how much our sins separate us from others and God. They create a gulf so we do are very best to close the gap but forsaking the sins that create it.
Only through confessing and repenting do we obtain mercy. Those who refuse will not prosper.
Adonai's Appeal 