Hebraic Musing – How
important is Confession?
The LORD told Moses to “Say to the Israelites:
‘When a man or woman wrongs another in any way and so is unfaithful to the
LORD, that person is guilty and must confess the sin he has
committed. He must make full restitution
for his wrong, add one fifth to it and give it all to the person he has
wronged.” Numbers 5:6–7 NIV How
might this work in real life?
Imagine
that a businessman committed a serious financial crime. Years later, he regrets what he did, returns
the stolen money and resolves never to steal again. Is he absolved of his sin? A question closer to home, might we commit a
similar sin on a smaller scale? What to
do about it?
In
Judaism, there are three steps in repentance:
- First is to regret the deed,
- Second is to orally confess the sin,
- Third is to determine never to repeat the offense again.
- But, if there was any harm done through his sin, the person must do whatever
it takes to repair the damage.
What
happens if a person completes steps one and three, and even makes restitution,
but skips the confession part? Is he or
she still considered guilty? The Jewish
sages teach that a person who takes every measure to repent, but skips over the
oral confession part, is considered righteous. However, he
or she will still need to “pay” for his or her sin in this lifetime or
afterward. Only oral confession can
truly heal the soul.
I
am reminded of King David’s words: “Blessed
is the one whose transgressions are forgiven . . . When I kept silent, my bones
wasted away through my groaning all day long . . . Then I acknowledged my sin
to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my
transgressions to the LORD.’ And you forgave the guilt of my sin” Psalm
32:1–5 NIV As David so poignantly pointed out, confession
is a doorway to freedom and forgiveness. Note that the verse only calls for confession
of our sins in the presence of one being — the presence of God.
This
being the case, one could wonder why verbal confession is required at all. Why can’t we just think our confession? After all, God knows our thoughts! The answer - we don’t confess our sins so
that God can hear them. We confess them
so that we can hear them. Speaking is more powerful than thinking. God didn’t think the world into existence; He
spoke it into existence. So, too, our
words have power. When we confess our sins, we break down barriers that block
our soul. We let go of toxins that
poison our spirit. Most importantly, we
engage God in our cleansing process, and it is only He Who can truly purify our
souls.
SUMMARY
- Next time you mess up, as we all do, resist the temptation to cover up and
ignore it. As David attested, sweeping
away our sins only makes matters worse. Instead,
pour out your heart before God. As we
confess our sins before God, He will heal our souls.
Points to Ponder
How much more meaningful is
it to actually confess our transgression to the offended party?
What might be the impact on that person?
“Come to me,
all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Matt.11:28
Why did Jesus say that?
“I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by
my sin.” Quote from David in Psalm
38:18
Yosef a.k.a.
Joe Brusherd July
26, 2022
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the
Hebrew roots of our faith”
“Biblical Marriage” Weekly “Hebraic Musings” InsightsByYosef.blogspot.com
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