Psalm 26
???
When I read this Psalm and think of all that David had done I have to ask, how he can say this? The simple answer is that he can’t say this. Nobody can. We are all sinners. We can try to walk in our integrity and best efforts but we all fall short and the truth is we don’t even come close.
So how can David write this Psalm?
David is a type of a forgiven sinner in Christ Jesus. He can’t say this in his humanity nor can we, but Jesus can. Jesus died for our sins and in this Psalm we see a shadow of Jesus asking the Father to judge Him in place of us for our sins. Just as in Psalm 22 where we see Jesus speaking from the cross taking God’s wrath for our sin we now see Jesus speaking to the Father to judge us not according to what we have done but according to what Jesus has done. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:21, He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” NASB
In the book of Daniel Chapter 2 Nebuchadnezzar is given a vision of himself as the world leader, and the world rulers to come. In his vision he sees a statue made of precious metals. Later in Daniel 7, Daniel is given the same vision but he observes cruel brute beasts rather than precious metals. Daniel got the view from Heaven and saw the world leaders as God saw them. Nebuchadnezzar saw the world leaders from the world’s point of view. Those views are polar opposites.
Sinners are like brute beasts from Heaven’s point of view even though we might think we are “good” people. When a person puts his or her faith in Jesus Christ there is rejoicing in Heaven because that brute beast is now seen as precious jewels in the sight of God. God loves the brute beasts of the world so much that He sent his Son to the cross that we might be transformed by the removal of sin by the work of Jesus on the cross. David writes of what God has done for him and us in Psalm 103 which is our homework for today.
Jesus took our sin and imparted His righteousness in us. The righteousness of His Son is what God sees when He looks at a forgiven sinner in Christ!
How does God see you?
Pastor Dave