Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God. (Psalm 50:23)
I have long believed that sin in and of itself is not the greatest problem as it relates to mankind and our relationship with God. Of course, sin results in separation between a person and their Creator but it is an obstacle that can be overcome. In His mercy, God sent His Son to pay the penalty for our sins and, through His sacrifice, has provided a recourse for sin. That being said, I am convinced the greatest problem as it relates to reconciliation between God and man is our unwillingness to acknowledge our sin. So when we humble ourselves in recognition of our shortcomings and seek to “order our conduct” according to His Word, it is akin to presenting the most valuable of sacrifices to the Creator.
Solomon said, “To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice” (Proverbs 21:3). Paul said that we should present our bodies as a “living sacrifice” unto God (Romans 12:1). The point is that, when we deny our will in deference to the Creator’s, it is considered to be a sacrifice to Him. In rabbinical thinking, this notion is what is meant when the psalmist says, “Whoever offers praise.” The Hebrew word translated as “praise” is תודה todah, which also means “thanks” or “thanksgiving.” So the thinking is, when we humble ourselves in recognition of our need for mercy, we present a thanksgiving offering to the Lord. How so?
In submitting ourselves to Him, not only are we acknowledging our sin but we are also acknowledging that He has provided a recourse for our sin; He has provided the way that leads us back to Him. Making the decision to follow His ways brings glory to Him and sets us on the path that leads to eternal life. He has already provided the means of reconciliation, if we will but humble ourselves and accept it. And being the loving, merciful Father that He is, when we take a step toward Him in repentance, He moves toward us with open arms to receive us. In that vein of thought, let’s close with this passage from the Prodigal son parable:
“But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20)
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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