It’s a “will worship” morning (Colossians 2:23). I’ll use Psalms 8:1 and 16:2 for Temple worship today (1 Corinthians 6:16-17; 1 Peter 2:5).
My Shepherd met me foraging in 2 Chronicles 18. I was pondering the good king Jehoshaphat (1 Kings 22:43-46), foolishly accommodating the evil king Ahab (2 Chronicles 19:1-3). The irony of 2 Chronicles 18:1 struck me: “Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab.” Why Joshaphat would enter into a league with evil Ahab puzzles me every time it happens. Yeah, it’s an old and sad story oft repeated. A man favored by God with great blessings gets stupid and joins himself to evil. He uses the resources God has given him to “help the ungodly” and gives his affections to “them that hate the LORD.”
But the Mind of the Spirit did not engage the spirit of my mind on that point. Instead, He took me over to Proverbs 28 and connected with me at verse 13:
Proverbs 28:13 ¶ He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
It’s the cover-up that takes you down, every time. Proverbs 28 is full of wisdom for rulers (Every verse in this chapter offers wisdom to rulers, but these have particular application: Proverbs 28:2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21, 23, 26, 28). Verse thirteen is rarely considered in this light, but in America, we have a saying: “It’s always the cover-up that takes you down.”
Along the still waters, as I reflected on Proverbs 28:13, I thought about what it means to cover our sins.
First, Proverbs 10:12 tells us that “love covereth all sins” (see 1 Peter 4:8) And we are exhorted by Scripture: “He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends” (Proverbs 17:9). Obviously, we are not talking about civil crimes exposing innocent people to continued abuse, or treachery such as treason, or theft, or murder, and so on. There is no love in covering for a predator. So, what sorts of “sins” do we “cover”?
The answer to the question posed above is in the text of our verse: “whso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13b). For example, when we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to cover them (1 John 1:7-9; see Nehemiah 4:5 to show cleansing, or forgiving provides a cover; also Psalms 32:1 and 85:2). God’s love covers our sins when we confess and forsake them.
Confess to whom? Jesus is the only mediator between God and men (1 Timothy 2:5). Ultimately, Jesus is the One to whom we confess our sins. Yet, the Spirit does exhort us to “confess our faults one to another” (James 5:16).
The word that is translated fault in James 5:16 is παραπτώματα (paraptomata-Strong No. 3900). It refers to a “side-slip (lapse or deviation).” It can include an unintentional or a willful error or transgression. According to Christ’s instructions, these matters should be confessed privately, either at the initiative of the offender or in response to an effort by the offended party to secure reconciliation (Matthew 18:15). The matter should not escalate to involve anyone else unless the offender refuses to confess and forsake his offending behavior (Matthew 18:16-18).
Whatever is sin (ἁμαρτίας – harmartias: Strong No. 266) in our faults can only be cleansed by Christ and will only be covered when the sin is confessed to Him.
We’ve seen it “a hundred times.” This or that politician commits an offense against the People, against the Constitution, and against the Law, and to avoid the consequences of their offense, they attempt to cover it up. David and Bathsheba provide one of the most tragic examples of this. The sin was grievous, but the cover-up was worse. It’s always the cover-up that “kills them.” The saving grace appeared in David’s story the moment he confessed his sin (2 Samuel 12:13; Psalm 51).
In the valley, I knelt in the shadow of His Cross, and the Spirit clarified for me that denying self includes confession of sin. When we “deny” (disown, remove ourselves from) self, it is from the “sin that dwelleth in me” (Romans 7:17). It occurred to me that, practically speaking, denying self specifically involves confessing and forsaking sin. Nothing could be more absurd than one claiming to deny himself who hides his sin. And nothing is more absurd than imagining one can hide his sin from GOD. I denied myself, and took up my cross, and followed Him to His table.
At the table, we enjoyed sweet fellowship (1 John 1:7). He anointed my head with His oil and filled my cup with His grace. Goodness and mercy followed us into the Harvest. Let’s see, do I have my witnessing cards with me? Yes! Ready to go!
Praying for revival! 🙏
Going live asap.
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