Ps. 25: 3. “Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.”
“None who wait for you shall be put to shame.” We are so afraid of shame. Shame is a diminution of statues before others. We fight on Facebook or Twitter because we don’t want to look stupid in front of other people who are commenting. It’s that fear of shame that often makes Facebook conversations so negative. Another example: one of the things that North Americans fear the most is public speaking. Again, that is connected to the fear of looking foolish in front of other people. We avoid the shame of possible loss.
Now David is speaking in a very different context. He is speaking as a political leader in Israel. He is speaking as a warrior in a culture that is even more focussed on honor and shame than we are. David specifically, has shame because his son has slept with his concubines. He has shame because of the friction between his sons and the fact that his beloved son Absolom rebelled against him. He also fears the shame that people bring through the lies and half-truth that they tell one another about him. The enemies of David, within the kingdom of Israel and without, are looking for a way to shame him, to bring him down. But David declares, “If I wait for you, O Lord, I will not be put to shame.
What is fascinating about this Psalm is the continual plea for forgiveness of sins throughout the Psalm. “Remember no the sins of my youth or my transgressions,” “ For your name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great,” and “consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.” David is in conflict with his enemies. He knows that those who wait on the Lord will not be put to shame. That statement of confidence is followed by a continual recognition of sin before the Lord.
David’s sins are shameful and ultimately they are what bring shame upon him. It was his action in sleeping with the wife of one of his generals that brought a great deal of the shame he experienced in his life. Yet he recognizes that if he turns to the Lord, the Lord will cover his sins. Ultimately, he will not be put to shame.
He recognizes the sins that weigh him down, that affect, even infect, the work that he does before the Lord, the sins of his youth, and the sins that he continues to struggle with. His enemies can use those sins against him and so he seeks to be right with God in that struggle. He knows that unless he is right with God he cannot avoid being put to shame.
As we enter into struggle, as we seek to encourage brothers and sisters in Christ to live well before God, as we engage in the war that God calls us to, the war where we use the word of God as our sword; as we do that, we too can be weighed down by sin. The Apostle Paul calls us to lay off every weight that besets us. That takes a continual coming to God in prayer. As Luther once said, “the Christian life is repentance.”
And when we are right with God, when we wait for God, we can be confident that we will not be put to shame. Certainly in the case of those who are clearly enemies of God. Christians may be called haters and bigots, but before God, we know that we dwell in the true light, true love, and true communion. Why? Because in all our lives we continue to humble ourselves before God, recognizing our sin and seeking transformation in his righteousness.
Especially as a Pastor I am called to preach the word and to teach the word. I wrestle with the lies that prevail in our culture today. I also hear and encourage other church rulers in overseeing the church according to all that Christ has taught in the gospel. In this whole work, I still struggle with my remaining sin. I cry out to God, “Forgive me.”
Particularly, in my disagreements with other pastors. I know that sin affects my understanding. Even when I know that I am right, I know that my sin, and my weakness in communication, affect my discussions with these brothers. They are not enemies in the sense the Psalmists writes, but the Psalmist’s words certainly apply even to this… and to all Christians, as they seek to live in communion with one another.
So, I like David, am confident that I shall not be put to shame. In that confidence, I continually seek God’s forgiveness. I know the way in which my pride, my envy, my anger, and my lust are always finding ways to undermine the good works I seek to do for my Lord.
But I — we are in Christ. In him, we all can know that we shall not be put to shame. If we hold to the good forgiveness of Christ, we need to fear shame. We might lose status before others, but we cannot lose status before Christ.