A Righteous Dude

Who does this guy think he is?

I’m a big fan of Bible reading plans. Whether they cover the whole Bible in a year or not, a balanced reading plan will lead you places in the Bible that you would probably not choose to go. But, last week my Bible reading plan led me to Psalm 26 and I didn’t like it.

¹ Vindicate me, Lord, for I have led a blameless life;
I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered.
² Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind;
³ for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love
    and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness… (Ps 26:1-3 NIV)

Who does this guy think he is? For most of the church-going people I know (myself included) we do not need to be encouraged to be self-righteous and arrogant. “I’ve never faltered”?  “I have always been mindful of your unfailing love”?  Get real buddy. What kind of a guy asks God to “look closely,” “test me,” “check me out God, I am one righteous dude.” He closes with:

¹¹ I lead a blameless life; deliver me and be merciful to me.

¹² My feet stand on level ground; in the great congregation I will praise the Lord. (Ps 26:11-12 NIV)

Why is this in the book of Psalms anyway? What follower of God need to be encouraged to be more proud and condescending toward the people around them?

Firstly, it helps to dig into the original language a little bit.  “Blameless life” isn’t a great translation of the Hebrew word tummî in verse 1 and 11. It makes it sound like the author is claiming absolute moral purity where a more rigid translation “I, in my integrity (have) walk(ed)” reveals the point is the integrated wholeness of the author’s life. His intentions are consistent, whatever his moral fidelity may be. Likewise, at the end of verse 1 it sounds like the author is saying he as “not faltered” (i.e. not made a mistake). Ironically a more rigid literal translation helps: “in the LORD have I trusted—I do not slip.” (note 1)

He’s not boasting, since in verse 11 he goes on to ask for God to redeem him (forgive or restore him). Similarly, in verse 3 the author is not saying “I have always been mindful…” as in “I have never failed” but rather that his intention has been consistently on “God’s unfailing love.” Whether I fail or not, God does not fail.

What’s the point of the Psalm? The author says in verse 3 “your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness” (ESV) and then in verses 4-8 he talks about what that means. He doesn’t spend time with liars or hypocrites (v. 4), evildoers or the wicked (v. 5) but instead he does the things you would do if you were going to enter the temple to worship. He washes his hands in the fountain outside like you’re supposed to (v. 6) and he makes an offering at the altar before entering (v. 7).

He then says how much he loves being in the presence of (relationship with) God and asks that God forgive him and not sweep him away with sinners and murderers.

Whether this all went over your head or not, I am struck with how reading Psalm 26 did something unexpected for me, even when I initially didn’t understand what it was saying. It jarred me into asking some hard questions of my own integrity, my own consistency even when I was misunderstanding the intentions of the original author. The Holy Spirit can even use my misunderstandings of Scripture to stir my heart toward God.

Notes:

1. Broyles, Craig C. Psalms. Understanding the Bible Commentary Series, Baker Publishing, Grand Rapids MI (1999) p. 126