Most people know Psalm 51, most likely mainly through a popular Christian song:
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
I find the next verse to be fascinating:
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.
**WARNING: NERDY HEBREW LINGUISTICS TALK**
I’m guessing that the “then” on this next verse is a conjunction ‘wa’ in Hebrew that is ambiguous, and most translators use “then” because of context. However, I still find it fascinating, because it makes so much sense (even if you used a different conjunction it still makes sense!). When God gives us a clean heart, when he restores us anew, THEN we can move forward and I believe God will bless us with reaching out to many people.
I know that some would surely try to take this out of context, using it as an excuse not to do anything for the kingdom of God until they are ‘perfect.’ But that’s not what it’s talking about.
It’s about a story.
A testimony.
It’s about being like the blind man that Jesus healed, who went throughout the city and exclaimed how he had been healed by the Messiah.
When we seek out God to redeem us, we find that He weaves us into an even greater story of redemption that involves far more than just our own selves.
We participate in God reaching the nations.
On a personal level, with our own mouths, with our own stories, all as a part of His one incredible redemptive love story.
