But if someone sins against the LORD, who can make intercession?

 

Wednesday, June 7, 2023


Psalm 90

1 Samuel 2:12-26

Acts 4:32-5:11


But if someone sins against the LORD, who can make intercession?


When we first enter the workforce as a pimple-faced teenager, scrubbing dishes or filing music records in alphabetical order, it is simply a job. One clocks in, completes the work, and clocks out. At a certain point the job turns into a career, and alongside better pay and more stimulating work comes the added pressure of responsibility. One no longer simply convinces customers to buy the nice piece of jewellery; they are also the one who has to complete the stock take to make sure no diamonds have gone missing down the back of the desk.


Eli seems to have an interesting theology of sin and forgiveness in this passage. If we sin against one another; that is, do something wrong by our neighbour, then we can turn to the Lord for forgiveness. But, Eli argues, should we do wrong directly against the Lord, then there is no-one left to appeal to for help.


The ideal of our post-Easter world is that everything we do we do for the Lord. Should we then sin in anything, we sin directly against God: we Christians have been given responsibility over the Gospel of Jesus, far more precious than stones or metal.


But we also know that the one God is the divine community of love between Father, Son and Spirit. Each Person in the Godhead loves us dearly and is helping us along in our walk of discipleship. Certainly, to grieve the heart of God is the most heart-breaking aspect of sin. But Jesus is at the right hand of the Father, constantly making intercessions for us; and the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groans to deep for human words; and the Father is ready to give us whatever good thing we ask for. We have the responsibility over the gospel message. And our sin is a tragic waste of that responsibility. But the Lord is on our side, forgiving us when we ask, helping us back on our feet. God would not have given this responsibility if He did not also constantly give us the grace needed to be worthy of handling it.

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