Clean Hands, Clean Heart

“I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O LORD: That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.” (Ps 26:6-7 AV)

It is difficult to speak of God in glowing fashion when there is a serious sin in the heart.  Note that David cannot separate innocency from approaching the altar.  For David to approach the place upon which his offerings are given, there must be  cleansing.  The old testament explains this process.  Prior to offering the animal for sacrifice, the penitent would place his hands upon the animal and confess his sins.  It was the confession and forsaking that prepared the heart to sacrifice.  The sacrifice is what covered the sin.  But the sin must be confessed first.  Sin is that thing that separates us from God.  Even as children of God, our relationship to Him is strained because we are in disobedience or anxiety.  Cleansing must come first.

As I muse on this principle, I wondered what would become of our churches if we took sin more seriously.  Our worship services are as deep as a wading pool.  I am playing a little game of ‘what if?’.  What would become of our churches if we opened the doors 30 minutes prior to the start of our service for people to pray at the altar?  This prayer time would be restricted solely for the confession and forsaking of sin.  It is too bad that much of that work is done at the end of the service.  What if people met thirty minutes before service to pray together for our nation and our rulers?  In that prayer time, we would stress the spiritual and moral condition of our fellow countrymen and seek God’s face for revival.  This prayer time would not be organized.  It would not be led.  It would be the Spirit of God meeting with the people of God as they seek a deeper and more holy walk with Him.  I wonder how different our church services would be if the people of God came with praise on their lips.  Not that praise of today which is man-centered and entertaining.  Rather, the lips of God’s people prepared to offer glory to the God who loves and cares for them.

The psalm limits David’s praise to the temple.  That is not the only place to offer such praise.  In other passages, he speaks of offering praise and thanksgiving as part of a national celebration.  He speaks of praising God in his home before his family.  Praise is anywhere and anytime.  It begins in the house of God.  David was a godly man.  He may have had his issues.  He may have had his faults.  But you cannot condemn him for lack of love and devotion toward God.  David loved his God.  And he was not ashamed to publish it.  It was because he made a practice of cleansing the heart and soul.  I wonder what would be of our homes, churches, and nation if we made a practice of innocency before worship.