Psalms 25:11: “For thy name sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity for it is great.”
Why do you think David is using the word iniquity rather than sin? Are not iniquity and sin the same thing? Maybe in English we think they are the same but in Hebrew there is a real difference between iniquity and sin. Most of us know that the Hebrew word for sin is chata which means missing the mark. The sages teach that chata reaches the target but misses it. Iniquity or ‘avah never even makes it to the target. Iniquity is that which keeps us from reaching God.
You know what, I really need to go through my Looking Glass on this one and try to locate ‘avah (inquity) and see if he can shed some light on how he differs from chata sin. I just get this unsettling feeling that Avah iniquity and Chata sin have something more that they want to communicate to me. I am not too excited to meet up with ‘Avah iniquity nor Chata sin as we have been at odds ever since I acceped Jesus as my Savior at the age of twelve. Avah iniquity and Chata sin have been bitter enemies ever since that day and they are always trying to ensare me into some trouble. They are the source of my many downfalls and I suspect this impending meeting behind my Daleth may be filled with a lot of traps, I must be careful.
But clinging to Paul’s statement that all things work together for good, I believe the Spirit of God wants me to confront my old arch enemy as there is something I need to learn. So, it is with fear a trembling I grab my back pack and start off through my Looking Glass into that nonsense wonderland of the esoteric Hebrew.
I arrive in Hebrew Esoteric Land and begin looking around. I turn toward the North and, Oh wow! Look at that bright light shining in this wonderland and hey, right there approaching that light is none other than my old nemesis Avah iniquity. “Slay you malefactor,” I declare in disgust. I notice Avah is being led by the first letter of the word Ayin. I watch Ayin for a moment and I notice that he is constantly looking back as if he does not want to move forward. You know, I have read where the sages teach that the Ayin is always seeking the Light. However, now that I watch it seems that when the light shines on the Ayin, it cast his shadow behind him.
Chata sin sneaks up behind me and taps me on the shoulder, “Yeow!” I scream, “Stop sneaking up on me will you. Can’t you ever play fair.” Chata gives his sinister laugh, “If I played fair I would never defeat you, not since you accepted Jesus as your Savior. I can only hope to trap you by sneaking up behind you.” “Ok, ok,” I say to Chata sin, “What do you want, and no games, you hear me?” Chata sin gives me that innocent look: “Why I am only here to help you understand the difference between iniquity and myself sin. You see I Chata sin applies to everyone but since you are a Christian now there is little I can do, the blood of Jesus just keeps washing me away. But Iniquity now, my cousin, ah, he applies only to those seeking God. Note as you are seeking God Avah is following you. God’s light is cast upon not only on you but Avah as well. But watch what happens, Avah has paused to let us catch up with him. See that, his shadow is blocking the light and now his shadow is right in front of you and you barely even noticed. The light does not, it cannot penetrate Avah Iniquity so in Avah’s shadow you see all your hidden sins. But because you are seeking the light you are not aware of them like some many who are successful in the ministry, they are so busy seeking the light they ignore Avah’s shadow and are trapped by me Chata sins that are hidden in the Shadow of Avah. Sins such as lust for money, power, fame, etc. You see Jesus may have defeated me Chata sin on the cross but when I team up with my cousin Avah iniquity, we can work together to entrap you in those things that Avah keeps hidden from the light. Hee, hee, and you thought you had everthing…OMG Cousin Avah, what are you doing?”
I look up and I see the Ayin, Vav and Hei the letters of Avah bowing down before God and as a result the light of God falls on the shadow and it disappears. “Ha,” I laugh at Chata sin, “You thought you had me didn’t you. But look, God’s light has revealed all those sins you were about to entrap me in.” “@#$% Avah” curses Chata sin, “Didn’t you know this Chaim Bentorah fellow bows before God, You blew it, you stood right there and you blew it.” “Hey,” I say, watch your language, I’m church people. I learned long ago that if I try to serve God without bowing before him, Avah will cast his Shadow of Iniquity and you have your own Chata sin way with me. But when I approach God and prostrate myself in total surrender to Him, you don’t stand a chance.”
As I stand there feeling smug I noticed a sudden turn of events: “Oh, oh,” I moan, “The Ayin of Avah has stood back up and his Shadow has reappeared.” I saw pride, lust for fame, power and money suddenly appear before and I was becoming weak, longing to reach out for it. “Oh no!” I scream in panic: “Look what is happening now with the next letter of Avah, the Vav?” Chata sin is laughing again because, the Vav, shaped like a hook, is connecting to the shadow rather than the light. That is the function of the Vav which is to make a connection and create a dependency. “I watch with a sinking heart as Avah Iniquity starts to connect with Ayin’s shadow creating a dependency in me for the lust of money, power, fame etc. “Look, Look,” I cry out in utter despair, “Oh no! Avah has stopped in his tracks, he is no longer moving toward the light. Oh sigh!” You see that is what Avah iniquity does, it stops us in our tracks, in our quest toward the light of God and makes us dependent upon this world rather than upon God.
There is one more letter, a powerful letter, but I fear in the presence of the Shadow of Ayin and Vav he will be easily overwhelmed. It is the letter Hei.” Oh, my poor little Hei, he is the last letter in the word Avah (iniquity). My precious Hei that letter for the presence of God is also known among the sages as the broken letter. See, see how sad the Hei looks, he is being overcome by his Shadow which is brokenness. He is oh, so broken, he has been pulled into entirely into his shadow. You see the sages teach that in its shadow form the Hei represents being stuck in brokenness and self deception. He has been pulled into Ayin’s shadow by the Vav and Hei, my dear little Hei is now stuck in this brokenness and self deception. The presence of God, the Light of God has gone out.
“Ok, Chata sin, I’ve seen enough, I am going to go back through my Looking Glass” I say sadly. Chata sin slaps his knee and lets out a whoop of joy. “I’ve got you Chaim old boy.” I quickly turn back and faced my persistent foe, I looked him square in the eye. “No you did not either you old goat. You simply implanted a picture in my thoughts. For now I clearly see that if I am honestly seeking God, moving toward His light, and I forget to bow to Him, a shadow will form, the Vav will attach itself to that shadow and draw my poor Hei (presence of God) into it until I am changed into brokenness and self deception and the presence or Light of God is extinguished. I clearly see now that your cousin Avah Iniquity will stop me in my tracks as I move toward the Light of God and it will create a self deception that makes me believe I am making progress toward the Light of God but blinds me to the shadow within my own heart. So I say: ‘Thank you old foe of mine for this warning, I have learned well. I wills see your cousin Avah back in Psalms 25.’” As I pass through my Looking Glass I hear Chata wail: “Curses, foiled again.” Then I hear him his voice filled with terror as he cries out; “OMG, Run cousin Avah, there is a tsunami of the Redeemer’s blood headed our way, run for your…!” I slap my knee this time as I laugh. Then with a smile and a resolve to always bow before my Savior, I pass through my Looking Glass.
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