On this day, O Lord, we ask that we may be protected from sin.
Keep back Thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.
Psalm 19:13
The Doxology now takes a hard pivot. We go from singing about blessing and praising God forevermore, and address a problem we face every day, something that flies in the face of praising and blessing God, and that is the temptation to sin.
There are many things in life where the more we do them, the easier they become. Being a Christian is not one of those things. And that is because the harder we work at following and focusing on the Lord, the harder the devil works to knock us off our game. This is why, in the previous line of the Doxology, we sing that we will bless and praise God every day and why we need to do that every day, because temptation lurks around us every day and the devil works every day.
The management of sin and temptation is something we have to cognizant of every day. The devil looks for an opening in a relationship, in a situation, even in our own minds, and when he finds it, he enters it, fills it, and exploits it. Many people fall into sin not because they are inherently or habitually evil, but because they have a momentary lapse in judgment. This is how the devil works, he is very sneaky and also very patient.
No one likes talking about the devil. We like to pretend he isn’t real. After all, he isn’t in our icons. In the depiction of the angels appearing to the shepherds, we see the glory of the Lord, and the joy of the shepherds. Why bring up the devil?
Let’s talk about the shepherds and how the devil might have fit into their story, because the story of the shepherds in many ways is our story. Shepherds were nomadic, they didn’t really have a home. They weren’t being counted in the census in Bethlehem. While everyone had returned to their hometown to be counted, it seemed like society wasn’t interested in counting them. While everyone was rejoicing at family reunions in their home cities, the shepherds were out in the cold, watching their flocks in the dark. Being a shepherd was also dangerous. Wolves and other predators could come and attack the flock. We know from the sayings of Jesus that one shepherd would have been entrusted to care for 100 sheep. And if a shepherd needed a break to sleep, or go to the bathroom, or was cooking for the other shepherds, then a shepherd might have to look after even more.
In the midst of this dangerous, scary and lonely existence, the skies lit up with a multitude of angels declaring the glory of God and welcoming the shepherds, of all people, to be the first to see the promised Savior. It’s interesting to wonder about the conversation that would have happened after the angels went away into heaven. The shepherds must have been amazed, curious, and confused all at the same time. What is this? Why us? Maybe even the practical problem of how are we going to get all these sheep to go with us and what will happen to them while we investigate the babe lying in the manger.
The shepherds made the decision “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” (Luke 2:15) That decision was one of both faith and hope. We don’t know if these shepherds knew the Lord before the encounter with the angels, but they surely believed in Him afterwards, even using the name of the Lord. You might be asking, where is the devil in this story? Where is the constant temptation? The devil might have put a doubt in the minds of the shepherds on the way to the manger, but the shepherds still got there. Afterwards is where the temptation would have occurred.
We see in depictions of the Nativity the shepherds at the manger. But there is no depiction of them leaving. The time came when they needed to return to their dangerous and lonely job. Seeing the Savior with their own eyes didn’t change their status. It didn’t get them invited to the parties in Bethlehem, it didn’t take away the low prestige of their jobs, it didn’t take away the shiver of the cold night. But it changed them. We read in Luke 2:20, that “the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” The encounter with the Lord did not change their status. It changed them. And this is the opening the devil always looks for. Because when we follow after Christ, but life is still hard, we are tempted to become confused. We are tempted to wonder why if we’ve given our lives to the Lord do they not suddenly become easier. And where there is this doubt, this is where the devil jumps. That opening is there each time someone fails us. That opening is there each time we fail ourselves.
The challenge is what do we do with the temptation to sin and what do we do when we fall to sin, or someone else sins against us. This is the intention of this verse of the Doxology, to ask the Lord that we be protected from sin each day. To help us stay vigilant in the moments of doubt. To help us stay disciplined in the moments of temptation. To help us recognize when we have done wrong and repent. To help us forgive those who have sinned against us. Yes, part of being protected from sin is not only being protected from our own sin and temptation, but being protected from hating those who sin against us. This is also why repentance and forgiveness are such crucial parts of the Christian life. Because these are the disciplines that protect us when we sin and when others sin against us.
Back to the shepherds, as they left the manger to return to the fields, there must have been some doubt mixed in with their joy, and the doubt would have been why did this miraculous thing they had experienced not changed everything else. And this is where faith comes in—it takes faith to retain that joy and hope even when our difficult circumstances do not change. This is why the story of the shepherds is so important, because on this level, it is our story as well.
Today’s verse is from Psalm 19 and today’s prayer is the entire Psalm 19. The verse about “presumptuous sins” is part of a Psalm that begins speaking of the glory of God. And that’s because even when we experience the glory of God, the voice of temptation always lingers. Faith is not only belief in the glory of God, but the fight against the voice of temptation which distracts us from it.
The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims His handiwork. Day to day pours forth speck, and night to night declares knowledge; there is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tent for the sun, which comes forth like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and like a strong man runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens and its circuit to the end of them; and there is nothing hid from its heat. The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The ordinances of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover by them is Thy servant warned; in keep them there is great reward. But who can discern his errors? Clear Thou me from hidden faults. Keep back Thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19
As we prepare to celebrate the Nativity, let’s remember the shepherds and how their encounter with Christ changed their hearts, even though it didn’t change their situation. And let us remember that the devil lurks around especially in those moments of doubt, in any place where an opening is left for him. And let us pray fervently, and watch carefully, that we be protected from sin on this day, and every day.
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