Woe to me if it is proclaimed, "He has received his reward!" If even good deeds are judged as deserving of reprimand, how much more so are sins! When mercy misses its eternal reward due to boastful claims, the penalty for wrongdoing only grows more severe when such arrogance is added. As a result, the contrite must willingly accept their own punishment, desiring that God chastise them in this life rather than face eternal torment, hastening to confront divine wrath.
Observe how David’s actions align with his supplications: in commanding a census of the people, he offended God, yet through his confession, he prefaced God’s words, recognizing the gravity of his wrongs and his folly. Unable to bear his own turmoil, he realized the offense he had caused; it was as if he were urging the Slow rather than reminding the Forgetful. He declared, "I have sinned greatly that I have done this. And now destroy the transgression of Thy servant" (1 Chron. 21:8). Listen to the response regarding the obliteration of sin: “His sin is forgiven, for from the hand of the Lord he received double for his sins” (Isaiah 40:2). He does not seek a complete absolution but that his sins be removed at justifiable cost, ensuring that the memory of that wrongdoing is forever erased. David beseeched the Lord, and without postponing the disciplinary action for his transgression, God sent the prophet Nathan to him. Nathan approached the king and laid out the options: either three years of famine in the land, or three months of fleeing from his enemies, or three days of pestilence in the land. “And now consider what I shall answer to Him who sent me” (1 Chron. 21:11-12). Notice how the Lord provides instruction, how His anger is proportionately tempered if we do not evade the correction, seeking merely a diminishment of the punishment and not its elimination. God presented David with three punishments, permitting him to choose the one that seemed least severe. Observe how God calls for repentance, that we may be ready for correction, granting us the dignity of choice even in our punishment. The guilty wish to feel the reassurance in the statement: “And David said unto Nathan, These three penalties are grievous to me: but let me rather fall into the hands of the Lord, for His mercy is very great, than into the hands of men” (1 Chronicles 21:13). Did he ask for forgiveness? Had he done so, he would have faced reprimand for his ingratitude towards divine grace. It benefits the guilty to engage in humble confession and accept punishment, for we cannot evade it through justification, but may alleviate it through acknowledging our shame.
David chose a punishment he considered more manageable, putting more trust in the kindness of God, who truly knows how to forgive, than in the unjust human inclination towards vengeance. It is the sinless One who extends compassion, not man, who participates in wrongdoing. Faith did not lead David astray; within sin, he found the grace of God's mercy. Although God declared death upon the earth for three days, He did not permit even a single day to pass without mercy at the evening hour, as Scripture states, “and repented of this evil” (1 Chron. 21:15). See how Scripture encourages us to avoid repentance by emulating God, whom we are to imitate. The Scripture rightly refers to it as “this evil,” for every punishment is daunting. This is why the Day of Judgement is termed ‘dreadful’—the blessed are delivered from it through God, as it is written: “In the day of trouble the Lord will deliver him” (Psalm 40:2). The Lord instructed the angel to stay his hand (1 Chron. 21:15). Observe that when the Lord is set to bestow forgiveness, He grants the opportunity of appealing for it. David, witnessing the angel of destruction, proclaimed: “Here I am. I have sinned, I have shepherded iniquity; and these shepherds have done what? Let Your hand be turned upon me, and upon my father’s house” (2 Sam. 24:17). If the Lord commanded the angel to cease, why did the angel persist in wreaking havoc upon the people? Perhaps it is because the Lord, while willing to forgive, desires to be implored, acting in a manner that necessitates supplication. Man would not have beheld the destroying angel had God not given him sight. Thus, Elisha says, “Lord, open now the eyes of this young man, that he may see.” And the eyes of his servant were opened, and he saw the mountain full of horses and chariots round about the prophet (4 Kings 6:17). Do not be confused that this refers to a servant less significant than a prophet or a king, as he observed the horses and chariots surrounding him, trivial compared to the holiness of the angels.
It may strike some readers as severe that the humble and gentle David, who spared his adversaries, preferred the death of his people to either fleeing or experiencing famine. He did not choose famine, viewing it as a heavier consequence than death or any punishment. Famine invites plague, defiling the atmosphere and resulting in countless fatalities. David sought not escape; as a prophet, he could pray for his people, as was the case. However, the people could not intercede for him, for it is written: “If the people have sinned, the priest shall pray for them. But if the priest has sinned, who will pray for him?” (1 Kings 2:25; cf. Lev. 4:3). Nevertheless, witnessing the destruction of the people, he offered himself to the striking angel, requesting that he be smitten instead of the people. Undeterred by the sight of death, David placed himself at the mercy of the smiting sword, unwilling to recant his commitment. His choice was driven by reason, and his sorrow by devotion.
Observe the Lord's goodness! He rejected the punishment offered. Is it wrong that He showed mercy, even though He had threatened a greater penalty? He exhibited compassion and required less. The Lord fulfills His promises when dispensing rewards, yet feels sorrow when exacting punishment. In His anger, He casts out the guilty; in His mercy, He hastens to acquit. He intimidates to correct the sinner, encourages to restore, and strives to embrace them with forgiveness. In another passage, the prophet speaks of the Lord, stating, “In the hand of the Lord is a cup of undiluted wine, filled with mingling.” Yet its sediment has not been exhausted (Psalms 74:9). The cup remains full for terror, and its punishment is unspent. It was full when death was threatened for three days, but the mercy of the Lord holds back the angel’s hand before it could empty that chalice. Understand that the cup signifies chastisement or a sword, as the prophet states, “Take out of my hand this cup of undiluted wine, and give drink to all the nations to whom I send thee. And they shall spew out and be mad at the sight of the sword” (Jeremiah 25:15-16). Jerusalem was told, “You have drunk the cup of fury from the hand of the Lord. You have drunk the cup of fallenness and become empty. There is no one to comfort you” (Is. 51:17-18). Jerusalem has consumed its measure, for it has sinned beyond measure. The Christian Church cannot deplete the cup of wrath but has exhausted the incense; Christ has spent Himself to spread fragrance everywhere. From the hands of the Lord, the Church received this gift, remaining unaware of the cup of death. I read of two cups: one of death and the other of life. With His blood, Christ emptied the cup of death and provided a new cup, allowing us to proclaim, “I will receive the cup of salvation” (Psalm 115:4), the cup of the New Covenant, poured out for the remission of sins (Matt. 26:27-29). This cup is poured out, devoid of sediment, for the Lord cleanses all transgressions.
We have already noted how, in enacting vengeance, the Lord tempered His wrath. Now let us observe how, in the act of reward, He anticipates our petitions, exemplified in an event. One of the two thieves said to the Lord, "Remember me, O Lord, when You come into Your kingdom." The Lord replied, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:42-43). The thief requested the Lord to remember him upon entering His kingdom, and yet the Lord had already bestowed upon him the promise of the heavenly realm. What swift mercy! The response of the One who grants far surpasses the prayer of one who asks.
Consequently, David did not appeal for absolution but sought moderation in his punishment: “Lord, rebuke me not in Thy fury, nor chastise me in Thy wrath” (Psalm 37:2). The term "wrath" in Greek refers to a fit of anger; in Latin, it translates as "Do not rebuke or chastise me in anger or during a fit of anger." Chastisement involves admonition, as in Greek it is termed "παίδευσις." It is said of him, "Blessed is the man whom Thou dost admonish, O Lord" (Psalms 93:12). God is not subject to human passions in His anger; rather, He chastises in a way that may seem wrathful to us because we often punish in agitation. Yet there are individuals who can administer correction without losing their composure. Why be surprised at the patience of God if you occasionally recognize it in humanity? Earlier, we discussed that day of wrath in connection with punishment. Of those punished, we use the expression, “the wrath of the law came upon him,” not because the law itself is vengeful, but because it is rigorous. Likewise, it is said of the ten plagues of Egypt: "He sent wrath upon them" through evil angels (Ps. 77:49), meaning punishment, as the law knows no anger, but the enforcers do. The Lawgiver has no intent to inflict wrath but rather aims to frighten, not to punish. Rulers should emulate the divine example, being rigorous in establishing laws but compassionate in applying punishments, as the severity of laws curtails the audaciousness of the arrogant, while the mercy of authority may shield the guilty from consequence. Thus, the prophet acknowledges his faults, recognizes his afflictions, and seeks healing. The one pursuing healing does not shun rebuke but requests guidance, not in anger, but through the Word of God. The Word of God brings healing, as it is written, “He sent His word and healed them” (Psalm 106:20). The prophet seeks restoration, not through indignation, but through instruction, just as you would not ask a physician to inflict a wound but rather to apply soothing ointment. Though he may treat ach wounds with discomfort, he doesn't sever; the pain is present but controlled, the procedure may sting yet does not lead to excessive bleeding.
THEOSIS