Psalms 25:11: “For thy name sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity for it is great.”
We tend to use the word iniquity interchangeable with the word sin. I mean are not sin and iniquity both the same. Actually, there is a real difference between iniquity and sin. Most of us know that the Hebrew word for sin is chata which is an archer’s term and means missing the target. In ancient times it took great strength for an archer to shoot an arrow far enough to reach the target, but even then he could still miss the target. That is chata, to reach your target but still miss it. Iniquity is the Hebrew word ‘avah which is also an archer’s term but is applied to a novice who has not yet developed the strength to shoot his arrow far enough to even reach his target. So sin or chata is reaching your target but still missing it where iniquity is not even getting close to your target. Put more within its context, sin causes us to miss God when we get close to reaching Him but iniquity keeps us from even reaching God.
Let me put it another way iniquity or ‘avah is…. Wait a minute, where did ‘Avah go? He was here in the Psalm 25:11 a moment ago and now he is gone and… there he is trying to run through my Looking Glass hanging from my Daleth. “Don’t you dare go through my Looking Glass you wily little… He went and dog gone it, now I have to go after him. Come on, you might as well follow me through the Looking Glass and see if we can find ‘Avah (iniquity).
Come on, my dear reader join me on a journey through my mirror hanging from my Daleth. The Daleth represents a doorway or portal and when we step through this portal, shazam! Here we are in that nonsense wonderland of the Hebrew Esoteric World. Now where in this world is ‘Avah. We are looking for a Hebrew word that has three letters, Ayin, Vav and Hei. (iniquity). Yeah, I see it too, there is a bright Light shining in this wonder world. That is our goal in this world which is to reach that Light. Say, hey look up ahead. Approaching that Light is our old buddy ‘Avah (iniquity) bless is dark, sinister little heart, he is actually heading toward that Light. Oh, but I knew it, that dastardly little Ayin is the first letter in the word ‘avah (iniquity) and he is leading this two pals Vav and Hei to this light. Oh, but look Ayin is really casting a shadow on his two buddies Vav and Hei and he is constantly looking back as he is leading his two friends, Vav and Hei, forward toward the Light.
You know, I have read where the ancient Jewish sages teach that the Ayin is always seeking the Light, but when the Light shines on the Ayin, it cast a shadow behind it. Watch closely because therein lies the key difference between sin and iniquity. Sin applies to everyone, but iniquity applies only to you and me, those who are already seeking God. You see the Vav represents a connection to heaven and the Hei represents the presence of God and as the Ayin cast his shadow upon the Vav and Hei he is blocking that connection to God’s presence.
That is what iniquity ‘avah does to us. In our search for the presence of God, God will cast his light upon us but in the same manner as that Ayin we are casting a shadow behind us that the light does not penetrate. You know, I believe we are learning here in Esoteric Land that this is why we see so many who are successful in ministry suddenly fall into scandal. They have hidden sins such as pornography, lust for money, power, fame, etc. For years ‘avah (iniquity) has been casting its shadow over these hidden sins. In fact that is what iniquity really is, it are those hidden sins that block us from the presence of God.
Come on, you must help, lets warn Ayin what his shadow is doing. “Ayin, stop, it’s your shadow, right behind you, it is blocking the Light so it cannot reach your friends Vav (connection to heaven) and Hei (presence of God). Oh Ayin please stop and bow down before the Light.” Look, he heard us, he is doing it, alright, alright, alright, he is bowing down before the Light, and Ayin’s shadow has disappeared.
Come on let’s catch up with ‘Avah, I think Ayin wants to tell us something. You see Ayin represent spiritual insight and he always has a word of wisdom for me. He has pulled me out of many dangerous situations I have run into here in Esoteric Land.
“Hey, Ayin old buddy, what’s the good word for today?” “Chaim, old friend I am warning you, your books have been selling very well and my shadow has been creeping up on you. If you do not stop to bow before God and bring your hidden sins before the light of God, iniquity will cast its shadow upon you and you will disgrace the very message your books are teaching. But when you approach the Light of God and you prostrate yourself before Him, no shadow will exist and the Vav, your connection to heaven and the Hei, God’s presence, will be upon you.
Oh my gosh , Ayin has just stood back up, his shadow is appearing, run, run for the Looking Glass, don’t look back for in that shadow you will see my iniquities, my pride, lust for fame, power and money. Awww!!! It’s the shadow of the Vav which is shaped like a hook and is connecting to the shadow Ayin rather than the light. That is the function of the Vav to make a connection and create a dependency. In the word for iniquity it is connecting with Ayin’s shadow creating a dependency upon praise, honor, lust for money, power and fame. Keep running, we must make it back to the…oh no! ‘Avah has been stopped in its tracks, it is no longer moving toward the light. Horrors, 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.
Wait, stop, I hear someone weeping. Oh, look, it is the poor Hei, the last letter in the word ‘Avah. The Hei represents the presence of God and it is also known among the Jewish sages as the broken letter. See, see how sad Hei looks, he is broken, he too has been pulled into the shadow and the presence of God has been extinguished. I remember the sages teaching that the shadow of the Hei represents being stuck in brokenness and self-deception. He has been pulled into Ayin’s shadow by the Vav and it is now stuck in this brokenness and self-deception. ‘Avah (iniquity) is so sinister that you do not even realize it creeping up on you. Did you notice it is getting darker and darker here in Esoteric land, like night falling, it comes on so gradual you don’t even realize it until it is too dark to find your way out. The presence of God, the Light of God is going out, quickly, there is the Looking Glass, come let’s return to our world before the Light has gone completely out. .
Well, I don’t know about you but I have seen enough of ‘avah” (iniquity). We can honestly be seeking God, moving toward His light, but if we forget to bow to Him, a shadow will form, the Vav will attach itself to that shadow and draw the poor Hei into it until it is stuck in brokenness and self-deception and the presence or Light of God is extinguished. Iniquity can stop us in our tracks before we even get a chance to chata (sin – reach the target or Light of God). As we move toward the Light of God ‘avah (iniquity) will create a self-deception that makes us believe we are making progress toward the Light of God but blinds us to the shadow within our own hearts.
David admitted in Psalms 25:11 that his iniquity was great. In Hebrew the word rendered as great is rabhu which literally that means it is numerous. Yet it is singular. Grammatically, it is odd that David would use a singular pronoun to describe his iniquities as numerous. He should have used a plural pronoun, Unless, of course, David also stepped behind his Looking Glass and saw the word ‘avah personified as a single entity.
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