Repentance is serious.

If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword;

he has bent and readied his bow;

he has prepared for him his deadly weapons,

making his arrows fiery shafts.

Psalm 7:12-13

God takes our sin much more seriously than we do. There are dangerous consequences awaiting the person who is aware of sin, but refuses to admit it, turn from it, and turn to God’s forgiving grace in Jesus. The poetry here in this psalm shows God as a ready, muscular warrior, sharp sword drawn, bow bent with a burning arrow at the ready to launch against a rebel soul. Deadly weapons are drawn. The unrepentant soul is looking down the shaft of God’s burning arrow of judgment.

This description comes after the reminder in Psalm 7:11 that “God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.” We may feel God doesn’t see what’s wrong. That’s our miscalculation. It is a deadly one. God sees it all. He is the holy judge. And unrepentant sin must be dealt with by Him.

The good news is that for those who will repent  and trust Him, the Lord is a saving shield (Psalm 78:10). Repentance puts you in a position of protection, not punishment. God tests our minds and hearts. He forgives through His Son all who will in their hearts turn to Christ for forgiveness, finding relief from the consequences of their sins through His death and resurrection. They then seek Christ to rule over them in what they now do. The bow is unbent, the sword is sheathed, and the arrow God once had ready to launch against the sinner is then quivered as His nail scarred hands reach out and embrace the repentant sinner in complete and eternal forgiveness.