PSALM 32

The "Joy of Forgiveness"
 

There are few Old Testament stories that make the kind of impact as David’s sin with Bathsheba.  Jesus warned against a lustful look by saying,  

“… anyone who even looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”   Matthew 5:28

David’s lust turned into adultery, murder, and the lies and deceptions it took to try to cover it up.  He was a righteous man and still fell into temptation.  Because he was a man after God — he was a man who not only had fallen, but also was a man God picked up from a deep pit of despair. 

PSALM 32

A Psalm of Contemplation

¹     Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

²     Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,

     And in whose spirit there is no deceit.

³     When I kept silent, my bones grew old—through my groaning all the day long.

⁴     For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;

     My vitality was turned into the drought of summer.       Selah

⁵     I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden.

      I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”

     And You forgave the iniquity of my sin.         Selah

⁶    For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You

     In a time when You may be found; surely in a flood of great waters

     They shall not come near him.

⁷     You are my hiding place, You shall preserve me from trouble—

     You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.          Selah

⁸     I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go-

      I will guide you with My eye.

⁹     Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding that must

      be harnessed with bit and bridle— or else they will not come near you.

¹⁰    Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; but he who trusts in the Lord,

      mercy shall surround  him.

¹¹     Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous—

     And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

 

 “Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death”       James 1:14–15

In Psalm 32, David demonstrates a clear understanding of himself as sinful and in need of forgiveness. He also shows remarkable insight into a holy God who delights in forgiving. The bridge David describes between our sin and God’s forgiveness is his confession. We experience the crushing force of conviction when we stubbornly refuse to acknowledge our rebellion to God. But when we confess our sins to Him we experience the joy of forgiveness and restoration that followed.  This psalm flows out of the great anguish of David’s heart as he groaned under the load of his guilt.

In teaches us that there is great blessing having God as your refuge (32:6‑7).  The same man who complained that he was oppressed by God’s hand [vs 4] here declares God to be his hiding place. He had feared God as his judge, now he takes refuge in Him as his protector who surrounds him with songs of deliverance. The flood of great waters (32:6)  means God’s judgment.  Any man who has ever  experienced God’s forgiveness need not fear the flood of God’s judgment. What a blessing to know that, instead of having to run from God, we can now run to God and know we are safe!

To help understand this wonderful attribute of God, there is a story—

““about a wagon train crossing the prairie, which came over a hill and was terrified to see a prairie fire racing in their direction.  It seemed as if they would be engulfed by the flames.  But the leader quickly rode to the rear of the caravan and lit the dry grass behind them on fire. The same winds blowing the flames toward them fanned this fire away from them. Within minutes they all moved to the burned-off area.  As the heat and smoke became more intense, a little girl cried out, “Are you sure we’re safe?” “Oh, yes,” said the wagon-master, “we’re safe because we’re standing where the fire has already been.” If Christ has taken the fire of God’s judgment, then we’re safe if we take refuge in Him.””

We’re not pardoned to go our own way, but rather to go God’s way. The person who understands forgiveness by God’s grace won’t continue in sin, but will grow more sensitive to the ways of the God who has freely pardoned him.

The Blessing of God’s Joy (32:10-11)

David ends the psalm by contrasting the wicked, whom have many sorrows, with the righteous, who are surrounded by the Lord’s unfailing love. The righteous are not those who never sin, but rather those “upright in heart” because they have confessed their sins.  The Judge of the Universe has pounded His gavel and proclaimed, “Not guilty!” You’re free from the weight of your sins, free from condemnation, because Christ has paid the penalty! There is no greater joy than that of knowing that your sins are totally forgiven.

These are some of the blessings of experiencing God’s forgiveness: we have a clear conscience before God, confessing our sins comes with our acknowledging God as our Savior.  The closer you get to the Lord, and see sin from His perspective, the more serious you will see your sin.  By the way, sin always causes damage:  to the name of Christ; to others in His body; and, to me.  Sin always erects barriers between us and God, and often between each other. 

“He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion” (Proverbs 28:13).   The great blessings of God’s forgiveness are experienced as we confess our sins. Confession involves acknowledging our sin to God and accepting responsibility for it.