PSALM 32 Contemplation or some same a Penitential psalm, written by David probably after sin with Bathsheba (2 Sam. chapter 11)
1 Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
2 Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.
3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them.
7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.
10 Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him.
11 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!
SECTIONS
I Blessings or joy of forgiveness
II Curse of Silence of sin
III Benefit of Confession
IV Blessing for the pardoned: protection and guidance
THEME: lessons on sin, confession and blessedness of forgiveness
QUESTIONS:
Who is blessed?
What does David say happened when he didn’t confess his sin?
Who is speaking in verse 8-9?
What warning is given in verse 8-9
David had opportunity to know great blessings in his life. This great man of God – a man after God’s heart – nevertheless had some significant seasons of sin, backsliding or spiritual decline. Notable examples were the time at Ziklag (1 Samuel 27, 29-30) and David’s sin regarding Bathsheba and Uriah (2 Samuel 11). After both occasions, David came to confess, repent, and be forgiven. David knew what it was like to be a guilty sinner and the seriousness of sin. And he knew how good it is to be forgiven. He knew – as Paul would state in Romans 4:6-8 – the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works. If David were judged on works alone, the righteous God must condemn him. But how blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
David ached under the result of his sin (guilt and the lack of true fellowship with God) more than the sin itself. David’s misery was actually a good thing. It showed that he was in fact a son of God, and that God would not allow him to remain comfortable in habitual or unconfessed sin. This work of the Holy Spirit, convicting us of our sin and hardness of heart, is an essential mark of those who truly belong to God.
“Ah! but there are too many who make confession, having no broken hearts, no streaming eyes, no flowing tears, no humbled spirits. Know ye this, that ten thousand confessions, if they are made by hardened hearts, if they do not spring from really contrite spirits, they shall be only additions to your guilt as they are mockeries before the Most High.” (Spurgeon)
David confessed and experienced this forgiveness immediately, just as the prodigal son confessed and was immediately forgiven. There was no probation, no wait-and-see period. In David’s guilt and misery, he did not look to God for guidance, and therefore he couldn’t receive it. When fellowship was restored, the blessing of a close relationship could be enjoyed again.
“Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding:” The horse and the mule are used as examples of animals that can be stubborn and not easily guided. They need the bit and bridle, and sometimes rigorous training, before they are useful to the master. “The horse and the mule …must be constrained with bit and bridle. Do not be like them; do not oblige your Maker to have continual recourse to afflictions, trials, and severe dispensations of providence, to keep you in the way, or to recover you after you have gone out of it.” (Clarke) David understood this – he was like a stubborn animal that could only be guided through pain or severity. God allowed the Amalekites to devastate David and his men (1 Samuel 30). God sent Nathan to speak sharply to David in his sin (2 Samuel 12). Like a stubborn animal, David wouldn’t come near to God until he had these terrible experiences. God speaks to us through David’s experience and says, “Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding.”
https://bible.org/seriespage/psalm-32-blessings-forgiveness
To know the blessings of forgiveness we need to feel the burden of guilt.
Whatever happened to guilt? It has become a forgotten emotion in our day. Rather than feel guilty when we sin, we psychoanalyze the reasons for our actions. Recently a nationally-known pastor resigned, explaining to his congregation, “Along the way I have stepped over the line of acceptable behavior with some members of the congregation.” He added that “he tried on his own to face unspecified childhood issues and had been involved in years of denial and faulty coping techniques” (Los Angeles Times [2/22/93], p. B1).
David doesn’t say, “How blessed is he whose unspecified childhood issues are forgiven and whose denial and faulty coping techniques are covered. David knew that he had sinned and felt deeply the guilt of his wrong actions. His guilt was making him feel physically ill. A good case of guilt is a healthy thing when we have sinned. As I heard Garrison Keillor say, “Guilt is a gift that keeps on giving.
We must call sin “sin” and see the seriousness of it and not explain it away as “faulty coping techniques due to a dysfunctional family background.” We don’t excuse it as “weakness” or “just human nature.” We say, “Lord, I sinned.” The sooner we confess, the sooner we experience God’s blessing. It’s a sham to confess sin if you have no intention or willingness to forsake it. You may not “feel” like forsaking it, and you may need to confess that fact. You may need biblical counsel to know how to forsake it. But you haven’t truly confessed if you aren’t seeking to put the sin away from your life.
We also must see confessed sin as forgiven. “You forgave the guilt of my sin” (32:5). No sin is too great to be forgiven. If I have truly confessed my sin and still feel guilty, it is not the Lord, but the accuser of the brethren who is troubling me or Satan(Rev. 12:10-11) We must rest in the promise of God, that He is faithful and just to forgive all our sins when we confess them to Him
The blessings of God’s forgiveness are great.
1. When we confess we have the blessing of a clean conscience. David uses four Hebrew words for sin and three words for forgiveness which help us understand what it means to have a clean conscience before God.
a) “Transgression” = Rebellion, refusing to submit to rightful authority. It’s crossing a line, defying authority. God has ordained certain limits for human behavior for our good and the good of society. When we go against those limits, we refuse to be subject to God’s rightful authority in our lives.
(b) “Sin” = To miss the mark. While transgression looks at the violation of a known law, sin looks at a falling short of that aim which God intended for us to reach. (It’s deliberately breaking a religious law).
(c) “Iniquity” = from a word meaning bent or twisted. It has the nuance of perverting that which is right, of erring from the way. Any time you have done something crooked you have committed iniquity.
(d) “Deceit” = deliberate cover‑up, falsehood, hypocrisy. Trying to present a false front so that you look good even when you know you’re not.
2) When we confess we have the blessings of God’s refuge. David’s words for forgiveness show us what it means to have a clean conscience before God. The same man who in verse 4 complained that he was oppressed by God’s hand, here declares God to be his hiding place. Before he 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) refers to God’s judgment. The man who has experienced God’s forgiveness need not fear the flood of God’s judgment. Instead of having to run from God, now we can run to God and know we are safe!
3) When we confess, we have the blessings of God’s instruction and guidance. These verses are saying that God will teach and guide the person who is sensitive to Him. If we confess our sins and grow in sensitivity to His Word, He will direct us in His ways. We’re not to be stubborn or self‑willed, like a horse or mule. Rather, we’re to be sensitive to His Spirit and His Word, developing a tender conscience.
4) When we confess we have the blessings of God’s joy. David ends the psalm by contrasting the wicked, who 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.
My Refections
Part of this psalm I memorized was “Do not be like the horse or mule….” That resonated with me because I work with horses. I know just how stubborn some can be. Some only need to wear a gentle side-pull (bridle that has no bit) and other’s need a bridle with a bit. And there are a few bits that are a little or a lot more uncomfortable to wear than others. That’s because some horses will not respond to a gentle touch, but need a firm hand before they will do what you ask. The bit can pinch until the horse learns to go where you want it to go and do what you want it to do. Once you get the right bit the horse responds well to the pressure of the rein the rider uses. If the rider knows what he is doing he knows exactly the right amount of pressure to apply to have the horse respond in the way he needs to.
It was surprising to reflect on how I have acted like the most stubborn horses I’ve worked with! And I never thought of how many times God has had to use a bridle with a bit to get me to do what he wants- no gentle side-pull for me. I think the most important part of the verse to me is where it says they need this bit to control them “or they will not come to you.” That’s what it’s really all about. God wants a relationship with me. He desires that I come to him so he can love on me, guide me, counsel me, teach me. But many times I’m like that stubborn horse. I don’t take time to come to him. So he has to use some pressure on me to draw me close to him. And sometimes that takes a bit of pain in my life. It’s my hope that I will quit finding excuses for not taking time out each day to spend time with the God who loves me so much.
SONG: You are My Hiding Place,