Blessed Are the Forgiven
[ READ ] Psalm 32
Blessed Are the Forgiven
A Maskil of David.
1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
5 I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
6 Therefore let everyone who is godly
offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
they shall not reach him.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you.
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
A Maskil of David.
1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
5 I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
6 Therefore let everyone who is godly
offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
they shall not reach him.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you.
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
How is man justified?
Verses 3 and 4 show us what happens when man tries to justify himself, reckoning with sin within his own mind and body. Man groans and wastes away. The conscience is restless, and the struggle between our convictions and our corruption tears us apart. The corrosive poison of sin is altogether too much for us.
God’s hand is “heavy upon [us]” in these attempts. God presses the effects of sin into the flesh and mind of the unrepentant sinner. No stretch of the imagination is needed here – we all likely know what the sharp sting of an unheeded conscience feels like. This sharp sting is both discipline and mercy. It is discipline because the poison of sin is made to sting the soul. It is mercy because of what it prompts – described in the next verse.
In verse 5, the sinner repents. The sinner unburdens their conscience through penitent confession. No longer does the sinner attempt to cover their own iniquity – not for lack of trying. As a last resort, the sinner “confess[es their] transgression to the Lord”.
Incredibly, before the verse is over, the Lord has granted forgiveness.
As unbelievable as it is, the truth of the matter is that God is more ready to pardon sin upon repentance than we are to repent in order to obtain His pardon. Classical Protestant commentator Matthew Henry frames it thus:
It was with much ado that David was here brought to confess his sins; he was put to the rack before he was brought to do it (v. 3, 4), he held out long, and would not surrender till it came to the last extremity; but, when he did offer to surrender, see how quickly, how easily, he obtained good terms: "I did but say, “I will confess”, and thou forgave." Thus the father of the prodigal saw his returning son when he was yet afar off, and ran to meet him with the kiss that sealed his pardon.
What an encouragement this is to us poor penitents, and what an assurance it gives us; that if we confess our sins, we shall find God, not only faithful and just, but gracious and kind, to forgive us our sins – and blessed are we, whose transgressions are forgiven through Christ’s saving work!
- Kidus Kebede
Verses 3 and 4 show us what happens when man tries to justify himself, reckoning with sin within his own mind and body. Man groans and wastes away. The conscience is restless, and the struggle between our convictions and our corruption tears us apart. The corrosive poison of sin is altogether too much for us.
God’s hand is “heavy upon [us]” in these attempts. God presses the effects of sin into the flesh and mind of the unrepentant sinner. No stretch of the imagination is needed here – we all likely know what the sharp sting of an unheeded conscience feels like. This sharp sting is both discipline and mercy. It is discipline because the poison of sin is made to sting the soul. It is mercy because of what it prompts – described in the next verse.
In verse 5, the sinner repents. The sinner unburdens their conscience through penitent confession. No longer does the sinner attempt to cover their own iniquity – not for lack of trying. As a last resort, the sinner “confess[es their] transgression to the Lord”.
Incredibly, before the verse is over, the Lord has granted forgiveness.
As unbelievable as it is, the truth of the matter is that God is more ready to pardon sin upon repentance than we are to repent in order to obtain His pardon. Classical Protestant commentator Matthew Henry frames it thus:
It was with much ado that David was here brought to confess his sins; he was put to the rack before he was brought to do it (v. 3, 4), he held out long, and would not surrender till it came to the last extremity; but, when he did offer to surrender, see how quickly, how easily, he obtained good terms: "I did but say, “I will confess”, and thou forgave." Thus the father of the prodigal saw his returning son when he was yet afar off, and ran to meet him with the kiss that sealed his pardon.
What an encouragement this is to us poor penitents, and what an assurance it gives us; that if we confess our sins, we shall find God, not only faithful and just, but gracious and kind, to forgive us our sins – and blessed are we, whose transgressions are forgiven through Christ’s saving work!
- Kidus Kebede
[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ What does it mean to be blessed?
+ David counsels us to “offer prayer to [God] at a time when [He] might be found”. Consider a time when God can no longer be found. This is a scary thought. What does this mean?
+ What does it mean to be blessed?
+ David counsels us to “offer prayer to [God] at a time when [He] might be found”. Consider a time when God can no longer be found. This is a scary thought. What does this mean?
[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Our conscience is an incredible gift from God – but it is not God. A conscience shaped by the Word is much more likely to point us to God’s will than a conscience shaped by the world. What small step can you take this week to ensure that you are allowing the Lord to shape your conscience towards a greater sensitivity to Him?
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Our conscience is an incredible gift from God – but it is not God. A conscience shaped by the Word is much more likely to point us to God’s will than a conscience shaped by the world. What small step can you take this week to ensure that you are allowing the Lord to shape your conscience towards a greater sensitivity to Him?
[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ Pray with me:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Help me share the burden of my spiritual sickness with you. I confess that I am unable to bear it on my own. I cannot justify myself. If I say I have no sin, I deceive myself, and the truth is not in me. If I confess my sin, you are faithful and just to forgive me, and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Help me embrace this incredible, free gift.
+ Pray with me:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Help me share the burden of my spiritual sickness with you. I confess that I am unable to bear it on my own. I cannot justify myself. If I say I have no sin, I deceive myself, and the truth is not in me. If I confess my sin, you are faithful and just to forgive me, and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Help me embrace this incredible, free gift.
[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
+ Think about how you can help the people around you engage with their conscience this weekend. Can an appeal to our inbuilt compass for right and wrong help someone you know begin their journey towards God?
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
+ Think about how you can help the people around you engage with their conscience this weekend. Can an appeal to our inbuilt compass for right and wrong help someone you know begin their journey towards God?
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