Psalm 32
The Joy of Forgiveness
Sin is captivity. Grace is freedom.
Maybe there is no better song or prayer that captures this dynamic than Psalm 32.
Pure, unspoiled and radiant happiness is the opening note of this Psalm. This is what is signified in the repeated refrain, “Blessed is the one…” And this luminous joy that tops and tails this prayer is rooted in the forgiveness we receive at the cross of Christ.
Of David. A maskil.
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!
In vv1-2, David sings of how God has dealt graciously with his sin, transgression and iniquity. These three are countered and overcome by God’s action:
He forgives. The picture here is to lift the weight of sin off from our shoulders and cast it far from us.
He covers. Our transgressions are hidden by him from his own sight, trampling them under foot and casting them into the depths of the sea where no one will ever find them (Micah 7.19).
And he does not count them against us. That is, in the court room, we are not counted as guilty but are now free from the penalty of sin.
David rewinds the tape in the next verses, showing us the anxiety and sorrow before he found the freedom of forgiveness. For as he outlines, he sabotaged his own happiness in refusing to divulge his sin. Instead of speaking and telling the truth to God he stayed silent. And while he thought that might help, it only made things worse.
The description is startling. The anxiety is not restricted to the mind. It affects the whole person. Right down to the marrow in our bones. The strength that is used to cover up the sin is quickly sapped.
But we can understand the motivation can’t we? We have all experienced the moment when a truth is exposed and it ruins a friendship or relationship. Where once ignorance was bliss, knowledge is now misery. Yet this is a wholly different situation. We might think it is covered but God sees and knows. And he invites us to bring it to the tender embrace of his mercy.
Here’s a truth we must grasp. Sin festers and grows in the darkness. Its tendrils extend with impunity, reaching into every crevice of our hearts. But in the dazzling light of God’s grace, sin is named, defamed and tamed.
Therefore when David finally stopped covering up his sin, God covered it up truly, fully and eternally. Once confessed, always forgiven. Once spoken, never spoken of again. Once taken out of hiding, hidden away forever.
What David experienced is what Richard Sibbes memorably said, “There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us.” We might feel like there is a sin that is too dark and too ugly for God. No. There is not. God’s grace is greater and deeper. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1.9).
David then encourages us to step into the experience of this freedom of forgiveness. In v6, he exhorts us all to offer up a prayer to God. This prayer is to resemble the one hr brought to God (v5). We are invited and urged to confess our sins to God.
And not to dilly-dally. He evokes the imagery of the flood. That great judgement of God against the iniquity of humanity. God will once more come in righteous judgement against the world (Acts 17.31). And this is a call to us all to confess before the waters of God’s flood overwhelm us. For those who do, refuge and salvation are God’s sure and certain promise (v7; see Romans 5.9-10).
vv8-9 are the words of the King promising to lead us into this new freedom. His experience leads us into true forgiveness and bottomless joy. And essentially he says, “Don’t be stubborn.” Don’t be like a mule. Don’t feign ignorance. But hear the words of the King who has shown you the wonder of God’s free offer of forgiveness.
This Psalm is quoted by Paul in Romans 4. There he is showing how throughout the Scriptures, forgiveness and salvation are not earned by our works. It is the one trusts solely and wholly in God who is justified and forgiven by God. We cannot earn God’s favour and buy the joy of his salvation. Jesus bore the punishment of our sin, absorbing the wrath of God in our place (Romans 3.23-26). Therefore our sin is not counted against us. But his righteousness is credited to us. And this happens solely through faith as we confess our sins to him.
James Philip makes the astute observation that this Psalm shows confession is the gateway into refreshed joy. And it is that note which closes this song. When we like David confess our sins, we experience the same happiness, joy and blessing he did. For forgiveness is God’s free gift and all we must do is collapse on his grace.
Therefore, let us shout and sing for joy to the God who forgives!
Glory be to God the Father, who has cast our sins into the depths of the sea and will never bring them up again.
Glory be to God the Son, the one who bore our sins, so we could stand with confidence before the throne of grace.
Glory be to God the Spirit, who whispers the truth of our forgiveness to our weary and anxious souls.
Ever three and ever One.
Home Group: Luke 4.31-44
What does this quotation from Isaiah 61 tell us about the ministry that Jesus was sent to do?
What are some of the misconceptions people have about who should be part of the church?
Why is there such a strong reaction against Jesus’s words from the people of his home town?