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Worship
in Word:
III.
Confession/Exonerate
A.
Confession – v. 5a-c
Pressed and depressed, David could no longer hold the toxic guilt that was dammed up inside of him. With pressure from an accusing conscience within and the pressing conviction of the hand of God without, David finally confessed and repented; guilt then retreated, and God relented.
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Ps 32:1-2 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. ESV |
Ps 32:5 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 ESVESV |
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↓ Ps 32:3 3 For when I kept silent, my
bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. → |
↑ Ps 32:4 4 For
day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the
heat of summer. Selah ESV
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When
we place verses 1-2 alongside verse 5, we will see how perfectly they serve as
bookends. Verses 1-2 display the blessed state of the forgiven. Verses 3-4 plunge
us into the life of one who has sinned and failed to confess and repent. Verse
5 pulls us from the depths of despair into the glory found in verses 1-2.
This
becomes clear from the table I have included above. The same three words, “transgression,”
“sin,” and “iniquity,” used in verses 1-2, are repeated in verse 5 (though not
in the same order). These three words used in the first two verses to show the
thorough depravity of sin are now employed to demonstrate the all-embracing acknowledgment
of sin(s)!
The psalmist returns to the first verse and picks up three
nouns: sin, iniquity, transgressions. However, for the purpose of emphasis
these words are placed in a different order from their first occurrence in
verse 1
(from UBS Old Testament Handbook Series. Copyright © 1978-2004 by United Bible Societies. All rights reserved.)
In the
words of confession (v 5), the psalmist uses the same three words that appeared
in the wisdom introduction (sin, iniquity, and transgression) to indicate the
comprehensiveness of his confession.
Craigie, P. C. (2004). Psalms 1–50 (2nd ed., Vol. 19, p. 267). Nelson Reference & Electronic.
Thus, deceit
gives way to honest acknowledgment and confession. David instructs himself (i.e.,
“I said” v. 5c), demonstrating his confession’s integrity. This is not a fake
confession, nor has it been done only to alleviate his extreme discomfort.
Worship
in Witness:
Besides highlighting certain
words in the table above, I have also underlined several. First, let us look at
the ones underlined with two lines. I did this to spotlight the character of genuine
confession and repentance. The words “no
deceit” at the end of verse 2 illuminate the attitude and motive behind the
words “acknowledged” and “confess” in verse 5. There can be no hypocrisy
when one confesses their sin(s) to God. Neither is there to be a flippant
attitude (OopS! I messed up, sorry) or an excusing mindset (I blew it, Lord, You
know I’m not perfect). An attitude of presumption does not enter into the
thoughts of the truly repentant (When I confess my sin(s), God has to forgive
me. After all, “to err is human, to forgive is divine.”). Authentic confessions
are made without guile or deceit. And they humbly rely on the grace and
undeserved mercy of God.
Moreover, honest
acknowledgment of sin(s) is marked by full disclosure. Notice the words “covered” (v. 1) and “cover” (v. 5) highlighted in
red in verse 1 and verse 5. I chose the color red because this word is related
to the word used in Hebrew for “atone” or “atonement. To confess with integrity
involves completely acknowledging our transgression(s). The human bandages we have
applied to cover up our sins cannot be only partially lifted, giving only a
glimpse of the festering wound underneath caused by sin. No, they must be
completely ripped off so that God can cover and heal them with the blood of His
Son, Jesus. We cannot atone for our sins, for God has done that through the sacrifice
of Christ on the cross. And we cannot restore lost fellowship with the Lord by works
of penance when we sin.
5. Have I not hid] lit. ‘covered,’ as in v. 1. It is only
when man does not cover his sin that God does cover it.
Dummelow, J. R., ed. (1936). A Commentary on the Holy
Bible (p. 342). The Macmillan Company.
Witness in Promise, Poem, Prayer, and Praise
You know
There is...
No cave so dark
No ocean so deep
No place so distant
Where I could hide my sin
For...
Darkness is as light to You
Your awareness is unfathomable
Your presence is without measure
I am unable to hide from You, Lord
There is...
No rock so huge
No metal so hard
No weight so heavy
Under which to cover my sin
Because...
Your essence is unboundedly immense
Your Word so irresistibly penetrating
Your arm is unlimited in strength
I am unable to cover my sins
There is...
No corner so secreted
No abode so secluded
No place beyond Your sight
Where I can conceal my sin
Thus...
When I sin, You know it
Before I sinned, You knew it
From eternity, You have known it!
Nothing can be hidden from You.
There is...
No sin performed
No iniquity pursued
No transgression perpetrated
Not covered by the Blood of Christ
Grace, Mercy, and Love
Lord,
Your Grace is everlastingly great
Your Mercy will never abate
Your Love won’t ever dissipate
And by Your grace, I’m securely saved
In Your kingdom, I now abide
By Your mercy, I’m fully forgiven
Of my sin, which I cannot hide
In Love, You restored and redeemed Me
From sin, which in me did reside
For in this life, I’ll surely
transgress
There will be times when I regress
My sins, I’ll need to fully confess
And by Your great Grace
I will be rectified.
In Your munificent Mercy
Cleansing will be applied
From the largess of Your Love
Absolution will be supplied
Because Your Grace was free for me
Your Mercy was granted abundantly
Through Love on a Tree at Calvary
~Amen
How
blest are we if God the Lord (Psalm 32 by Isaac Watts
HOW
blest are we if God the Lord
No more imputes our sin,
But washed in the Redeemer’s blood,
Our garments are made clean.
Happy
beyond description, we
Whose debts are thus discharged;
Set from our guilt and bondage free,
We feel our souls enlarged.
While
inward guilt remained suppressed
No comfort could we find,
Unease lay burning in the breast
And troubles plagued the mind.
Then
we confessed our hidden thoughts,
Those secret sins revealed;
Thy pardoning grace forgave our faults,
And grace our pardon sealed.
How
shall we dare delay to pray,
When like a raging flood,
Temptations rise to take away
Our hold from our dear Lord?
Our
hiding-place and peace Thou art,
Our strength in Satan’s hour,
The guardian of the faltering heart,
And source of keeping power.
Author:
Isaac Watts (1674-1748)
Tune: Invitation
Composer: William Wallace (1812-65) arr. Christopher Laws (b.1946)
Lyrics and Video Source: https://metropolitantabernacle.org/worship/how-blest-are-we-if-god-the-lord-psalm-32/
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