Revive us Again

 

Verse 3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long (NIV 2011) When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. (KJV) For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. (ESV 2016) When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. (NLT 2015)

I. Covered – vv. 1-2 II. Conviction – vv. 3-4 III. Confession – v. 5 IV. Call – v. 6 V. Confidence – v. 7 V. Counsel – vv. 8-9 VI. Contrast – v. 10 VII. Celebrate! – v. 11           Blessed – vv. 1-2 Lament/Languish – vv. 3-4 Exonerate – v 5 Seek – v. 6 Shelter/security – v. 7 Educate – v. 8-10 Delight – v. 11

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Worship in Word:

In rereading my last entry, I came to my conclusion on the “Worship in the Word” segment, in which I ended with these words:

Psalm 22:1 may come closest to describing David's pain and his sense of the loss of God’s presence in his unconfessed state. I realize that Psalm 22:1 prophetically looks forward to our Lord’s suffering on the cross and His feelings of abandonment by His Father. However, in its immediate setting, it was David who was feeling this way. But in Psalm 22:1, he was not suffering for sins he had committed (and neither was our Lord). I am only referring to the pain and separation David felt.

I felt at that time that something was missing. As I thought further, I agreed that David wasn’t referencing any sin he had committed at that time. But prophetically speaking, sin was involved. If Psalm 22 is a messianic Psalm prophesying the death of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, then indeed, sin does enter the picture. A situation in David’s life may have prompted the writing of this Psalm. Yet, as is seen in other places in the Old Testament, the language moves beyond the present circumstance and points to a greater one.

A passage in the New Testament illustrates this. In Peter’s sermon, which he preached at Pentecost, he quoted Psalm 16:8-11 to prove that Christ’s resurrection was prophesied in the Old Testament.

 

²⁵ David said about him:

 

"'I saw the Lord always before me.

Because he is at my right hand,

I will not be shaken.

²⁶ Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;

my body also will live in hope,

²⁷ because you will not abandon me to the grave,

nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

²⁸ You have made known to me the paths of life;

you will fill me with joy in your presence.'

Acts 2:25-28 NIV

 

Peter brings this truth home in the words he says following this quote.

 

²⁹ "Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. ³⁰ But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. ³¹ Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. ³² God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.

Acts 2:29-33 NIV

 

Similarly, I believe David speaks prophetically in Psalm 22 of Christ’s crucifixion. Both Psalm 16 and Psalm 22 have autobiographical material, but within each Psalm are words that cannot refer to David’s present situations. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit and speaking under His inspiration, said David was speaking as “a prophet.”

  

Worship in Witness:

How does all this relate to the present passage we are studying in Psalm 32? It relates to the current passage at least in one way. Psalms 16, 22, & 32 are all part of a stream of truth that flows throughout scripture that sin separates us from God. Isaiah 59:2 states it this way:

 

But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God,

And your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.

NASB

 

Even though Isaiah was directing his message towards the nation Israel, the words, in principle, apply to all humanity. Sin is the dividing wall that separates all humanity from a relationship with God. Sin also affects the believer’s fellowship with God. This is what David was experiencing during his “wilderness experience” of unconfessed sin.

 

But God has provided the wrecking ball that can tear down the wall that separates humanity from Him. He did this through the cross of Christ.

 

¹⁹ For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him,

²⁰ and through Him to reconcile everything to Himself

by making peace through the blood of His cross—

whether things on earth or things in heaven.

 

²¹ And you were once alienated and hostile in mind because of your evil actions. ²² But now He has reconciled you by His physical body through His death

Col 1:19-22

(from Holman Christian Standard Bible® Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005 by Holman Bible Publishers.)

 

 

Hallelujah! Thine the glory!

 

This same cross restores the loss of fellowship His children experience when they sin.

 

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9-10 NASB

 

This verse certainly can apply to the lost person whose sins have not been forgiven, but it also applies to the believer.

 

Constable has these remarks about this verse:

 

1 John 1:9

 

Some expositors teach that this verse cannot apply to Christians since God has already forgiven Christians and therefore we do not need to ask for what we already have. This viewpoint fails to distinguish between forensic forgiveness that we receive at conversion and family forgiveness that we need after conversion. For example, a judge could pay his own son's fine in court but then discipline him when he got home. Jesus instructed His believing disciples to ask the Father for forgiveness (Matt 6:12; Luke 11:4). The fact that God has removed the penalty for our sins at conversion (1 Cor 6:11; Eph 1:7; 4:32; Col 2:13) does not remove the necessity of confessing our sins frequently. Again, the issue is not acceptance by God but fellowship with God. Conversion (forensic, positional) forgiveness makes us acceptable as members of God's family. Continual (family, practical) forgiveness enables us to experience intimate fellowship as sons within God's family.

 

"Sin interrupts fellowship but cannot change relationship."

(from Thomas Constable's Notes on the Bible. Copyright © March 4, 2014 by Thomas L. Constable. All rights reserved. Used by permission.)

 

Hallelujah! Amen!

 

 

Worship in Promise, Prayer, Poem, and Praise

 

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS8lRfhkM1hHd2Sn1lkwz4zp5-lC3p3EkGLZw&s

 

For Thy Name’s Sake

 

O, LORD…

For Thy name’s sake

And not mine

Forgive my iniquity

For this, I pine

 

That in doing this

You receive the glory

And I can share

The wondrous story

 

Of thy steadfast love

And gracious heart

To lead them to sing

“How great Thou art!”

 

With tears that flow

Like a flood

Because of Thy

Redeeming blood

**********************

Because…

 

Not by demanding impertinence

Nor by an impious command

In humility, I seek Thy forgiveness

On Thy goodness, I forever stand

                                   

Because…

 

Your kindness leads me to repentance

Your glory, Lord, forever shines

Your cross secures my forgiveness

Your grace by faith saves and sanctifies

******************************

O Great God - by Sovereign Grace

VERSE 1

O great God of highest heaven

Occupy my lowly heart

Own it all and reign supreme

Conquer every rebel power

Let no vice or sin remain

That resists Your holy war

You have loved and purchased me

Make me Yours forevermore

 

VERSE 2

I was blinded by my sin

Had no ears to hear Your voice

Did not know Your love within

Had no taste for heaven’s joys

Then Your Spirit gave me life

Opened up Your Word to me

Through the gospel of Your Son

Gave me endless hope and peace

 

VERSE 3

Help me now to live a life

That’s dependent on Your grace

Keep my heart and guard my soul

From the evils that I face

You are worthy to be praised

With my every thought and deed

O great God of highest heaven

Glorify Your Name through me

 

Based on The Valley of Vision prayer “Regeneration.” Music and words by Bob Kauflin © 2006 Sovereign Grace Praise/BMI (adm. by Integrity Music). Sovereign Grace Music, a division of Sovereign Grace Churches. All rights reserved.

Lyrics source:  https://sovereigngracemusic.com/music/songs/o-great-god/

Video with Lyrics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKQHqUo6qOw

 

Revive Us Again by William P. Mackay

 

1.     We praise Thee, O God!
For the Son of Thy love,
For Jesus Who died,
And is now gone above.

o    Refrain:
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Hallelujah! Amen.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Revive us again.

2.     We praise Thee, O God!
For Thy Spirit of light,
Who hath shown us our Savior,
And scattered our night.

3.     All glory and praise
To the Lamb that was slain,
Who hath borne all our sins,
And hath cleansed every stain.

4.     All glory and praise
To the God of all grace,
Who hast brought us, and sought us,
And guided our ways.

5.     Revive us again;
Fill each heart with Thy love;
May each soul be rekindled
With fire from above.

 

Lyrics source: https://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Revive_Us_Again/

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLdkAZFb-wc

The Weight of Our Sins

 

Verse 3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long (NIV 2011) When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. (KJV) For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. (ESV 2016) When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. (NLT 2015)

I. Covered – vv. 1-2 II. Conviction – vv. 3-4 III. Confession – v. 5 IV. Call – v. 6 V. Confidence – v. 7 V. Counsel – vv. 8-9 VI. Contrast – v. 10 VII. Celebrate! – v. 11           Blessed – vv. 1-2 Lament/Languish – vv. 3-4 Exonerate – v 5 Seek – v. 6 Shelter/security – v. 7 Educate – v. 8-10 Delight – v. 11

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Worship in Word:

 

I. Internal: the guilt of unconfessed sin

A. Wasting – 3a

B. Wailing – 3b

B. Wailing

Though David said he was silent, this did not mean he shut himself in a room and spoke to no one. Or that he never prayed for relief.

 

His “silence” does not imply that he did not pray at all, but that he did not guilelessly (v. 2) “confess” his special “transgression.

Fausset, A. R. (n.d.). A Commentary, Critical, Experimental, and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments: Job–Isaiah: Vol. III (p. 168). William Collins, Sons, & Company, Limited.

 

Though David was silent when it came to acknowledging his sin before the Lord, verse 3 indicates that he was not silent when it came to acknowledging his pain. It describes the withering utterance emitted from within his soul, resulting in his “roaring” or “groaning.” The Hebrew word sheagah is translated as “groaning” or “groaned” in most translations I consulted. The KJV is very literal here in verse 3. It translates it as “roaring.” The word literally refers to a lion’s roar. It is translated this way in Psalm 104:21.

 

The lions roar for their prey

and seek their food from God.

Ps 104:21 NIV

 

It can be used figuratively in this way as well.

 

"The Lord roars from Zion

and thunders from Jerusalem;

the pastures of the shepherds dry up,

and the top of Carmel withers."

Amos 1:2 NIV

 

Note God’s roar in Amos had a withering effect!

 

“...the pastures of the shepherds dry up,

and the top of Carmel withers."

 

This use of sheagah in these verses and others refers to the fearsome nature, power,  and effect described by “roaring.” However, this word is also used to describe the sound or utterances of one in misery.

 

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from saving me,

so far from the words of my groaning?

Ps 22:1 NIV

 

Psalm 22:1 may come closest to describing David's pain and his sense of the loss of God’s presence in his unconfessed state. I realize that Psalm 22:1 prophetically looks forward to our Lord’s suffering on the cross and His feelings of abandonment by His Father. However, in its immediate setting, it was David who was feeling this way. But in Psalm 22:1, he was not suffering for sins he had committed (and neither was our Lord). I am only referring to the pain and separation David felt.

 

Worship in Witness:

 

If David’s recounting of the intense agony he experienced from unconfessed sin in his life seems foreign to the reader. Or if it sounds a little over the top – “David, chill out, no one’s perfect.” Then, may I suggest that they do not understand the essence of who God is, nor the extent of their depravity? They fail to acknowledge that the Triune God is holy.

 

¹⁵ But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; ¹⁶ for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

1 Peter 1:15-16 NIV

 

And in light of this, they fail to feel the utter revulsion of sin and the guilt and sorrow accompanying it.

 

And they were calling to one another:

 

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;

the whole earth is full of his glory."

 

4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

 

   5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty."

Isa 6:3-5 NIV

 

Perhaps one reason for this is the cheap grace dispensed from many pulpits and lecterns in these last days, leading others to seek forgiveness without repentance.

Those who make light of sin never feel its weight.

But the One who bore the weight of our sins on the cross, and lifted the damning guilt off us, has felt it.

 

¹⁴ I am poured out like water,

and all my bones are out of joint.

      My heart has turned to wax;

it has melted away within me.

¹⁵ My strength is dried up like a potsherd,

and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;

you lay me in the dust of death.

¹⁶ Dogs have surrounded me;

a band of evil men has encircled me,

they have pierced my hands and my feet.

Ps 22:14-16 NIV

 

And He is the only One who is strong enough to lift it and bear it. Bear it on the cross at Calvary!

 

Worship in Promise, Prayer, Poem, and Praise

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Prayer

With holy hands, Lord, may I raise

Selfless prayers and sincere praise

And when I sin in this mortal tent

May I always confess it and repent

Always asking joyfully in Your name

For things that increase Your fame

And when I pray Lord, let my lips say

"Not my will, but Your sovereign way"

~Amen

How to Deal with Guilt

 

There are two ways we can deal

With the guilt that we feel.

One is to follow man’s ways.

The other is to do what God says.

 

When we break God’s Law

We can deny, decry, hem, and haw.

 

And our innocence we can feign

But in our guilt, we will remain.

 

Or we can confess, and our sins recognize

And freedom from guilt will be our prize.

Depth of Mercy as sung by Justin Carlson

Depth of mercy! Can there be

Mercy still reserved for me?

Can my God His wrath forbear?

Me, the chief of sinners, spare?

I have long withstood His grace:

Long provoked Him to His face;

Would not hearken to His calls;

Grieved Him by a thousand falls.

I my Master have denied,

I afresh have crucified,

Oft profaned His hallowed name,

Put Him to an open shame.

Depth of mercy! Can there be

Mercy still reserved for me?

Can my God His wrath forbear?

Me, the chief of sinners, spare? 

There for me the Savior stands,

Shows His wounds and spreads His hands:

God is love! I know, I feel;

Jesus weeps, but loves me still!

Now incline me to repent!

Let me now my fall lament!

Now my foul revolt deplore!

Weep, believe, and sin no more.

 

Depth of mercy! Can there be

Mercy still reserved for me?

Can my God His wrath forbear?

Me, the chief of sinners, spare?

Me, the chief of sinners, spare?

A hymn written by Charles Wesley and adapted and arranged by Gregory Wilbur and sung by Justin Carlson

Lyrics sourced and adapted from: https://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Depth_of_Mercy/

Video of this version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmOL3C1ipO8

 

Some historical highlights:

In a letter to Joseph Bradford (1783) Wesley reveals his personal grieving of God by his "thousand falls," and his only source of hope for salvation.

• ...have been reflecting on my past life; I have been wandering up and down between fifty and sixty years, endeavouring in my poor way to do a little good to my fellow-creatures; and now it is probable that there are but few steps between me and death; and what have I to trust to for salvation? I can see nothing which I have done or suffered that will bear looking at. I have no other plea than this:
• I the chief of sinners am,
• But Jesus died for me.

An interesting ancedote is connected with this hymn, and is related by Rev. J. Ward in Round and Through the Wesleyan Hymn Book (1868):

• An actress in one of the principal theaters, while passing through the streets, heard singing in a cottage. Intrigued, she looked in and saw a few poor people, one giving out the lines: "Depth of mercy, can there be Mercy still reserved for me?" the others singing. Accepting an invitation to enter, she was much impressed. Securing a copy of a book containing this hymn, she was led to give her heart to God. Her theatrical manager called her to take part in a new benefit play the following week. She did not wish to do it, but upon his urging, consented. At her first appearance on the stage she sang not the song she was supposed to sing, but "Depth of Mercy." The sensation created was remarkable.

https://www.hymnsite.com/lection/970928.htm