Psalm 32 - Blessedness for the Rest of Us

Don't be like a mule - confess your sin and find relief.

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 - Psalm 32:9

Psalm 32

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!

Canons of Dordt

Point 5, Article 7: Renewal to Repentance

God preserves in those saints when they fall his imperishable seed from which they have been born again, lest it perish or be dislodged.

Secondly, by his Word and Spirit he certainly and effectively renews them to repentance so that they have a heartfelt and godly sorrow for the sins they have committed; seek and obtain, through faith and with a contrite heart, forgiveness in the blood of the Mediator; experience again the grace of a reconciled God; through faith adore his mercies; and from then on more eagerly work out their own salvation with fear and trembling

Summary

This week's psalm opens with the same word that opened the Psalter itself: Blessed. That first psalm initially defined blessedness negatively - that is, it decreed that those who do not walk, stand or sit with the wicked, sinners and mockers will be blessed. But what about those who have wandered off the narrow road - which, of course, is all of us? Is the blessed life that the Psalms sing about out of reach for us?

David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, answers our deep longing for blessedness with good news. Yes, for sure that man is blessed who avoids sin and delights in the Law of the LORD, but there's blessedness for the rest of us as well. For us, it comes through the gospel: to those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered and not counted against them, and in whose spirit is no deceit.

David writes of the physical effect spiritual guilt has: it wastes bones, and its heavy hand saps strength as in the heat of summer. But notice that these awful effects are not permanent; they only press down upon you when you keep silent! In other words, when you try to bury your sin and hide it from God, your entire life - body and soul - get buried in bone crushing guilt!

But you have the ability to free yourself from that burden! All you need to do is acknowledge the obvious: that your life is mired in sin and iniquity. Then simply confess your transgressions to the LORD. When you do this with faith in Christ alone, the LORD forgives the guilt of your sin! No matter how many are your wicked woes, the LORD's unfailing covenant love surrounds the one who trusts in Him.

  Dig Deeper  

But there's a catch... this tremendous offer of forgiveness is a limited time offer. David here poetically instructs the faithful (that is, those who trust in Christ) to pray to the LORD while He may be found. How many times haven't we read over these past couple of months that the LORD's patience is certainly long, but it's not unlimited?

But even as the mighty waters rise, those who've acknowledged and confessed will be protected from trouble, and surrounded by the LORD with songs of deliverance. Imagine how that will sound as the LORD protects those who are hiding in Him by singing!

But David knows our stubborn nature. He knows that too often we're like horses and mules which have no understanding and must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to have their burden removed. But you've been freed from this natural stubbornness! The Canons remind us that God, by His Word and Spirit certainly and effectively renews us to repentance so that we have a heartfelt and godly sorrow for the sins we have committed. In other words, He draws us to Him.

So as you finish another week, saddled down with guilt and despair, look forward to coming back to the LORD's house, where you'll be reminded of the gospel that the 32nd Psalm points us toward, and where, along with the other stubborn horses and mules God has gathered in your congregation, you can rejoice and be glad that the LORD has forgiven the sin that you confess and acknowledge.

AAA Prayer (About)

• ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is our hiding place, who protects us from trouble, and surrounds us with songs of deliverance;

• ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will not be like a stubborn horse or mule and that you will truly confess and acknowledge your sin so that your sin will be forgiven;

• ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

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