Psalm 32 - The Best Thing In Life

Intro:

“The highest and best part of a happy life consists in this, that God forgives a man’s guilt, and receives him graciously into his favor.” (Calvin)

In this Psalm, David says the same thing. He knew what it was like to be king. He knew what it was like to be rich. He knew what it was like to be famous.

But the best thing in all of life, for any of our lives, is to be loved and forgiven by God.

That’s what we will look at and break down today in four parts.

Outline:

Blessed (vv.1-2)

Burdened (vv.3-5)

Bonded (vv.6-7)

Bonehead (vv.8-11)

Blessed

“Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.” (Psalm 32:1–2, ESV)

The construction “blessed is the man” is also famously found in Psalm one. “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked but whose delight is in the law of the Lord”. That phrasing is also found in one other place. Here in Psalm32. Blessed also is the man whose sins are forgiven. A happy life fundamentally consists of those two things. To be reconciled with God like it says in Psalm 32. And then to walk with God like it says in Psalm 1. That is what you were made for. And if one of those dynamics are off, your stability will be off. You were made for God.

In vv.1-2 there are three different Hebrew words to describe sin. Those three words are seen in our English text as Transgression, Sin, and Iniquity.

Transgression means a violation of the law. God’s law.

Sin is like the archery term used in the NT where sin describes missing the mark. There is a bullseye, but you don’t hit it — you’re off.

And iniquity describes perversion. What should be straight is kinked and curved. Our thoughts and words and actions.

The impression we should get is that in every way, we fall short. Sin is a curse that has infected all of our life. But it isn’t happening to us like we are mere victims of sin — as if we have caught sin like the flu. We sin by choice. We sin with our appetite for sin. We want to do it. All the pain and the frustration and wickedness that our sin causes are choices that we willingly make. Paul describes this as being a slave to sin, doing what he does not want to do.

Do you want to hurt your parents? No, then why do you disobey them? Why do you lie to them?

Do you want to hurt your spouse? Then why do you lust after others or speak with criticism and condescension?

Do you want to say ‘screw you’ to your Creator and the one who gave His life for you on the cross? We do that every time we willingly disobey His commands.

Our lives are broken by sin.

Christianity is not just that God sent His son to give you a hug in your brokenness. He sent His son to the cross to die. To pay for sin on your behalf. Grace is seen for what it is only when we see our sin for what it is. David’s meditation here is rejoicing, because seeing his sin in all of life, he also recalls three words of grace for all of life.

The three words for grace are forgiven, covered, and no account.

Forgiven is the concept of being taken away. Think of the scapegoat that takes the sin out of the camp. It’s been removed from you.

Covered is the concept of hidden. Our sins, poetically said in Micah 7:19, are said to be at the bottom of the ocean, separated as far as east from west. They are nowhere to be found.

No account (or counts no iniquity) is that there is no record anywhere. God isn’t keeping a tally sheet. Or, if there is one, it doesn’t have marks against you but it does have full marks for you in Christ. You have a perfect record — Christ’s record. Other people may keep records of wrongs that you have done. They may bring them back up and throw them in your face, but those who are in Christ, God will never do that.

Blessed is the man who has been so thoroughly covered, loved and forgiven by God, whose life has been set right, and not just from a nebulous sin. Not just from a general sense of being off, but of the specifics of his life.

The thing we stole—forgiven. The lust in our hearts—forgiven. The envy in our relationships—forgiven. The betrayals—forgiven. Those lies—forgiven. Our addictions—forgiven.

The man is also blessed “In whose spirit there is no deceit” (v.2).

Blesses is the man who isn’t trying to hide anything anymore. The one who stops lying to themselves.

Blessed, instead, is the man in whose spirit there is no deceit. He isn’t trying to hide or sympathize with any of his sin. He sees it for what it is and isn’t giving it any alternative names to soften it up, deceiving himself.

“I’m not critical, I’m just detail-oriented”

“I’m not filled with lust, I just have a high sex drive”

“I’m not disobedient, my parents expectations are just dumb”

“I’m not a liar, what I said was mostly true”

“I’m not prideful, I’m just usually right”

“I’m not bitter, but I hate their guts and hope they die”

That’s one of the funny ironies with forgiveness here. 1 John 1:10 says that if we say that we have no sin, we make God a liar and His word is not in us. But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If you say that you don’t have sin, then God’s word to you is “yes you do.” But the blessed ones are those who are totally and thoroughly forgiven. Why is that? Well, this verse tells us that when they no longer hide their sins, they stop lying to themselves, and they confess them, telling God that you do, in fact have sins, then his response is “no, you don’t”.

If you hide them and say you don’t have them, he says that you do.

If you confess and say that you do have them, he says that now you don’t.

Apply:

The blessed man lays it out there only to find that God is merciful and takes it all away. But what is life like when we refuse to confess our sins? What is it like to try and hold onto them or to keep them a secret?

Burden (vv.3-5)

“For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah 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” (Psalm 32:3–5, ESV)

What is it like to try and manage your own sin? Illustrate.

Selah — meditate upon this verse (v.5). Pause and think about it.

Bonded (vv.6-7)

“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. You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah” (Psalm 32:6–7, ESV)

The ark

Bonehead (vv.8-11)

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. 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. Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” (Psalm 32:8–11, ESV)

Conclusion

Romans 4 and Christ’s propitiation