For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.
Passage: Psalm 32
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!
A. Find Out:
- What is this Psalm all about? v.1
- What happened when he refused to acknowledge his sin? v.3,4
- What happened when he acknowledged it? v.5
- What 3 things does the Lord say He will do? v.8
- What is the psalmist NOT to be like? v.9
- What characterises the life of those who seek the Lord? v.10,11
B. Think:
- What is THE main stumbling block that hinders men receiving the blessing of God?
- When that is removed what does the Lord do for that man?
- What sort of person does the Lord want him to be?
C. Comment:
Read 1Jn 1:9. The key word is “if”! The psalmist testifies to two phases of his life. In the first phase he refused to acknowledge his sin. Through that time, life was a heavy burden and great distress, with a sense of great weakness as God dealt with him. The end of that phase came when he confessed his sin. Because God loves us, He may take us through a period of weakness to bring us to the place where we will eventually face up to our true state.
As soon as he did that, God forgave him and covered his sin so it was as if it had never been. He then found that he had a relationship with the Lord where the Lord protected and preserved him from trouble and his enemies. The Lord also taught him, not in a vague distant way but in an intimate closeness so that he understood.
No longer was he like a beast in the field guided by a hard bit and bridle, but he now went as His Lord desired automatically. This relationship brought him a sense of being surrounded by love which in turn released a spring of joy from within. How different life now was, now that he had confessed, now that God had forgiven his sin and taken him into close relationship.
D. Application?
- Are you still in phase one, with unconcerned sin spoiling your life?
- Confession brings forgiveness & cleansing & joy