1. BEING FORGIVEN IS A TRUE BLESSING FROM GOD…

(PS 32:1-2a)
“ 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.”

—> In these first two verses, David used three words to describe sin.
The idea behind transgression is crossing a line, defying authority.
The idea behind sin is falling short of or missing a mark.
The idea behind iniquity is of crookedness and distortion.

—>In the first two verses, David used three terms to describe what God does to put away sin.
The idea behind forgiven is the lifting of a burden or a debt.
The idea behind covered is that of sacrificial blood covering sin.
The idea behind does not count is bookkeeping; it does not count against a person.

[vs 2b]“in whose spirit there is no deceit”
- The prior life of sin and double-living was over for David, the repentant and forgiven sinner. The forgiven life needs no more deceit to cover one’s ways.

2. UNCONFESSED SIN IS AGONIZING…

(PS 32:3-4)
“3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah”

—> SELAH 3x [3-7]:
- The word selah is found in two books of the Bible, but is most prevalent in the Psalms, where it appears 71 times
- One possible Hebrew word related to selah is calah, which means “to hang” or “to measure or weigh in the balances.”
- Selah is also thought to be rendered from two Hebrew words: s_lah, “to praise”; and s_lal, “to lift up.”
- Another commentator believes it comes from salah, “to pause.” From salah comes the belief that selah is a musical notation signifying a rest to the singers and/or instrumentalists who performed the psalms.
- Perhaps the best way to think of is a combination of all these meanings. The Amplified Bible adds “pause and calmly think about that” to each verse where selah appears.

a. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away:
The now-forgiven David remembered his spiritual and mental state when he kept his sin hidden and was silent instead of confessing and repenting. The stress of a double life and unconfessed sin made him feel old, oppressed, and dry.

b. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me:
No doubt David was slow to acknowledge this, yet in looking back he understood that his misery was directly connected to the oppression of unresolved sin and rebellion against God. David seemed to ache under the result of his sin (guilt and the lack of true fellowship with God) more than the sin itself. Ideally we are all terribly grieved by sin itself, but there is something to be said for confession and humility for the sake of the result of our sins.

c. my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer:
David’s dryness and misery were actually a good thing. They demonstrated that he was in fact a son of God, and that the covenant God would not allow him to remain comfortable in habitual or unconfessed sin. One who feels no misery or dryness in such a state has far greater concerns for time and eternity.

3. CONFESSION OF SIN BRINGS FORGIVENESS…

(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”

a. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity:
David’s first problem was the sin he committed – in this context, probably the immorality with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband to cover the immorality. David’s second problem was the double life he lived to hide those sins. It was only as David was ready to repent and end the second problem that God would graciously forgive the first problem.

b. I will confess my transgressions to the Lord:
Forgiveness was ready and waiting for David as he agreed with God about the nature and guilt of his sin. Restoration was ready, but the confession of sin was the path to it.

c. you forgave the iniquity of my sin:
David’s confession of sin did not earn forgiveness of his sins, but he did receive it. Fellowship with God was restored. David confessed and experienced this forgiveness immediately, just as the prodigal son confessed and was immediately forgiven. There was no probation, no wait-and-see period.

B. THERE ARE BLESSINGS FOR THE FORGIVEN:
--> PROTECTION and GUIDANCE...

1. GOD PROTECTS US…

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

a. Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you:
Knowing that God is so great in mercy that leads to forgiveness, motivates us to actually go to Him in confession and prayer.

b. surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him:
David knew what it was to be overwhelmed and mired in the guilt and misery of sin – and that God could deliver in that crisis and others and that the “flood waters” would not destroy him.

c. You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance:
God Himself was his hiding place, a secure shelter. In more modern phrasing…Jesus is our safe-room or panic-room. David found security surrounded by God’s own songs of deliverance, sung in the joy and confidence of victory.

2. GOD CALLS US TO PAY ATTENTION and LEARN…

(PS 32:8-9)
“ 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. 9 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.”

a. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go:
Here David prophetically spoke in God’s voice unto His people. Through this, God promised to instruct, teach, and guide His people.

b. I will counsel you with my eye upon you:
The idea is of one who is so attentive to another that with a simple eye “nod” action is taken. This is a great blessing that comes from being forgiven and having fellowship with God restored. In David’s season of guilt and misery, he did not look upon God for the “guidance of His eye”, and therefore he could not receive it. When fellowship was restored, the blessing of such close relationship could be enjoyed again.

c. Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding:
The horse and the mule are used as examples of animals that are not easily guided. They need the bit and bridle, and sometimes rigorous training, before they are useful to the master.

d. or it will not stay near you:
David understood this to describe his condition in his season of unconfessed sin – he was like a stubborn animal that could only be guided through pain or severity. Like a stubborn animal, David would not come near to God until he had these terrible experiences. God speaks to us through David’s experience and says, “Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding.”

3. GODS MERCY GIVES US GREAT JOY…

(PS 32:10-11)
“ 10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. 11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!”

a. Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord:
David understood what it was to live (at least for a season) as the wicked, and the sorrows that came with it. When David confessed and repented, he then had a renewed experience of the mercy of God.

b. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice:
This psalm gives repeated and compelling reasons for the believer to be glad, to rejoice, to shout for joy. The psalm appropriately ends with a call for God’s people to remember and respond to those reasons.

-- Remember the forgiveness God has given you.
-- Remember the removal of guilt.
-- Remember the release from the deceit/hypocrisy/stress of a double life.
-- Remember the protection God gives you.
-- Remember the guidance the LORD provides.

—> So…as we read over these truths, what has JESUS said to you, revealed to you?

-- Is there unconfessed, hidden sin in your life right now?
-- Are you living a double life? Deceit, hypocritical
-- Are you sensing the conviction of the Holy Spirit?
-- What is keeping you from confessing your sin, repenting and receiving God’s forgiveness?
-- If you have never confessed your sins to Jesus and received his mercy, you can do that with confidence that he will forgive all of your sins!
-- Are you remembering the magnitude of God’s mercy and love and forgiveness for your sins?
-- Are you experiencing the fruit of being in a right relationship with God?
-- Are you a person who is teachable, surrendered to Jesus and allowing him to guide you? Or are you stubborn, hard hearted, and disobedient?

RESPOND, REFLECT & COMMUNION

I would like to give you a chance to respond to God…
—> LETS TAKE A MINUTE TO THANK HIM, RESPOND TO HIM…
—> WHAT IS JESUS SAYING TO YOU TODAY?
—> WHAT IS JESUS ASKING YOU TO DO?