The Blessedness of Being Forgiven: Help to Joyfully Confess (Ps 32)

Read Psalm 32:

A Maskil of David.

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.

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

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

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 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. 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!

Understand Psalm 32:

Forgiveness can only be possible when a debt has been owed. Thus, confession of sin produces a certain kind of joy as when a prisoner escapes death row, a lost child reunites with her parents, or the prodigal returns from the far country (Luke 15). King David testifies to this truth in Psalm 32 after God forgives him for seducing Bathsheba, the wife of his close friend (2 Sam 11). After Bathsheba had become pregnant, David killed Uriah, then pretended to be a godly king though Bathsheba’s belly grew larger every week and her husband’s body lay cold within the grave. The king almost got away with murder until the prophet Nathan rebuked him and David came clean, “I have sinned against the LORD” (12:13a). David then composed two psalms of worship in the joy of his confession: Psalm 51 to capture his emotional plea and Psalm 32 to delight in being forgiven.[1]

Rejoice in Your Cleansing from Sin (vv. 1-2)

Forgiven saints rejoice when God cleanses our sin: “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” (32:1-2). The word, “blessed,” means “to be happy” or “to abundantly rejoice.” It is what Jesus would promise in the beatitudes (Matt 5:1-12) and how the entire psalter had begun: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers” (Ps 1:1). Blessedness comes from rejecting sinful influences and discovering your delight in God (vv. 2-3). Yet even should we stumble and fall, we are blessed once more when we confess your sin and receive the Lord’s forgiveness (32:1-2).

As a skilled poet, David employs three separate terms to convey sin’s horrid ugliness. “Transgression” directly disobeys the Lord, for David had known, both from the law and from his own conscience, that coveting and stealing his neighbor’s wife was wrong; adultery, murder, and bearing false witness were sins against God (Deut 5:17–21). Yet still, David had blatantly committed those violations and rebelled against the Lord. The general word for “sin” means to miss the mark like an arrow veering from the target, for David had turned aside from the righteous path (Ps 119:11, 105) to stray from his Father’s holiness (14:1-3; 53:1-3). “Iniquity” then declares the guilt of a corrupt criminal before a virtuous judge, for David had been defiled not only by his sinful flesh but also by his sinful choices (51:4-5). These three terms encompass the comprehensive nature of sin when we break God’s law, wander from his path, and face the torment of our consequences. By contrast, forgiveness reveals the all-sufficient grace of God who carries away transgression (Ps 32:1), atones for sin (v. 1b), and cancels the debt of our iniquity (v. 2a). David draws three pictures from the Law to celebrate God’s grace.

The first two recall the Jewish Day of Atonement (Lev 16:7-8) when one goat was slain to cover the people’s guilt (vv. 9, 15-19), while the other goat lived to lift their guilt away (vv. 10, 20-22). The third picture employs an accounting term: “Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity” (Ps 32:2a). Sin places us in the debtor’s column until we owe what we cannot pay. Yet when God adopts us as his children, he transfers our debt to his own ledger: “Charge it to my account.” Instead of counting our sin against us, he credits us with righteousness (Rom 4:3-8). By the payment of Christ’s death, God removes our transgressions, covers our every sin, and no longer counts our iniquity against us. Therefore, we confess with joy to receive Christ’s righteousness in exchange for guilt (2 Cor 5:21). Praise God whose full forgiveness negates the fullness of our sin!

Refuse to Conceal Your Sin (vv. 3-4)

Once David experiences the joy of God’s forgiveness, he warns against the painful cost of concealing sin: “For when I kept silent [without confession], 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” (Ps 32:3-4). David felt like Cain, “My punishment is greater than I can bear” (Gen 4:13), as God’s hand pressed hard upon his conscience. His relationships lacked peace and guilt even caused him bodily harm. His bones wore out like the tattered rags on a sun-bleached corpse and his constant groaning resembled a woman in labor, for he found no refuge from God’s wrath except in God himself.

Our Father’s loving discipline leads us to confession (Heb 12:4-11). For “whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy” (Prov 28:13). Like Bunyan’s Christian, we stagger toward the cross still loaded down by sin. But then, “his burden loosed from off his shoulders and fell from off his back and began to tumble, and so continued to do so, till it came to the mouth of the sepulchre, where it fell in”[2] and was seen no more. Praise God that, through confession, he removes our sin “as far as the east is from the west” (Ps 103:12) and no longer “remembers” it against us (Isa 43:25)!

Resolve to Confess Your Sin (v. 5)

Knowing this, then, we resolve to confess our sin and to maintain short accounts with God. Verse 5 stands at the center of the psalm: “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.” Instead of staying silent, David makes known his sin to Yahweh. Instead of covering the iniquity himself, David petitions the Lord for covering. David then declares this confession before the worshiping congregation since his offense had been so terribly public (see Jas 5:16a).

God’s forgiveness should be central to our testimony as well when others ask, “Why do you joyfully persevere through difficulties? How can you claim that God has blessed you?” We can testify, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Rom 8:32). Here in Psalm 32, David repeats those previous terms for sin to affirm God’s full forgiveness (see vv. 1–2a). Even when we thoroughly make a mess, our God will thoroughly remove it. No matter the offense, he covers our sin when we cannot (1 John 1:9). And he forgives immediately, for no pause exists between David’s resolution, “I will confess,” and God’s decisive response, “You forgave” (Ps 32:5). In fact, the pause comes not until “Selah” at the conclusion of the verse, instructing worshipers to rest, reflect, and think upon the lyrics they have sung. Praise God there is no pause between our own confession and the Lord’s forgiveness, for his Son’s finished payment on the cross allows us to draw from his account and find instant credits in our ledger (Col 2:13-14). Take time to pause and rejoice in that!

Relate God’s Counsel for Sinners (vv. 6-11)

Lastly, Psalm 32 relates God’s counsel for sinners to seek the Lord in prayer (v. 6). As we find refuge in the ark of God before the rising flood (see 29:3, 10), we must not wait to trust him as our “hiding place” (32:7a–b). Instead of being silent over sin (v. 3), the song of our salvation will be our shield and our worship will cry forth battle against our enemies (v. 7c). Then in the joy of God’s forgiveness, we declare these truths to others.

So David promises on God’s behalf, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. I’ll get down to eye-level when I give you my instructions. I will lead you with my loving eye upon you” (v. 8).[3] The painful “bit and bridle” (v. 9) are for stubborn beasts who don’t obey their master. As we, likewise, feel God’s hand of discipline when we fail to submit (Proverbs 26:3), yet gallop freely as we trust our lives to his wise counsel (Psalms 32:8) and enduring love (v. 10). Psalm 32 then concludes with joy in the same way it began: “Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” (v. 11). Praise God for his blessed forgiveness!

Apply Psalm 32:

1. Read 2 Samuel 11-12 and Psalm 51 for the historical context of David’s confession. How does Psalm 32 offer hope-filled counsel for sinners?
2. Explain how David’s meditation flows from the two goats in Leviticus 16. Then show how Paul’s treatise on justification in Romans 4 flows from both Genesis 15 and Psalm 32. As you do so, consider how all of these Scriptures point to Christ.
3. Trace the downward spiral of sin in Psalm 32:1-2: I rebelled against God (transgression); I departed from God’s way (sin); I was corrupted within (iniquity); I deceived myself (deceit). Then trace the upward rise of the confession in verse 5 which leads to forgiveness: I acknowledged my sin; I did not hide my iniquity; I will confess my transgressions; So God forgave my iniquity.
4. In what ways can unforgiven sin cause you both bodily harm and emotional distress (vv. 3-4)? Consider the way your inner person (heart/conscience) is intricately connected to your outer person (Prov 4:23). Why do you think God created us in this way?
5. In what situations, should sin be publicly confessed (v. 5; Jas 5:16a)? Explain the way this relates to Christ Jesus being our only Mediator before the Father (Heb 4:14-16).
6. Describe how “shouts of deliverance” surround us like a shield (Ps 32:7), then listen to the hymn Rock of Ages. How does this musical theology draw out the person and work of God?
7. Those who are forgiven sin can then offer counsel to others (v. 8). What biblical wisdom would you give to someone who stubbornly refuses to confess? What testimony would you share from your personal experience of God’s grace?
8. For further help, read Charles R. Swindoll, “The Grind of an Unforgiven Conscience: Psalm 32,” in Living the Psalms (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing, 2012).

Counsel Psalm 32:

You will often counsel those who must repent of sins which are causing them harm. Psalm 32 warns them against God’s judgment, but emphasizes the blessedness of being forgiven. You can show them David’s testimony as you humbly recognize God’s mercy in times you have needed to confess.

Projects for Growth (Psalm 32)

1. Read 2 Samuel 11-12. Observe the many ways David did not prosper when he concealed his sin (Ps 32:3-4, 9-10a) and how he received God’s mercy as he confessed (Prov 28:13).
2. Using Psalm 51 as a guide, write out (or pray aloud) a detailed confession of any sin you must confess today. Name the sin specifically, describe its various effects on your life, and consider the potential consequences should you continue in that sin.
3. Identify which metaphor of forgiveness in Psalm 32 impacts you the most: Spatial – The Lord carries your sin away (v. 1a); Sacrificial – The Lord covers your sin in atonement (v. 1b); Financial – The Lord will not hold sin to your account (v. 2a).
4. Resolve to confess your sin whenever God’s Spirit convicts you (vv. 5-6). Remind yourself that God’s forgiveness is immediate, complete, and everlasting (Ps 103:11-13; 1 John 1:9).
5. Using Psalm 32 as a guide, express your hope that God will be your: Hiding place (v. 7a); Shelter in times of trouble (v. 7b); Song of deliverance (v. 7c); Wonderful Counselor (v. 8); Promise Keeper for those who trust in him (v. 10b)
6. Take a moment to praise the Lord with glad rejoicing for his forgiveness of your sin (v. 11).

Pray Psalm 32:

• O Lord, help me not to be stubborn like a mule (v. 9) and guard me from the consequences of a guilty conscience (vv. 3-4).
• Teach me to freely confess my sin instead of remaining silent (vv. 3, 5).
• Let my life and my witness be a godly example to others (vv. 6, 8).
• O Lord, grant me the blessed joy of being forgiven (vv. 1-2, 10-11).
• You are my hiding place, my shelter, and my song of deliverance (v. 7).

[1] Psalm 32 might also fulfill David’s promise to God in 51:13, “Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.”

[2] John Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress, The Third Stage.

[3] The superscript identifies this psalm as “A Maskil of David,” which is intended to instruct or counsel skillfully (from the root sakal).