David with his crown set aside, hands open in confession, and tears still on his face—the weight of guilt beginning to give way to the peace of God’s forgiveness. Image generated with ChatGPT by OpenAI.
“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.”
Psalms 32:5 NIV
We’re on a roll with the Psalms lately, and the Lord directed me towards Psalm 32:5 today. At a high level, it’s quite simple — King David has sinned (we don’t know if this around the time of his sin with Bathsheba that was compounded by the planned murder of Uriah), and he feels quite guilty about doing so. What are the best remedies for alleviating the guilt of sin? Confession to God, and heartfelt repentance.
Let’s do some soul-searching here. How many of you have committed a sin, then had to continue sinning (or commit another sin) in an attempt to cover up that first sin? Perhaps you did something wrong to another person, and when you were confronted with knowledge of that sin, you stacked one lie upon another to try to mask the initial sin. I don’t know about you, but when I have done that in the past, I end up feeling much more guilty. I try the easy way out now — I confess my sin to God immediately and ask for forgiveness both from the Lord and from the person I have offended.
In David’s case, when he finally stopped trying to cover up this avalanche of sin and repented, God forgave him for his initial sin. God is always ready to restore sinners; it just takes the first step of confessing the sin to Him and truly feeling remorse for what has transpired.
Charles H. Spurgeon (cited on Enduring Word) wrote these words on the need for true contrition rather than just mumbling an unfeeling confession as part of a liturgy:
iii. “Ah! but there are too many who make confession, having no broken hearts, no streaming eyes, no flowing tears, no humbled spirits. Know ye this, that ten thousand confessions, if they are made by hardened hearts, if they do not spring from really contrite spirits, they shall be only additions to your guilt as they are mockeries before the Most High.” (Spurgeon)
What was the result of David’s confession? God forgave the guilt of his sin. David Guzik of Enduring Word said:
c. And 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.
Through his confession, David essentially “owned” his sin and acknowledged it rather than just feeling badly about it. David showed just how necessary repentance is, bringing his sin to the Lord — the only being who can cleanse that sin. When he confessed, God answered David with forgiveness that removed both the offense and the weight of the guilt on his soul. In our time, that forgiveness rests on the foundation of Christ’s atoning work, Whose blood redeems sinners and grants us peace with God.
In many translations of the Bible, this psalm is followed by the word selah (selê or the Hebrew סֶלֶה). Selah was often used in the Psalms to indicate the need for a pause or interruption in the music, most likely to allow reflection on the meaning of the words. David was asking his musicians to allow time for those listening to reflect on God’s mercy and how He opens His heart to those who stop trying to hide their sin from Him.
18th Century Irish Bible writer Adam Clarke commented on this particular selah, noting that it was David’s way of saying “This is all true; I know it; I felt it; I feel it.”
Amen!
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Lord, let me take this time to acknowledge my sins to You, opening my iniquity to Your inspection. I confess that I have sinned in thought and deed, and trust in Your promise to forgive the guilt of my sin. Thank You for Your limitless love, grace, and mercy, which cover my sins and restore my spirit. AMEN