Psalm 32 - Confession

Psalm 32:1-5, 8-9 (NIV)

Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
While I kept silence, my body 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.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not hide my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

The Lord says:

I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle,
else it will not stay near you.

Confession is cleansing for the soul. James, the brother of Jesus of Nazareth, wrote that confession gives way to healing. (James 5:14-16) When Jesus healed people quite often He would tell them their sins are forgiven. Unconfessed sin becomes a barrier between you and God. As the wall grows, health declines.

God is the lifegiver. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. He came to give the world abundant life. The blessing of God's presence is life and peace, health and plenty. When sin distances us from God, we sense the weight of our guilt.

Psalm 32 features one who had sinned and had not confessed it to God. He felt the God's hand heavy on him. He groaned inside and felt his strength dried up. But then when he yielded, he finally confessed his sin to God and he experienced forgiveness. How happy he felt! How relieved he was to experience mercy.

When he stopped being stubborn, stiff-necked, and bull-headed, he found the courage to comply with godly wisdom. And God showed him the way he should go. God pointed the forgiven man toward the path to life abundant.

One thing the psalmist celebrates is how happy are those whose sin is covered. This is a reference to atonement. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, they were ashamed and hid from God. God, in His mercy, gave them animal skins to cover their nakedness. Animal blood was spilled to cover the shame of these first humans. This is a picture of atonement, covering over sin. Atonement restores the sinner to holiness and a right relationship with God.

Jesus is the Lamb of God. the once for all sacrifice. His blood shed on the cross is the ultimate atonement. No other blood must be spilled to cover sins. The death of the Son of God universally covers the sin of all who come to God in confession and repentance, seeking forgiveness and restoration.

The next time you celebrate the Lord's Supper (Holy Communion) do so in remembrance of Jesus. Know that you are forever forgiven and made holy, able to stand in the presence of God without shame.

How happy!