Psalm 32 1 Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him 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 upon 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 everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. 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 and watch over 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 man who trusts in him. 11 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

The Big Cover-Up Psalm 32 In our family, punishment for covering up more severe. Important to learn to take responsibility for your mistakes. Covering things up just makes the problem bigger.

Watergate The break in would never have gotten so much attention; It was the cover-up that made the Watergate a household word and an unforgettable part of American history.

Psalm 32 was written by King David following his big cover-up. 2 Samuel 11 The Sin – adultery with Bathsheba The Cover-up – sending for Uriah Then sending him to his death Taking Bathsheba as his wife

Psalm 32 Written in response to sin/cover-up. He knows the blessing of being forgiven after doing something horrible. 1 Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.

The year that David covered up, denied his sin was a miserable time. He had a guilty conscience and God’s discipline made him feel like a withered old man.

3 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 sapped as in the heat of summer.

The prophet Nathan made him face the truth with a story: 2 Samuel 12 “A rich man who takes the only lamb of a poor man…” David is so hardened that he can’t even see that he is the villain. But when Nathan tells him that he is that man, he sees his sin and confesses.

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.

Transgression: crossing over the line Sin: to miss the mark Iniquity:twisted Forgive: remove a burden

David had crossed over the line, he had missed the mark, his thinking had become so twisted that he couldn’t even see his sin until it was pointed out. David finally acknowledged his sin and did not cover up his “iniquity”, his twisted thinking.

The burden of his sin was lifted with God’s forgiveness. He had been running from God, suffering in secret with a guilty conscience. The next passage uses an interesting play on the word “hide”. David exchanged hiding from God, to finding a hiding place in God who would protect him.

6 Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. 7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

When we own up to our mistakes, we can stop hiding from God. The secrecy wears on us. When we get honest with God and the people who are directly involved, a weight is lifted. Forgiveness lifts that burden – we don’t have to bear it alone.

Instead of hiding from God, He becomes our “hiding place”, the One we can go to, confide in, and find peace and wholeness. When David confessed his sin, he found joy that he wanted to share. The writing of this psalm was meant to teach and bless his people.

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over 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.

God describes some people as being like horses or mules who have to be controlled by bridles and bits. Rather than letting God gently guide them, they leave Him only one option: discipline and punishment.

King David suffered serious consequences from his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah. But he final got the message. When he confessed, God forgave him and continued to use him in amazing ways. His writings were a light to his people and to us 3000 years later.

10 Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him. 11 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

King David speaks from personal experience as he encourages us to be wise, trust in the Lord, give Him our hearts, and serve him with righteousness.

Putting it together All of us have sinned – big or little. It is important to be honest with ourselves and with God. Confession restores relationships, allows us to have joy again. Not only does God forgive, He takes our guilt away forever.