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Field of grape hyacinths
Psalm 32 (NIV)
1 Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
2 Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord does not count against them
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 on 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 all the faithful pray to you
while you may be found;
surely the rising of the mighty waters
will not reach them.
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 with my loving eye on 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 one who trusts in him.
11 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!
“Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit” (verse 2). What a wonderful verse for us to carry into the penitential season of Lent!
The psalmist, it seems, was speaking from experience. His experience reflects that of so many of us. He had bottled up his sin, perhaps trying to conceal it from the Lord and perhaps even managing to conceal it from himself. He refused to acknowledge it (verse 3a), even when he found himself to be suffering – and probably suffering at God’s hand (verse 4a).
What prompted him eventually to say, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord” (verse 5b)? We do not know. Perhaps it was the realisation of his own foolishness or perhaps it was because he had heard the testimony of another.
We know that his own testimony was one of relief, trust, gratitude and ultimately rejoicing. He has been so positive in commending to others that they should confess their sins and not try to conceal them that he may be passing on the blessing he received as he listened to somebody else’s personal story.
What are we to make of his concluding injunction to “Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous” (verse 11a)? Who are those “righteous” ones? Surely it refers to those “whose sin the Lord does not count against them” (verse 2)! How can it be that their sin does not count against them? How can that forgiveness be gained?
Could it be that the psalmist was given a glimpse of the forgiveness of sin gained by our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross for all those who truly repent and put their trust in him (verse 10b)?
In this season of Lent, let each one of us commit afresh to “confess (our) transgressions to the Lord” and eagerly to anticipate the forgiveness of the guilt of our own sin (verse 5b).