Psalm 32 Blessed are the Forgiven

As you read Psalm 32, imagine a person standing in front of the church and giving their testimony, or more accurately, singing their testimony. Please read the whole psalm now.

David begins his testimony with the general theme: “blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered… against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.” This four-fold description is of a person who has done something wrong, but has been forgiven by God. If you have ever experienced the forgiveness that comes through Christ, then you know how blessed this person is indeed! Blessed are the forgiven!

Then David goes into his actual testimony in verse 3. He talks about his suffering, some of which was due to the natural consequences for his sin, and some of which was due to God punishing him for his sin. No matter how many good things happened in his life, David’s suffering over his sin was always before him; “day and night” it was heavy upon him. He could not get away from the reality of his sin. We are left with the impression that he tried various means to relieve his conscience, but none of them worked. So…

“I acknowledged my sin to you and I did not cover my iniquity.” David openly admitted his sins to God, and what happened? “you forgave the iniquity of my sin.” What an incredible testimony! If we would just confess our sins to God, then He will forgive!

Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the price for our sin. As He died, He cried out "It is finished!" The price has been paid! The war on sin has been waged and Christ has been declared the victor! There is nothing more that you need to do in order to be forgiven of your sin; simply confess your sin and accept that Jesus has already earned your forgiveness.

As David remembers the forgiveness that God has given, he then addresses God directly in verses 6 and 7. Yet, he does this while still publicly sharing his testimony, so that the whole congregation can hear his prayer. This may perhaps be the first guilt trip issued in a prayer. You can imagine praying out loud, something like: “Oh God, please urge all of these wretched sinners that are listening to me right now to pray to you, just like I did, so that they too may be saved!” While he calls God his “hiding place,” who preserves him from trouble and surrounds him with deliverance, the subtle hope is that his audience will turn to God for deliverance as well.

David actually records God’s response to his prayer in verses 8-9. God is our instructor and teacher and counselor. We are the stubborn mules without understanding who need God to teach us in the way we should go. God had shown David that He would instruct him, and David shares this with the congregation. But God also wants to be our instructor, counselor, and teacher. Will we surrender to Him?

Then David concludes his testimony with a dichotomy between the wicked and “the one who trusts in the Lord.” David knew what it was like to be the wicked with many sorrows, but now he knows what it is like to trust in the Lord and be surrounded by His steadfast love. Now he can “be glad in the Lord, and rejoice... and shout for joy.”

But he doesn’t want to do this alone. As the great preacher J.C. Ryle once said, “A converted man will not wish to go to heaven alone.” So he instructs the congregation to join him in trusting in the Lord, and shouting for joy! That is the point of sharing our testimony after all—to share with others what God has done for us, so that they might turn to God and be saved as well. Then they might know how blessed it is to be forgiven.