Psalm 32 - The godly sinner

 

God, this psalm is so incredibly freeing - and not for the obvious reasons. I do praise you for the forgiveness it pronounces. But, there is more being declared in this psalm - liberating truths that led Paul to use a portion of it in Romans 4.

God, this psalm uses words I wouldn't expect from a man who has just greatly sinned. Unlike Psalm 51, we don't know for sure that this psalm was written after his affair and murder. Nonetheless, David uses words that bring surprising clarity where maybe there's been misunderstanding.

Up to this point in the Psalter, David has used the word "righteous" about people (v. 11) eight times. He's used the word "upright" (v. 11) three times. And he's used the word "godly" (v. 6) seven times.

In each of these times, one could walk away with the impression that David was talking about moral superiority in contrast to the wicked. For example, the pillar psalm of Psalm 1 contrasts the righteous and the wicked.

But now, as he uses these very words in this psalm of confession, all of a sudden, God, you provide crystal clarity to what it means to be righteous, upright, and godly - it's those who see their moral bankruptcy. So instead of covering (or hiding) their sin, they confess it to you, allowing you to cover it (v. 1 and 5).

God, Paul was not building a new theology when talking about a righteousness imputed by faith. No! David was proclaiming the same good news - that you are a God who surrounds broken sinners with shouts of deliverance (v. 7), declaring that they are godly, upright, and righteous.

God, thank you that being righteous has nothing to do with my sinlessness but has everything to do with coming out of hiding and coming clean to you. Thank you for standing ready to surround me with shouts of deliverance and bless me as a godly sinner.

Amen