It is easy to stash, hide, and overlook things in our houses, vehicles, and large refrigerators. Items like sweaty gym socks, used fast food containers, or moldy leftovers commonly accumulate in these places. They collect in the bottom of the closet, roll around under the driver’s seat in the car, or get buried behind newly purchased groceries. If they are not consistently identified and cleansed or removed, the spaces they occupy will quickly become unbearable to live in and use.

So it is with our sin. Sin affects every part of every person: mind, will, emotions, and body. The first rebellion in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3) brought contamination and decay to all of humanity and all of creation (Rom 5:12). Therefore, on one hand, the Bible presents a heartbreaking story that portrays sin’s choking grip on one generation after another. But that is only part of the story. Because, on the other hand, the Bible demonstrates the wonder of God’s forgiveness in breathtaking splendor.

In Psalm 32, both - sin’s sway and God’s forgiveness - are presented for us to pause and think about. King David recounts his experience of having sin’s burden lifted and his iniquity not counted. With the beautiful poetry of this psalm, David provides for us a maskil - meaning “contemplation” or “instruction” - calling us to consider the joy of God’s forgiveness. The song was likely written after David’s own sin was exposed by the prophet Nathan (2 Sam 12:1-12) and following the writing of the king’s confessionary hymn, Psalm 51. After contemplating the devastating consequences of his actions and the restorative power of confession, David aims to instruct his readers about the blessings of God’s pardon (Ps 51:13).

From personal experience the songwriter knows the devastation of sin and the debilitation of covering the same. He writes, “... when I kept silent, my bones 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” (vv. 3-4). Like David, our personal struggle with sin causes us embarrassment, grief, shame, as well as frustration and anger. It makes us lose sleep, lessens our energy, and eliminates our motivation. The more we keep silent and hide our transgressions, the more our perspective is skewed and the more likely we turn from our Source of liberation.

Yet, David has also experienced God’s immediate and eager forgiveness. His penitent response elicits a divine deliverance. He declares, “I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin’” (v. 5). David’s testimony brings to mind Jesus' parable of the prodigal son recorded in Luke’s gospel account. There the Savior tells of a father whose youngest son brashly asks for his inheritance. His actions are beyond disrespectful and rude, suggesting he considers his father dead to him. In spite of the son’s contempt, the father grants his wish. True to his nature, the son foolishly flees to a foreign country and recklessly squanders his fortune on sinful living. When he finally comes to his senses, he carefully crafts and rehearses a confession as he embarks on his way home (Lk 15:18-19). Yet before he is able to speak his full confession, the father has already embraced his son (Lk 15:20-24). God’s merciful response to our repentance has not changed from the days of King David, to the parables of Jesus, and the instructions of the Apostle John (1 Jn 1:9). His response is to protect us, preserve us, and even praise us (Ps 32:7)! Confession is powerful! It restores our relationship with God and brings both parties back together. Confession is also simple. It is the admission of our sin and the agreement with God that our rebellious actions, words, or attitudes are an affront to Him. It is the gracious opportunity for our sin to find us out (Num 32:23) and for us to find our Heavenly Father (Ps 32:6; 2 Cor 6:2). 

So what are you waiting for? What is keeping you from going to God for the cleansing you regularly need? Three times in Psalm 32 David inserted the Hebrew word Selah meaning “to pause”, “to think”, or “to praise”. It is fitting to consider all three of these meanings as appropriate to our understanding. Pause and allow the ugliness of sin to jolt you. Consider and think about the depth of God's forgiveness. And praise Him for His steadfast love. Don’t try to hide your sin. Don’t minimize it. Instead, may God’s forgiveness be the cornerstone of your testimony!

1 John 1:5-10 (ESV) - “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”