Psalm Category: Penitential (lament) Psalm

Central Thought: The psalmist has sinned and God responds by disciplining him in love. In this psalm, the psalmist experiences discipline, desperation, and deliverance.

Key Word: Yasar (v. 1). Yasar is translated as “discipline.” It may also be translated as “chasten” or “instruct.” Yasar implies covenant instruction and education, not judgment. Gerald Wilson comments on Psalm 38, “The setting is less the courtroom than the classroom, and Yahweh is less a judge than a teacher correcting a student” [Gerald H. Wilson, Psalms, Vol. 1: NIV Application Commentary (Zondervan, 2002), 616]. Remember that God disciplines us to instruct us, not to punish us (see Heb. 12:1-11).

Discipline is never easy to accept, even when it is well deserved. When I was a child, my parents frequently disciplined me (more times than I would like to admit!). It was only when I became an adult that I comprehended that this discipline was ultimately for my own good. God, as our heavenly Father, also disciplines us for our own good. In Psalm 38, the psalmist experiences the discipline of God.

Discipline (vv. 1-4): The psalmist begins by revealing the “who, why, and how” of his discipline. First, he reveals that he is being disciplined by God. In verse 1, he begs God not to discipline him in “anger” or “wrath,” and in verse 2 he cites God as the source of the arrows that pierce him and the hand that has come upon him.

Second, the psalmist tells us the “why” of his discipline. He directly links his suffering to his sin (vv. 3, 5).

Third, in verses 3-4, the psalmist reveals the “how” of the discipline. He tells us that God is using the instrument of physical suffering to correct him. This reminds us that God uses trials, tribulations, and even physical illness to conform us to the image of His Son.

It is important to keep in mind that physical illness is not always linked to personal sin (compare John 5:14-15 and John 9:3) and that even Jesus “learned obedience from what he suffered” (Heb. 5:8). We must recall that God works all things, even our sufferings, together for our good (Rom. 8:28). Therefore, it is appropriate during times of calamity to examine ourselves to see how God is using this trial in our lives. In Psalm 38, God used the trial of physical suffering to bring the psalmist to conviction of his sin.

It is vital to remember that God’s discipline is not arbitrary, capricious, or vindictive. God judges the wicked, but He disciplines those He loves. Ultimately, God’s discipline is a sign of fatherly care. In fact, if you are being disciplined by God it is a sign of your salvation, “because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son” (Heb. 12:6).

Desperation (vv. 5-20): Here the psalmist expounds on the exact nature and full extent of his suffering. We learn that his suffering is threefold. First, he is suffering from a debilitating illness (vv. 7-8, 10) that is manifested in his skin (v. 5). Second, due to this illness he is also experiencing abandonment (v. 11). Third, because he is in a weakened condition, he is vulnerable to the attacks of his enemies (vv. 12, 19) and unable to defend himself (vv. 13-14).

His suffering is so extensive that it leads him to utter desperation (vv. 6, 9). However, it is in the midst of his desperation that the psalmist finally confesses to God, “I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin” (v. 18).

Deliverance (vv. 21-22): The psalmist’s sincere confession leads him back to God for deliverance. God was not only the source of his discipline, but of his deliverance as well. The psalmist makes a full-orbed plea to God by invoking all three Old Testament names for God: Yahweh (“Lord,” v. 21), Adonai (“Lord,” v. 22) and Elohim (“God,” v. 21). However, in verse 22, the psalmist adds a fourth name. He pleads for the coming of the Lord his “Savior.” This fourth name reminds us that the psalmist’s hope for deliverance is the same as our hope.

We too look longingly for the coming deliverance of the Lord our Savior. Every Christian can pray the prayer of Psalm 38 with hopeful expectation, because Jesus has promised us that He is “coming soon” (Rev. 22:12, 20). Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

—Anthony Selvaggio