Psalm Category: Song of Thanksgiving

Central Thought: Psalm 32 reminds us that one of the glorious truths of the gospel is that we are wholly and truly pardoned of our sins and made righteous by Jesus Christ.

Key Word: Esem (v. 3). Esem is translated in the NIV as “bones” and by the NASB as “body.” The word is used in the Old Testament to refer to our skeletal structure (Num. 19:18), but sometimes it is used to speak about the core of our being or seat of our emotions (see Jer. 20:9). The psalmist is most likely using the word in this latter sense. He is saying that the failure to confess sin is ultimately destructive to the core of our being (see also Ps. 38:3). Don’t ever underestimate the devastating impact of retaining your sins.

Psalm 32

One of the themes of Victor Hugo’s novel Les Misérables is the transforming power of pardon. Early in the story, the main character, Jean Valjean, is released from prison. A local bishop invites Valjean into his home. But that night, Valjean leaves the bishop’s house and steals his silver cup.

Valjean is later arrested and tells the police that the bishop gave him the cup. The police doubt Valjean and take him back to the bishop’s house. After the police recount Valjean’s story, the bishop states to Valjean, “That is right. But, my friend, you left too early; surely something slipped your mind. You forgot I gave these also; would you leave the best behind?” The bishop hands him two silver candlesticks. As Hugo’s story progresses, we learn that this act of forgiveness has transformed Valjean’s life. Psalm 32 teaches us a similar lesson.

The Pain of Unconfessed Sin (vv. 3-4): In verses 3-4, we find the psalmist under tremendous pressure and pain. He shows us the anguish of his soul. He reveals that the source of his pain is his failure to confess his sin (v. 3, “When I kept silent …”). This failure to confess has resulted in his bones wasting away, his groaning all day, and his strength being sapped. In addition to physical suffering, the psalmist also feels the pain of God’s displeasure. In verse 4 he states, “For day and night your hand was heavy upon me.” Are you presently experiencing this pain?

The Pleasure of Forgiveness (vv. 1-2, 5): The psalmist does not remain in this state of sorrow. He moves to the pleasure of forgiveness. The turning point comes in verse 5, where the psalmist offers a full-orbed confession. The completeness of this confession is revealed by his use of all three major Hebrew words for sin (“sin,” “iniquity,” and “transgression”) and by the synonyms he employs for confession (he “acknowledged” his sin, “did not cover up” his iniquity, and “confessed” his transgressions). The psalmist moved from silence and concealment to a spoken confession and a full uncovering of his sin before God.

God responded by forgiving the psalmist’s sin. What a gracious God we serve! The psalmist recognizes God’s abundant grace, and this explains why this psalm begins with a double declaration of the blessing of forgiveness.

The Pedagogy of the Psalm (vv. 6-10): The psalmist has learned something through his experience and, in verses 8-10, he shares this with the entire community. This psalm has a pedagogical function, revealed most starkly in verse 8, where the psalmist employs words like “instruct,” “teach,” and “counsel.” The lesson the psalmist offers is that we should not be like a stubborn mule when it comes to confessing our sins (v. 9). Rather, we should confess quickly and freely while forgiveness may be found (v. 6). He concludes his lesson in verse 10 by revealing that there are only two choices: We can keep our sins and know the “woes of the wicked,” or we can confess our sins and know the “unfailing love” of God. Have you learned this lesson?

The Power of Our Pardon (v. 11): The final verse of this psalm reminds us of the power of our pardon in Jesus Christ. In this verse the psalmist refers to himself and the worshiping community as those who are “righteous” and “upright in heart.” This is truly amazing. Here we find an admitted sinner declared righteous and upright (see Rom. 4:6-8). \

That’s the real power of our pardon in Christ. Jesus not only cleanses our hearts, but He grants us new hearts! Like the pardon experienced by Valjean, our pardon in Christ not only restores, but also transforms (2 Cor. 5:21). Our pardon enables us to live changed lives. That’s the real power of our pardon. Have you experienced this power?

—Anthony Selvaggio