Psalm 32 — 33
praise to God for His mercies. That's exactly what David needed to hear!
drought (see 38:2; 39:10). Did he have a fever that dehydrated him? Whatever it was, he was miserable, for he had a defiled conscience, a worried mind ("When will I be found out?"), and a sick body. But it was worth the pain, for the experience brought him back to the Lord.
The Joy of Obedience (vv. 8–11) God speaks to David in verses 8–9, assuring him that the joy of salvation would be restored to him (51:12) if he obeyed the Lord and walked in His way. David's wrong thinking got him into serious trouble, but the Lord would instruct him, guide him, and keep His loving eye on him (see 33:18; 34:15). David's faith (vv. 5–6) must now issue in obedience, for faith and works must go together. God doesn't forgive us so that we can go back and sin! "But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared" (130:4 nkjv).
The Way of Deliverance (vv. 5–7) The Lord sent the prophet Nathan to David to confront him with his sins and bring him God's word of forgiveness (2 Sam. 12). David's confession "I have sinned against the Lord"21 was answered with, "The Lord also has put away your sin" (2 Sam. 12:13 nkjv). The king didn't have to do penance or go on probation; all he had to do was sincerely confess his sins, and the Lord forgave him (1 John 1:9). The burden of transgression had been carried away, the debt was canceled, the twisted was made straight, and the Lord didn't put David's sins on the record. Instead of imputing our sins, the Lord puts the righteousness of Christ on our account, and we are accepted in Him (see Rom. 4:3ff.; 5:13; 2 Cor. 5:19–21; Gal. 3:6). David offered no excuses; he admitted that he had sinned and was guilty before God. Guilt is to the conscience what pain is to the body: it tells us that something is wrong and must be made right, or things will get worse. The promise is for everybody ("godly" = chosen ones, God's people; 4:3), and we must confess our sins immediately, when we find them out and while God may be found (69:14; Isa. 55:9; Prov. 1:24–33). The waters of chastening will only get deeper and the storm increase, so don't tempt the Lord!
When he gazed at Bathsheba, lusted after her, and then committed adultery, and when he plotted to kill her husband, David saw himself acting like a free man; but God saw him acting like an animal! We are made in God's image, but when we choose to knowingly rebel against God's law, we descend into what the older translations call acting "brutish" (see 92:6; 94:8; Jer. 10:8, 14, 21) and modern translations "senseless." Like the horse, David rushed ahead impetuously, and like the mule, he was stubborn and tried to cover his sins. The only way to control animals is to break them and harness them, but God didn't want to do that to His beloved servant David. Instead, He would teach him His Word and keep His eye upon him, surrounding him with mercy (see 23:6).
When he joined the assembly at the sanctuary of God (vv. 1–2), David began his song with the joyful announcement that God had forgiven him. Now he closed the psalm by exhorting the other worshippers to join him in celebrating the joy of the Lord. "Be glad! Rejoice! Shout for joy!" Years later, his son Solomon would write, "He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy" (Prov. 28:13 nkjv).
But God's forgiveness isn't a negative thing; the Lord adds positive blessings to help us on the road to recovery. David exchanged hiding his sins for a hiding place in the Lord. God removed his troubles and put a wall of protection around him. Did David deserve these blessings? Of course not—nor do we! But this is the grace of God as found in Jesus Christ our Lord. "God's kiss of forgiveness sucks the poison from the wound," wrote Alexander Maclaren, and that says it all. This doesn't mean that David didn't suffer because of the consequences of his sins. God in His grace forgives us, but God in His government says, "You shall reap what you have sown." Bathsheba conceived and gave birth to a son, but the baby died. David's son Amnon raped his half-sister Tamar (2 Sam. 13) and was slain by David's son Absalom. Then Absalom tried to seize the throne and was slain by Joab (2 Sam. 14—18). While David was dying, his son Adonijah tried to take the scepter from Solomon (1 Kings 1), and Adonijah was slain. However, David faced these calamities with God's help and lived to assemble what was needed for the temple so that Solomon (Bathsheba's second son) could build it.