Communion With the Christ:: Those Who Are Forgiven, Worship

"Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding

but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.

Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him. Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!" Ps:32

Worshiping in The Tabernacle

In Psalm:32, we find King David standing among assembled worshipers in the Tabernacle of God which was erected at Shiloh prior to the building of the Temple at Jerusalem.

This Psalm is thought to be a liturgical dialogue between King David and the Great God. This dialogue is the result of David being the grateful recipient of the forgiveness of God toward and for David, and we all. This Holy conversation is carried out before an assembly of worshipers who stand with David before God.

Psalm:32 is a two voice Psalm; the first voice which is found in verses 1-7 and 11 is that of David. In verses 8-10 it is thought to be the voice of the Lord God perhaps speaking through a Priest or Leivite or even a Prophet who was present in the worship service at the Tabernacle.

Maskil

Noted in the title of this Psalm is the Hebrew term Maskil which is also found in other Psalms which carry within the psalms instruction on living Holy godly lives. This would indicate that the content of David's conversation with God will instruct worshipers in living godly lives.

A Blessed State

The Psalm opens with a declaration of joy over experiencing the forgiveness of God in the lives of the assembled worshipers, and this is true not just for those who gathered with David but all who accept God's free offer of salvation in any and all ages.

"Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered."Ps:32:1

The embrace of the forgiveness of God leads also to the transformation of heart and "spirit" within those persons who experience it. David proclaims this transformation in the very next breath of the Psalm.

"Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit"(2)

This lack of deceit mentioned by David also suggest that those who are honest with themselves will come to see their need and look to God for the salvation which is so freely offered to each and all of us.

Confession

David's part in the conversation with the Great God moves to recount how, when David was led to confesses and acknowledge sin and the release which our God afford him and the peace that came over his being at that confession. David found that his internal struggle with sin was difficult and that it had even a detrimental effect upon even his very life.

"When I kept silent,my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.(3)

David then acknowledges, in his recounting of his confession , that it was by the very intervention of God in his life which ultimately resulted in the confession of his need for the forgiveness of God.

"For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer"(4)

David experienced what the New Testament tells us in St. Paul’s epistle to the Roman Christians about the kindness of God which is toward us and for us and how our Lord leads us in coming to a change of heart and mind.

"not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?" Rm: 2:4

St. Paul tells us that God's kindness reaches out toward and for us and works upon our hearts and minds and brings us to see need for his graciousness, love and forgiveness. Our God dose this so that we can live with him for all eternity.

David, before the assembly declares to God how by his divine leading, he brought David to the resolution which led to his forgiveness experience by frankly and without self-justification to confess his need for the forgiveness of God and the resolution of his guilt.

"Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin." (Ps: 32:5)

David experiences what St. John wrote of in his general Epistle to the early church and to Christians throughout the ages.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" 1Jhn:1:9

St. John is not just talking about sins in the sense of things we have done or said, thoughts or attitudes of the heart alone, but rather, he is being led by the Holy Spirit to address our need of “who and what we are” and is speaking of our need to be forgiven of who we are. This is set right when we come to see who Jesus is and who we are in contrast to his perfect holiness and accept him as the Holy Son of God humanities only Savior.

Worship Amidst the Waters

David then addresses the assembly and believers throughout the ages with the admonishment to seek God in times of difficulties or times of stress. That we should enter into worship even in the midst of hardships.

Confession of our need and acceptance of Jesus and all that he has accomplished on our behalf has removed from us anything which might prevent or hinder us from experiencing God's blessings in our lives and finding peace even in the midst of hardships.

Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance." (6-7)

David's is declaring, to his fellow worshipers in the Tabernacle, and to believers in all ages, is, that, those who have come to see themselves in light of who Jesus is are then led to confess their need for him will then worship the Great God as an act of gratitude and love for God's forgiveness found by and thru Jesus alone.

David is saying that when we see the magnitude of God' s graciousness and kindness and all that has been done for us in Christ we can have no other response than that of worship, thanking our God for his kindness toward and for us all.

This worship is especially needed when the flood waters of difficulties rise within our lives. It is then and always that we should seek our God and resort to him for deliverance and safety.

"surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance." (6b-7)

It is important to understand why David is moved to uses the imagery of waters which swirl around us and rise against us.

"surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them."(6b)

In the Hebrew Cosmological order, (that is how they understood the world), waters were a dwelling place of the spirits and the powers of chaos. Many of the ancient cultures had myths and legends regarding these powers found within the sea and other bodies of waters and that these powers would at times besiege humanity bringing confusion and chaos to their lives.

David is telling us all that when the powers of the world assault us we can find our refuge in our God who is always faithful to see us through our problems, and that, we can receive assurances of God's faithful deliverance when we, even in the midst of the rising flood waters, worship him.

"You are my hiding place;you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance"(7)

For Christians today we can look to the words of our Lord Jesus who assures us that we need not fear what the world might bring against us. Jesus tells us of his victory over the world and by implication the unseen spiritual powers of the world.

"Do not be afraid; for I have defeated the world" Jhn: 16:33

God Speaks

After David's declarations and admonishment, we now hear the voice of God to his people gathered in the Tabernacle long ago, and to all his people who now worship in the Sanctuary of the Christian Church.

The voice of God may have been uttered thru a Priest or Levite or a Prophet who was there, or it may have been added by David under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit at some point.

The Lord speaks and gives to those who have confessed their need for forgiveness and have now entered into worship of God instructions and assurances that he is very much aware of all that is transpiring in our lives.

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you"(8)

The Lord's first instruction to us seeing we have been led to confess our sin is to not be led about by the impulses of our flesh which can only, in the end, lead to hardship. To be such, and so led, is to be an animal that is, to be carnal. The pulls of the flesh, the very things which we are to confess will lead us only to suffering but looking to God for his divine guidance will spear us such problems.

"Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you" (9)

God then tells us that the way of the flesh brings many unwanted consequences upon us, and upon those who persist in following the pulls of the flesh to their detriment, but rather, we should trust that our God has our best interest uppermost in his mind and by giving heed to his instruction thru his Holy Word the Bible we can and will avoid a host of problems and we can be insulated and protected from chaos and troubles thru God's unfaltering perfect divine love toward and for us.

"Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him" (10)

The Forgiven Worship

After receiving God's gracious instruction to the assembled worshipers David once again joyfully proclaims and admonishes each and all who have accepted the forgiveness of God to respond by worshiping in humble gratitude and lavish praise to God for the salvation which is afford to each and to all who will but freely receive it and have been transformed by God's graciousness and forgiveness.

"Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!"(11)

In short, David is declaring that when we experience God's love and forgiveness, we can have no other response other than that of lavish worship and grateful praise to our God.

Benediction: May we each and who have experienced God's gracious forgiveness forever worship and give praise to him, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.