PSALM 32 Reading Guide. August

Transcription

1 PSALM 32 Reading Guide August

2 PSALM 32 2 PSALM 32 1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah 5 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. Selah 6 Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. 7 You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. 9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. 10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD. 11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

3 PSALM 32 3 DAY 1 Read through Psalm 32 once writing down what you find interesting, what you find helpful, and what you don t fully understand. Read through the notes on Psalm 32 in the ESV Study Bible*. Write at least one paragraph highlighting what you learned from the study notes. In Psalm 32, David gives words to the experience of confessing sins to God and receiving his forgiveness and fellowship. As we read David s experience, we are taught to trust the Lord when we are guilty of all the charges against us. 1 DAY 2 Read Psalm 32 again, paying special attention to verses 1-2. Blessed, the word that starts this Psalm, can also be translated happy. It expresses a profound happiness that comes from being in a state of total well-being. Read verses 1-2 again, writing down the reasons David lists for his happiness. Read through your list and underline the things that are true of you. Write out personalized versions of the ones that are true of you (for example, My transgression is forgiven, my sin is covered. ) If you are a believer in Jesus, all that David writes in verses 1-2 are true of you. St. Paul explains the reason this is true of you when he quotes Psalm 32 in Romans 4:5-8. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin. David knew what Paul further explains: Forgiveness of sins and a right standing before God is a gift of God s grace that comes through faith in God, not faith in ourselves. Forgiveness comes to those who know they need it, don t deserve it, and ask and receive it from God himself. We get that forgiveness, not because of our goodness, but because of Jesus life, death, and resurrection. This idea is captured well in the last three verses of Joseph Hart s hymn, Come Ye Sinners. Come, ye weary, heavy laden, 1 M. Futato, The Book of Psalms. Carol Stream, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, p. 129.

4 PSALM 32 4 Bruised and broken by the fall; If you tarry til you re better, You will never come at all. Not the righteous, not the righteous; Sinners Jesus came to call. Let not conscience make you linger, Nor of fitness fondly dream; All the fitness He requires Is to feel your need of Him. This He gives you, this He gives you, Tis the Spirit's rising beam. Lo! The Incarnate God, ascended; Pleads the merit of His blood. Venture on Him; venture wholly, Let no other trust intrude. None but Jesus, none but Jesus Can do helpless sinners good. Write out a prayer of thanksgiving and praise to Jesus. Use verses 1-2 as the start of your prayer. End your prayer shouting for joy (as verse 11 encourages you to do). DAY 3 Read Psalm 32 again, focusing on verses 3-5. If verses 1-2 describe David s feelings now, verses 3-4 describe what he felt at some point in the past. Read verses 3-4 again, writing down the ways David describes how he felt. In verse 5 David describes what brought about the change, moving from the pain-filled groaning in verses 3-4 to the absolute joy in verses 1-2. Read verses 3-4, verse 5, and then verses 1-2 to see the progression. Write the reason for the change (in verse 5). David encourages all God s children to confess their sins to God in verse 6. For when we do, David says, God will not only forgive us, he will also be near to us (see verses 6-7). In verses 8-9, God himself speaks to us, inviting our confession and committing to be with us. Read verses 8-9 out loud, hearing God himself speak to you in those verses, inviting you to come to him, as you are, with your sin. Think through ways you have sinned against God in thought, word, and deed. Confess those sins to God (agree with him that they are wrong, a violation of his law) and seek his forgiveness. Read verse 5 out loud as an assurance of his pardon of your sins.

5 PSALM 32 5 DAY 4 Read Psalm 32 again, focusing on verses Write out a few sentences explaining what David is doing in those verses. Read verse 11 a couple of times. List the specific reasons you have to respond to God like David describes there. List the specific ways you could do this in your own life. List the specific ways you would help others if you did these things. Read verses 1-2 over and over again until you find yourself responding like David encourages in verse 11. Let your response be your prayer. DAY 5 Read through Psalm 32 twice. Write out at least two paragraphs reflecting on what you ve learned about God, yourself, and others from Psalm 32. Write out at least one thing you hope to apply to your life from Psalm 32. Spend at least 15 minutes sharing what you wrote with a trusted friend or family member. If they read Psalm 32 this week, ask them to do the same. End your time in prayer, thanking God for what he taught you this week. * Purchasing an ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Bibles, 2008.) will aid you in your understanding of the Psalms. The first day s reading each week assumes you will have access to the notes in the ESV Study Bible. The ESV Study Bible is the most comprehensive study Bible ever published. It will help you understand not just the Psalms, but also the rest of the Bible in a deeper way. You can either buy the Bible (amazon.com, search: ESV Study Bible) or purchase online access to the notes at Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV ), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved Elliot Grudem.