Psalm 32 GW

Forgiveness, joy, and gladness are yours in Christ

In the story of the fall in Genesis 3,

Adam and Eve, having eaten the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and of evil, discovered they were were naked, and they were ashamed. They went and found fig leaves they could sew together to cover their nakedness, then they hid from God in the shadows of the trees. God did not let them remain in the clothes they themselves made, however, for men trying to cover their sin by their own efforts never works. God provided for them the skins of some animal.

The Lord God is the great clothier. Clothes come from God. If you do not have clothes made by God, you are not covered. In the scriptures you will find a whole symbolic paradigm around clothing, what it means, what it is for. And this episode is the fount from which it all springs. God rejected Adam and Eve’s sewing of fig leaves to cover themselves. What they had done was not something that could be covered by their own efforts. Their nakedness, of which they once were unashamed, needed covering. They knew it but could not do it themselves. If they would be truly covered, if their sin were to be dealt with in a satisfactory way, if it were to be kept out of the sight of God, God would have to do it.

And so, he did it. We are not told which of the animals lost their lives first so that Adam and Eve could have clothing. If what follows gives us any indication, my bet would be on sheep. God would eventually provide a Lamb; perhaps he did so provisionally here in the garden. Some creature died so Adam and Eve could be covered in the sight of God for a while.

But only for a while. Skins would wear out eventually, and the nakedness they needed to have covered would be exposed again. Another animal needed to die next time, and next time, and next time… Every time it happened Adam and his descendants would see that this was a stop-gap measure. It only lasted a short time, then it had to be repeated. This could not go on indefinitely. The world would become filled with the blood of these sacrifices and it still would not be enough to fix the problem that now plagued Adam and Eve. They did not need covering nearly so much as they needed forgiveness, something that would wipe away the transgression, that would take away their sin, their rebellion.

King David lived during a time when the sacrificial system God set up was in full force. If you transgressed, whether intentional or not, it was necessary that you offer a sacrifice if you wanted to remain clean, if you wanted access to the tabernacle or later the temple. A sacrifice would be made on your behalf, and you would be declared clean. Until, of course, you needed to do it again. Then more blood would need to be shed on your account.

It was God’s intention to eventually bring Jesus into the world, to take the sins of his people upon himself and to die under their weight, taking them to the grave. But while he was preparing the world for Jesus, he gave Israel the sacrificial system. It was temporary, it was stop-gap, it did not accomplish that which was necessary. It covered over sin; it did not take it away.

Forgiveness full and free, restoration of broken fellowship, a place at God’s table; these are things that Jesus brought about for us. But the New Testament is not the first time we have heard of such things. David, speaking with the voice of the Messiah, wrote Psalm 32. “Blessed is the one whose transgression is FORGIVEN (erased, removed, done away with, not counted against), whose sin is covered (sacrificial system goal).

David would offer the sacrifice the law required, because God required it. But he would seek God, and confess his transgressions to him. Where Adam hid, David would go and seek God. He would show God his iniquities. He would pray to God in the face of great trouble, and find in God a hiding place, a refuge, and place in the midst of God’s armies where all around him are shouting about his deliverance.

And God would forgive him.

Forgiveness. That is what a man needs. And though forgiveness was yet to come in the person and work of the Lord Jesus, David experienced this new covenant blessing back then by trusting and believing God. Yes, do the sacrifices. But go where they are pointing. Learn to know and love God, to trust in his promises, to believe in his Messiah. Learn to follow him, to listen to him, to take his counsel. Don’t be like a dumb animal that has to be led to that which is good for him. Take the initiative and go seek him yourself.

Do you want joy? Do you want gladness? Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart! One becomes upright by being rightly related to God, by being inclined toward him and not away from him. Joy and gladness are found in his presence.

Psalm 32 Gw Lyrics

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Blessed Are the Forgiven

A Maskil of David.

32 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!