Sin Psalm
Notes
Transcript
The late president Calvin Coolidge returned home from attending church early one Sunday afternoon. His wife had been unable to attend, but she was interested in what the pastor preached about in the service.
“What did he speak about today?” she asked.
Coolidge responded, “Sin.”
Mrs. Coolidge pressed her husband for a few words of explanation. Her husband, after some prodding, elaborated on the topic “sin” in the pastor’s sermon.
He responded, “Well, I think he was against it.”
When a pastor brings up or preaches on the topic of “sin,” I’m sure there are all sorts of working assumptions in the room, much like Coolidge’s “Well, I think he was against it.”
For me, I preach on sin as often as it comes up in the Bible (which is quite often). Sin entered the picture in Genesis 3 and it’s present all the way through and will be until Jesus returns and sets the world at rights.
Psalm 38 is a psalm written by David, a sinner, regarding the situation in which he finds himself because of his sin.
In the NIV, this psalm is given the title of ‘A Psalm of David. A petition.’ David’s seeking something from the LORD (we’ll see what it is as we work through the psalm).
Other versions of the Bible say something like “for the memorial offering” or “to bring into remembrance.”
This psalm is a request from David. A petition to the LORD. A prayer for the LORD to remember David in his current situation.
David finds himself in a big ol’ mess because of his sin. And so he cries out to the LORD.
This is Psalm 38.
If you have your Bible (and I hope you do), please turn with me to the next psalm in our series through the book: Psalm 38. Keep your Bible open this morning as we follow along in this psalm.
1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.
2 Your arrows have pierced me,
and your hand has come down on me.
3 Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;
there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin.
4 My guilt has overwhelmed me
like a burden too heavy to bear.
5 My wounds fester and are loathsome
because of my sinful folly.
6 I am bowed down and brought very low;
all day long I go about mourning.
7 My back is filled with searing pain;
there is no health in my body.
8 I am feeble and utterly crushed;
I groan in anguish of heart.
9 All my longings lie open before you, Lord;
my sighing is not hidden from you.
10 My heart pounds, my strength fails me;
even the light has gone from my eyes.
The Weight of Sin (vv. 1-10)
The Weight of Sin (vv. 1-10)
We don’t know what exactly brought David to the point of writing this psalm, this song, this prayer. But we know it has something to do with his sin, his iniquity, his sinful folly. We know this because David says so.
It’s rather interesting, if you think about it. Most people I know are pretty quick to hide their sin, to conceal what they’ve done, to keep their sin to themselves.
David owns it. He just comes right out with it. Because of my sin…my guilt…because of my sinful folly.
He owns up to the cause of what’s going on his life. What he’s facing is caused by his sin. And then we have, in painful detail, the painful truth about the affect and effect of his sin.
Sin is weighty. It’s heavy.
Notice the words David uses in verse 1: rebuke, discipline; anger, wrath.
All of these, each of these, are the wages of sin. This is what sin deserves—rebuke, discipline, anger, wrath.
David knows that the LORD Yahweh—the covenant God—must punish sin.
David understands his sin warrants the wrath of God, the anger of God, the rebuke of God, the discipline of God.
You misunderstand your own sin if you say (or think): “Well, I’ve never sinned like David. I mean, I’m sure God isn’t pleased with my sin, but He’s not angry with me. His wrath isn’t directed toward me. I’m a good guy and gosh darn it, people like me!”
You misunderstand your sin if you think like that.
Your sin warrants just exactly what David says: the wrath of God, the anger of God, the rebuke of God, the discipline of God.
David understands that he is deserving of the LORD’s rebuke and discipline; he is the rightful recipient of the LORD’s anger and wrath.
Like a child who has disobeyed his father, David knows what’s coming ‘round the mountain.
Sin is weighty. It’s a heavy burden, both inward and outward.
Like Job who confessed, “The arrows of the Almighty are in me...” David feels the sting and the pain of the disciplining hand of God. He says of the LORD: “Your arrows have pierced me.”
The LORD—Holy and Righteous—deals with the sin of His people. His rebuke and discipline, like arrows and a heavy hand.
Sin is weighty. David’s sin has affected his body, his physical health. It hurts his bones; he’s got physical wounds from it.
David’s back is filled with searing pain. Some older versions use the word loins, but we won’t discuss that this morning.
He says, more than once, there is no health in my body. There’s no doubt this is a physical illness. He’s crushed. His heart pounds. He has no strength. Even the light has gone from his eyes.
David’s sin is affecting him physically; his sin has a physical effect on him.
Now, we have to be careful here. Don’t start believing that a person’s sickness/illness/disease is a result of their sin. The Bible is clear that’s not true (in all cases).
John 9, the account of the man who was born blind, is clear. Jesus’ disciples ask Him, “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
Jesus replied:
3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
Don’t automatically assume sickness/illness/disease is caused by sin in that person’s life.
It would be wrong to assume a person’s illness is always caused by their sin. It would be just as wrong, however, to assume a person’s illness is never caused by their sin.
Jesus healed a man who was an invalid for 38 years, and then has a short conversation with him.
14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”
It’s best to let Jesus make the call about whether or not sin has caused someone’s sickness/illness/disease. Don’t make an unfounded assumption about the cause; you don’t know.
Don’t jump at the chance to attribute anyone’s situation to their sinfulness. Not your job.
But here in Psalm 38, David is absolutely convinced his physical ailment is the result of his sin. He knows it.
Sin is weighty. It’s killing him. This, of course, is what sin does. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). There’s no doubt that David’s sin, unresolved and unattended, will utterly do him in.
The same is true for you. You cannot bear the weight, the guilt of your sin and your iniquity. Can’t do it. It will eat you up, from the inside out. It will have an effect on you, body and soul.
Sin is weighty. The weight of sin is a burden too heavy for David. It’s too heavy for you, too.
11 My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;
my neighbors stay far away.
12 Those who want to kill me set their traps,
those who would harm me talk of my ruin;
all day long they scheme and lie.
13 I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,
like the mute, who cannot speak;
14 I have become like one who does not hear,
whose mouth can offer no reply.
16 For I said, “Do not let them gloat
or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.”
17 For I am about to fall,
and my pain is ever with me.
19 Many have become my enemies without cause;
those who hate me without reason are numerous.
20 Those who repay my good with evil
lodge accusations against me,
though I seek only to do what is good.
The Loneliness of Suffering (vv. 11-14, 16-17, 19-20)
The Loneliness of Suffering (vv. 11-14, 16-17, 19-20)
The singer of Psalm 38 is real lonely, sitting in his palace singing: “All by myself…”
His friends, his companions, his neighbors all stay far away from him and avoid him. The only people who come near to David at this point in his life are those who wish to do him harm.
If anyone’s close to him, it’s those people who hate him.
This part of the psalm may sound a little melodramatic, but we don’t have any reason to doubt David feeling this way. We know from his life, as it’s recorded for us 1-2 Samuel, that he went through many times of abandonment and isolation.
The people who should have encouraged him and comforted him—his loved ones and friends—kept their distance.
David didn’t think his friends and family would turn against him. But they’re treating him like a leper. Almost like they didn’t want to be contaminated, as if his suffering could rub off on them.
Psychological studies tell us people don’t like to be around those who are suffering because they imagine themselves being in the same condition, and no one likes to think along those lines. So people stay away.
“Whew, talk about Debbie-downer.”
“He’s a real bummer to be around.”
At the very least, people would rather be around those who are prospering and having a good time.
Friends are of no help to David. They’re afraid of or repulsed by the intensity of his suffering.
The Church must do better than David’s friends do. Our task is to go to those who are suffering, to help them, serve them, to comfort them.
Gal 6:2 “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
At this point in his life, David feels completely cut off. He might as well be deaf and mute. He’s hated and accused.
Whatever suffering his sin has caused leads to loneliness for our poor friend, David.
Someone once said that “suffering is a form of God’s discipline in the school of righteousness.”
Maybe David’s not being punished by God, but disciplined.
When you’re a kid, there’s no difference between the two—punishment and discipline. As you get older, you realize there is a difference, and yet discipline feels just like punishment sometimes.
What if we viewed suffering as a teacher in the school of righteousness? This is not to say its lessons will be enjoyable, but we can certainly learn something in our suffering.
Even the loneliness can be a good thing, if understood properly. In his suffering and loneliness, David learns his friends can’t help him and his enemies are closing in.
Suffering and loneliness have taught David to look elsewhere.
Suffering and loneliness lead David to declare some important truths:
15 Lord, I wait for you;
you will answer, Lord my God.
18 I confess my iniquity;
I am troubled by my sin.
21 Lord, do not forsake me;
do not be far from me, my God.
22 Come quickly to help me,
my Lord and my Savior.
In his suffering and loneliness, David learns
The Wisdom of Waiting & Confessing (vv. 15, 18, 21-22)
The Wisdom of Waiting & Confessing (vv. 15, 18, 21-22)
David looks up from his state of physical and emotional suffering and he tells the LORD that he will wait patiently for the answer to his prayer for deliverance.
David is outstanding in any company for his ability to wait for God.
When Samuel first approached David, he was just a kid and was told that he would be king of Israel. This didn’t happen for several decades, and during many of those years, David was a fugitive hunted by King Saul.
Even after Saul’s death, David remained a king in Hebron for seven years before being asked to rule over the entire nation.
And then, even later, when his own son, Absalom, revolted against him, David was content to wait for God to rescue him and vindicate his cause.
David knows what it is to wait for the LORD. He is a model of waiting and trusting and putting his hope in the LORD.
Verse 15 is a prayer David has undoubtedly prayed before.
15 Lord, I wait for you;
you will answer, Lord my God.
There’s such wisdom there.
David’s only hope left is waiting for the LORD. He knows the LORD Yahweh, the covenant God, will keep His promises.
He knows the Lord; he refers to him as Lord my God. The Ruler of the Universe is David’s God.
David’s friends can’t help him; David has to wait for the LORD His God who can help him, who does listen to him, who is not far off.
David knows there’s wisdom in waiting and wisdom in confessing.
In verse 18, David confesses his iniquity and expresses sorrow for his sin. Honest confession followed by a corresponding change of life is the purpose of God’s discipline.
David has identified his sin as the cause of his suffering and loneliness. He knows his sin has invited the discipline and rebuke of the LORD.
Here he confesses his sin. He’s sorry for his sin. His sin troubles him.
This is exactly the effect/affect sin should have in the life of the one who belongs to God.
Confess it. Be sorry about your sin (not just sorry about the consequences of your sin).
Your sin should trouble you. If it doesn’t bother you, Christian, you need to wonder whether or not the Holy Spirit actually indwells you.
Confess it. Be sorrowful over your sin. And then repent. Turn from your sin and turn toward the LORD.
There is wisdom in confession, in turning to the LORD in prayer and being honest about your sin and your need of Him.
David brings his petition to the LORD. He prays this at the end of the psalm:
21 Lord, do not forsake me;
do not be far from me, my God.
22 Come quickly to help me,
my Lord and my Savior.
Will God be distant from David as his friends have been? Will the LORD forsake him?
Of course He won’t. The Lord is his Savior, his salvation. The LORD will not forsake his faithful ones (Psalm 37:28).
Will the LORD help David? You bet your sweet bippy!
Salvation comes from the LORD. This is the wondrous theme of the entire Bible. We can never stress it enough. Salvation comes from the LORD.
Nobody else brings salvation. We cannot achieve salvation ourselves. We can never do enough to earn salvation. Salvation comes from the LORD.
Salvation is provided through Jesus Christ to those whom He calls, to those who confess their sins and wait upon the LORD for His sure and steadfast help and deliverance.
Salvation comes from the LORD. And good thing it does!
Apart from Him, we would sink under the weight and pressure, the burden and heaviness of our sin.
Our sin will overwhelm us. It’s a burden too great to carry.
As Ezra prayed: Our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens (Ezra 9:6).
David admits the same (Psalm 38:4). His guilt, his iniquities have overwhelmed him; they’re a burden too heavy to bear.
Of course they are! The weight of sin—just our sin—is unimaginable.
J.C. Ryle, my favorite dead theologian, shares a little thought experiment for those people who think their sin isn’t that serious, for those who don’t believe the weight of their sin is all that much.
He asks you to admit that you sin twice an hour. You know you do. You get angry, you yell at the dog, you share that tasty bit of gossip, have a negative thought, you root for the Boston Red Sox, you fail to love God and neighbor. Let’s agree we sin twice an hour.
And let’s say you get a sweet 9 hours of sleep a night (sounds pretty good!).
So for 15 hours a day, at 2 sins an hour, in a year’s time you’ve sinned 10,950 time. Let’s be kind and say you took a few days off from sinning; we’ll round down. At two sins an hour, you’ve racked-up an impressive 10,000 sins a year.
In a decade of your life, you’ve sinned 100,000 times. And some of you have lived a lot of decades.
Say you could deal with your sin; say you had the mechanism. Now picture hundreds of thousands of sins strapped to your back and placed atop your shoulders.
Talk about an unbearable burden!
Sin is a burden too heavy for us to carry. But we don’t have to carry it!
Jesus carried it for us, all the way to Calvary. And there He paid the price, once for all time.
4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Friends, please don’t try to deal with the weight of your sin on your own. Your sin will crush you and quickly rush over your head. Don’t try to deal with your sin yourself. Your sins are many and you yourself are unable to take care of your sin problem.
Run to Jesus who bore the full weight of your sin in your place.
Run to Jesus. Cry out to Him. He will come quickly to help you. Jesus is LORD and Savior.
Confess your sin. Give it to Him. Find in Jesus salvation this day!
“Praise the Lord, His mercy is more
Stronger than darkness, new every morn
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more!”