Sermon Tone Analysis

Psalm 32

 

Core Proposition: Rejoice in the Lord and Be Glad

Informal Core Proposition:

            Sin,

                        Its treatable

                        Its curable

                        But best yet it is preventable

                        But you will still probably have to live with the consequences

 

Introduction.

Man and the Doctor Monolog, big business, hostile takeover, coveted, committed adultery, murdered, steeling, and lying.

 

1 Samuel 11 details David and Bathsheba

Exodus 20:1-17, Ten Commandments

 

General information: The first thing to note about this Psalm is its title.

The exact meaning of Miskal is unknown.

The Hebrew root word that it comes from can mean to instruct, teach, give insight, and to make smart.

Based upon Miskal and its root meaning Psalm 32 is a probably a Wisdom Psalm as well as a Psalm of Thanksgiving.

A common characteristic of a Psalm of Thanksgiving is the pattern of the psalmist being in the midst of problem, he calls out to God, and God delivers him.

A wisdom Psalm is one that contains instruction or teaching about having a Godly life.

It can also be give instruction help make them skilful, or to increase their success, or to make them wise and prudent.

As we dive into this Psalm, you will see that it contains both wisdom and thanksgiving.

In Psalm 32, David has been forgiven of his sin.

Psalm 32 chronologically comes after Psalm 51.  Psalm 51 is the one in which David called out to God for forgiveness after he was confronted by the Prophet Nathan.

Poor David, even though he was a man after God’s own heart, he looked away from God and fell into coveting, adultery, murder, steeling and lying, statistically speaking, that is 50% of the Ten Commandments.

You can say that he even broke the greatest commandment of all, to love God with all of his heart.

Read verses 1-2

The Psalm begins by describing characteristics of a person in a good relationship with God, one who has sinned but has been forgiven.

Not only have their sins been forgiven, they have been covered over.

David uses three synonyms for sin, each carrying its own nuance, thus the breadth of what one can do to sin against God is covered.

* The word translate as transgression indicates disobedience rebelling against God’s will.

* The word translated as sin carries the meaning of misconduct or faulty action.

* The word translated as deceit stands for a lie, hypocrisy, or fraud.

In parallel to three words being used for sin David uses three words for forgiveness which of course them carries a range of meaning.

The sense that they convey include sin being carried away, sin being a imperfection that must be covered over, and finally a legal term conveying innocence or a business term of cancelling a person’s debt.

Read verses 3-4

This is a contrast of the state of person who has not been forgiven of their sins and is being chastened by God.

There is also a significant contrast in the words about keeping silent and the word translated as groaning, which is used for a lion roaring and a person shouting illustrating the intensity of a person seeking relief from their sin when chastened by God.

So notice, in reality there is a lot of noise being made, but no confession to God about what has been done.

The word for heat, actually means a dry heat.

We can relate to that in Phoenix, but I do not believe we can relate to exactly how David felt.

Read verse 5

*David gives us the treatment, confessing.

God gives the cure, forgiveness.*

The Psalmists describes the means of resolving being chastened, which is simply confessing his sin against God.

Read verses 6-7

This is the teaching insight section giving wisdom to those who want to be godly and want to take their refuge in God.

Read verses 8-10

*Here is the prevention.*

This section deals again with teaching and contrasting the better state of willful obedience versus the unwilling state of having to be chastened as exemplified by horse or mule who have to be controlled by a bridle and bit.

The significance is that the bridle and bit are used to turn the head in the desired direction of travel against the will of the animal.

Far better is it to not need that type of guidance, especially for man.

Read verse 11

This closes the Psalm with the same theme as the beginning by rejoicing about being in a right relationship with God.

Conclusion;

Sin, we are going to have to live with the consequences of what we have done if we fall into sin,

However thankfully sin,

                        Its treatable, by confession

                        Its curable, because of God’s forgiveness

                        But best yet it is preventable, by our Rejoicing in the Lord and Being Glad