Psalmistry, Week 2: Psalm 32
Psalm 32 (ICEL)
(1) Of David, A maskil.
(2) Happy the pardoned,
whose sin is canceled,
in whom God finds
no evil, no deceit.
(3) While I hid my sin,
my bones grew weak
from endless groaning.
(4) Day and night,
under the weight of your hand,
my strength withered
as in a summer drought.
Selah1
(5) Then I stopped hiding my sin
and spoke out,
"God, I confess my wrong."
And you pardoned me.
Selah1
(6) No wonder the faithful
pray to you in danger!
Even a sudden flood
will never touch them.
(7) You, my shelter,
you save me from ruin.
You encircle me
with songs of freedom.
Selah1
***
(8) "I show you the path to walk.
As your teacher,
I watch out for you.
(9) "Do not be a stubborn mule,
needing bridle and bit
to be tamed."
(10) Evil brings grief;
trusting in God brings love.
***
Rejoice in the Lord.
Be glad and sing,
you faithful and just.
Day 1: Relationship
David and a forgiving God
David hides from God because of his sin and is miserable. Then he confesses and is reconciled to God, who is naturally frustrated but still loves David and protects him. This evokes a very parental relationship to me (see below, Situation/Context).
David and the audience
David is a prophet, a preacher in relationship with the audience. We listen raptly as he's telling his story, and at the end, he gives us a Word.
Day 2: Environment
This Psalm evokes a number of environments for me. The first stanza leads me to imagine a calm field on a sunny day. Next, I imagine a small, dark room, maybe a closet: a hiding place. I see a bursting out in the confession, into light that is blinding, because one's pupils have expanded in the dark, desperate for some shred of light. Then, in the field again, there is a tree. Open, expansive place, yet somewhere to shelter. Freedom and protection together, instead of the dark confinement of the earlier verses. The tree and the earth speak together in the voice of a slightly exasperated but eternally loving mother. "Didn't I give you good advice? Isn't it my job to keep you safe? I wish you would listen to me. I'm sorry you suffered, though. I love you." Then the narrator breaks the fourth wall, and suddenly the field and the tree are on a screen or a stage as David speaks to us, arms outstretched.
Day 3: Situation/Context
Did you ever read the book, No, David? David is a little child who is always causing trouble - scribbling on walls, tramping in dirt, breaking the cookie jar. And David's mom always catches him and says, "No, David!" Except for a few words to introduce and close out the story, this phrase is the only thing in the book, repeated over and over.
I'm sure David got tired of hearing, "No!" I bet there were times when David caused trouble and tried to hide it before his mom could see. In the psalm, David tries to hide his sin from God, but the guilt is overwhelming, and eventually, he decides whatever the consequence of confession, it will be less painful than the guilt and shame of hiding.
(Spoiler Alert) The end of the book, the last words of David's mom are, "Yes, David, I love you." In the psalm, David's God forgives his sin and he is overcome with joy. He praises God as his shelter, his savior. And God responds, reminding David that God is always showing the path, and David is free to walk it or not.
Then David turns to the reader, and shares his newfound understanding. He grieved in guilt and shame when he was trying to hide his shortcomings. He believed he would suffer if he was honest. It requires trust to open ourselves up and be vulnerable, and David here calls on his reader to trust in God and (in David's experience) in the joy that comes when the faithful confess and find forgiveness.
_______________________________
1 Selah is not listed in the ICEL translation, but since it's the name of my blog, it felt important to include it. :)
(1) Of David, A maskil.
(2) Happy the pardoned,
whose sin is canceled,
in whom God finds
no evil, no deceit.
(3) While I hid my sin,
my bones grew weak
from endless groaning.
(4) Day and night,
under the weight of your hand,
my strength withered
as in a summer drought.
Selah1
(5) Then I stopped hiding my sin
and spoke out,
"God, I confess my wrong."
And you pardoned me.
Selah1
(6) No wonder the faithful
pray to you in danger!
Even a sudden flood
will never touch them.
(7) You, my shelter,
you save me from ruin.
You encircle me
with songs of freedom.
Selah1
***
(8) "I show you the path to walk.
As your teacher,
I watch out for you.
(9) "Do not be a stubborn mule,
needing bridle and bit
to be tamed."
(10) Evil brings grief;
trusting in God brings love.
***
Rejoice in the Lord.
Be glad and sing,
you faithful and just.
Day 1: Relationship
David and a forgiving God
David hides from God because of his sin and is miserable. Then he confesses and is reconciled to God, who is naturally frustrated but still loves David and protects him. This evokes a very parental relationship to me (see below, Situation/Context).
David and the audience
David is a prophet, a preacher in relationship with the audience. We listen raptly as he's telling his story, and at the end, he gives us a Word.
Day 2: Environment
This Psalm evokes a number of environments for me. The first stanza leads me to imagine a calm field on a sunny day. Next, I imagine a small, dark room, maybe a closet: a hiding place. I see a bursting out in the confession, into light that is blinding, because one's pupils have expanded in the dark, desperate for some shred of light. Then, in the field again, there is a tree. Open, expansive place, yet somewhere to shelter. Freedom and protection together, instead of the dark confinement of the earlier verses. The tree and the earth speak together in the voice of a slightly exasperated but eternally loving mother. "Didn't I give you good advice? Isn't it my job to keep you safe? I wish you would listen to me. I'm sorry you suffered, though. I love you." Then the narrator breaks the fourth wall, and suddenly the field and the tree are on a screen or a stage as David speaks to us, arms outstretched.
Day 3: Situation/Context
Did you ever read the book, No, David? David is a little child who is always causing trouble - scribbling on walls, tramping in dirt, breaking the cookie jar. And David's mom always catches him and says, "No, David!" Except for a few words to introduce and close out the story, this phrase is the only thing in the book, repeated over and over.
I'm sure David got tired of hearing, "No!" I bet there were times when David caused trouble and tried to hide it before his mom could see. In the psalm, David tries to hide his sin from God, but the guilt is overwhelming, and eventually, he decides whatever the consequence of confession, it will be less painful than the guilt and shame of hiding.
(Spoiler Alert) The end of the book, the last words of David's mom are, "Yes, David, I love you." In the psalm, David's God forgives his sin and he is overcome with joy. He praises God as his shelter, his savior. And God responds, reminding David that God is always showing the path, and David is free to walk it or not.
Then David turns to the reader, and shares his newfound understanding. He grieved in guilt and shame when he was trying to hide his shortcomings. He believed he would suffer if he was honest. It requires trust to open ourselves up and be vulnerable, and David here calls on his reader to trust in God and (in David's experience) in the joy that comes when the faithful confess and find forgiveness.
_______________________________
1 Selah is not listed in the ICEL translation, but since it's the name of my blog, it felt important to include it. :)
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