Rev (Dr) Quek Suan Yew

Psalm 38 – Repentance! (Part 1 of 4) 

Introduction – This is one of the strangest psalms in the Bible. After stating the author’s name, which was David, it has the phrase “to bring to remembrance” as part of its superscription. Yet when we examine the context of this psalm, this phrase is very apt. All believers need to remember how to repent of their sins. The sin that usually stands in the way of repentance is the pride of life. This is a sin that plagues the sinner and the saint all their days on earth. Therefore God wants to remind us through David that we need to remember to repent and to do it correctly. 

     1.  Confession of Sin (38:1-8)– The use of the vocative and the covenantal Name of the God “O LORD” sets the right tone for this psalm. It is of a child of God crying to his holy heavenly Father for deliverance. David understood the sovereignty of God in his life. Even though the hands upon him were the hands of evil men, ultimately it was the LORD who permitted these adversities to fall upon His children like David. That is why David cried to his LORD for help. David knew that no man can touch God's children if the heavenly Father does not permit it. Therefore if the LORD is the One who permits it, then He alone can help him to overcome his adversities!

     David felt the brunt of the weight of his transgressions within his being. He cried, “O LORD, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.” Just because a believer is a child of God, he must not think that special favour such as no chastisement is bestowed upon him because of the Father-child relationship. It is a sin to even think this way about our relationship with God. David captured the relationship rightly when he cried to his LORD for mercy. He asked the LORD to rebuke him for the wrong that he had done but not according to His wrath. He understood the fierceness of God's wrath and that He is no respecter of persons. David knew the wrath of God well. We should too when we see His wrath in Noah’s days and what He did to Sodom and Gomorrah! The entire world was destroyed by water in Noah’s days except for eight souls who were saved inside the ark. All in Sodom were destroyed by fire and brimstone except for Lot and his two daughters. David cried to the LORD to spare him His wrath even though he knew he deserved it. David knew that he had a personal relationship with God in Christ which is based upon God's mercies alone. Using synonymous parallelism, David emphasized his point. 

     Verse 2 (synonymous parallelism) – The pain within David was fierce. It was like arrows piercing into his body! The pain must have been a sustained hurt that continued on into the night. This is what arrows stuck fast into a person would be like! Even though the persecution came from the hands of his enemies, David saw beyond that. It was the hand of the LORD and not man’s. This is an important truth that we must remember. Do not take God’s hands out of our lives. The sovereignty of God is a very comforting truth in times of persecution and adversities. As long as the hand of God is seen by us, the suffering immediately becomes bearable. Like David we ought to cry to the LORD for His sovereign hand of be lifted. The synonymous parallelism is used to emphasize the fact that David confessed that he saw the hand of the LORD and not man’s in his persecution. 

     Verse 3 (synthetic parallelism) – David’s suffering resulted in pain that took away his soundness, i.e. wholesomeness. The emotional, physical, mental and spiritual parts of a believer ought to experience soundness. This is a reference to more than just physical health. It has to do with peace with God. When a believer is in sin, the soundness within his soul departs. The emotional, mental and spiritual pain of not being right with God is worse than any physical pain. To know that the LORD could be angry with us is an unbearable pain that can only be made right upon repentance and confession of sin. David said that the LORD was angry with him and it caused him to lose his soundness in his flesh, i.e. body. 

     David admitted his sin before God as the reason for the LORD’s anger against him. The inward pain was torturing. He could not pray knowing that his prayers would not be heard by God as long as he was in sin! David knew this well. As long as the consequence of sin has not completed its course, the pain will continue. The brokenness of spirit is a crippling sorrow that robs a child of God of the brightness of heart and spirit that is his abundant life to enjoy. However, the falling away into sin robs the child of God of this right relationship with his God. It is painful misery! 

     Verse 4 (emblematic parallelism) – The nature of David’s sin weighed so heavily upon him that he described it as, “For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.” David’s sins were like a heavy load on top of his head bearing down upon him. He was not able to carry it. This invisible weight of sin is real. All of us have carried the load before. Unless and until this sin is repented off, the load will remain. It crushes the spirit. The light of the life of the child can be nearly extinguished by this load. Only in Christ can this load be taken off. In Christ, the child of God must learn to forgive; for refusal to forgive is one of the greatest sins man could ever commit against God and others. No believer in his right mind should have this load on top of his head!

     Verse 5 (synthetic parallelism) – David said that his wounds stank. This means that David must have experienced his pain for some time for it to stink. It was not only the pain that David felt but also his ruined testimony since he admitted that it was his sin. David’s testimony was shot to pieces. He admitted that it stank, like festering rotting flesh! It stank and it was corrupted. How could a child of God who tried his utmost to be a holy witness for Christ suddenly lose it all because of one moment of foolishness? Yet we realize that it is a very common experience. David found himself in such a state. The reason he gave was his foolishness. Foolishness is when a child of God who has everything given to him, from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to the perfect Word of God as his lamp and guide in life’s pathway so that his testimony for Christ will shine brightly, turn his back on it all and decide to let his carnal flesh take over. This was David’s foolishness and is all believers’ foolishness as well. A lifetime of holy witness thrown away by one moment of foolishness! 

     Verse 6 (synthetic parallelism) – David’s entire being was troubled. He used verbs to describe his pain and inward sorrow that a person would use when he loses a loved one to death whom he will never see again! He said that he was troubled. It must include what he had done, i.e. the foolishness of sin and what he felt within his soul and the great disappointment he felt when he fell into sin after he had been walking rightly with his LORD. The feeling of great disappointment for failing the LORD again was unbearable. So David described himself as bowed down greatly, i.e. stooped down greatly. He had no more strength to stand upright or to sit up. The only posture before the LORD that fit the occasion of deepest sorrow because he had sinned against Him was to stoop down in great humility. It was as if David felt this description was not enough to capture how he felt, because he added that he mourned all day long. The word “mourning” describes a person mourning in sackcloth and sordid garments. He felt like a person who stinks and is wearing filthy smelly garments! This was how David felt day and night. He was disgusted with himself for failing the LORD and for succumbing to sin. This is how every true believer ought to feel when he sins against God.

     Verse 7 (synonymous parallelism) – How do we know that David was disgusted with himself? Verse 7 captures this thought accurately. He testified: “7 For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh.” He regarded his failure to live a perfect life on earth and his falling into sin as a disease within his loins, i.e. his inward being! David had a desire to be perfect because he hated sin and did not want to sin. However, when he did sin, he hated it very much. He was vexed within his soul for failing the LORD and marring his holy witness for Christ! It was like being filled inside the soul with a loathsome disease. He hated it and wanted to get rid of it very much! Using synonymous parallelism David drove home the same point! There was nothing good within him except for the grace and mercies of God in his life! 

     Verse 8 (synthetic parallelism) – David added,  “I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.” There was no more strength within him. Life was tasteless and lifeless. How can there be life and joy when sin resides within one’s heart? How can there be life and joy when one has failed the LORD again by falling into sin and has lost the holy image of Christ in his life? David captured very accurately the heart and emotions of a child of God who falls into sin! David even roared, i.e. shouted out loud, in his being because of the roaring in his heart! He was like a man who has to scream at the top of his lungs because of the great turmoil and anger that he has against himself for failing his merciful, gracious and good heavenly Father who has only done good toward him all his life. David hated to sin. David hated to dishonour God. David hated marring the image of Christ in his life because of sin. David hated taking the Name of God in vain by his sin. David hated sin that cost Christ His life’s blood. And so must all believers who love the LORD, for all believers are men and women after God's own heart, like David!

[To be continued]