A Great Hiding Place 11-30-25 AM

I.            The result of forgiveness (Ps. 32:1-2).

a.      The Psalmist starts out by revealing to us the result of being forgiven.

b.      The one who receives forgiveness of his sin is blessed.

          i.      The idea is the same as the of the beatitudes.

          ii.      This person is happy based on his relationship with God, not because of outward circumstances.

c.      Notice that the Psalmist describes sin in four ways.

          i.      Transgression is a going beyond of God’s laws.

          ii.      Sin is the missing of the mark of God’s laws.

          iii.      Iniquity is great immorality in one’s life.

          iv.      Guile is the deceit or hypocrisy.

d.     These four descriptions cover the gamut of sin as we know it.

          i.      Sometimes we go to far.

          ii.      Sometimes we don’t go far enough.

          iii.      Sometimes we get completely caught up in worldliness.

          iv.      Sometimes we try to hide our sins.

e.      When one experiences the forgiveness of whatever form of one may have committed there is a feeling of great peace.

           i.      Again, we don’t want to be hid from God and something bad, death, occurs.

           ii.      If we would stop and think about that fact, we would not hide in sin so often or for so long.

II.            The realization of what sin does to us (Ps. 32:3-4).

a.      David had committed some sin for which he did not seek forgiveness for a period of time.

          i.      Some say it was his sin with Bathsheba.

          ii.      Others say it was not but some other sin.

          iii.      The truth is we don’t know and it doesn’t really matter.

b.     While in that sin, having it on his conscience, he suffered greatly.

          i.      His strength was lessened.

1.      He felt physically weak.

2.      When there is something that is bothering us it does things to our bodies that harm it.

         ii.      He literally cried out because of the effects of sin on his mind and body.

         iii.      This affected him daily, not just occasionally.

c.      When a child of God sins, his conscience is pricked, or at least it should be.

         i.      When this happens, God is acting on the heart of the one in sin.

         ii.      It could be remembrance of some passage or some sermon or lesson that had been taught.

         iii.      In a sense, it is as if the hand of God was on us, weighing on us, forcing us to confront ourselves and come out of hiding.

         iv.      Tears are shed because of the realization of where we are with God and how we have separated ourselves from Him.

d.    The last phrase of verse 4 is interesting.

         i.      The word “moisture” literally refers to the juice or sap of a tree.

         ii.      He says that it he has become like a plant that the summer sun has dried out.

         iii.      He is emotionally and physically spent because of the sin that he is trying to hide from God.

e.     Sin affects us mentally and physically because it takes effort on the part of a Christian to not repent.

f.      It wears on us and brings us down.

III.            Repentance is made (Ps. 32:5-7).

a.     David was so moved physically and emotionally by the toll sin took on him that he had to make things right with God.

b.     He was seeking relief for his mind so he completely revealed his sin to God and did not hide it any longer.

          i.      His burden was to great for him to bear and he decided that it all had to be given to God.

          ii.      He couldn’t stand it any longer.

          iii.      He did not attempt to hide any of his sin, but laid it all out before God.

          iv.      This was a full confession of sin.

c.      When the sin was confessed, forgiveness was given.

d.      Notice verse 6.

           i.      For this probably is a reference to the relief found.

           ii.      Godly people will pray to obtain this relief while they can still have interaction with God.

           iii.      In other words, godly people will repent before it is too late.

           iv.      The reason is that they don’t want to be overcome by the waters of judgment.

           v.      David knew that judgment would wash him away from God if he stayed like he was and he didn’t want that.

e.      David would now hide in God and not sin.

           i.      He realized there was peace in this hiding place.

           ii.      He would be preserved and protected by God from the effects of sin.

f.        Only one hiding place provides protection from the eternal effects of sin and that is in God (Colossians 3:1-3).

IV.            The reaction to being in hid in God (Ps. 32:8-11).

a.      When we get our lives right and hid in God we will want to tell others about the peace we have found.

b.      He would instruct others in sin on how to get out of sin.

           i.      The way that people in this state should go is God’s way.

           ii.      The idea of the last phrase is that he would watch out for the one he was counseling and not let him get off track.

c.       He urges the one reading this to not be wild like a horse or stubborn like a mule.

           i.      Don’t stay in your in your sin because of wildness or stubbornness.

           ii.      Don’t be like the wild animals you can only come near with restraints.

d.      The reason for this is that sorrow abounds when one stays in sin as the Psalmist has found out and revealed to us.

e.      Instead of being trapped in sorrow, you can be surrounded by the mercy of God.

f.        Instead of sorrow, there is rejoicing and joy.

g.      This rejoicing and joy are only for those who are sincere, upright, in their confession of sin.