"Instruct, Teach, Counsel" 1-10-21
Overview
God's Resolution: "I Will Instruct, Teach, and Counsel You"
Tucked inside one of the great penitential psalms is a stunning promise from the Lord himself: "I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you" Psalm 32:8. To grasp the full beauty of this resolution, we need to walk through the psalm that surrounds it—a psalm that moves from happiness, to honest confession, to the heavy hand of God, and finally to the hold God keeps on his redeemed children.
Happiness in Forgiveness
David opens not with grief but with joy: "Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered… in whose spirit there is no deceit" Psalm 32:1-2. By nature, we are skilled at lying to ourselves—minimizing the breadth and depth of our sin, convincing ourselves we are not as guilty as we really are. Forgiveness frees us from that exhausting deceit. Like oil in an engine, forgiveness is what allows our relationships—especially our relationship with God—to run at all. The happy soul is the one who no longer has to pretend.
What Happened Under the Heavy Hand
David then describes what happens when we hold sin inside: "While I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me" Psalm 32:3-4. Written in connection with his sin involving Bathsheba and Uriah (see also Psalm 51), David testifies that unrepented sin can manifest itself even physically. The "hand" he speaks of is the convicting hand of God's law—what Luther knew well—pressing us out of self-justification and self-defense and into honest self-despair before God. That weight is uncomfortable, but it is gift. Only when we feel the heaviness of the law do we grasp the magnitude of grace. Only when we know we are sinners do we see our need for a Savior.
God's Resolutions: To Redeem and to Renew
God resolved to redeem us—and he did. He sent his Son to take on flesh, to bear our sin at the cross, to satisfy God's wrath in our place, and to rise from an empty tomb. In the waters of baptism, he claims us as his own, washing us in the victory of Christ. To redeem means to buy back out of slavery, and that is precisely what Christ has done for sinners in bondage.
But God's resolutions do not stop at redemption. He is also resolved to bring forth new life in us this side of heaven. Paul asks, "How can we who died to sin still live in it?" Romans 6:2, and urges us to "present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life" Romans 6:13. When that calling humbles us and we cry out for help, God goes to work. "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" Galatians 2:20. "It is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" Philippians 2:13.
Pastoral Application
Unlike our New Year's resolutions, which so often end up in the dust heap of our failures, God keeps his. He has redeemed you, and he will continue—every day he gives you breath—to instruct you, teach you, and counsel you with his eye of love upon you. You can stop living the lie about your sin. You can confess it freely, knowing the Lord does not hold it against you in Christ. And you can trust that the same God who saved you is at work shaping you, day by day, more and more into the likeness of his Son. That is his resolution—for you.
Transcript
Let's open our Bibles, please, for our study today to Psalm 32, Psalm 32 for our study. 2s
We're continuing our series on resolutions, God's resolutions. 11s
And in the 30-second Psalm, in verse 8, is a beautiful, beautiful resolution of God. 18s
Here are these words. 26s
God says, 28s
I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go. 30s
I will counsel you with my eye upon you. 36s
In order for us to really grasp the full beauty of this resolution, 43s
I think it's so important for us to study the Psalm of which it is a part. 49s
Psalm 32 is called a penitential Psalm. 56s
Penitential Psalms focus in particular with great emphasis in terms of sorrow over sin. 60s
That's why, in some respects, it's very, very surprising how this Psalm begins. 69s
Look at verse 1 of the 30-second Psalm, David writes, 75s
Happy, happy, and then he explains the reason for his happiness. 81s
Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 88s
Forgiveness and the experience of that, it is such a wonderful, wonderful gift, isn't it? 99s
Like oil is to an engine in a car, I think forgiveness is like that in terms of a relationship. 108s
In our relationships, as we share forgiveness, that is a beautiful, beautiful thing to share and also to experience. 117s
David certainly experienced that in his human relationships, but here, even more importantly, 128s
David experienced it in his relationship with God. 135s
Going on, in verse 2, 140s
Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity. 142s
So the cause of the happiness of David was the forgiveness that the experience, 150s
the fact that God was not holding David's sins against him. 155s
Then he goes on to say, 161s
And in whose spirit there is no deceit. 163s
Happiness is linked to a spirit where there's no deceit. 169s
Well, what's that about? 174s
By nature, we're good liars. 178s
We light ourself. 182s
We light ourself about the extent, the breadth, the depth of our sinfulness. 184s
We light ourself. 192s
Trying to convince ourselves, we're not as much of a sinner as we really are. 194s
That's the deceit. 201s
And so when we experience God's forgiving word, what a gracious word that is, 204s
well, that's really a freeing word, isn't it? 211s
For us to confess exactly who we are, that we are by nature's sinful and unclean, 214s
that we've sinned against him and thought word indeed by what we've left, 222s
what we've done and by what we've left undone. 225s
There's something freeing about that, isn't there? 229s
Well, we no longer live the lie with regard to our sinfulness, 232s
but we freely acknowledge it, and we confess it, 238s
and to speak the truth with regard to our sinfulness. 243s
That's freeing, isn't it? 249s
So he starts out with this expression of happiness. 253s
This happiness over the fact that God had forgiven his sin, 257s
that God was not holding his sin against him, 262s
and that he no longer had to live the lie with regard to his sinfulness, 265s
but he could confess the truth about the sinner that he was. 270s
He starts out with happiness. 277s
Then secondly, he talks about what happened, what happened? 282s
Let's go on, please, into verse 3. 290s
While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day law. 293s
Psalm 32, it's related to Psalm 51. 309s
Both those Psalms are dealing with the episode with regard to Bathsheba. 314s
Bible tells us the story. 319s
David committed adultery with Bathsheba, Bathsheba became pregnant. 323s
He then tries to cover up what had happened, 328s
and so he arranges for the murder of Bathsheba's husband, 332s
Yuraya on the battlefield, and then after Yuraya has been killed, 336s
The David know what he had done was wrong, of course he did. 346s
He held that inside, and that unrepentance manifested itself physically. 352s
So again, to verse 3, while I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day law. 361s
So what can happen when we hold that sin inside us? 371s
When we live the lie, when we try and cover it up, 376s
when we don't repent of that sin, that unrepentance can literally have a physical manifestation in suffering. 380s
So we start out with talking about happiness, 391s
and then he talks about what happened, 397s
and then third, he talks about the hand, the hand. 403s
Very next verse, verse 4. 412s
For day and night, your hand was heavy upon me. 416s
My strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. 422s
That hand of which he speaks is the hand of the law of God that can mix us of our sin. 430s
Luther talked about the hand of God, and how, as he was convicted of his sin, 439s
how his sin was revealed as God came to him through the law recorded in Scripture. 445s
How he felt that guilt, how he felt that conflict in his life, 452s
how he knew that he was under the condemnation of God for his sin. 459s
That's that hand of the law. 466s
We experience that, don't we? 471s
As we come across those portions of Scripture where we are convicted, 475s
and what we feel is we hear God's law, 479s
and we see ourselves in the mirror of God's law, 484s
and how we have fallen short of what he desires for us, 487s
we experience that heaviness of the law upon us. 492s
But here's the thing. 500s
The law is gift. 503s
God's heaviness upon us is gift. 508s
I like how one author puts it. 513s
As God comes with the heaviness of his hand, 515s
the revelation of his law, convicting us of our sin. 519s
The author said, we move from self justification and self defense 523s
into self despair. 529s
In other words, God brings us to the point 532s
where we acknowledge our own sinfulness, 535s
the depth of it, and the breadth of it. 540s
God brings us to the point where we realize 542s
that his judgment upon us, 546s
that we are guilty for sin is just and it is right. 549s
God removes from us then that deception, 555s
and we simply see ourselves in the mirror of his law. 559s
That hand is heavy, that can certainly be, 565s
and is uncomfortable. 569s
But it is only by experiencing the heaviness 573s
of the hand of God's law, 576s
that we experience the joy that is ours 580s
of forgiveness through the Lord Jesus Christ. 585s
It's only by understanding that we are sinners 590s
that we understand our need for a Savior. 592s
It is only understanding how we have fallen short 595s
that we can understand the greatness of God's reach to us. 598s
Through his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. 605s
And so in the end then, the hand of God upon us, 611s
that hand of which David describes, 617s
in which he comes to the awareness of his own sinfulness 621s
in the end, it is gift. 624s
He is having experienced the hand. 630s
He also experiences the grace, the grace of forgiveness. 633s
And you can only understand the magnitude of that grace 641s
because of the heaviness of the hand. 645s
Psalm 32 then. 652s
David talks about happiness, happiness of forgiveness, 654s
happiness that God doesn't hold his sin against him, 658s
the happiness of not having to live the lie, 663s
but can confess freely the truth of our sinfulness. 668s
He then goes on to talk about what happened. 674s
He then talks about the hand, 681s
and then it was the stroke of midnight, 687s
moving into the new year on New Year's Eve. 696s
At the stroke of midnight, we heard fireworks going off. 701s
It literally sounded as if someone had come into our backyard 706s
and was using our backyard as the launching path. 710s
We quickly looked out the window. 715s
It certainly wasn't in our backyard, 718s
but it was close by, in fact right across the street. 719s
It was quite an impressive display, 725s
and I imagine probably cost a few dollars. 727s
These fireworks going high up in the sky, 731s
a beautiful burst of color. 734s
They were loud, 737s
and they were beautiful. 739s
Our neighbor was enthusiastically and optimistically 742s
greeting the new year. 746s
enthusiasm and optimism with regard to the new year, 750s
that's certainly a common experience. 753s
And so also with the new year. 758s
So also with the new year, our resolutions. 762s
When it comes to resolutions, 767s
the past can oftentimes be prelude, can't it? 771s
Where when we reflect on resolutions, 776s
we've made in the past, 779s
we see how for so many of them. 781s
They wind up in the dust heap of our failure, 783s
only to be cleaned off 789s
and brought back to life when December rolls around once again. 791s
But with God, 800s
God was resolved to redeem us, 805s
and so he did. 811s
God sends his son the Lord Jesus Christ, 815s
the second member of the Trinity. 818s
The second member of the Trinity takes on flesh. 820s
What we've just celebrated at Christmas. 823s
The Lord Jesus Christ goes to the cross 827s
and bears the sin of the world, 830s
your sin and my sin. 832s
He pays the sin debt we could never ever pay. 834s
The wrath of God falling upon the sun instead of us. 839s
Reconciliation effected. 845s
The tomb empty, the sacrifice for sin accepted. 847s
It is the glorious redemption that God accomplishes. 853s
Remember that word redeem, 859s
it means to buy back, 861s
to buy one back out of slavery. 863s
What is it that we confess? 866s
That we are in bondage to sin, 867s
and we cannot free ourselves. 870s
And so we are redeemed, 872s
we're purchased, we're bought back. 874s
And we are purchased through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. 876s
As God claims us as his own in the waters of baptism, 882s
washing us in the promises, 888s
washing us in the victory of the cross and the empty tomb. 890s
God resolved to redeem us, 898s
and he did. 904s
But that resolution to redemption. 907s
That's not his only resolution, is it? 911s
For God who was resolved to redeem us, 916s
and accomplish that, 920s
is also resolved to bring about new life for us, 923s
a new way of living, 930s
this side of heaven. 933s
I think of Romans the sixth chapter. 938s
The Apostle Paul writing under the inspiration 944s
of the Holy Spirit writes this. 946s
What then are we to say? 950s
Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? 953s
You see what he's getting at there? 960s
There were some that were saying, 961s
well, if God is going to be gracious, then we might as well sin 963s
so that we can experience his grace all the more. 967s
You hear the convoluted, sinful logic there, 971s
and Paul's simple answer is, 975s
by no means. 978s
Then he says, 980s
how can we who died to sin go on living in it? 982s
See, here's the call to new life, 991s
as redeemed children of God. 995s
We are called then to reflect that. 998s
We are called to reflect this newness of life. 1001s
We are called to live out this new life. 1006s
Later in the sixth chapter, Paul says this, 1009s
no longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, 1014s
but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death 1020s
to life and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness. 1025s
It is such an amazing picture that the apostles paint in Holy Scripture 1036s
of this new life that God calls us to live. 1041s
This new life of how God calls us to be this new life style. 1047s
This new lifestyle of how we speak, how we act, 1053s
what it is that we do, what it is that we think, 1057s
and the apostles writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit 1060s
paint this incredibly beautiful picture of this life here that God lifts up for us 1064s
and calls us to live. 1073s
And as we read this, as we see the picture take shape in front of us, 1076s
we are humbled by that. 1083s
And we honestly cry out and we say, help, help. 1087s
And what does God do? 1094s
God goes to work. 1097s
He goes to work, bringing out that new life that He desires. 1102s
He resolved to redeem us. 1111s
He did. 1113s
He resolves to bring forth the new life. 1115s
And He does. 1121s
Listen to these great passages of Scripture. 1124s
First from Galatians, the second chapter. 1128s
The Apostle Paul writes this, 1131s
I have been crucified with Christ. 1133s
And it is no longer I who live, 1139s
but it is Christ who lives in me. 1142s
So I ask you then, who's the author of the new life? 1150s
Who's the one that accomplishes that in us? 1158s
And through us, it's God. 1162s
Or Philippians the second chapter. 1168s
It is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. 1172s
Who is the one that empowers that new life? 1185s
It's God. 1190s
Or how about this verse? 1194s
I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go. 1201s
I will counsel you with my eye upon you. 1209s
God has redeemed us, and God brings about the new life that He desires. 1219s
Constantly at work in us, molding us and shaping us and changing us to be more and more like Jesus Christ. 1232s
Are we ever going to arrive? 1243s
And say, I finally arrived here. 1246s
This side of heaven? 1250s
No. 1252s
But we can know for sure that as long as God gives us breath this side of heaven until He takes us home to be with him, 1254s
baptize child of God. 1265s
He will constantly be at work, 1268s
bringing forth from us the new life. 1272s
Happiness. 1284s
Happiness. 1286s
Happiness that He's forgiven. 1288s
Happiness that God did not hold his sin against him. 1290s
Happiness over the fact that he didn't have to live the lie anymore, but he could free the live in the truth 1293s
and acknowledge the sinner that He was. 1299s
He shares about what happened, about what happened when He was living the lie. 1306s
He shares about the hand of God upon Him. 1315s
The law of God revealing to David His sinfulness, 1320s
that hand that's ultimately gift and forth. 1327s
He shares of the hold that God has on us. 1335s
The hold that He has, calling us His own and promising to bring about the new life. 1342s
That life that He has promised, that life that is His gift. 1356s
Psalm 32, it is an amazing, amazing Psalm, isn't it? 1370s
An embedded in it is that beautiful, beautiful resolution, 1376s
God's resolution for you. 1387s