PSALM 32 THE DECEIT OF SILENCE

Written by , Rector of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Richmond, Virginia
 

¹ Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
² Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.
³ When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
⁴ For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
Selah
⁵ Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”— and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
Selah
⁶ Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.
7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
Selah
⁸ I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.
⁹ Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.
¹⁰ Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD'S unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.
¹¹ Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

When it comes to our sinful lives in the context of our relationship with God, to remain silent is to be deceitful.

In our human-to-human interactions, we do not tell others everything because we either are embarrassed or it would not be to our advantage. But the closer the relationship we have with another, the greater the strain this practice puts on that relationship. If we truly love someone, can we really keep that kind of secret? Yet, although it diminishes the potential quality of that relationship, in our human interactions we might be able to successfully hide our misstep.

Our relationship with God is quite another matter. How do you we think we can hide something from an omniscient God? And even if it appears that we have escaped his scrutiny in this life, how will it be when we stand totally exposed before him at the Judgment? We certainly will not be among those who are surrounded by “songs of deliverance.” To remain silent about our sins is also to cut ourselves off from the path of redemption. God does not forgive the sins we know and do not acknowledge. But if we turn to him in confession and repent of our sins, God has promised to forgive us. The history of King David is perhaps one of the most graphic examples given in the Bible for our edification and encouragement.

Let us not be like the Pharisees who were confronted by Jesus. “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains” (John 9:41). There are two ways of being practically blind when it comes to sin. You can deny that you have sinned or you can remain silent, that is, pretend that you have not sinned. Either way, if you do not acknowledge your sin through confession and repentance, your guilt remains. So, who is really being deceived?

O God, you who knows all things and in whom there is true forgiveness, I come before you as a sinner desiring to be forgiven. Bring to mind my sins and place them on the lips of my prayer so that I may know the liberation of your loving and merciful deliverance. And, with David, give me a song of deliverance to sing in the praise of your Holy Name. Amen.