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PSALM 32
LESSON #24
DEVELOPING A LIFE MESSAGE
MEMORY VERSE: PSALM 32:7
PSALM 32 HAS A TITLE, “A PSALM OF DAVID, MASCHIL”
“MASCHIL” IN HEBREW MEANS = INSTRUCTION, WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING, OR INSIGHT.
THEREFORE, THIS IS A PSALM OF INSTRUCTION TO WISDOM.
2TIM 3:16 TELLS US THAT ALL SCRIPTURE IS GIVEN FOR INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS. ¿WHAT ISSO SPECIAL ABOUT THIS PSALM?
THIS PSALM BUILDS ON THE LAST LESSON WE STUDIED.
IN PSALM 31, WE DISCUSSED HOW WE MUST ALLOW GOD TO USE OUR FAILURES, MISTAKES, ANDPROBLEMS TO GIVE US A LIFE MESSAGE THAT WILL MINISTER TO OTHER PEOPLE. THIS PSALM WILLINSTRUCT US IN WISDOM ABOUT BUILDING A LIFE MESSAGE.
READ PSALMS 32:1-11
THE PRIMARY INTERPRETATION:
2SAM 11 TELLS US ABOUT DAVIDS GREAT SIN WITH BATHSHEBA. DAVIDS LIFE HADBEEN GOING WELL. THE NATION WAS PROSPERING. DAVID AND HIS ARMY WERE DEFEATING THEPHILISTINES. THERE WERE ONLY SMALL BATTLES LEFT. THEREFORE, INSTEAD OF GOING TO WAR WITHHIS ARMY, HE REMAINED IN THE PALACE. IDLENESS OPENED HIM TO TEMPTATION TO SIN WITHBATHSHEBA. TO COVER IT UP HE ARRANGED FOR THE DEATH OF BATHSHEBAS HUSBAND.
2SAM 12 TELLS US THAT NATHAN, THE PROPHET, CONFRONTED DAVID ABOUT HIS SIN. IN PSALMS 51DAVID REPENTED OF HIS SIN AND GOD FORGAVE HIM. THROUGH THIS GREAT FAILURE IN HIS LIFE, GODGAVE DAVID A LIFE MESSAGE. WHAT WAS DAVIDS LIFE MESSAGE?
GODS GREAT AND MERCIFUL FORGIVENESS IS AVAILABLE TO ALL WHO REPENT.
GODS FORGIVENESS OF DAVIDS SIN SO IMPACTED HIS LIFE THAT WE SEE HIM TALK ABOUTMERCY AND FORGIVENESS IN MANY OF THE PSALMS.
THIS IS WHY GOD CALLS DAVID, “A MAN AFTER HIS OWN HEART” (1SAM 13:14 ACT 13:22).GODS MERCIFUL FORGIVENESS WAS DAVIDS LIFE MESSAGE.
“BLESSED IS HE WHOSE TRANSGRESSION IS FORGIVEN, WHOSE SIN IS COVERED.” (1)
NOTICE THAT DAVID SAYS THAT SIN IS COVERED. WHAT DOES HE MEAN?
THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS IN UNDERSTANDING WHAT AN OLD TESTAMENT BELIEVER HAD TO DOTO BE SAVED.
IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, WE SEE PEOPLE PERFORMING ANIMAL SACRIFICE. IT WAS NOT ANIMALSACRIFICE THAT FORGAVE SIN. NO OLD TESTAMENT PERSON WAS EVER SAVED BY THE SACRIFICIALBLOOD OF ANIMALS.
READ HEB 9:11-15, 22
WHY DID GOD TELL THE PEOPLE TO SACRIFICE ANIMALS IF IT DID NOT SAVE THEM?
THE BLOOD OF ANIMALS WAS A TEMPORARY MEANS OF COVERING THE SINS OF THE PEOPLE UNTIL CHRISTWOULD COME AND TAKE THEM AWAY WITH HIS OWN BLOOD.
BECAUSE THE BLOOD OF ANIMALS ONLY COVERED SINS, CONTINUAL SACRIFICES HAD TO BE PERFORMEDTO KEEP SIN COVERED. IT WAS LIKE A SPOT ON THE CARPET THAT KEEPS REAPPEARING EVEN WHEN YOUWASH IT AWAY. IF ANIMAL SACRIFICE HAD DONE THE COMPLETE JOB OF PAYMENT FOR SINS, JESUSCHRIST WOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO COME AND DIE FOR US. HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE BLOOD OF ANIMALSWAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO CLEANSE SIN, JESUS HAD TO SHED HIS BLOOD.
THEREFORE, OLD TESTAMENT BELIEVERS WERE SAVED IN SAME WAY WE ARE SAVED TODAY…BY THEGRACE OF GOD THROUGH FAITH.
THAT IS ABRAHAMS LIFE MESSAGE…FAITH. THE OLD TESTAMENT BELIEVER HAD TO HAVE FAITHIN THE PROMISED MESSIAH THAT WOULD COME. WE HAVE FAITH IN THE MESSIAH WHO CAME.
READ ROM 4:3-8
“BLESSED IS THE MAN UNTO WHOM THE LORD IMPUTETH NOT INIQUITY” (2)
DAVID UNDERSTOOD THAT HIS SIN WAS COVERED TEMPORARILY BY THE BLOOD OF ANIMALS. IN VERSE 2WE SEE HIS FAITH IN A GOD WHO WILL FORGIVE HIS SIN BECAUSE OF THE BLOOD OF THE MESSIAH.
“WHEN I KEPT SILENCE” (3)
FOR A YEAR, WHILE BATHSHEBA WAS PREGNANT, DAVID DID NOT REPENT OF HIS SIN. DURING THISYEAR, DAVID BECAME VERY ILL. THIS ILLNESS WAS A WASTING AWAY OF HIS BODY CAUSED BY SIN.
NOTICE THAT THERE IS THE WORD “SELAH” (STOP AND THINK ABOUT THAT!) AFTER DAVIDREFERS TO HIS SIN AND THE WASTING OF HIS BODY.
SOMETIMES SIN CAUSES ILLNESS.
READ 1COR 11:31-32
WE ARE TO JUDGE OURSELVES SO THAT GOD WILL NOT HAVE TO CHASTISE US.
“I ACKNOWLEDGED MY SIN” (5)
NOTICE THAT WE HAVE ANOTHER “SELAH” AFTER VERSE 5. (STOP AND THINK ABOUT THAT!)
DAVID BEGAN TO SEE CLEARLY THAT HIS ILLNESS WAS DUE TO HIS SIN. HE ACKNOWLEDGED HIS SINAND GOD FORGAVE HIM. DAVID BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND HIS LIFES MESSAGE.
“…WHEN THOU MAYEST BE FOUND” (6)
DAVID REPEATS THE LESSON WE LEARNED IN PSA 29. WE ARE TO SEEK GOD IN THE GOOD TIMES OFLIFE, BECAUSE IN THE STORMS OF LIFE, IT IS TOO LATE TO BUILD A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITHGOD.
IF YOU BUILD A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD DURING THE GOOD TIMES LIKE DAVID DID, YOU WILLHAVE THE SAME CONFIDENCE IN GOD THAT DAVID HAD IN VERSE 7.
GOD WAS HIS HIDING PLACE. DAVID COULD GO THROUGH TRIALS BUT COME OUT SINGING SONGS OFVICTORY.
“SELAH” (THINK ABOUT THAT!)
GODS INSTRUCTION: (8)
WHAT IS GODS WISE INSTRUCTION IN THIS PSALM?
1. LET GOD USE YOUR FAILURES, WEAKNESSES, AND PROBLEMS TO GIVE YOU A LIFE MESSAGE.
2. BUILD THAT STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IN THE GOOD TIMES. DONT WAIT FOR THEFLOOD OF PROBLEMS.
3. DONT BE LIKE THE HORSE OR THE MULE WHO HAS NO UNDERSTANDING. (9) WHAT DOES THATMEAN?
SOME BELIEVERS ARE LIKE HARD-HEADED, STUBBORN MULES. THEY DO NOT LEARN THE LESSONS GOD ISTRYING TO TEACH THEM. THEREFORE, THEY REPEAT THE SAME MISTAKES OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
THEY HAVE TO BE LED BY THE STEEL BIT OF A BRIDLE IN THEIR MOUTH. GOD HAS TO PULL HARD ONTHE REINS TO GET THEM TO MOVE.
IT IS LIKE THE STORY OF THE FARMER WHO TOOK HIS FRIEND FOR A RIDE IN HIS CART. AS SOON ASTHEY WERE SEATED IN THE CART, THE FARMER HIT THE MULE OVER THE HEAD WITH A BOARD.”WHY DID YOU DO THAT?” ASKED HIS FRIEND. “OH, THATS TO GET HISATTENTION,” REPLIED THE FARMER.
DAVID ENDS THIS PSALM WITH PRAISE. (10-11)
NOTICE THAT DAVID TALKS ABOUT MERCY AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. HE HAS LEARNED THE LESSON GODWANTED TO TEACH HIM. GOD DID NOT HAVE TO USE A BOARD TO HIT HIM IN THE HEAD! HE LEARNEDTHE VALUE OF GODS MARVELOUS FORGIVENESS OF SIN, AND THAT BECAME HIS LIFE MESSAGE.
PERSONAL APPLICATION:
TO OBTAIN A LIFE MESSAGE REQUIRES THE WISDOM (MASCHIL) OF GOD:
1. YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT YOUR LIFE EXPERIENCES AND WHAT YOU LEARNED THROUGH THEM.
2. YOU NEED TO CONSIDER HOW GOD COULD USE YOUR EXPERIENCES TO HELP SOMEONE ELSE.
3. YOU NEED TO BE OPEN TO SHARE ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCES AND WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED.
4. BE ENCOURAGED! EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY STILL BE LIVING THROUGH THE CONSEQUENCES OF THOSEEXPERIENCES, GOD CAN STILL USE THEM TO MINISTER TO OTHERS.
PROPHETIC INTERPRETATION:
READ DAN 11:32-35
THE NATION OF ISRAEL WAS LIKE A STUBBORN MULE. THEY DID NOT LEARN THE LESSONS GOD TAUGHTTHEM.
BUT SOME OF THE PEOPLE HAD “UNDERSTANDING” (VERSES 33 AND 35 USES THE WORD”MASCHIL”). THOSE PEOPLE WITH WISDOM TRIED TO WARN THE NATION. THEY UNDERSTOODWHAT GOD WAS DOING. BUT THE NATION WOULD NOT REPENT. THEREFORE, THEY HAD TO SUFFER THEBABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY FOR 70 YEARS.
THE NATION OF ISRAEL WILL ENDURE GREAT SUFFERING AGAIN IN THE FUTURE TRIBULATION PERIOD OF7 YEARS BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT REPENT AND TURN TO CHRIST. GOD WILL HAVE TO HIT THEM OVERTHE HEAD TO GET THEIR ATTENTION. THAT IS WHAT THE TRIBULATION IS SUPPOSED TO DO FOR THEM,GET THEIR ATTENTION SO THEY TURN TO CHRIST AT THE SECOND COMING.
HOMEWORK
PSALM 33
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
APPLICATION OF PSA 32
LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES THIS WEEK TO SHARE YOUR LIFE EXPERIENCES WITH OTHERS. WRITE THEMHERE:
PREPARATION FOR PSA 33
READ PSA 33:1-22
MAKE A LIST OF WISE INSTRUCTIONS FROM THIS PSALM FOR COUNSELING A NATION?
MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 33:4
