Psalm 38
David’s pain, conviction, confession, and confidence bring us to a serious engagement with the pervasive nature of sin. They also push us to see the Savior.
I. As in Psalm 6:1, the Psalmist begs that God’s wrath toward him will be softened.
A. The Psalmist knows he is worthy of rebuke and the chastening hand of God.
He asks, however, to be preserved from wrath. Rebuke will soften, bring to confession and deep repentance, and its result is sanctification. Burning anger destroys and casts off forever; eternal fire is not intended to bring its object to repentance but to display righteous anger. Consider Hebrews 12:3–11 in evaluating and explaining the suffering of Christians—“My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him” (Hebrews 12:5).
B. The Psalmist does not see his suffering as unrelated to the direct action of God.
Often in our zeal to “protect” God from unjust accusation, we seek to remove Him from the position of the ultimate agent of suffering. The Psalmist, David, has no hesitation in recognizing God’s purposive activity in this hard rebuke. “Your arrows have sunk, … Your hand has pressed, … Your indignation” (2, 3a). Of course, if there were no sin, there would be no suffering of any kind; but both corrective discipline in all of its degrees and final retribution arise immediately from God’s own perfect purpose and justice.
II. The Psalmist confesses the gravity of his sin (3–8).
A. He identifies sin as the provoking cause of God’s chastening intervention.
Note the transparent honesty of these phrases: “Because of my sin (3b), … my iniquities (4), …my folly” (5).
B. Both his body and his spirit are experiencing the pressure of God’s chastening hand.
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- He draws attention to several painful manifestation of God’s discipline as it affects his physical life. He has “no soundness in my flesh,” (3a) nor “health in my bones” (3b). His head experiences pain due to God’s pressures (4). He feels benumbed and crushed, his heart is agitated, and his loins burn.
- His iniquities constitute a “heavy burden,” he goes mourning all day long (6), and he groans because of agitation and “turmoil of heart” (8).
- Biblical reflection on sin should lead us to see that the world’s plunge into sin through Adam has affected everything, the physical and the spiritual, the animate and the inanimate, the rational and the non-rational, God’s image bearers, and all other creatures. Any comfort or freedom from stress and pain is a gift of divine mercy. Reminders to the believer of the wrath from which they have been rescued is a divine gift, a cause for praise and ongoing repentance.
III. He expresses strong desire to be heard by God (9, 10).
He is, in fact, consumed with the necessity of gaining an audience before God. Every vanity is extinguished; he wants God alone. His offense is against God, and his only help is God. He addresses the Lord with the urgent confession, “All my desire is before you” (9). Every fiber of his being recognizes that if he is not supported by God, if his help does not come from God, there is no remedy. If sin is at the bottom of every pain and either divine discipline or foretaste of wrath provokes every pain, physical and spiritual, then divine mercy, a divine interposition, is the only hope of relief or reprieve. See Job 19:23–29.
IV. Friends stand appalled, and foes plot his destruction (11, 12).
A. His friends perhaps are like Job’s friends, amazed at David’s predicament and having an air of self-righteousness.
See Zophar’s speech in Job 11. At any rate he finds them amazingly incapable of sound comfort or counsel. They do not grasp the ways of God with men and can provide no truthful guidance in David’s distress.
B. His enemies see a man afflicted and weak, unable to mount effective opposition to their desire for his overthrow.
They rail against him, threatening destruction (12) and now see their opportunity for his complete overthrow and discomfiture. Evil men love the opportunity given by pain and trouble to their adversaries. They have no propensity to obey the most elementary gospel kindness, “Beloved, do not avenge yourself, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. Therefore, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink” (Romans 12:19, 20).
V. He pays no attention to either (13, 14).
Neither the incompetent puzzlement of friends not the hostile posture of enemies give rise to reply. He cannot give attention either to benign ignorance or hostile threats. He is now so focused on God and His purpose in this affliction that he must give all his soul, mind, body, and strength to seeking the Lord, learning from Him, and conforming to his will. He knows that nothing can be said either to friend or enemy that will satisfy the one or reform the other. Nor will their words and analyses go beyond what he already knows and senses from God’s intervention at this level of experience.
VI. He hopes in God in spite of wrongful opposition, personal weakness, and sin (15–20).
A. He expresses his hope in God as the reason that he gives no attention to mere human response.
He knows that sanctifying wisdom arises only from divine revelation. All of life must be made subject to biblical realities, to instruction from true doctrine. Also, he is keenly conscious of the nearness of God even in his exquisite pain and distress.
B. He recognizes that discipline for sin is foundational to his state of despair.
His sorrow, iniquity, and sin all combine to press him to the edge of slipping and falling (16–18). His enemies see this despair and rejoice that they are on the verge of victory over him; but they are completely oblivious to the fundamental reason for this tottering sufferer’s cries. They do not know that they are entering the realm of God’s redemptive interaction with his people. Dangerous ground!
C. As frequently happens in David’s revealed contemplations, we are thrown into the realm of messianic prophecy.
None had enemies like Christ had enemies. All the power of Satan and his demonic forces were unleashed on Christ with the most potent earthly authorities (Luke 22:53). They hated him without cause (19), for he committed no sin nor was there any deceit in his mouth. He followed good even to the death of the cross (Philippians 2:8) , but his opponents were evil, and his friends clueless concerning his mission of redemption. He suffered exquisitely, died under both wrath and burning anger (1) on our behalf.
VII. He pleads for God’s saving mercy with confidence that it is near and sure (21, 22).
David asks not to be forsaken; he wasn’t, because his truly royal descendant was. Help was near and perfect; the Lord is salvation.
Poem on Psalm 38
Can the pow’r of mercy be as deep as that of sin?
Can the bones and flesh recover from corruption deep within?
Mind and conscience, soul and spirit wilt under conviction.
God’s displeasure chastens sorely, breaks the bones, brings submission.
Iniquity works its true horror; sin sears my soul.
I pant, I sigh, I groan and stumble, cry to God, ”Make me whole!”
Wounds of spirit now must fester, wounds of flesh now roil.
My sin—not myself alone—but all creation would bespoil.
Sin provokes, conscience feels the force of God’s displeasure.
To be restored, to be forgiven, wrath in its full measure
Must fall on a pure sacrifice with no sin of its own,
To take our blame, our sin, our wrath, God’s strict justice to atone.
I call on You; I trust in you, Lord, our salvation.
My enemies, they multiply, treat me with indignation.
But you, O Lord, Holy One, descend to my relief;
Ears of mercy, arms of grace secure deliverance from my grief.
Friends and family stand back, aghast at my dismay.
Those who hate me lay their snares and plot destruction all the day.
To them I’m blind, to them I’m deaf; and I speak no words.
The Lord’s my hope and my strength, by Him my sighing moans are heard.
Another comes whose enemies hated without cause.
He had no sin but was abused, stalked by evil without pause.
In Him alone is righteousness; Savior is His name.
He is near; makes haste to save; His sure mercies praise and proclaim
