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.Psalm 32:9 NIV
David’s sin with Bathsheba (II Samuel 11-12) brought great pain, not to mention shame and humiliation. The ripples of his one selfish and defiant act touched many lives. Yet, David proclaimed his righteousness. What a conflict of two opposite states of being! How can this be? Well, David’s only defense was his humble confession that brought forgiveness, and freedom from deceit, re-establishing his right relationship with God.
This Psalm is a song of repentance. If you read it in its entirety you will hear reference to transgressions, specific offenses, forgiven, and sins that no longer hold power over a soul. In various translations there is the word guilt.
There are three types of guilt. One is a natural remorse, a fixture of humanity. The second is a toxic guilt that speaks of a worthlessness in one’s own existence. The third is existential; the hopeless feeling of despair over an unjust world. Only the first is of God, conviction brought by a created conscience.
David’s sin made him sick of himself and softened his soul. He is calling out and encouraging his reader/musician/singer to find the same solace in the confidence of a God that will forgive and restore.
Love,
Gretchen