Psa 38:2 | KingComments | STEP | This is the third of the seven so-called penitential psalms (Psalms 6; 32; 38; 51; 102; 130; 143). It is prayed by the Jews on Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, the day of repentance and confession of sins. The psalm is spoken by the individual, by David, but is fully applicable to the faithful remnant in the trials of the great tribulation in the end time. They realize that the affliction that comes upon them is the result of their sins. They also confess this, without any reservation. They accept what comes upon them from the hand of God as righteous discipline. That is why they also turn to Him, because He alone can take away that discipline. They know that He will do it. But when will He do it? The need is so great. As long as His hand rests on them, there is that agonizing question: When will redemption come? Prophetically, the psalm describes the situation of the believing remnant. David has committed two sins, adultery and murder. Israel has also committed two sins: they have committed adultery by serving idols and they have murdered Christ. The adultery will reach its nadir with the choosing of the antichrist as their king. For “a Psalm of David” ( ) see at Psalm 3:1. The expression “for a memorial”, which appears only here and in the heading of Psalm 70 ( ), connects to the time of trouble. The expression means “to call to remembrance”. It is a call to God to remember their affliction and to remember what He has said in His covenant and His promises. To remind God of something is an indirect demand to intervene. The entire psalm is a prayer. David is addressing God, not the reader ( ). He is so completely focused on God that he sees nothing but his own deep sinfulness. As a result, he is also convinced that God must “rebuke” and “chasten” sin in His wrath and burning anger over it (cf. ). The rebuke is that for sin, the burning anger is the chastening that aims to restore him in his fellowship with God. David sees his illness as a result of God’s rebuke of his sin. Prophetically, the believing remnant will also experience this. For example, Joseph’s brothers see their captivity as a result of their sin against Joseph ( ). David feels that God’s arrows have sunk deep into him and that God’s hand has pressed him down ( ; cf. ; ). Both the piercing pain of the arrows and the heavy pressure under which he is weighed are the work of God. David speaks of “Your arrows” and “Your hand”. The “arrows” point to the inner pain David experienced, in which God is seen as his adversary, who has fired arrows at him because of his sins. The order then is: David’s sin causes anger with God, and God’s anger causes pains and sickness with David. These are the means of God’s discipline by which a person suffers physically. His flesh or body is ravaged by God’s indignation ( ). His bones know no peace because he is aware of his sin. Because of the intensity of God’s discipline, all joy in life is gone from him. His whole body is sick, “there is no health in his bones” (cf. ). The word “soundness” is also related to the suitability to sacrifice. David indicates here that the indignation of God is affecting his relationship with Him. He sees himself as totally depraved and unworthy to draw near to God. This is at the same time evidence of his uprightness and the beginning of restoration (cf. ). He does not belittle his iniquities, but sees them as waters in which he is going down and in danger of drowning ( ). He became aware of his sins when he experienced the indignation of God, just as the conscience of Joseph’s brothers only awoke in prison. This is about the awakening of his conscience. He came to realize that he himself was responsible for the disciplining hand of the LORD. The wounds God has inflicted on him stink ( ). The smell is repulsive. It is the smell of death. It only now really dawns on him how foolish he was to sin so heavily. David expresses the disgust of his sin. Is our abhorrence of our sins also that great? Sometimes we can tell about our past sins ’flavorful’ and are admired for it. Then we do not have the abhorrence of it that we should have. The wounds are not cleaned, but fester. ‘Fester’ means that his wound has become infected, that pus and punk have formed. It indicates that sin is in the process of bringing forth death ( ). The cause of his sin lies in his folly. Folly is doing something that you know will go wrong. David was aware that his sin would torment him, yet he committed that sin. No longer able to walk upright, he goes his way “bent over and greatly bowed down” ( ). It is killing him. It is not just a physical attitude, it is primarily his soul that is very deeply weighed down. The condition of his soul is visible for others: “all day long” he goes “mourning”. He walks around mourning in black clothing. The severe rebuke and chastening have seized him and can be seen on him. His “loins are filled with burning” ( ). In the loins is the strength to walk. When they are “filled with burning”, every walking motion hurts violently. Once again he says, what he also said in , that there is “no soundness” or flawlessness in his flesh or his bones. The repetition makes it clear that David has not put forward any mitigating circumstance. He suffers, and fully acknowledges the righteousness of this. He is also spiritually completely wrecked. He is “benumbed and badly crushed” ( ). This acknowledgment prompts God to come and dwell with him ( ). He feels feckless, tired, and wracked. Everything hurts. His heart does not stop pounding, it throbs, due to stress and possibly fever. There can be a lot of turmoil around a person, while there is peace in the heart. But when there is turmoil in the heart, there is no peace anywhere. He cannot bear it anymore. Desperately he cries out.

‏ Psalms 38:2

Introduction

This is the third of the seven so-called penitential psalms (Psalms 6; 32; 38; 51; 102; 130; 143). It is prayed by the Jews on Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, the day of repentance and confession of sins. The psalm is spoken by the individual, by David, but is fully applicable to the faithful remnant in the trials of the great tribulation in the end time.

They realize that the affliction that comes upon them is the result of their sins. They also confess this, without any reservation. They accept what comes upon them from the hand of God as righteous discipline. That is why they also turn to Him, because He alone can take away that discipline. They know that He will do it. But when will He do it? The need is so great. As long as His hand rests on them, there is that agonizing question: When will redemption come?

Prophetically, the psalm describes the situation of the believing remnant. David has committed two sins, adultery and murder. Israel has also committed two sins: they have committed adultery by serving idols and they have murdered Christ. The adultery will reach its nadir with the choosing of the antichrist as their king.

Confession

For “a Psalm of David” (Psa 38:1a) see at Psalm 3:1.

The expression “for a memorial”, which appears only here and in the heading of Psalm 70 (Psa 70:1), connects to the time of trouble. The expression means “to call to remembrance”. It is a call to God to remember their affliction and to remember what He has said in His covenant and His promises. To remind God of something is an indirect demand to intervene.

The entire psalm is a prayer. David is addressing God, not the reader (Psa 38:1b). He is so completely focused on God that he sees nothing but his own deep sinfulness. As a result, he is also convinced that God must “rebuke” and “chasten” sin in His wrath and burning anger over it (cf. Psa 6:1b). The rebuke is that for sin, the burning anger is the chastening that aims to restore him in his fellowship with God.

David sees his illness as a result of God’s rebuke of his sin. Prophetically, the believing remnant will also experience this. For example, Joseph’s brothers see their captivity as a result of their sin against Joseph (Gen 42:21-22).

David feels that God’s arrows have sunk deep into him and that God’s hand has pressed him down (Psa 38:2; cf. Job 6:4; Lam 3:12). Both the piercing pain of the arrows and the heavy pressure under which he is weighed are the work of God. David speaks of “Your arrows” and “Your hand”. The “arrows” point to the inner pain David experienced, in which God is seen as his adversary, who has fired arrows at him because of his sins. The order then is: David’s sin causes anger with God, and God’s anger causes pains and sickness with David. These are the means of God’s discipline by which a person suffers physically.

His flesh or body is ravaged by God’s indignation (Psa 38:3). His bones know no peace because he is aware of his sin. Because of the intensity of God’s discipline, all joy in life is gone from him. His whole body is sick, “there is no health in his bones” (cf. Isa 1:6). The word “soundness” is also related to the suitability to sacrifice. David indicates here that the indignation of God is affecting his relationship with Him. He sees himself as totally depraved and unworthy to draw near to God. This is at the same time evidence of his uprightness and the beginning of restoration (cf. Lev 13:12-13).

He does not belittle his iniquities, but sees them as waters in which he is going down and in danger of drowning (Psa 38:4). He became aware of his sins when he experienced the indignation of God, just as the conscience of Joseph’s brothers only awoke in prison. This is about the awakening of his conscience. He came to realize that he himself was responsible for the disciplining hand of the LORD.

The wounds God has inflicted on him stink (Psa 38:5). The smell is repulsive. It is the smell of death. It only now really dawns on him how foolish he was to sin so heavily. David expresses the disgust of his sin. Is our abhorrence of our sins also that great? Sometimes we can tell about our past sins ’flavorful’ and are admired for it. Then we do not have the abhorrence of it that we should have.

The wounds are not cleaned, but fester. ‘Fester’ means that his wound has become infected, that pus and punk have formed. It indicates that sin is in the process of bringing forth death (Jam 1:15). The cause of his sin lies in his folly. Folly is doing something that you know will go wrong. David was aware that his sin would torment him, yet he committed that sin.

No longer able to walk upright, he goes his way “bent over and greatly bowed down” (Psa 38:6). It is killing him. It is not just a physical attitude, it is primarily his soul that is very deeply weighed down. The condition of his soul is visible for others: “all day long” he goes “mourning”. He walks around mourning in black clothing. The severe rebuke and chastening have seized him and can be seen on him.

His “loins are filled with burning” (Psa 38:7). In the loins is the strength to walk. When they are “filled with burning”, every walking motion hurts violently. Once again he says, what he also said in Psa 38:3, that there is “no soundness” or flawlessness in his flesh or his bones. The repetition makes it clear that David has not put forward any mitigating circumstance. He suffers, and fully acknowledges the righteousness of this.

He is also spiritually completely wrecked. He is “benumbed and badly crushed” (Psa 38:8). This acknowledgment prompts God to come and dwell with him (Isa 57:15). He feels feckless, tired, and wracked. Everything hurts. His heart does not stop pounding, it throbs, due to stress and possibly fever. There can be a lot of turmoil around a person, while there is peace in the heart. But when there is turmoil in the heart, there is no peace anywhere. He cannot bear it anymore. Desperately he cries out.