RR Psalm 32:3,4 Part 3

Rabbi’s Reflections - Tuesday, July 8, 2025
Shalom {{firstName}},

Psalm 32:3 When I kept silent, my bones became brittle through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me. My strength was drained as in the droughts of summer. Selah

This, “I kept silent,” is not the “hush my mouth” type of silence.  Here, we are already addressing the opposite of the confession of sin to take place in verse 5 (which we will study tomorrow).  Sin leads to sickness and death.  1Corinthians 11:27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the Lord’s cup in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord…. 30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and quite a few have died.  This is the result of lying concerning continuing in unrepentant sin while taking the Lord’s Supper.

Now, let us consider the opposite.  Walking blameless before God leads to health and well-being described as a long and satisfying life.  Here are two supporting Scriptures…

Colossians 3:14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfect harmony. 15 Let the shalom of Messiah rule in your hearts—to this shalom you were surely called in one body. Also be thankful. 16a Let the word of Messiah dwell in you richly.  

1Timothy 4:7 But avoid godless myths and old wives’ tales; instead, train yourself in godliness. 8b …godliness is beneficial for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the one to come.
The psalmist is describing the oppression of bottling up sin within ourselves.  Then, tomorrow, as we continue to verse 5, he will express his relief when that same sin is confessed in repentance.  All those dried up “brittle bones,” as if in a drought of summer, are a description of being given over to the ravishes of sin in rebellion against God.  David is expressing his relief through repentance.  Try it, and you could join him in experiencing relief.  Paul calls it “repentance that leads to salvation.”

2Corinthians 7:10 For the grief that God wills brings a repentance that leads to salvation, leaving no regret. But the world’s grief brings death.

The last word of verse Psalm 32:4 is “Selah.”  It is a word that commands a pause in the music while we meditate on what has just been said.  To pretend we have no sin is to cooperate with Satan’s plan for our destruction.  To “come clean” and confess our weakness before the Lord is healing to our body, soul and spirit.  

1John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  Shalom shalom.

Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
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