The God who Deals with Your Sin is also the God who Saves You (Psalm 38)

Turn to a Justly Offended God.

• "Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath" (Ps 38:1). "Lord, do not forsake me; do not be far from me, my God. Come quickly to help me, my Lord and my Savior" (Ps 38:21-22).

• "Lord, do not rebuke me in Your fury nor chastise me in Your wrath" (Ps 38:1, Robert Altar). "Do not forsake me, Lord. My God, do not stay far from me. Hasten to my help, O Master of my rescue" (Ps 38:21-22).

• "Yahweh, do not, in your exasperation, discipline me, nor in your rage, chasten me" (Ps 38:1, Alec Motyer). "Do not leave me, Yahweh! My God, do not be distant from me! Oh, hurry to my help! O Sovereign One, my salvation!" (Ps 38:21-22).

Theme: The God who acts against our sin is the God to whom we can appeal for help.

In Psalm 38, a lament psalm, David feels the overwhelming burden of his sin and the corresponding displeasure of YHWH, causing God to move against him and to attack him (Ps 38:1-2). He feels intense misery, like a cursed sin-bearer, and quite aware of two things: the evil of his own sin, and God's great displeasure of it. He knows he's guilty (Ps 38:4) and foolish (Ps 38:5) resulting in great unbearable anguish (Ps 38:8). He uses imagery of illness, weakened bones, overwhelming burdens, rotting flesh, crippling ailments, mourning, fear, helplessness, and loss of strength with no control. He freely admits his sin and his remorse (Ps 38:18). He asks God to stop because he can't take it much more (Ps 38:7-8). David knows he doesn't deserve God's mercy, but he asks for God to save him anyway (Ps 38:22).

1. How does David describe his suffering and the cause for it (Ps 38:1)? How does he feel (Ps 38:2)?
2. How did David's sin and guilt affect him (Ps 38:3-8)? How does your sin affect you?
3. What does David know about God's knowledge of him (Ps 38:9; 139:1, 5, 7, 23-24)? How devastated is he (Ps 38:10, 17)?
4. How does David's friends react to him (Ps 38:11-12)? Why (Ps 38:19-20)? How did he respond to their criticism and opposition (Ps 38:13-14)?
5. How did David overcome his great suffering (Ps 38:15, 16, 18; 39:7; 42:5, 11; Job 13:15; Isa 40:31)? How does honesty, confession and seeking God's forgiveness help you (Ps 38:17-18)?
6. How is David's plea and prayer for God's help a reverse of the opening verse (Ps 38:21-22, 1)?

• How might affliction, anguish, adversity and anxiety help a Christian more than comfort and convenience (Ps 119:67, 71, 75, 92)?

The evidence of sin's effects is all around David: his body is failing; his mind is troubled; his spirit is in turmoil. And in addition to this internal misery, he's also afflicted from without. "Enemies" set traps and lie in wait, and his friends and neighbors shun him. All this the psalmist sees as God's punishment.

• Overall Theme: What is the overarching theme of Psalm 38? How does it relate to the consequences of sin, the importance of seeking God's forgiveness, and maintaining faith during trials?
• Application: How can we apply the lessons and principles from Psalm 38 to our own lives? Are there areas of sin or suffering where this Psalm's message can provide guidance and comfort?
• Prayer: Spend some time in prayer, using Psalm 38 as a model. Confess any sins, seek God's forgiveness, and ask for His help and protection in your current circumstances.

[Psalms express worship. It encourages its readers to praise God for who He is and what He has done. They illuminate the greatness of our God, affirm His faithfulness to us in times of trouble, and remind us of the absolute centrality of His Word.]

References:

1. Alec Motyer. Psalms by the Day. A New Devotional Translation. 2016.
2. Robert Altar. The Hebrew Bible. A Translation with Commentary. 2019.
3. Affliction, Adversity, Anxiety and Anguish is Good for Me.