angela hormberg

Tag: Confession

  • Psalm 32

    Psalm 32

    Commonplace –

    Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

    Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile” (Psalm 32:1-2)

    What a beautiful meditation for this Sunday morning. Psalm 32 is a maschil of David, a psalm written to impart wisdom. David begins by pondering what a blessing it is to have one’s sin forgiven. It is no small thing when God chooses to “imputeth not iniquity” (v.2). As one thought leads to another, David considers what his life was like while living in sin, his bones grew old (v. 3), the hand of God was heavy on him, and his moisture “turned into the drought of summer” (v. 4), a dreary time to be sure. But when he chose to confess his sins to the Lord, the Lord forgave him. He notes, “[f]or this shall every one that is godly pray unto the Lord” (v.6). The reward of a contrite heart is relief, “mercy shall compass” the forgiven. The relief of the weight of sin is a blessing indeed.

    Matthew Henry shares the following in his summary:

    “This psalm, though it speaks not of Christ, as many of the psalms we have hitherto met with have done, has yet a great deal of gospel in it” (283).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 32.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 31

    Psalm 31

    Commonplace –

    “O love the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.

    Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all yet that hope in the Lord” (Psalm 31:23-24).

    In Psalm 30, we see David’s framework for prayer:

    1. Beseech: verses 1-8

    David beseeches God to hear him. He asks God to deliver Him, acting as his strong rock of defense.

    1. Confess: verses 9-18

    David then asks for God’s mercy and confesses that his own strength fails because of his iniquity. He was at the mercy of his enemies and fear surrounded him, yet he trusted in God. He prays for God to deliver him and protect him, keeping him from shame and silencing his enemies.

    1. Praise: verses 19-24

    David recognizes God’s goodness towards those who commit to Him. He acknowledges God’s protection, recalling a time when God showed his marvelous kindness toward him. He entreats other saints to love the Lord and be of good courage, knowing God will strengthen all those who put their trust in Him.

    Matthew Henry notes the following regarding Psalm 31:

    “It is a mixture of prayers, and praises, and professions of confidence in God, all which do well together and are helpful to one another” (279).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 31.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 79

    Psalm 79

    Commonplace –

    “Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name’s sake” (Psalm 79:9).

    Our church is in a time of prayer and fasting. This verse was timely as today is about personal confession. If we desire deliverance, we must first confess our sins and repent of them. In Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary, he gives the following definition of repentance, as it specifically relates to repentance in theological terms.

    “In theology, to sorrow or be pained for sin, as a violation of God’s holy law, a dishonor to his character and government, and the foulest ingratitude to a Being of infinite benevolence” (Webster).

    Matthew Henry notes the following in regard to Psalm 79,

    “In times of the church’s peace and prosperity this psalm may, in the singing of it, give us occasion to bless God that we are not thus trampled on and insulted. But it is especially seasonable in the day of treading down and perplexity, for the exciting of our desires towards God and the encouragement of our faith in him as the church’s patron.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 79.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    Webster, Noah. “Repent”. An American Dictionary of the English Language. Facsimile Edition, R. R. Donnelley, Ohio, 1995.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg