I. David acknowledges God's punishment for his sin through physical and spiritual suffering. His sin has caused him distress and isolation from friends and advantage from enemies. II. David confesses his sin and acknowledges only hope is in God. He pleads for God's help rather than being condemned. III. The psalm expresses God uses suffering to discipline believers and turn them from sin, and upon confession, cleanses and forgives.

1. The Woodshed
Psalm 38

2. Psalm 38
A Psalm of David, for a memorial.1
O LORD, rebuke me not in Your wrath,And chasten me
not in Your burning anger.2 For Your arrows have sunk
deep into me,And Your hand has pressed down on me.3
There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your
indignation;There is no health in my bones because of
my sin.4 For my iniquities are gone over my head;As a
heavy burden they weigh too much for me.5 My wounds
grow foul and festerBecause of my folly.6 I am bent over

3. and greatly bowed down; I go mourning all day long. 7
For my loins are filled with burning, And there is no
soundness in my flesh. 8 I am benumbed and badly
crushed; I groan because of the agitation of my heart. 9
Lord, all my desire is before You; And my sighing is not
hidden from You. 10 My heart throbs, my strength fails
me; And the light of my eyes, even that has gone from
me. 11 My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from
my plague; And my kinsmen stand afar off. 12 Those
who seek my life lay snares for me; And those who seek
to injure me have threatened destruction, And they
devise treachery all day long.

4. 13 But I, like a deaf man, do not hear; And I am like a
mute man who does not open his mouth. 14 Yes, I am
like a man who does not hear, And in whose mouth are
no arguments. 15 For I hope in You, O LORD; You will
answer, O Lord my God. 16 For I said, “May they not
rejoice over me, Who, when my foot slips, would
magnify themselves against me.” 17 For I am ready to
fall, And my sorrow is continually before me. 18 For I
confess my iniquity; I am full of anxiety because of my
sin. 19 But my enemies are vigorous and strong, And
many are those who hate me wrongfully.

5. 20 And those who repay evil for good, They oppose me,
because I follow what is good. 21 Do not forsake me, O
LORD; O my God, do not be far from me! 22 Make haste
to help me, O Lord, my salvation!

6. The Woodshed
Psalm 38

7. I. The Penalty
A. He is chastened by God (38:1–10).
1. He is rebuked (38:1–2).
2. His is suffering from sin (38:3-8).
3. His suffering’s effect on others (38:9-12).
a. The Lord vv9-10
b. His friends v11
c. His enemies v12

8. II. The Pardon
A. His sin is confessed (38:13–22)
1. Hope is in the Lord alone (38:13–16)
2. The Cure (38:18–20)
3. Not just a platitude (38:21–22)
B. His sin is cleansed.

9. Video

10. The context to interpret
A Psalm of David, for a memorial.
Author-David
Memorial-To make known, to profess,
to praise
Read before the sin offering

11. Recognition of rebuke
O LORD, rebuke me not in Your wrath, And chasten me
not in Your burning anger. For Your arrows have sunk
deep into me, And Your hand has pressed down on me.
Psalm 38:1–2
Key verse
Not only good comes from God

12. Chastening?
and you have forgotten the exhortation which is
addressed to you as sons, “MY SON, DO NOT REGARD
LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE
REPROVED BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE
DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE
RECEIVES.”
Hebrews 12:5–6

13. Not just for communion
But if we judged ourselves
rightly, we would not be
judged. But when we are
judged, we are disciplined by
the Lord so that we will not
be condemned along with
the world.
1 Corinthians 11:31–32

14. Suffering from sin
There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your
indignation; There is no health in my bones because of
my sin. For my iniquities are gone over my head; As a
heavy burden they weigh too much for me. My wounds
grow foul and fester Because of my folly. I am bent over
and greatly bowed down; I go mourning all day long.
For my loins are filled with burning, And there is no
soundness in my flesh. I am benumbed and badly
crushed; I groan because of the agitation of my heart.

15. Because of sin
lost his health
lost his fitness
burden of guilt
overwhelmed
illness was festering, painful, debilitating
crushed his body and spirit

16. Sin affects
Body
Mind
Spirit

17. Guilt overwhelms
For my iniquities are gone over my head; As a heavy
burden they weigh too much for me.
Psalm 38:4

18. What about…
Therefore there is now no
condemnation for those who are
in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1

19. What is this?
I am benumbed and badly crushed; I groan because of
the agitation of my heart.
Psalm 38:8
Benumbed-exhausted, utterly spent
Crushed in spirit
Agitation-literally growling, anguish of heart

20. Conscience
in that they show the work of the Law written in their
hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their
thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,
Romans 2:15

21. Christian
conscience
Pray for us, for we
are sure that we
have a good
conscience,
desiring to
conduct ourselves
honorably in all
things.
Hebrews 13:18

22. The effect on others
Relationship with God
Lord, all my desire is before You; And my sighing is not
hidden from You.
Psalm 38:9
God sees but does nothing?

23. Practicing sin interferes with our faith
They made their hearts like flint so that they could not
hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts
had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets;
therefore great wrath came from the LORD of hosts.
Zechariah 7:12

24. God warns
See to it that you do not
refuse Him who is speaking.
For if those did not escape
when they refused him who
warned them on earth, much
less will we escape who turn
away from Him who warns
from heaven.
Hebrews 12:25

25. Relationship with others
My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my
plague; And my kinsmen stand afar off.
Psalm 38:11

26. Enemies
Those who seek my life lay snares for me;
And those who seek to injure me have
threatened destruction, And they devise
treachery all day long.
Psalm 38:12
Seek advantage v16
Emboldened v19
Repay evil for good v20

27. His hope is in the Lord alone
Like a deaf and mute man-no excuses, no arguments
For I hope in You, O LORD; You will answer, O Lord my
God.
Psalm 38:15

28. The cure
For I confess my iniquity; I
am full of anxiety because
of my sin.
Psalm 38:18

29. Not just a platitude
Do not forsake me, O LORD; O my God, do not be far
from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!
Psalm 38:21–22

30. Forgiveness
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to
forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9

31. The Woodshed
Psalm 38