The Power of Remembering Well

As early as the 5th century St. Augustine of Hippo knew four psalms as 'penitential psalms.' By the 6th century Cassiodorus (AD 490 - c. 585) described seven penitential psalms in his commentary: 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143. For centuries Christians have prayed these psalms during the season of Lent to express sorrow for sin and cultivate a contrite heart. This is the first in series of Lent meditations on the Penitential Psalms (Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143).

Psalm 38

A Psalm of David. To bring to remembrance.

O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure!
For Your arrows pierce me deeply,
And Your hand presses me down.

There is no soundness in my flesh
Because of Your anger,
Nor any health in my bones
Because of my sin.
For my iniquities have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. Psalm 38:1-4 NKJV

As we draw closer to the end of Lent and the start of the celebration of Easter, we come to a penitential psalm that refocuses our need for preparation. Psalm 38 stands as perhaps the most anguished prayer in the Old Testament. Even Jesus’ agonizing prayer in the Garden of Gethsemani is restrained compared to the language the psalmist uses here. The psalmist employs graphic language to describe how sin has weakened his body and spirit. He mourns, “My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly” (vs. 5). We might read this prayer in several different translations to appreciate the psalmist’s horrific condition (See The Message for example).

We are most likely not meant to take these descriptions literally. Imagery is one of the primary elements of Hebrew poetry and these words are probably intended to be understood metaphorically. Still the anguish is deep and palpable. He feels the weight of God’s wrath, but prays that wrath is not brought in anger (vs. 1). He experiences the physical (v. 3-7) and spiritual (vs. 8-10) consequences of transgression. His sin has even alienated him from his friends and emboldened his enemies (vs. 11-12). We see in this prayer that sin impacts every area of our lives – the physical, spiritual, and relational.

The superscription describes this prayer as a meditation “to bring remembrance” (NKJV).[1] Perhaps this prayer was included in the liturgy of the psalms so that God’s people would never forget the deep consequences of sin. A friend of mine wisely said, “We don’t learn from our mistake. We learn when we reflect on our mistakes.” Such reflection seems to be at the heart of this meditation of remembrance. The recollection of how our sin damages ourselves, others and the world around us can be a powerful incentive to walk in the ways of righteousness and avoid the way of the wicked.

Yet there is another powerful dimension at work in this psalm. In Scripture, ‘remembrance” is never solely a cognitive behavior. It always includes the idea of a responding action. So “God remembered Noah… and the flood waters receded” (Gen. 8:1) Here, the psalmist’s remembrance of his sin and the horrors it caused prompts him to move to action. This comes toward the end of the prayer when the psalmist writes,

I confess my iniquity;

    I am troubled by my sin. (38:18)

The only proper response to our sin is confession. This is our act of remembrance. Our confession then prompts God to “remember” as he delivers us from the guilt and begins to remove the weight of our sin. His action begins the process of healing and restoring; for this is what a redemptive God does. Praise the Lord that He does not “forget” us!

As James Hamilton suggests, “sin must be hated and confessed.”[2] This lesson clearly emerges from David’s prayer. The inverse is also true. Righteousness and goodness must be loved and celebrated. So during this season of Lent, let us meditate on our own areas of weakness and confess those sins that bind us. Then, when Resurrection Day arrives, we will be fully ready to celebrate God’s redemptive work through Jesus Christ our Lord.  

[1] NIV “a petition” and ESV “for the memorial offering”, but the Hebrew verb ‘remember” is used here.

[2] Evangelical Theological Commentary: Psalms Vol. 1, pg. 417.