Mexico Missouri message., 1908-10-22
THE JOY OF
FORGIVENESS
Susdsy Sehsol Lesson fer 0c,. Is, 1908
Specially Araszsd for This Paper

GOLDEN TEXT.-"Biessed IL he whose
transgresslon II forgiven, whose sin In
covered. Psalm 32:l.
TIME.-Davids sin and repentance n
little beyond the middle OF his reign.
about u. G. 1894 according TO the margin
OF our Bibles His capital and palace
were at Jerusalem. David was almost 80
ycnrs old, successful az n general and a
statesman The author Of tho Psalm was
| probably David, with possible additions
In later times 20 adapt II to special oc-
| eaSions. as often occurs In our hymns
PLACE.-Jerusalem
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
Some timo in David's later life. look.
Ing back from the Beulah land heights
Of the restored favor Of God. as the
Prodigal Son after he had returned
to his fathers home and love. King
| David puts into n hymn his own ex.
! pericnCe for the comfort and encour.
| agement OF all who have sinned and
| long To be restored to their fathers
home and heart For like Adam and
Eve. he had been driven out OF Para.
disc for disobeying God and the
flaming cherubim had kept him from
the Tree Of Life. But he had at last
found the waters OF rest and the green
pastures OF forgiven sin. so he sings:
! V. l. blessed" The word here, as
in Pisa. IL and Prov. 3:l3. is in the
plural, oh the blessednesses Of him
whose, etc, ito denote the most su.
preme and perfect blessedness," and
ito express the manifold nature OF the
blessedness. at all times, from all
sources, in all departments OF life.
In all circumstances blessed In body
and in soul, in time and in eternity"
"Transgression sin . iniqui.
~" t2). Sin Is here las in Elk. 3I:T)
spoken of under three applications,
SO as to include the whole idea Of sin
In all its manifestations. "-Perowne
Forgiven" That is given away,
removed. This IL, according TO the
Hebrew conception, the taking up Of
transgression as a burden. a heavy
load, resting upon the sinner, and
bearing II away from him to a place
where 1t will trouble him no more"
C. A. Briggs, in Int. Crit. Com
Covered" so as 10 hide II and OBJ.
literate II. 1T Is commonly used in
connection with sacrifices. as staining
and dcfiling the divine affairs. was
covered over by the application TO
them Of the blood OF the victim OF the
sin offering"-Prof. c. 4. Briggs.
w. "Imputeth not" Does not es.
innate. consider. or think OF in con.
nection with the sinner."-Professor
Briggs. In whose spirit there is no
guile" no deceit, who conceals his
sin neither from God nor himself -
Prof. $. X. Driver. Other Bible words
for forgiveness are remit. send away.
destroy, wash away, cleanse, make
them as IL they had never been.
V. 3. When | kept silence" Try.
ing 10 hide his sim refusing TO &C.
knowledge It to himself. to others, or
i to God MY bones Chc most solid
and enduring part OF his body waxed
tbecame increasingly old" Exhaust.
= ed, enfeebled, worn out. The secret
, sin wore him out and made him sick.
; Through my roaring all the day
long" The figure Is drawn from the
( loud and unrestrained outcries OF one
, suffering intolerable and unremltting
) pain. He was enduring an agony
which forced from him sobs and
/ groans that he could no. stifle."-W.
e II. Green.
, a sin concealed Is like a hidden
5 fire. It cats into the very life. Van
, Dyke.
, The Spartan boy hid the fox be-
heath his coat. and denied the theft
' until he dropped dead. the fox all
Z the while Gnawing at his vitals David
felt the gnawing OF romorse. and Il
was eating out his heart. DIR. W. r.
! Barton.
( V. 4. Thy hand was heavy upon
|, me-" God would not leave him TO go
: on in sin. Gods hand was heavy upon
e him in chas,Isement In order to bring
Z nim into a better mind as a father
{ >hastises his child in love lHeb. - 6,
IL"
: Not merely by its pressure OF
. weight but. as the context implies
4 heavy because OF heavy strokes smIt,
;, ing him again and again with his pow
9 erful hand, so az TO make him rOel
. with the agony OF suffering. Prof. c.
!, 4. Briggs.
h My moisture" ". ~. etc. This
= sentence Professor Briggs translates:
= Il was changed from a former condi
: tionl into misery as when thorns
4 smIte me-" The blows OF Gods hands
IS are very appropriately compared with
/. the shifting OF the body with thorns
. as when Gideon taught the elders OF
a Succoth with thorns and briers Oudg
r s:l6D
V. 5. Il acknowledged my sin" We
have seen above how the bitterness
e ~ concealment and the reproof OF the
4 prophet led David to take this step
: sin inlquity . transgres
= sions." The three forms OF sin men
i toned In VS.. !. .. Acknowledged
: not hid confess" The tire,
n words expressing the completeness
u and thorouRhness OF the confession