I can see where Paul got some of his ideas about our sin and the salvation God offers to us. This Psalm is chock full of great material on the subject of forgiveness, our iniquity, our transgressions etc. It’s all here.

Here is the video link:

Psalm 32 – Blessed is the Man…

Audio links are to the right – i.e. Spotify and iTunes

Here is the transcript from which came this podcast.

Psalm 32

Blessed

1 Blessed is the one
    whose transgressions are forgiven,
    whose sins are covered.

2 Blessed is the one
    whose sin the Lord does not count against them
    and in whose spirit is no deceit.

Let’s talk about a few words here. 

1 Blessed is the one
    whose transgressions are forgiven

“Transgressions” – “an act that goes against a law, rule, or code of conduct; an offense.” 

Oxford Language Dictionary

You broke the law… you broke the rules. You transgressed.

And you are blessed if your law-breaking is “forgiven”. Biblical forgiveness is the act of the forgiver telling the forgiven “as of this moment, it will be as if the transgression never happened. The slate is cleaned and there is no barrier between us.”

“…whose sins are covered.”

Those sins, created during your transgressing, are covered and remain unseen. It is as if they weren’t there. I see this as another way of saying what he said about the transgressions being forgiven. It’s as if they are not there. They can’t be seen.

2 Blessed is the one
    whose sin the Lord does not count against them

Since the sins are covered – cannot be seen – and since you have been forgiven i.e. the slate is wiped clean, there are no sins to count against the person. This is the logical conclusion to all that is in verse 1. These aren’t three things… these are three ways of saying the same thing: God’s forgiveness is complete and thorough. The blessed man is in right standing with God.

The Process of forgiveness

There is a cooperative effort between man and God. There is the one sense of our complete inability to do good in order to impress God. For that reason we need HIM to forgive and cover. But that does not release us from the process of experiencing and grieving and yes, suffering, when we do wrong, calling on God to forgive. He forgives, yes… but we must still learn – if only to a minute degree – of the pain sin causes us and the pain it caused our Saviour when He died for us. Here David describes that process.

3 When I kept silent,
    my bones wasted away
    through my groaning all day long.

4 For day and night
    your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
    as in the heat of summer.[b]

5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you

I admit and agree that I missed the mark/target of righteousness set out by God.

    and did not cover up my iniquity.

Our iniquity is the driving force behind the sin in our life. Our sin nature pushes us to sin. Part of our relationship with God is coming to grips with the fact that we cannot escape our sinful nature (iniquity). Another way to say this is:

“I did not try to hide the fact that my innate nature is crooked, and bent towards sin.”

I said, “I will confess
    my transgressions to the Lord.”

I agree with you, Lord, that I am a creature of rebellion and sin, and I will not hide my transgressions (acts of sin).

Confession is agreeing with someone. In a legal setting, a confession is someone who is agreeing with the charges against them.

Summary of verse 5:

1. I admit my inability to meet God’s standards.

2, I don’t hide the fact of my sin nature and that I am not up to the task of controlling it.

3. I come clean about the sins I commit.

And you forgave
    the guilt of my sin.

There is the act, and then there is the cost incurred by the act. Sin requires payment. “The wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23). God not only forgives the act itself, but also removes the cost incurred by the sinner. I sinned, and I owe the debt of my life. See verses 1 and 2.

Because we have a God Who delivers so completely,  the Psalmist can call out :

6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
    while you may be found;

Insinuated is the fact that there WILL be a time when God will not be found. That time is not yet.

surely the rising of the mighty waters
    will not reach them.

7 You are my hiding place;
    you will protect me from trouble
    and surround me with songs of deliverance.

“Even in great adversity, likened to the rush of water through the narrow confines of a wadi, the Lord will protect those who seek refuge in him; he is their hiding place.”

Expositor’s Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament Copyright 2004.

God’s Response

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

9 Do not be like the horse or the mule,
    which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
    or they will not come to you.

God wants us to be willing, not stubborn.  The bit and bridle will be used if necessary, but how much more amazing would it be if we could just hear the gentle voice of our Lord and turn this way or that, rather then having Him use the bit and bridle of harsh circumstances to guide us?

10 Many are the woes of the wicked,

The most severe being eternal separation from God on Judgement Day. Matthew 7 describes that penultimate moment when all stand in front of God. The wicked will say and hear the following:

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

    but the Lord’s unfailing love
    surrounds the one who trusts in him.

Matthew 25 describes the reception the true followers of God receive:

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

And finally,

11 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
    sing, all you who are upright in heart!

What a glorious command to the “blessed man” of verses one and two. True believers in Him have reason to be glad!

Be Blessed…

Paige