Psa 32:2 | KingComments | STEP | Psalm 32 is the second of the seven penitential psalms. See the introduction to Psalm 6, the first penitential psalm. This second penitential psalm is an encouragement for believers to come to God with repentance knowing that He is pleased to forgive. Psalm 32, however, is more than a penitential psalm: it is also a wisdom psalm with an instruction and a teaching and a thanksgiving. This psalm, which is about confession of guilt and forgiveness of sins, has great similarity to Psalm 51. David wrote both psalms after his grave sins of adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of Uriah. In both psalms we find his true repentance and humbling. The basis on which God can forgive sins, that is, the work of Christ, is not mentioned here. That is not revealed until the New Testament. The Jews in the end time will therefore be acquainted with it. A division of the psalm: the blessing of confession of guilt. the “experience expert” speaks. the protection of God after confession. instruction and teaching about the way of the restored believer. warning not to be rebellious. lawfulness. call to joy to all the righteous. In Romans 4, these two verses are quoted as proof that the forgiveness of sins occurs apart from circumcision and the law, that is, without works ( ). Forgiveness is based solely on faith. The psalmist does not say: ‘Blessed is he who keeps the law.’ People who keep the law do not exist, except for the Lord Jesus. The quotation in Romans 4 makes it clear that these verses about forgiveness apply to the New Testament believer as well, only to the deeper and richer degree that comes with this believer’s knowledge of the work of Christ. For “[a Psalm] of David” see at Psalm 3:1. It is “a Maskil”, an instruction or a teaching. David gives “an instruction”. He does not do this as a teacher giving theoretical lessons, but he speaks as ‘expert by experience’. Instruction is in Hebrew as is written here maskil , which is an instruction of the maskilim , who are the wise who make others wise. The Hebrew word is derived from the word sakal which means ‘to have insight’. It will be the wise, the maskilim , who in the end time will give insight to many to understand the time in which they live ( ; ). It is a time of great trials of God’s people on earth. The maskil-psalms also contain instruction for us, for we also undergo trials and we also live in an end time (cf. ; ). These ‘instructions’, which are also called ‘didactic poems’, convey knowledge, not of doctrines, but of experiences, of teachings gained in the school of God. The whole book of Psalms deals with this, but the maskil-psalms deal with it par excellence. Psalm 32 is the first of the thirteen maskil-psalms. Six are of David (Psalms 32; 52; 53; 54; 55; 142), four of the sons of Korah (Psalms 42; 44; 45; 88), two of Asaph (Psalms 74; 78), and one of Ethan (Psalm 89). This psalm, by way of exception, begins not with praising or calling to the LORD, but with mentioning or more so proclaiming the beneficence of forgiveness ( ). This, of course, involves the utmost thanks to God, for the forgiveness comes from Him. We find here twice the word “blessed” or “happy”, an expression we find in this first book of Psalms at the beginning of three psalms ( ). In Psalm 1, it’s about the relation to God: obedience. Here, in Psalm 32, the middle of the psalm book, it is about the believer: forgiveness. In Psalm 41, the end of the psalm book, it’s about the attitude toward others: mercy. It is not an exuberant praise because David has a deep awareness of what he has done. The believing Israelite expresses through David how blessed it is to know that sins are forgiven (literally: carried away) and covered. The sins have been carried away. It means that God no longer sees the sins and He therefore no longer imputes them. That this also has its meaning for the New Testament believer has been noted above. David uses three expressions for what he has done and for which he has received forgiveness: transgression, sin and iniquity. 1. Transgression is the violating of any commandment of the law and is therefore rebellion against the authority of the Lawgiver. 2. Sin is lawlessness in the broadest sense, that is, disregard for any authority ( ). It is a wrong acting, usually deliberately. The Hebrew word for sin, chata’a , means to miss the mark ( ), it is, consciously or unconsciously, not answering to the will of God. 3. Iniquity is acting unjustly. It is an action that is contrary to what a person is entitled to. This applies both to God and to fellow human beings, believer or unbeliever. In , God is said to “not impute iniquity”. It means that not only are sins forgiven, but the person whose sins are forgiven is seen by God as not having done the sins. The full truth of this could only be made known after the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus as the wonder of justification This wonder is so great that God devotes an entire letter in the Bible to it, namely the letter to the Romans. One whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered, and to whom the iniquity is not imputed, is one “in whose spirit there is no deceit”. A sincere confession lacks the spirit of deceit. One who confesses his sins has seen himself in God’s light and tells “the whole truth” about his sins to God (cf. ). He has held nothing back; there is no residue of sin that he wants to hold on to. In the mind, in the thinking, of one who has thus dealt with himself in God’s presence, there is really no deceit. Nathanael is an example of such a person and of the believing remnant ( ).

‏ Psalms 32:2

Introduction

Psalm 32 is the second of the seven penitential psalms. See the introduction to Psalm 6, the first penitential psalm. This second penitential psalm is an encouragement for believers to come to God with repentance knowing that He is pleased to forgive. Psalm 32, however, is more than a penitential psalm: it is also a wisdom psalm with an instruction and a teaching and a thanksgiving.

This psalm, which is about confession of guilt and forgiveness of sins, has great similarity to Psalm 51. David wrote both psalms after his grave sins of adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of Uriah. In both psalms we find his true repentance and humbling.

The basis on which God can forgive sins, that is, the work of Christ, is not mentioned here. That is not revealed until the New Testament. The Jews in the end time will therefore be acquainted with it.

A division of the psalm:

Psa 32:1-2 the blessing of confession of guilt.

Psa 32:3-5 the “experience expert” speaks.

Psa 32:6-7 the protection of God after confession.

Psa 32:8 instruction and teaching about the way of the restored believer.

Psa 32:9 warning not to be rebellious.

Psa 32:10 lawfulness.

Psa 32:11 call to joy to all the righteous.

Blessed

In Romans 4, these two verses are quoted as proof that the forgiveness of sins occurs apart from circumcision and the law, that is, without works (Rom 4:5-8). Forgiveness is based solely on faith. The psalmist does not say: ‘Blessed is he who keeps the law.’ People who keep the law do not exist, except for the Lord Jesus.

The quotation in Romans 4 makes it clear that these verses about forgiveness apply to the New Testament believer as well, only to the deeper and richer degree that comes with this believer’s knowledge of the work of Christ.

For “[a Psalm] of David” see at Psalm 3:1.

It is “a Maskil”, an instruction or a teaching. David gives “an instruction”. He does not do this as a teacher giving theoretical lessons, but he speaks as ‘expert by experience’. Instruction is in Hebrew as is written here maskil, which is an instruction of the maskilim, who are the wise who make others wise. The Hebrew word is derived from the word sakal which means ‘to have insight’.

It will be the wise, the maskilim, who in the end time will give insight to many to understand the time in which they live (Dan 11:33 ; 35 ; Dan 12:3; Rev 13:18). It is a time of great trials of God’s people on earth. The maskil-psalms also contain instruction for us, for we also undergo trials and we also live in an end time (cf. Rom 15:4; 1Cor 10:11).

These ‘instructions’, which are also called ‘didactic poems’, convey knowledge, not of doctrines, but of experiences, of teachings gained in the school of God. The whole book of Psalms deals with this, but the maskil-psalms deal with it par excellence.

Psalm 32 is the first of the thirteen maskil-psalms. Six are of David (Psalms 32; 52; 53; 54; 55; 142), four of the sons of Korah (Psalms 42; 44; 45; 88), two of Asaph (Psalms 74; 78), and one of Ethan (Psalm 89).

This psalm, by way of exception, begins not with praising or calling to the LORD, but with mentioning or more so proclaiming the beneficence of forgiveness (Psa 32:1b). This, of course, involves the utmost thanks to God, for the forgiveness comes from Him. We find here twice the word “blessed” or “happy”, an expression we find in this first book of Psalms at the beginning of three psalms (Psa 1:1 ; Psa 32:1 ; Psa 41:1b). In Psalm 1, it’s about the relation to God: obedience. Here, in Psalm 32, the middle of the psalm book, it is about the believer: forgiveness. In Psalm 41, the end of the psalm book, it’s about the attitude toward others: mercy.

It is not an exuberant praise because David has a deep awareness of what he has done. The believing Israelite expresses through David how blessed it is to know that sins are forgiven (literally: carried away) and covered. The sins have been carried away. It means that God no longer sees the sins and He therefore no longer imputes them. That this also has its meaning for the New Testament believer has been noted above.

David uses three expressions for what he has done and for which he has received forgiveness: transgression, sin and iniquity.

1. Transgression is the violating of any commandment of the law and is therefore rebellion against the authority of the Lawgiver.

2. Sin is lawlessness in the broadest sense, that is, disregard for any authority (1Jn 3:4). It is a wrong acting, usually deliberately. The Hebrew word for sin, chata’a, means to miss the mark (Rom 3:23), it is, consciously or unconsciously, not answering to the will of God.

3. Iniquity is acting unjustly. It is an action that is contrary to what a person is entitled to. This applies both to God and to fellow human beings, believer or unbeliever.

In Psa 32:2, God is said to “not impute iniquity”. It means that not only are sins forgiven, but the person whose sins are forgiven is seen by God as not having done the sins. The full truth of this could only be made known after the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus as the wonder of justification This wonder is so great that God devotes an entire letter in the Bible to it, namely the letter to the Romans.

One whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered, and to whom the iniquity is not imputed, is one “in whose spirit there is no deceit”. A sincere confession lacks the spirit of deceit. One who confesses his sins has seen himself in God’s light and tells “the whole truth” about his sins to God (cf. Mk 5:33). He has held nothing back; there is no residue of sin that he wants to hold on to. In the mind, in the thinking, of one who has thus dealt with himself in God’s presence, there is really no deceit. Nathanael is an example of such a person and of the believing remnant (Jn 1:47).