--> Notes PS 32
PS 32 Notes

Introduction
A Psalm of thanksgiving. A penitential psalm used on Ash Wednesday in the (Prayer Book) by
some denominations. May have been used in the temple worship when the restored sinner
offered his song of thanks in the presence of his  fellow worshippers. May have been
accompanied by a sin offering (Lev 4:27-5:19).

To be in close accord with God is true happiness (expressed in opening and closing vss),
memory of lost fellowship in the middle vss. See PS 38.

PS 32 written by King David about the same time as PS 51 (prayer for pardon). PS 32 followed
shortly after PS 51. David wrote these regarding his sin with Bathsheba and her husband (his
mightyman of war) Uriah (2 Sam 11-12).

Maschil: to give instruction or to understand; a contemplation.

PS 51: the confession, PS 32: record of confession, forgiveness received, complete restoration.
PS 32 is David’s instruction to us (see PS 51:12-13)

1 Jn 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called
children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

Vss 1-2
1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit.

Three Hebrew nouns are used to denote sin and three verbs to describe God’s way of dealing
with it.
1.        transgression (pesa)/forgiven (nasa): The psalmist’s ‘rebellion’ has been ‘lifted up’ and
‘carried away’ like a burden.
2.        sin (hataah)/covered (kasah): His ‘failure’ to keep God’s law (the missing of the mark in
the greek word for sin) has been ‘blotted out’ from the sight of the divine judge.
3.        iniquity (awon)/impute (hasab): His ‘cookedness’ or ‘deviation’ from the right path (twisting,
going astray) is no longer ‘counted ‘ against him, the debt has been canceled.
“In whose spirit there is no deceit”: there is no ‘self deception’ because he has faced up to his sin
(v5).

1.
1 & 2 are quoted in Rom 4:5-8. Blessed: Oh how happy!, blissfully happy. Blissful peace after
confession (Spurgeon (PS 51)). The blessedness of forgiveness.
Covered: to clothe one’s self (with the righteousness of Christ). Used in OT as concealing also.
Sin cannot be covered by God until man uncovers it. David does not conceal his sin any longer
and finds his sin covered now by God through faith. He is expressing the happiness of the
person whose sin has been forgiven. Forgiven by grace (the lifting and removing of sin).

Christ’s atonement is the propitiation, the covering, the making an end of sin.

2.
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Therefore, if anyone [is] in Christ, [he is] a new creation; old things have
passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things [are] of God, who has
reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that
is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them,
and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as
though God were pleading through us: we implore [you] on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.
For He made Him who knew no sin [to be] sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of
God in Him.

John 1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed,
in whom is no deceit!” (self deceit)

Impute: an accounting term, reckons.

Romans 4:25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our
justification.

2 Cor 5:21 He who knew no sin was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of
God in Him.
Free from guilt, free from guile- not charged to his account.

Vss 3-5
3 When I kept silent, my bones grew old
Through my groaning all the day long.
4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was turned into the drought of summer.  Selah  
5 I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I have not hidden.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,”
And You forgave the iniquity of my sin.  Selah

3.
The misery of denial. Kept silence means he attempted to keep his sin from his friends and the
people of Isreal (about 9 months to a year, according to some commentaries), but his body was
suffering (McGee says maybe he lost a lot of weight, etc). His conscience bothered him extremely.

Silent in confession but not in groaning. He was moaning and groaning in the horror of the guilt.
Living a lie and not right with God. (see PS 38: 1-9)

4.
The chastening by God of His children.
1 Cor 11:31-32 “For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are
judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.”
Heb 12:5-13
1 Jn 1:5-2:2

Drought of summer: his soul was dry.

Selah: Spurgeon says maybe a change in key? Higher notes in the song for vs 5?
Selah is a rest or pause in the song (silence?), possibly to meditate on previous vss.

5.
As soon as David confessed, God forgave. The hebrew language used here implies he was
instantly forgiven. See Luke 15 (the prodigal son), “I have sinned”/”his Father saw him afar off
and had compassion.”
Admitting is not the same as confessing ( confessing is saying the same thing about our sin as
God).

2 Sam 12:13  David to Nathan, the prophet: “I have sinned against the Lord.”
Nathan to David: “The Lord has also put away your sin; you shall not die.”
Confession softens and humbles the heart (to receive God’s leading in vs8).
What was David’s sin? Lust, covetousness, adultery, lying, murder, unrepentance.
David said, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

Vss 6-7
6 For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You
In a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters
They shall not come near him.
7 You are my hiding place;
You shall preserve me from trouble;
You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.  Selah

6.
Turning to God in trouble. Flood harkens back to Noah and delivernce through the Ark.
Waters of chastening, yet we will not drown in Christ.

For this cause: Because of God’s grace or for God’s grace?
1 Tim 1:15-16 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into
the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that
in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to
believe on Him for everlasting life.

Is 55:5-7  Surely you shall call a nation you do not know,
And nations who do not know you shall run to you,
Because of the LORD your God,
And the Holy One of Israel;
For He has glorified you.”
6 Seek the LORD while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the LORD,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.

7.
Selah. Stop, look and listen (McGee); musical rest- silence to think over what’s been sung.
Songs of deliverence:
Ex 15:1-2, 11, 13, 17-18
PS 27:5
Worshipping/Prayer- relationship with God keeps us safe under His wings, in Him. Surrounded,
preserved and joyfully singing songs of deliverence.

Vss 8-9
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye.
9 Do not be like the horse or like the mule,
Which have no understanding,
Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle,
Else they will not come near you.

Three Hebrew verbs are used in vs 8 (see vss 1-2).
1.        instruct: to give insight, understanding
2.        teach (from the noun “torah”): to instruct
3.        guide (counsel in NIV): give advice

8.
God speaks as David is worshipping (and waiting in Selah of vs 7).
The promise of God’s instruction in our lives.
Holy Spirit: teacher, comforter (counselor in NIV).
Jn 14:15, 20-21, 25-26; 16:12-15
A work of the Spirit (Isaac), not of the flesh (Ishmael).
He’s leading, we’re moving with Him. If forgiveness is good, fellowship is better!
A servant responds to the masters signals. Guidance, teaching, gentle nudging.
In sweet stride with Him, like a rider and his horse.
“I will guide you with My eye” more accurately “I will counsel you, my eye will be upon you.”
An equestrian will be in perfect union with his/her horse. The horse seems to know what the rider
wants to do before he’s signaled.

9.
Make your confessions willingly.
A spirit yielded to His Spirit. He is our King, but a friend and brother (like King David).
Jn 15:15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing;
but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.

Do not be stubborn, separated by sin, as opposed to intelligent cooperation in v8.
Jonah had to be vomitted up for God to get him where He wanted him to go.
James 3:3 we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body.
We do not have to be dragged where He wants us, stubborn like a mule, or pulled back like a
horse running ahead, wild and unbroken, running ahead of His leading.
Not ahead but following Him. That’s the place of blessing and power. In stride, in step with God.

Those who do not draw near to Him out of a personal desire for holiness and to find refuge are
like animals that have to be held in check.

“Do not be”, an exhortation to seek closeness with God supported by
1.        experience of the psalmist (vss3-5)
2.        the revelation of God (vss 6-7)
3.        the promise of God (v8)
4.        the lesson from nature (v9)

Vss 10-11
10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked;
But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him.
11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

10.
Trust is equivalent to reliance in v7
Walking outside of God’s teaching and moving brings sorrow (v3).
Mercy and deliverence for those who walk with the Lord.
Mercy: unfailing love- just how much God loves us.
Trust: faith and obedience in His Word and His Spirit.

11.
Rejoice: spinning around in violent emotion, beaming in joy, laughter (Isaac means laughter).
Shouting triumphantly (PS 107).
Isaac is the type of the spirit, Ishmael of the flesh.

“upright in heart”: we are upright through the righteousness of Christ.

Rejoicing in forgiveness comes from the assurances of God’s love, protection, guidance and
forgiveness, even if we sin.
1 Jn 1:8-9  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we
confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “The will of God in Christ for you.”
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of
God in Christ Jesus for you.

1.        Rejoice: we have forgiveness of sins and the hope of eternal life in Jesus.
2.        Prayer: constant communion and awareness of God and awe as we worship.
3.        Thankful: we know our life is in God’s hands, His purpose.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them
who are the called according to [his] purpose.
...He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).