Psalm 32 The Robe of His Righteousness
A Psalm of David. A Maschil [Contemplation]
“This is the first of the 13 Maschil Psalms, the Psalms of special instruction. They tell us of the understanding which the godly in Israel will have in spiritual things (Daniel 12:10),” (Arno Gaebelein) “It is generally understood to have been composed after the prophet Nathan had alarmed the conscience of David for the sin against Uriah. .” (Joseph Sutcliffe) We must understand the definition of sin: “Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” (1 John 3:4) “For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn aside from anything the LORD commanded all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.” (1 Kings 15:5) The issue was secret murder and adultery. “This Psalm.... was composed for the information of the church, in that most important doctrine, concerning the way to true blessedness.” (Matthew Poole)
“For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’” (Gen 15:6 Rom 4:3) The blessedness of this chapter is that the imputing not of iniquity and the simultaneous imputing righteousness comes by faith alone, not by the works of the law. “But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless acts are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him’ (Psa 32:1-2).” Romans 4:5-8
1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man to whom Yahweh does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 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
“‘Blessed is he’— for he is no longer under the curse of God pertaining to the Fall of man— ‘whose transgression is forgiven,’— נשׂוי nesui, carried away (as far as the east is from the west- Ps 103:12), alluding to the scape-goat, and to the sin-offerings, on which the sin of the culprit was laid, and borne away.” (Sutcliffe) In Romans 4:7—> “These words are cited from Psalm 32:1, and contain the proof of the happiness of justified persons. In this citation the singular number [he] is changed into the plural [those], to take in all sorts of men, Jews and Gentiles, and very agreeably to the sense of the original; for the word may be rendered ‘blessed are they’” (Gill)- whosoever will Trust Jesus for salvation.
“‘Blessed is the man to whom Yahweh does not impute iniquity,’ This is singular in Romans, as well and “identical with ‘imputeth righteousness.’ Romans 4:6; 4:8..” (Daniel Whedon) “Therefore, what is involved in justification is a twofold transaction. On the one hand, God imputes or credits His righteousness to us, a righteousness we do not have. On the other hand, He imputes our sin to Jesus where it has been punished completely and forever.” (BSF International) ”See Romans 5:19; 2 Corinthians 5:19. ‘If he hath wronged thee aught, reckon that to me,’ said Paul to Philemon, concerning Onesimus; [Philemon 1:18] saith Christ to his Father concerning us.” (John Trapp)— “‘and in whose spirit there is no guile’: for being thoroughly convinced of sin, he is sincere in his repentance for it, without deceit and hypocrisy in his confession of it; as David, the Apostle Paul, and the publican were, when they acknowledged themselves sinners; his faith, in looking to Christ for pardon and righteousness, is from the heart, and is unfeigned, and so is his profession of it before God, angels, and men." (John Gill)
David looked good in the eyes of man but he knew that he deserved God’s wrath at Judgement. And he began to deteriorate in performance of duty. “Perhaps he sought to still that secret voice which was urging him to lay bare his sin, by plunging into the business of state, or into the pleasures of his court; but all in vain. ‘When I kept silence my bones waxed old.’ The very seat of strength was invaded. His body suffered from the terrors of remorse. What an image is this that follows--the pressure of a strong hand, hampering all free activity. No joy in work or in study any more. The healthy competitions of business, the free play of social converse, the sweet interchanges of the household, all repressed and devitalized by this painful consciousness of guilt. What ails the man who was but lately so sparkling, so magnetic, so enthusiastic? ‘Day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me,’ etc.” (M. R. Vincent, D. D.)
But then the LORD sent Nathaniel to explain his dangerous condition— i.e the LORD’s wrath— more perfectly and personally. The prophet told a parable that revealed his sins in no uncertain terms. After agreeing with the prophet on sinful acts, then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! Why have you despised the commandment of Yahweh [the moral code] in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon. Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.’” (2 Sam 12:7-12)
5 I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to Yahweh,” and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah 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
So David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against Yahweh.’ And Nathan said to David, ‘Yahweh also has put away your sin; you shall not die. However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.’” (2 Sam 12:13-15) Likewise, “Nathaniel was just as human as David was. One day he could bear his load of guilt no longer. He got all alone with God. Where? In the shade of a fig tree? Then he made a broken-hearted confession of all his sins. It was a most intimate, sacred time, between him and God alone. Shortly afterwards, a man from Nazareth said, with such understanding in His voice, and such a knowing twinkle in His eye, ‘Nathaniel, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.’ Which meant, ‘I heard everything you told me. I’ve completely forgiven you. And now there’s no guile in you anymore.’” (Under the Fig Tree Radio Message / Tract #36-M / Roadmap To Heaven, Inc., P.O. Box 4614 Augusta Maine)
“David does not say, ‘Thou art a hiding place’ merely, as one among many; or the ‘hiding place,’ as the only one; but, ‘Thou art my hiding place.’ There lies all the excellency of the text. ‘He is mine; I have embraced the offer of his salvation,’ says David; ‘I have applied to Him in my own person: I have, as a sinner, taken shelter in His love and compassion; I have placed myself under His wings; I have covered myself with the robe of His righteousness.” (The Treasury Of David)
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. 10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; but he who trusts in Yahweh, mercy shall surround him. 11 Be glad in Yahweh and rejoice, you righteous; and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!