Psalm 32: A Psalm of Divine Blessings 1. Blessed Repentance Psalm 32:1

Text:  “Blessed (blessed with many blessings) is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.”

                                                                                                                    Psalm 32:1. 

 Good morning, Christian blessed with Repentance!  Repentance is a gift of God’s free grace, a gift which He grants to all those whom He, in Eternity, has elected to redeem from sin’s curse, punishment, and power. 

If blessed with God’s gift of true repentance, the sinner turns completely away from following hard after sin and selfishness - the world, the flesh, and the Devil - and instead follows hard after Christ Jesus as a Spiritually regenerated soul.  Without God’s gift of repentance, the sinner’s soul can never be saved.  With God’s gift of repentance - the sinner turns from being a willing slave to sin, to become a willing servant of the Most High God, Jehovah - in and through the Cross of Christ Jesus.   Praise God for His blessed gift of true repentance from sin!

“Title: ’A Psalm of David, Maschil.’  That David wrote this glorious evangelic Psalm is proved not only by this heading but by the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 4:6-8; ’Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,’ etc.  Probably the deep repentance over his great sin was followed by such blissful peace that he was led to pour out his spirit in the soft music of this choice song.  In the order of history, it seems to follow the Fifty-First.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 155) 

“This is a mark of a true penitent when he hath been a stumbling-block to others, to be as careful to raise them up by his repentance as he was hurtful to them by his sin; and I never think that man truly penitent who is ashamed to teach sinners repentance by his own particular proof.  The Samaritan woman, when she was converted left her bucket at the well, entered the city, and said, ’Come forth, yonder is a man who hath told me all that I have done.’  And our Saviour saith to St Peter, ’When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.’ (John 4:29; Luke 22:32).  St. Paul, also after his conversion, is not ashamed to call himself chiefest of all sinners and to teach others to repent of their sins by repenting of his own.  Happy, and thrice happy, is the man who can build so much as he hath cast down.”  (Archibald Symson - 1631)

Personally speaking, there is nothing that frustrates me more when sat listening to someone giving a word of testimony of Salvation in Christ, than that person point-blankly refusing to declare openly the fact that he/she was guilty of sin!  It is as though such people believe that another sinner’s soul can be touched and won for Christ, by refusing evidence of the fact of sin in the life of the testator prior to Spiritual regeneration.  One must be clear to point out WHAT one has been delivered and saved from; that the penalty for one’s own personal sins has been redeemed by the sinless Blood of the Lamb, Christ Jesus.  Christ only came to call sinners to repentance, the self-righteous never see their need to repent from sin and have Christ as their Saviour.

Verse 1. “Blessed.  Like the Sermon on the Mount, this Psalm begins with beatitudes.  This is the second Psalm of benediction.  The First Psalm describes the result of holy blessedness, The Thirty-Second details the cause of it.  The first pictures the tree in full growth: this depicts it in its first planting and watering.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 155)

Forgiven:  As our text for today teaches, the man/woman is so blessed for a reason - because our sins/transgressions have been forgiven by the Holy Lord God against Whom we have sinned.  Even the Pharisees and Scribes knew enough to realise that, because God alone is Holy, we can only sin against such an Holy God.  Therefore, only God can forgive sins!  When He does, the soul forgiven rejoices and comes into true fellowship with our Absolutely Holy Lord God.  Hallelujah!  True Christians are FORGIVEN!  All glory to the Lord God of Sovereign grace and mercy to sinners!

“But there were certain of the Scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man (Jesus) thus speak blasphemies?  Who can forgive sins but God only?”  (Mark 2:6-12) 

Redeemed:  “Blessed is the man…whose sin is covered.  God, in forgiving sins, remits that guilt and penalty.  Guilt cries out for justice: no sooner had Adam eaten the fruit, but he saw the flaming sword, and heard the curse; but in remission God doth indulge the sinner; He seems to say thus to him: ‘Though thou art fallen into the hands of My justice, and deserve to die, yet I will absolve thee, and whatever is charged upon thee shall be discharged.’”  (Thomas Watson -1690)

Verse 1.  “…Whose sin is covered.  Covered by God, as the ark was covered by the mercy-seat, as Noah was covered from the flood; as the Egyptians were covered by the depths of the sea.  What a cover must that be which hides away forever from the sight of the all-seeing God all the filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit!  He who has once seen sin in its horrible deformity will appreciate the happiness of seeing it no more forever.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 156)

“…And the Blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth (cleans and continues to cleanse) us from all sin.”           (1 John 1:7)

Thought:  “Would you be free from your burden of sin?  There’s power in the Blood.”