Righteous and Upright in Heart (Psalm 32)

Psalm 32 gives a beautiful, clear and inviting description of those whom God considers to be righteous and upright in heart. Each verse of this Psalm describes those who are godly, and God's will concerning them.

Psalm 32:1

"How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered!"

A blessed person is someone who is happy. Such a person is fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God.

God's desire is for us to live a blessed life. He knows we must be forgiven of our transgression (offenses and wrongdoings), and have our sin (misdeeds and immoral acts) covered. This is why Jesus Christ went to the cross.

32:2

"How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit!"

Any individual who has iniquity (his own wickedness, immorality, or gross behavior) imputed upon him would be repaid wickedness for their wickedness. They would receive evil for their evil behavior. However, every person whom the Lord does not treat this way is blessed.

The last part of this unlocks God's blessings for an entire lifetime. Those in whose spirit there is no deceit are those who trust God for forgiveness through Jesus Christ. They are honest with Him about their transgressions and sins. They do not try to conceal or misrepresent the truth about their failures before God. Honesty with both ourselves and with God is critically important for a forgiven and blessed life.

32:3-4

"When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah."

This is how the psalmist describes the effects he encountered when he tried to conceal the truth from God. In his dishonesty he was hurting himself. On the surface it might not seem like he did much wrong here. All he did was to keep silent about his sin. The problem is this silence stems from a heart which does not trust God, but instead prefers to respond to God with deception. There was no blessing from God to be found as a result of his deceptiveness. Instead we find the opposite is true. He found himself groaning in despair, which led to negative physical manifestations.

Day and night God's hand of displeasure weighed heavily upon him. He discovered concealing his sin affected him in a way which he compared to the burning heat of summer. He was drained of his strength. He lost his energy level, his liveliness, and very likely his desire to go on in life.

We see the term "Selah." This is indicating that the psalmist doesn't want us to miss the importance of all this. He wants us to pause and to truly think about what has just been said in the first four verses.

He wants us to think about how blessed a person is when their transgressions are forgiven and when their sins are covered. He wants us to think about the blessing in being honest with God and of not having the guilt of iniquity counted against us. He also wants us to think of the alternative which, as he described, is completely undesirable.

32:5

"I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah."

This verse gives us another opportunity to pause and think about what is being said. The psalmist finally came to his senses. Instead of concealing his sin from God, he chose to acknowledge all his sin before God, and to not hide his iniquity. He determined that he would be honest with God and tell the Lord about his acts of lawlessness which obviously troubled him to no end. The outcome of his sincerity and honesty was the blessing of God in his life. God forgave the guilt of his sin. Selah - Pause to think about this.

His sin was staring him in the face and would not leave him alone. Thankfully, God did not treat him as his sin deserved. God saw his sincere and trusting heart. Instead of being repaid for his wickedness, he found grace (the free and unmerited favor of God).

32:6

"Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him."

Since God forgives the guilt of sin, everyone who is godly should pray to God for forgiveness while He is near to them and can be found.

This is a clear indication that God does not abandon the godly when they stumble along the way. God remains near, waiting for the godly to turn to Him in sincerity of heart. In their sinfulness, they find themselves in the midst of a flood of great waters. This is a trying, difficult and distressing time. However, because they repent of their sin and turn to God for forgiveness, the godly are not destroyed.

32:7

"You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah."

The psalmist discovered God to be his hiding place, his place of refuge. God preserves him from trouble by allowing him to confess and to renounce his sins.

Notice God surrounds him with songs of deliverance. These are God's songs of joyful victory being sung over someone who takes refuge in Him. God grants him deliverance. God preserves and hides him in his time of trouble because he confesses his sin. Pause to think about this.

32:8

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you."

This is God speaking to the godly. If the godly would come to God and confess their transgressions and sins, God would personally instruct and teach the godly in the way they should go. God will counsel those who are willing to learn. He will keep His watchful eye over them caring for them along the way.

32:9

"Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, Otherwise they will not come near to you."

Being that God is so willing to forgive, to instruct, to teach, to counsel, and to keep watch over us, the godly should understand this about God and turn towards Him willingly. They should not lack this understanding.

The analogy is given of a horse or a mule with no understanding, requiring a bit and bridle to hold them in check in order for them to come near you. This is a picture of those who refuse to turn to God in the midst of their transgression and sin. God is saying the godly must not behave this way. They must understand His goodness and turn to Him voluntarily.

32:10

"Many are the sorrows of the wicked, But he who trusts in the Lord, lovingkindness shall surround him."

We can say transgression and sin is wickedness, and we would be correct. Such wickedness is compounded when one refuses to trust God, to turn towards Him in repentance, and to seek His forgiveness. The wicked have no desire to turn from their wicked ways. As a result, their sorrows are multiplied.

In contrast, everyone who trusts in the Lord also experiences the surrounding of His lovingkindness.

32:11

"Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart."

There is no gladness or rejoicing for those who refuse to confess and renounce sin, but as the psalmist started out saying, "How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered!"

Those who trust God and turn to Him for forgiveness of transgressions, and for the covering of their sin by the blood of Christ, have what God considers to be an upright heart. They have reason to be glad, to rejoice, and to shout for joy... because they are counted righteous by God for their trust in His lovingkindness.

Categories: Bible, Old Testament, Poetry & Wisdom