Psalms 32:2

_BLESSED IS THE MAN UNTO WHOM THE LORD IMPUTETH NOT INIQUITY, AND IN WHOSE SPIRIT THERE IS NO GUILE._ Blessed ... imputeth not iniquity. Compare on the phrase 'impute (i:e., set down to the transgressor's account his) iniquity,' 2 Samuel 19:19. Paul (Romans 4:1) quotes this passage as proving the doctrine of man's justification before God by faith, and not by works: to him that believeth, his faith is imputed for righteousness, and the Lord imputes not his iniquity to him for the sake of the merits and blood-shedding of the atoning Saviour, in whom he puts his faith (2 Corinthians 5:19). AND ... GUILE. The "guile" meant is shown by the contrast, "I acknowledged my sin," "mine iniqu

2._In whose spirit there is no guile. _In this clause the Psalmist distinguishes believers both from hypocrites and from senseless despisers of God, neither of whom care for this happiness, nor can they attain to the enjoyment of it. The wicked are, indeed, conscious to themselves of their guilt, but still they delight in their wickedness; harden themselves in their impudence, and laugh at threatenings; or, at least, they indulge themselves in deceitful flatteries, that they may not be constrained to come into the presence of God. Yea, though they are rendered unhappy by a sense of their misery, and harassed with secret torments, yet with perverse forgetfulness they stifle all fear of God. As for hypocrites, if their conscience as any time stings them, they soothe their pain with ineffectual remedies: so that if God at any time cite them to his tribunal, they place before them I know not...

1,2 Sin is the cause of our misery; but the true believer's transgressions of the Divine law are all forgiven, being covered with the atonement. Christ bare his sins, therefore they are not imputed to him. The righteousness of Christ being reckoned to us, and we being made the righteousness of God in him, our iniquity is not imputed, God having laid upon him the iniquity of us all, and made him a sin-offering for us. Not to impute sin, is God's act, for he is the Judge. It is God that justifies. Notice the character of him whose sins are pardoned; he is sincere, and seeks sanctification by the power of the Holy Ghost. He does not profess to repent, with an intention to indulge in sin, because the Lord is ready to forgive. He will not abuse the doctrine of free grace. And to the man whose iniquity is forgiven, all manner of blessings are promised....

BLESSED IS THE MAN UNTO WHOM THE LORD IMPUTETH NOT INIQUITY - Whose sin is not “reckoned” to him, or “charged” on him. The reference here is “to his own sin.” The idea is not, that he is happy on whom God does not charge the guilt of other men, but that he is happy who is not charged “with his own guilt,” or who is treated as if he had no guilt; that is, as if he were innocent. This is the true idea of justification. It is, that a man, although he is a sinner, and “is conscious” of having violated the law of God, is treated as if he had not committed sin, or as if he were innocent; that is, he is pardoned, and his sins are remembered against him no more; and it is the purpose of God to treat him henceforward as if he were innocent. The act of pardon does not change the facts in the case, or “make him innocent,” but it makes it proper for God to treat him as if he were innocent. The sin w...

EXPOSITION THIS psalm has been selected by the Church for one of the "seven penitential psalms." It forms a part of the service of the synagogue on the great Day of Atonement. Yet it is almost as much jubilant as penitent. It opens with two beatitudes. The writer, while very sensible of his sin (Psalms 32:3), is still more sensible of the fact that his sin is pardoned (Psalms 32:1, Psalms 32:2, Psalms 32:7, Psalms 32:10). While his first words breathe content and gratitude, his last are a shout of rejoicing ...

BLESSED [IS] THE MAN TO WHOM THE LORD IMPUTETH NOT INIQUITY,.... Or "does not think of it" n; with respect unto men, at least to the harm of them; his thoughts are thoughts of peace, and not of evil; their sins and iniquities he remembers no more; he does not charge them with them, he does not reckon them, or place them to their account, having imputed them to his Son; see 2 Corinthians 5:19. The Apostle Paul interprets this as inclusive of the imputation of righteousness without works; even of the righteousness of Christ, in which the blessedness of a man lies, Romans 4:6; for such an one is accepted with God, is justified in his sight, and is secure from condemnation and wrath; it is well with him at all times, in life, at death, and at judgment; he is an heir of eternal life, will enter into it, and

A Psalm of David. You can see David all through this Psalm; here we have David's sin, David's confession of sin, David's pardon. It is a Psalm of David. Oh, that we might each one make it our own! It is entitled- Maschil. This is an instructive Psalm. The experience of one man is instructive to another. We learn the way in which we should walk, and sometimes the way in which we should not walk, by observing the footsteps of the flock. The Psalm begins with blessing. Psalms 32:1. _Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered._ I think I hear a sort of sigh of relief, as if the man had been burdened with a load of guilt, and now at last his sin is put away; and his sigh has more solemn joy in it than if it had been a song: «Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.» Beloved, you must know the bitterness of sin

Psalms 32 Fullest Blessing _ 1. The blessedness of righteousness imputed (Psalms 32:1)_ 2. The blessedness of hiding-place (Psalms 32:6) 3. The blessedness of guidance and preservation (Psalms 32:8) Psalms 32:1. 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). All these Maschil Psalms have reference to the last

XXXII. PARDON OF SIN. Psalms 32:1 f. The joy of Divine pardon. Psalms 32:3. Sin remitted on confession. Psalms 32:6 f. The security of the godly. Read, in time of stress and omit surely. Psalms 32:8_._ Their guidance by God. The general sense is Do not wait till affliction compels recourse to God. Psalms 32:9. Read, Be not like horse and mule which have no understanding, which must be brought to thee by bit and bridle. The rest of the verse is probably a gloss....

MAN. Hebrew. _'adam._ App-14. THE LORD. Hebrew. _Jehovah._ App-4. IMPUTETH NOT. Forensic or legal righteousness. The N.T. righteousness is not _negative,_ but _positive,_ for the righteousness of One (Christ) is imputed or accounted to another, as it was to Abraham (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:13). INIQUITY. sin in the nature, rather than breaches of the law in act. perverseness (never eradicated). Hebrew. _'avon._ App-44. SPIRIT. Hebrew. _ruach._ App-9....