PSALM THIRTY TWO

JOYFUL JUSTIFICATION.  
   This psalm is given the title Maschil. Thirteen psalms are written
with this title and at least six of them were written by David. Maschil
is derived from the verb used in verse 8 - to instruct - to be wise -
to consider - to understand. Basically it is 'good understanding! What
we understand is very important; not just what we have been taught. The
psalm is a song of the joy of a good understanding with God. In the
first two verses four evils are dealt with. The Apostle Paul actually
quotes these verses in his epistle to the Romans (Ch.4.6-10.) 
TRANSGRESSION must be taken away. There is one who bore away our
rebellion, being obedient even unto death. 
SIN must be covered. It must be put out of sight as it is odious and
abominable to God. He hid His face from Calvary. 
INIQUITY, that which is perverse or disturbed, must not be reckoned to
our account. One has taken away the handwriting (account) which was
against us. 
GUILE must be annihilated. Of all forms of sin, this is the most
congenial - deceit, falsehood and lies. 
   True Justification is by faith. This is Paul's argument in Romans
when he uses the opening verses of this psalm. The forgiveness of sin
and the justification of the believer are never separated. God will not
justify us IN our sin. Under every dispensation, the method of
justification is the same, whether Abraham, or David, or Paul, or a
believer today, ALL MUST BELIEVE. Man, sinner that he is, may be
received by God and treated as righteous. Rites and ceremonies do not
bring about our justification. So it is that justification, in the full
sense of pardon and acceptance, lies at the very foundation of all our
REAL JOY IN GOD. 
   "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,"  sings the
psalmist. This is our joyful justification. We are not only forgiven,
but also accepted into the family of God, "complete in Christ," just as
if we had never sinned. A criminal may be pardoned, but on his return
to a cynical society, he can be regarded as an ex-convict. His
character is ruined and his name is tainted. He is in fact released
from prison to find himself in the greater bondage of an unforgiving
society. BUT God has provided something far better for all those who
accept His pardon. We are not only forgiven, but we are also released
from our sin into justification - just-as-if-I'd never sinned. God has
no reservations about us. We are not on parole. We are not saved
provisionally. We are not on probation. 
   The psalm ends in a crescendo of joyful justification. "Be glad, and
rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous! and shout for joy, all ye that are
upright in heart."  



Copyright (c) 1995, Hedley Palmer. All rights reserved.



----------------------------------------------------
file: /pub/resources/text/hpalmer/psalms: ps-032.txt
.