The superscription to Psalm 32 states that this sacred composition was written by David and was intended to be thoughtfully absorbed by contemplation. In the Hebrew language it is identified as a “Maschil”. The New King James Version translates this noun as “contemplation”. The psalm has three Selahs (vv. 4, 5, and 7); this indicates that David intended for each section of the psalm to be ingested into one’s heart and soul through thoughtful meditation and reflection.
In the verses prior to the first spiritual rest stop, David reflects upon the blessedness of forgiven sins (vv. 1-2) in light of the inherent bitterness of sin (vv. 3-4). Here he writes: “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer.”
Sin has its passing pleasures. These are deliberately designed to distract its targeted prey from the reality of its certain, bitter, and barren harvest. Sin destroys its slaves, then executes them.. David felt the bitter taste and knew horrific stain of sin’s guilt in his body, mind, and spirit. His bones grew old; his heart groaned all day long; his soul was parched and desolate. He was not like a flourishing tree firmly planted by streams of water (Psalm 1:1-3); he was like a deserted ghost town, a home haunted by spiritual tumbleweeds. Oh, the bitterness of unforgiven sin!
What blessedness, then, is the one who has been forgiven! His willful wrongdoing, his missing of the mark, his guilt before the just God of heaven, his spiritual two-facedness has been taken off and away from him, hidden so as to be never seen again, no longer counted against him. Oh, the blessedness of forgiven sin!
Carefully think about that for the next few minutes.
“Meditate upon these things.”
