Psalms 32

Blessed is he whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is covered. The beatitude opens the penitential psalm: forgiveness and covering name gospel mercy, not a small mop-up for the almost righteous. Paul later cites this blessing in Romans 4 beside Abraham’s counted righteousness—shared witness that the blessed are the forgiven.

Preach pardon as relief for lawless deeds. Do not require a prior self-made covering before the LORD covers sin. Let the blessing stand as wide as the mercy it names.

Calvin: this exclamation springs from serious consideration of God’s judgment and mercy. Those only are blessed to whom God is reconciled; with Paul (Romans 4) this is the definition of the righteousness of faith—men blessed when freely reconciled and counted righteous. The blessedness utterly destroys the righteousness of works; free remission is the gate of eternal salvation.

Forgiven and covered are God’s acts. Hold Paul’s reading: David sings gift-righteousness, not wages. Refuse satisfactions that would purchase what God freely remits.

Blessed is the man to whom the LORD doesn’t impute iniquity, in whose spirit there is no deceit. Wesley: Imputeth—Whom God doth not charge with the guilt of his sins, but graciously pardons and accepts him in Christ. No guile—Who freely confesses all his sins, and turns from sin to God with all his heart. Non-imputation and honest turning belong together in the same blessing Paul hears in Romans 4.

The LORD refuses to count the believer’s sin as the last word, and accepts in Christ. Let no deceit mean open confession and heart-turning, not a polished pose of innocence.

Calvin: Jehovah imputeth no sin; thrice-repeated forgiveness (forgiven, covered, not imputed) confirms anxious consciences. No guile distinguishes believers from hypocrites and senseless despisers who soothe guilt with subterfuge and never taste forgiveness. Shared with Romans 4: non-imputation is God’s counting, the asylum of the destitute of works.

Blessed is the one God will not charge. Cleanse the heart of guile that hides from his bar; take non-imputation as free verdict, not as leave to remain unexamined.

For when I kept silence, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. Wesley: Silence—From a full and open confession of my sins. Old—My spirit failed, and the strength of my body decayed. Roaring—Because of the continual horrors of my conscience, and sense of God’s wrath. Unconfessed sin wastes body and spirit under conscience’s roar.

Do not call silence wisdom when it is refusal to confess. Bring wasted bones and all-day groaning to open acknowledgment; horror of wrath is meant to drive you to mercy, not to mute endurance.

Calvin: David confirms by experience that nothing is so miserable as to be deprived of God’s favor. Whether silent or heightening grief by crying, his bones waxed old—whole strength withered. Silence here is not hope or obedience; it brought no alleviation. The sinner is not lightened until restored to God’s favor.

Silence about sin is not patience. Let bone-wasting teach how terrible divine anger feels; hasten to reconciliation rather than gnaw the bit in private.

For day and night your hand was heavy on me. My strength was sapped in the heat of summer. Wesley: Hand—Thy afflicting hand. My moisture—Was dried up. Day-and-night weight and summer drought name how thoroughly the afflicting hand pressed him.

Confess the heaviness without blaming God of cruelty for calling you to repent. Drought of strength is a summons to the forgiveness the next verse finds.

Calvin: heavy grief arose because he felt God’s hand sore against him—greatest of afflictions when the sinner has to do with a Judge whose indignation involves many deaths. Moisture dried up not from mere meditation on trouble but from discovering its cause. The hand ceased not day and night until he was subdued and made meek.

Take the heavy hand as medicine that humbles fierce pride. Do not waste drought on sullen silence; let it prepare frank confession.

I acknowledged my sin to you. I didn’t hide my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Wesley: The iniquity—The guilt of my sin. Resolve to confess meets immediate pardon of guilt; covering is refused on the sinner’s side so God may cover.

Acknowledge, do not hide, and confess to the LORD. Expect forgiveness of guilt as the psalm narrates; do not keep covering what mercy stands ready to lift.

Calvin: the only relief was unfeignedly to condemn himself before God and flee for forgiveness—not mere remembrance such as Cain and Judas knew without profit. He came deliberately (I said) assured of pardon through mercy. Confession intervenes, yet faith, opening heart and tongue, obtains pardon; confession is the manner of reconciliation, not a meritorious cause. As often as the sinner presents himself with ingenuous confession, he finds reconciliation awaiting.

Pour out the heart without disguise. Seek pardon as a suppliant under faith’s guidance; refuse both stubborn silence and any dream that the bare act of confessing purchases grace.

Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you in a time when you may be found. Surely when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach to him. Wesley: For this—Upon the encouragement of my example. Found—In an acceptable and seasonable time, while God continues to offer grace and mercy. Not come—So as to overwhelm him. One pardoned sinner becomes encouragement for every godly prayer while mercy is offered.

Pray while he may be found. Let David’s pardon embolden your ask; trust that floodwaters will not overwhelm the one who seeks him in season.

Calvin: whatever was set forth in David’s person belongs to all God’s children. Forgiveness came by faith and prayer, not by bare confession as some speak; he bids believers betake themselves to prayer, the true sacrifice of faith. Time of finding compares with Isaiah 55:6—critical seasons when need stimulates recourse to God, who is always willing to meet us though our sloth delays us. In the flood of many waters the godly remain safe if they betake themselves to the sanctuary of grace.

Let one mercy catechize the whole church to pray. Seek him while he may be found; do not wait for the flood to teach what pardon already invites.

You are my hiding place. You will preserve me from trouble. You will surround me with songs of deliverance. After pardon, God himself is refuge: preservation and surrounding songs answer the former drought and silence.

Hide in him, not in renewed cover-ups of iniquity. Receive shouts of deliverance as gift; let trouble meet a Preserver, not only a memory of guilt.

Calvin: thanksgiving in few words with much force. He denies any haven of safety but in God; persuades himself God will be faithful keeper; whatever adversity befalls, God will be deliverer. Compass means manifold deliverance—on every side matter for praise; songs of deliverance stand for help received.

God alone is hiding place. Expect surrounding songs after surrounding waters; offer gratitude rather than a mute return to silence.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shall go. I will counsel you with my eye on you. Wesley: I will—This and the next verse seems to be the words of God, whom David brings in as returning this answer to his prayers. Mine eye—So Christ did St. Peter, when he turned and looked upon him. Divine counsel answers confession with guided walking under a watching eye.

Take instruction as mercy’s next gift after pardon. Stay under the eye that counsels; remember Peter’s look as pastoral emblem of restoring gaze, without forcing foreign disputes onto the line.

Calvin: that the exhortation may have force, the speaker addresses each person; David, care for others marked by the eye, turns his own benefit into guidance so brethren may share the same mercy. Those solicitous for our welfare are appointed as guides, showing God’s paternal care. (Calvin reads David as the instructor here, teaching sinners the way.)

Walk the taught way under watchful counsel. Let forgiven people become guides; refuse a pardon that never learns the path.

Be like the horse, or like the mule, which have no understanding, who are controlled by bit and bridle, or else they will not come near to you. Wesley: Will not—Unless they be forced to it by a bit or bridle. And so all the ancient translators understand it. Willing nearness beats stubborn force; understanding answers the eye of verse 8.

Do not make God drag you to mercy with bit and bridle. Stay near by understanding; let confession be voluntary, not only pain-forced.

Calvin: learn with quietness; lay aside stubbornness; put on meekness. If we were attentive to corrections, we would hasten to seek God’s favor. The refractory are likened to brute beasts—men know how to tame horses with bits; what then will God do with the intractable who kick against the pricks?

Refuse mule-like hardness after pardon invited you near. Take counsel willingly; do not wait for heavier curb.

Many sorrows come to the wicked, but loving kindness shall surround him who trusts in the LORD. Wesley: Sorrows—This is an argument to enforce the foregoing admonition. Two circles: sorrows hemming the wicked; steadfast love surrounding the trusting.

Trust the LORD and live inside surrounding love. Let the contrast enforce soft obedience; do not envy a wicked peace that the psalm says is not coming.

Calvin: without figure he declares the rebellious condition—no end of miseries until consumed. God has innumerable plagues against the wicked and infinite goodness to succor his own. Remedy for afflictions: humble yourself under God’s hand and found salvation on his mercy alone; those who rely on God are shielded on every side.

Sorrows multiply for the stiff-necked; mercy compasses those who hope in Jehovah. Found safety on mercy, not on stubbornness that still needs the bit.

Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, you righteous! Shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart! The forgiven are summoned to gladness: righteousness and uprightness of heart answer the blessing of verses 1–2, not a claim of sinless perfection.

Rejoice in the LORD who forgave. Shout with the upright in heart; let pardon produce praise, not a return to silent cover-up.

Calvin: after teaching how accessible true happiness is, he exhorts to gladness in Jehovah—nothing prevents assuring themselves of God’s favor, who so kindly offers reconciliation. Holy rejoicing follows lively faith. He addresses the righteous, upright in heart, because external show does not avail. How call them righteous whose happiness is free non-imputation? Those received are dissatisfied with their sins and repent with whole heart—not that repentance merits pardon, but faith is never separated from the spirit of regeneration; God accepts upright disposition by free grace as if pure.

Be glad in the LORD who remits. Let uprightness mark sincere hearts under pardon, not a rival righteousness of works; shout because mercy surrounds you.