BLESSED IS THE MAN
PSALM 32:1-11; ROMANS 4:6-8
Introduction:
“A Psalm of David giving INSTRUCTION.”
The Psalmist describes the blessings of His forgiveness, succeeding the pains of conviction, and deduces (to draw from) from his own experience instruction and exhortation to others. –Jamison, Fausset, Brown
This psalm “is calculated to give the HIGHEST INSTRUCTION relative to the GUILT of sin, and the BLESSEDNESS of pardon and holiness. It is supposed to have been composed AFTER David’s transgression with Bath-sheba, and subsequently to his obtaining pardon.” —Adam Clarke, Commentary by Gary Gallant.
I. GOD TURNS AWAY FROM HIS WRATH
A. Blessed is the man whose transgression is FORGIVEN, vs..1-2; Numbers 14:18, “The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.”
1. The Lord in His mercy TURNS AWAY from His ANGER, Psalms 85:3, “Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.”
2. We have done NOTHING to merit His favor, Romans 4:6, “Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,”
B. Blessed is he whose SIN is COVERED, Psalm 85:2, “Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.”
1. In His forgiveness we become WHITE as snow, Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
2. Our sins have been “BLOTTED OUT,” Isaiah 44:22, “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.”
3. He does not remember our sins, Isaiah 43:25, “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.”
C. “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin,” Romans 4:8.
1. In Christ, man has been reconciled to God, 2 Corinthians 5:19-20, “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20- Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”
2. Jesus became sin FOR US, 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
D. Blessed is the man in whose spirit there is NO GUILE (deceit), Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
1. We see the deceitful workers of Satan on every hand today, 2 Corinthians 11:13, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.”
2. The believer is to put off the old man of deceit, Ephesians 4:22, “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;”
II. CONFESSION GIVES EASE TO THE CONSCIENCE
A. Sin is heavy on us, vv. 3-4; Isaiah 58:6, “Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?”
1. Unconfessed sin is troublesome, v. 3; Psalms 31:9, “Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly.”
2. The heart is smitten, Psalms 102:4, “My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread.”
B. Confession of sin gives ease to the conscience, vv. 5-7; Psalms 51:12, “Restore unto me the JOY of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”
1. The godly will pray to the Father, Psalms 4:3, “But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.”
2. The godly will repent of their sins, 2 Corinthians 7:9-10, “Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 10- For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”
C. God will “cause thee to understand,” vv. 8-11; Psalms 34:11, “Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.”
1. “I will guide you,” v. 8; Psalms 25:9, “The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.”
2. Be not without understanding as a horse, v. 9; James 3:3, “Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.”
3. Israel has been foolish, Jeremiah 4:22, “For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.”
4. They will have many sorrows, Proverbs 13:21, “Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repayed.”
5. Be glad in the Lord, v. 11; Psalms 33:1, “Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.”
a. Rejoice before the Lord, Psalms 68:3, “But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.”
b. The upright in heart have something to rejoice about, Psalms 97:12, “Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.”
CONCLUSION