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 .