What a blessing it is to have dedicated time to study God’s Word. Obligations and activities demand my attention each day. Carving out that specific block of time to spend listening to God is, for my sanity, paramount.

Today, we delve into Psalms 31-34, focusing on Psalm 32.

Knowing my love for commentaries, my pastor gifted me a spare set of MacLaren’s Expositions. This extensive collection, seventeen encyclopedia-sized volumes, is a prized addition to my library, and today, I will draw from its wisdom.

In his exposition on Psalm 32, MacLaren likens examining this text to inspecting a gemstone. While he might have been referring to a diamond, my mind went to Labradorite, a stone my wife uses in her silversmithing. When you turn a piece of labradorite back and forth, its colors shift and shimmer—a phenomenon known as iridescence. We often encourage shoppers at the art market to carry a piece into the full sunlight to witness its spectacular beauty. This Psalm is similar; we must “rotate” it a few times to comprehend its multifaceted beauty.

While our primary text this year is the New International Version (NIV), in this specific exposition, I will refer to the King James Version (KJV) to grasp the depth of meaning.
Understanding the Depth of Our Nature
Psalm 32 is a “Maskil,” a term that signifies a song designed to teach or impart wisdom. Just as children learn through engaging songs on programs like Sesame Street or Schoolhouse Rock, this Psalm instructs us.

Let’s look at its opening stanza:
“Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.” (Ps. 32:1–2 NIV)
MacLaren highlights the three distinct words used for “sins” in these verses, each revealing a different aspect of our brokenness and God’s comprehensive forgiveness.
Transgressions
A transgression denotes to separate from God, an act of attempting to move away from Him. These are the activities that hinder our fellowship with the Lord.

So many times in my life, when difficulties arise, I’ve realized I haven’t been spending consistent time with God. Days might have passed since I engaged with His Word, and my prayers may have become habitual expressions of thanks for His provision.

Unlike a specific, identifiable act like David’s betrayal of Uriah, a transgression often involves a slow drift, a gradual separation from God that becomes clear only when we look around and realize the distance.
Sins
Next, David refers to “sins.” My pastor often reminds me that “sin” is an archery term, meaning “to miss the mark.” This points to a specific moment when we did something wrong—we knew God’s will and chose our own path instead.
Iniquity
Finally, the King James Version uses the third word, “iniquity.” In the original language, this word conveys the idea of something being “twisted” or distorted. MacLaren shares a story of how the Czar of Russia, when asked for a railroad route from St. Petersburg to Moscow, drew a straight line with a ruler.

The pathway to God is a straight line. Yet, like Doug, the dog, in the Pixar movie Up, who loses focus at the sight of a “squirrel,” we too often diverge from that path.
The Blessedness of Forgiveness and Restoration
The Psalm assures us we can receive forgiveness for our transgressions. This means that when we confess Jesus is our Lord, we can regain that precious closeness with God.

Our sins, no matter how grievous, can be “covered.” This is the essence of atonement. Just as the Israelites would sacrifice animals to atone for their sins, Jesus is the Lamb “who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29 NIV). It is His blood that covers our sins.

And our iniquity is “not counted against us.” Consider the anxiety of a mother whose child wanders away in a crowded store. Panic grips her as she races around, asking employees for help, her heart pounding with fear. She might think, “He does this all the time; when I find him, I’m going to punish him.” But then, someone shouts, “Here he is! With him safe in her arms, a wave of gratefulness washed over her. This illustrates the last aspect of iniquity: we were off the path, but when we return, God accepts us like the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–31). That sin is not “imputed” (a KJV word) against us.

As the Psalm proclaims, this leads to a state of blessedness—a profound joy found in the restoring of our closeness with God, the cleansing of our hearts, and the redirection of our lives back toward Him. We find these things all at once when we identify and remove the idols that entrap and distract us, giving Jesus His rightful place as Lord in our lives.
Tomorrow, we will read Psalms 35-37.

Notes

A. Maclaren, The Expositor’s Bible: The Psalms, Volume 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1943), 302. (Note: Page numbers can vary between editions. This citation refers to a common pagination found in online versions).

Up, directed by Pete Docter and Bob Peterson (Burbank, CA: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2009).