Psalm 32--Who Are the Righteous? Verse One

Psalm 32:1 Of David. A maskil. Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 
2 Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. 
3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah 
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"-- and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah 
6 Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. 
7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah 
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.
9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. 
10 Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him. 
11 Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Two of the main actors in the Psalms are the righteous and the wicked. Psalms 1 and 2 tell us this. They also tell us that the righteous are blessed of God, but the wicked come under His wrath. So, what distinguishes the people in these two groups? How do I know which of the two groups I am in? Psalm 32 helps me understand more about who a righteous person is.

1 Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 

Because God blesses the righteous but not the wicked, I learn from the first words that this psalm is about a righteous person. I also learn several things about a righteous person.  1) He is blessed. 2) His transgressions are forgiven. 3) His sins are covered.

1) A righteous person is one who is blessed. Well, who blesses? God. Because it is God who blesses a righteous person, it is therefore God who ultimately determines who is righteous and who is wicked.  We as people do not make the determination of whether or not we are righteous in God's eyes. He makes that determination. God is judge. His is the only word that counts! We ourselves can tell God whether or not we think we are righteous, but God does not always agree with our own assessment of ourselves:

Matthew 7:22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

So, if I want to find out which of the two groups--the righteous or the wicked--I am in, I need to ask God. Only He can tell me that, because only He determines who is which. And God tells me which group I am in as I study and meditate on His word.

2) Is the righteous person one who never sins? No-- 

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Psalm 14:2 The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. 3 All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.

Everyone, according to God's word, sins. Everyone sins. How then can the scripture call a person righteous? When I read a Psalm of blessing such as this one is, a Psalm that blesses a righteous person, I want to know that this Psalm applies to ME, that I am blessed of God. But, I don't have to look very far into my own heart to see and know that indeed I have very grave sins there. Even after being a "Christian" many years, I sin daily. I have besetting sins and I strongly suspect that my most grievous sins of heart, attitude, and motivation are sins of which I am completely unaware. How can I not become discouraged and mentally exclude myself from the blessings of this Psalm?

Point 1 already given is the first assurance: it is God Himself who labels the righteous as being righteous. He is far more gracious and merciful than I will ever be, even towards myself.

Point 2 explains how God can count sinners, which we all of us are, as being righteous--they are forgiven. God has forgiven them. He whom God has forgiven is now righteous in His eyes. But what about when I go on sinning, try as I do to stop?

"Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered."

Point 3 "whose sins are covered" tells us that he who is righteous in God's eyes does indeed have sin, but that these sins are covered. Covered from whose gaze? Covered from the gaze of God, the judge, the sentencer, the One who pours out His wrath on all unrighteousness. My sin is covered; it is invisible to God. Wow! [Selah] My sins are covered. Who covered them? Not I, surely; the verb is passive. The covering is an action done to and for me, once in point of time, but not by me.

But the covering is not like being covered with a blanket by someone who loves us while we are asleep. According to this Psalm, there is a process in the covering in which I am an active player. The rest of the Psalm tells us more. 

Summary: The righteous are blessed; God is the One who both blesses and determines who are the righteous and who the wicked; everyone sins--both the righteous and the wicked; the righteous are forgiven, their sins are covered. Questions: I want to be blessed; I want to be counted among God's righteous. So how do I get my sins forgiven? Then, how can I be sure that my sins are covered?

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Gracious Father, Please lead and guide and open to our understanding Your thought in this Psalm and Your purpose in disclosing it to us. Thank-You, Almighty God.

[to be continued]