Psalm 32 - Selah

The word “Selah” in the Book of Psalms means a musical notation, and when it says “Selah” at the end of a paragraph, in the Hebrew it means to “pause” and “weigh”. You need to stop and meditate on what was just said, and also, get ready for what is about to be said.

In Psalm 32, we get a really beautiful lesson. In the first four verses, we learn that if we don’t confess our sin (when we keep silence), then we don’t get what the first two verses describe: we don’t get our sins forgiven; and we can’t be blessed by the Lord not ascribing iniquity unto us. We must confess our sins to God to attain repentance of them. When we are silent about our sins, our spirits dry up and become crumbly, they don’t stay moist and beautiful.

And then, Selah. Stop and think about that is what it means. Weigh that part – then check out the next part, verse 5.

Psalm 32

1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

3 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.

4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.

The next verse, verse 5, pretty much seals the way to go. Acknowledge your sins to God, confess them, and He forgives the iniquity of your sins. Voila! What a deal! And again, Selah. Think about that!

5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

Verses 6 and 7 tell us what we do when we have been forgiven – we pray, verse 6; and we sing songs of deliverance, verse 7. Pray and praise, because what He gives us in that forgiveness, well, it’s above and beyond anything we could ever imagine while we are in these flesh bodies. We will not be able to be misled by the "floods of great waters", which are the floods of lies during the end times, we will be preserved from trouble.

Selah.

6 For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.

7 Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.

And now, the last four verses of the Psalm, God tells us what He will do for us – instruct us, teach us the way we should go, and “guide thee with mine eye”. He tells us not to be stubborn or short on understanding, He really WILL teach us, and we won’t need a bit or bridle to be led around on. We will know and understand. In addition, verse 10, mercy will encompass us! Wow.

And so we rejoice and are glad in the Lord.

8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.

9 Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.

10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about.

11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

KJV