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author, but, as The Companion Bible indicates, they may imply a prophetic anticipation
of the day of David's greater Son. The reference to the "temple" in verse 4 also points in
this direction, for no temple existed until Solomon's day.
Leaving these considerations, however, let us give our attention to the blessings
specified in this passage. It is most important that we should not forget that this record of
blessings commences at verse 3:--
"Iniquities prevail against me; as for our transgressions, Thou shalt purge them away."
It may at first seem strange to commence a list of blessings with "prevailing
iniquities". But until the believer has come to an end of himself and has realized his
complete ruin and hopelessness, fullness of blessing cannot flow out from God into his
heart. It is the empty vessel that He fills. The margin indicates that the word "iniquities"
should read either "words" or "matters", and the LXX translates it logoi anomon. The
Psalmist was overwhelmed by the record of his sin; he felt himself condemned, and
ready to cry out with the "wretched man" of Rom. 7: 24. The blessing of Psa. 32:,
the blessedness of covered transgression and of forgiven sin, is here repeated: "As for
our transgressions, Thou shalt purge them away." The way is now open for the special
blessings of verse 4.
These blessings are connected with (1) Choice, (2) Approach, (3) Dwelling and
(4) Satisfaction.
(1) "Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest."--This initial blessing, the blessing of
God's choice, rests upon nothing but the sovereignty of God and moves entirely in a
realm of grace:--
"The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in
number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: but because the Lord
loved you and because He would keep the oath which He had sworn unto your fathers"
(Deut. 7: 7, 8).
This initial blessing separates the recipient, in the eyes of Him that chose, from all
else:--
"The Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto Himself, above all the nations
that are upon the earth" (Deut. 14: 1, 2).
In Psa. 106: 5 the Psalmist desires to see and rejoice in:--
1: The Good of Thy chosen.
2: The Gladness of Thy nation.
3: The Glory of Thine inheritance.
When we turn to the N.T. we find the same insistence upon the sovereignty of the
Chooser, the peculiarity of the chosen and the glory of their inheritance:--