By Jeremy Bell
This is my personal study on Psalm 32 according to my motif analysis, further expanded on in my book, Psalms in Motif Analysis. I have taken the elements of the analysis of the Psalm and grouped them together. So, the entirety of the Psalm will be presented, but in a different order. My hope is to share insights as to what the author intended to convey. This is a theologically sound practice, though good theology does not rely on one observation point alone. Take time to read the Psalm, pray on it, and test it in scripture to gain a good understanding of what God is saying through the author.
Teaching
The composer Ned Rorem is quoted as saying of Nadia Boulanger was “the most influential teacher since Socrates.” Nadia lived 92 years and is known to have taught over 600 students in America alone and taught many more all over the world. If you Google world’s greatest music teacher, her name is top of the list. She taught too many famous people to list, so, I will pick one I like for my thought of the moment.
Leonard Bernstein. Leonard Bernstein also has a list too long for this purpose, so, I will simply state here that he is one of the greatest conductors, composers, pianists, and music educators ever known. More people will know the name Leonard Bernstein than Nadia Boulanger. While Leonard was great, he was not great in a silo. He did not magically have all his musical talent at birth and instantly flourish in the world. He was taught, he had a music teacher, Nadia Boulanger.
Here are some quotes from Nadia to give you an idea of what kind of music teacher she could be. “No-one is obliged to give lessons. It poisons your life if you give lessons and it bores you.”. “Can you live without music?” If the answer is yes, she tells them “thank the Lord and goodbye!”. “A great work is made out of a combination of obedience and liberty.”. “False notes can be forgiven, false music cannot.”. Philip Glass wrote that she tried to be kind but “stayed pretty much in the range between intimidating and terrifying”. In fact, more student quotes can be found along those lines.
Teachers often get credit for being harsh and strict with students. Teachers who are good, who last, are also forgivers. The students will make a lot of mistakes, the teacher must believe things will get improve. It is hard enough bearing through the mistakes of a math student, imagine adding to that the audio of a new music student. The painful squawks and wrong notes that accompany the learner. If the learner is to get better, they must have discipline, and the music teacher must have a quality of long suffering. It starts to sound a lot like the love passage in 1 Corinthians.
My Analysis
Psalm 32 is in VerseArrow, Refrain pattern. A verse is one idea that still has a breakdown of pattern, but those patterns are contained in one idea. In this form, the motif rises and falls from a center point, or center idea within a verse. Look for it. The refrain is a bigger picture truth. A refrain could go anywhere as many times as desired. Read how this Psalm writer uses it and try repeating it more often as you reread the Psalm.
Here is the ‘arrowpoint’, or big huge highlight, of the Psalm:
Let everyone who is godly pray to God in a time when He may be found.
Surely when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach to him.
And now, Psalm 10, in grouped format.
[ Psalm 32 ]
Blessed is he whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom Yahweh doesn’t impute iniquity,
in whose spirit there is no deceit.
Be glad in Yahweh, and rejoice, you righteous!
Shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart!
When I kept silence, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy on me.
My strength was sapped in the heat of summer. Selah.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shall go.
I will counsel you with my eye on you.
Don’t be like the horse, or like the mule, which have no understanding,
who are controlled by bit and bridle, or else they will not come near to you.
Many sorrows come to the wicked,
but loving kindness shall surround him who trusts in Yahweh.
I acknowledged my sin to you.
I didn’t hide my iniquity.
I said, I will confess my transgressions to Yahweh,
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
You are my hiding place.
You will preserve me from trouble.
You will surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.
For this, let everyone who is godly pray to you in a time when you may be found.
Surely when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach to him.
Leonard Bernstein might be the last person to speak with Nadia Boulanger before she died. He said that he asked her if she heard music in her head and what it was. She replied, ”A music that has neither beginning nor end.” Wow! I have rarely heard a truer death bed confession. Nadia “stayed pretty much in the range between intimidating and terrifying” and believed that “great work is made out of a combination of obedience and liberty.” “False notes can be forgiven, false music cannot.”
Anyone can be a student, but not everyone wants to be. A great music teacher does not waste time on those who do not want to learn, who do not want to go full in the subject. Students fear great teaching and press on. Great teaching forgives, bears with, and believes in the student. It is a wonderful example of humility, respect, and faithfulness. There is great reward for the student who perseveres, though they go through pain.
Respond to God while He may still be found. A time is coming when that option is over. Jesus is the master of all teachers; the definition of loving kindness. Even in pain, Joy is secured. Without him, surety of learning will surely overwhelm you. Learn, and immerse yourself in The Nature of Joy.
Resources and Notes
All scripture in this article is from the WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE (WEB). The World English Bible (WEB) is a Public Domain (no copyright) Modern English translation of the Holy Bible. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version of the Holy Bible first published in 1901, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament.
For more related to this blog, check out my post on Equipping the Saints for Local Missions Truths.
This is a reliable translation, but it is always good to read other translations as well. Biblegateway.com has a multitude of translations to read from. It is a great resource.
Another great resource is Biblehub.com. There are multiple translations, commentaries, and so much more. Great research can be done on this platform.
One more I use regularly is Gotquestions.org. This is a great site to answer questions and find threads of related questions.
There are many resources. The key is that God wants relationship directly with you, the individual. His primary source for revealing who He is and growing in intimacy is His word, the scriptures. Don’t just read for instruction. Analyze and read for understanding. Explore, ask questions, and be transformed in Jesus every moment you possibly can. There is no dispute this is a key desire of God. People are brough to the Father, in the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit. This… This is the Nature of Joy.
Jeremy is an author, musician, and business intelligence manager. His mission is to equip and encourage those in Christ, to equip and encourage others in Christ. Jesus, Christ, is the Nature of Joy and melody of the heart. Jeremy unites business analytics (business intelligence), songs, and Scripture for Christian living in the power of the Holy Spirit.