The Righteousness Rubric in Psalm 32

My teenage sons are solidly in their research paper season, and I am here for it. Reentering the land of syllabi reminds me how much I love a rubric. I love the crystallized clarity they provide: To succeed, simply cover this series of strong suggestions. This is the stuff of a highly responsible perfectionist’s dreams.

But real life is so very different from a research paper. I know, because I keep frantically looking for the rubrics. I want one for parenting teenagers; I want one for being married to a pastor; I want one for deepening a soul, helping heal from trauma, and being a good host.

When we are weary and feel paralyzed by the weight of failure, we must have a rubric for living righteously before God. And the Lord has given us one in Psalm 32—a rubric for growing in righteousness through His righteousness!

A Rubric for Those Longing to Be Righteous

David begins Psalm 32 confidently proclaiming the blessed happiness of those whose sins are forgiven, against whom the Lord counts no iniquity (Ps. 32:1–2). He knows this blessedness from both sides of the experience, as he shows us in the following verses which remember the holistic misery he felt when he tried to cover, hide, or deny his sin, both to himself and to others (Ps. 32: 3–4). He then gets into what I read as the rubric for righteousness.

1. Acknowledge your sin to God, don’t cover it up (Ps. 32:5). The learner will only be able to do this when he or she realizes the motivation to stop covering over weakness, failure, limitations, and sins: The Second Person of the Trinity became fully human so that He could climb a cross to cover our sin. No hiding or pretending is necessary.
2. Offer prayers to God in a time when he may be found (Ps. 32:6). Spoiler alert: this is all the time because Christ stepped into time to meet an untimely death. We have full and forever access to God’s presence purchased at the cost of Christ’s precious blood. All that is left for you to do is to cry as a child who knows that he or she is heard.
3. Hide in Him (Ps. 32:7). We can hide in him only because the Father hid His face from the Son. Wrath is gone; only safety in the Savior remains. His scars make the perfect hiding spot for the weak and weary ones.
4. Hear the shouts of deliverance which are louder than the lies (Ps. 32:7). He sings over us, even as the Liar lies and enemies snarl. We hum the tune of sure deliverance even as we fall weary in the battles which are already won.
5. Let him lead you as one who sees you (Psalm 32: 8–9). It isn’t hard to follow someone who leads us with sacrificial love. When we remember that Christ shed his blood for us, we will want to stay near to him—no bit or bridle needed. When we recall that the Sovereign God sees us, we will be much willing to let him steer us.
6. Be glad in the Lord (Ps. 32:11). Gladness befits a people so loved and secure. Circumstances need not be favorable to experience and extol God’s full favor. In fact, unfavorable circumstances often press us into His favor faster.

As I reread the rubric, my heart grew strong even in my weakness. My job is to admit sin, cry like a child, hide in the Lord, look to him in desperate dependence, and listen to him as if my very life depended upon it—which it does. He does the rest. In fact, he already did it. “It is finished,” he speaks over me. The grade is in. I have his perfect righteousness.

Aimee Joseph

Aimee Joseph has spent many years directing women’s discipleship and ministry at Redeemer Presbyterian Church and in Campus Outreach San Diego. She is the wife to G’Joe who has recently planted Center City Church, and mother to three growing boys. Her first book, Demystifying Decision Making released with Crossway in January 2022. You can read more of her writing at aimeejoseph.blog.