Transgressions:   Rebellion, sin, trespass (OLB). These are sins that we knowingly commit.

Iniquity:   To commit sin without knowledge, to commit sin intrinsically, perversity, depravity. 1. to bend, twist, distort, to do perversely, to be bent, be bowed down, be twisted, be perverted, 2. to commit iniquity, do wrong, pervert (OLB).

Sin:    Miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, to miss the goal or mark, to miss the path of right and duty, to incur guilt, incur penalty by sin, and to forfeit (OLB).

Psalms 32:1-5 1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3 When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. 4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer. 5 I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.

The first two verses of this Psalm present a very contrite and broken King David. He begins with a foundational truth—the blessings of having all our sins forgiven. David points to a source outside of himself that grants this forgiveness. He doesn’t say—blessed is the man who forgives himself of all his own transgression and sin, who doesn’t impute to himself all of his iniquities and in whom there resides a spirit that has no guile. No, he states that there is a power that is greater than himself that needs to do this cleaning, and only God can clean his conscience to the point that his soul can rest.

Verse 3 of Psalm 32 points out the truth of the consequences we reap when we don’t follow the direction and will of God. David gives a vivid picture of the results of unconfessed sin in a life. He states that his bones grew old (a word picture); we can feel very old when our conscience is weighed down. Although the effects are immediate in our spirit, our sins can manifest in the soul and cause physical effects to afflict our bodies. Here’s a sample list: adultery, anxiety, outbursts of anger or temper tantrums, anorexia, arrogance, bitterness, bulimia, ineffective or evil communications, depression, lack of discipline, drunkenness, fear, financial problems, fornication, frustration, gluttony, greed, guilt, homosexuality, impatience, interpersonal disputes, jealousy, laziness, loneliness, lust, lying, marriage problems and failures, problems in parent and child relationships, pride, procrastination, rebellion, self-pity, stealing, suffering, ulcers, and worry—virtually every area of life. Some of these sins are very debilitating and can, at times, if not repented of and forsaken, cause death. Remember, ignorance—neither an excuse nor covering for sin—is fixable. Stupidity though, is a choice.

Verse 4 continues to show us the consequences of not confessing sins to our loving heavenly Father. It saps our strengths and our resources. Unconfessed sin dries us up in spirit, soul, and body.

Verse 5 shows the results of turning to a merciful God and how He died to show us how serious He was to love us and forgive us completely. David again stresses the importance of having all our sin, transgression, and iniquity forgiven. He doesn’t leave any chances for darkness to grow in him and stand between himself and God.

Also note the use of David’s will. He states emphatically, “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden,” and “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.”

LORD:  The proper name of the one true God (OLB). This title is spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence, firm, strong, master, king, Lord of the whole earth, Adonai (parallel with Yahweh).

King David knew whom he had sinned against. He fully understood the only One who could give complete forgiveness for all that he had done. Here we see the value of both confession and acknowledgment to a Holy God. Acknowledge means to know, learn to know (become sensitive to), to perceive and see, find out and discern, to discriminate, distinguish; to know by experience; to recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess; to consider (OLB). Confess means to identify, agree, accept, and understand what we have done. We need to acknowledge our sin and then confess it, just as David did.