Psalm 51 Pt 2

SLIDE 1 Perhaps you have noticed that in our culture it is becoming rarer for people to admit fault. People will apologize without ever admitting they did anything wrong. They’ll say things like, “I apologize to those who were offended.” They aren’t admitting guilt just acknowledging that someone may have been offended. We’re good at making excuses or blaming others.

Turn to Psalm 51, a psalm of David after he was confronted by the prophet Nathan concerning his affair with Bathsheba. We started looking at this psalm last week but only got through verse 6. We’ll finish it tonight. In this psalm David took ownership of his wrongdoing. He didn’t blame Bathsheba of place the death of Uriah at the feet of the Amonites. He took responsibility for the sins he had committed. He confessed them and repented.

These are two important words: confess and repent. Even though I think these two words summarize what the psalm is about, neither of these words is found in the psalm.

To confess is to admit a wrongdoing, a crime, or a sin. The Greek word for confess has the additional meaning of “to say the same thing as another” or “to agree with another.” Confession then is admitting that God is right about what is right or wrong. To confess is to agree with God about what he says concerning our sin. Confession is the first step in forgiveness.

The next step is repentance. The most basic meaning of repent is to feel or express regret or remorse about a wrongdoing or sin. Again, the Greek means much more. It means to change your mind and thus your actions about a certain activity. I once thought stealing wasn’t a problem. Then, I read the Bible and found out that God considers it a sin so I changed my mind and my actions. I think differently about it now and I act differently. I no longer steal.

I mentioned last week that these two words – confession and repentance – are important in our relationship with God. They help keep us in a right relationship with God.

Last week we saw David confess his sin as he pleaded for God’s mercy. Tonight we’ll see David ask for restoration. David prays:

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. (Psalm 51:7-9)

The word for cleanse literally means to “de-sin.” David is asking God to what only God can do, to cleanse him from his sin. David couldn’t do it himself, he needed God’s help. At the first Passover, hyssop was used to spread the lamb’s blood on the doorposts. Hyssop was also used by the priests to sprinkle purifying water. David asks God to wash him from his sin because he knows that God’s cleansing is effective.

Every laundry detergent promises that it can not only get your clothes clean but that it can take out every stain. Of course that’s not true though. We know it’s not true because every year or so they come out with a new and improved version of their product. If their product was so good to begin with why would they need to improve it?

Sin causes a stain on our lives that we cannot get rid of by ourselves. However, God can wash out every stain caused by sin. Isn’t that what John wrote in his first letter? SLIDE 2

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify [or cleanse] us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

God himself said through the prophet Isaiah: SLIDE 3

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord . “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)

SLIDE 4 God encourages us to come to him and let him prove to us that he will not only forgive us our sins but that he will cleanse us from our sins. He will wipe us clean no matter how dirty with sin that we may be. That’s what David is asking for, a thorough cleansing.

David asks in complete faith that God will hear his prayer and equally important that God will grant his request. It can be difficult to ask God for forgiveness when we fall into. The devil would have us believe that God is not willing to forgive much less cleanse us of that sin. But David has faith. He believes that God will do just that and trusts God to do that. David believes that his purity will be restored. It takes faith to believe that God is willing to wash us and restore our purity that we would once again be white as snow. Commenting on David’s request, Spurgeon wrote:

God could make [David] as if he had never sinned at all. Such is the power of the cleansing work of God upon the heart that he can restore innocence to us, and make us as if we had never been stained with transgression at all.

Neither David nor Isaiah understood completely how this washing would take place but we do. As the hymn asks:

Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you washed in the blood,

In the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb?

Are your garments spotless?

Are they white as snow?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

We are washed by the blood of Christ, the Lamb of God.

David makes a curious statement in verse 8. He talks about his bones that God has crushed. It’s not that his bones had actually been broken but he feels a brokenness that he knows was caused by God. Though no one knew about his sins David still felt the weight of them. When he was confronted about his sins by Nathan they became so heavy that he felt like they were crushing him. This was because of God working in him to convict him of his sin. It’s not pleasant but what’s worse is to not feel remorse or guilt after we’ve sinned. It’s worse to not feel broken. That’s what leads us to confess. If we don’t feel broken we won’t repent and we won’t be forgiven.

We’re not told what incident was behind David’s writing of Psalm 32, but it could have been because of his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba as well. In it David wrote: SLIDE 5

3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. (Psalm 32:3-4)

SLIDE 6 While David was trying to hide his sins from God and others he felt terrible. It wasn’t until he confessed them that his joy was restored. So David asks that the bones God has crushed be allowed to rejoice again when that burden from his sins has been removed. There is a joy when we know our sins have been completely forgiven.

It reminds me of a lesson I heard about sheep. I don’t know if it’s true, but in sermons I’ve heard about how shepherds would break the leg of a wayward lamb in order to keep it near him. It would no longer wander off and would reconnect to the shepherd. Sometimes out of his mercy God allows difficulties into our lives to drive us back to him that we might seek to restore our relationship with him. Out of those difficulties come joy and gladness. This is God’s goal. He wants to restore our relationship with him and he uses our difficulties to do that.

Isn’t that what the author of Hebrews was talking about in chapter 12 when he discusses how God disciplines those he loves? God does what is necessary, even though it may be painful at the time, to bring us back to himself.

Realizing that he can’t hide his sins from God, David asks that God would hide his face from them. David is asking God to look away from his sins. And isn’t that what God promises he’ll do. In Psalm 103 David proclaimed: SLIDE 7

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:11-12)

SLIDE 8 God takes them far away.

David then asks for restoration of his heart.

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. (Psalm 51:10-11)

David asks for a clean heart, a pure heart. David asks God to create this in him. The word David uses for create is the same word used in Genesis when talking about God creating the universe. It’s a word used to talk about something coming into existence that wasn’t there before. So, David isn’t asking that God make his heart better, but that God that give him something he didn’t have – a pure heart. This is something that only God can do. And God promises to do this as well. SLIDE 9

25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. SLIDE 10 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. SLIDE 11 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. (Ezekiel 36:25-27)

SLIDE 12 God promises to do what only he can do, give us a heart that completely follows after him. In addition to the pure heart, David asks for a spirit or desire to follow after God. What good does a pure heart do if there is no desire to continue in righteousness? So, that’s what he asks for.

David desires a renewed relationship with God. What’s the purpose of a clean heart and right spirit if he is cut off from God? He doesn’t want to be cut off from God. He’s seen what that was like with Saul when God took his Spirit from him. Saul was miserable. David did not want to be cast from God’s presence. What good is forgiveness if God is not with him?

Moses expressed a similar sentiment are the Israelites worshiped in the golden calf at Mount Sinai. God forgave them but said he wouldn’t go with them in to the Promised Land. Instead, he promised to send an angle to fight for them. But Moses pleaded with God asking how they would be different than any other nation. What good would it be to have the Promised Land if God wasn’t with them? It is God’s presence that distinguished them and showed God’s pleasure with them.

We might not think about it very often, but it is God’s presence with us that makes life rewarding, gives us strength, and provides us with hope. That is what we are looking for in heaven as well – being with God. It is God’s presence that makes it heaven. David desires to be in God’s presence.

David then asks for a restoration to the joy of salvation.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. 13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. (Psalm 51:12-13)

These are my favorite verses in this psalm. David had gone through misery following the revelation of his sin. There has been no joy. He wants to experience the joy of the Lord again. When God does, he will tell others about what God has done for him. And when others hear about the goodness of God they too will want to come to God. They will want to trust in God and live in his presence too.

David asks for a restoration of praise.

14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. 15 Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. (Psalm 51:14-17)

David again makes a plea for deliverance from his guilt. Here, he specifically mentions the death of Uriah when he talks about bloodshed. It’s interesting that he never refers to the adultery. David has had difficulty worshiping God because of his guilt. But, once that guilt has been removed his praise for God will be renewed. Once the weight of his shame is gone he will be able to worship again. He will sing once more.

David makes an important principle in verse 16. God’s primary interest is not in our sacrifices but our obedience. The sacrifices were established by God as a way of dealing with sin, but what is even better is not to sin at all.

David is repeating a truth that Samuel had told to Saul after he defeated the Amalekites. Saul had been ordered to kill every living thing among them because of the way they treated the Israelites when wandering in the wilderness. Saul led his army to victory over the Amalekites but when his men wanted to keep the best of the animals Saul was afraid to tell them no. When Samuel confronted him with this disobedience Saul said they kept the animals alive so they could use them to sacrifice them to God. But Samuel replied: SLIDE 13

Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. (1 Samuel 15:22)

SLIDE 14 Saul’s defense was, “We disobeyed God so that we could make God happy.” It just doesn’t make sense. David understood that. If God wanted a thousand sacrifices David would give it but God doesn’t take pleasure in sacrifices. What God really wants are his people to come before him in humble obedience. God wants us to acknowledge that God is always right. His laws are always good. If we really believe that we will seek to keep them. It takes a repentant heart. It takes acknowledging when we do wrong and willingly confessing our sins. David says God desires a broken spirit. If we have a broken spirit all ideas of our own importance are gone. In the Beatitudes, Jesus referred to as being poor in spirit. It is recognizing our need for God.

David ends with a plea for God to restore good to the kingdom.

18 May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on your altar. (Psalm 51:18-19)

David understood that he had not only failed God but his people, the Israelites. They too were suffering because of David’s sin. David asks God to bless them again.

I want to close with a video. This clip is from “The Chosen.” If you’ve never seen it, “The Chosen” is a TV series about the life of Jesus. They’re almost ready to release their third season. While the series doesn’t strictly follow the time-line of the Bible, it does try to honor the Bible. They aren’t making fun of Jesus or Christians.

The scenes you’ll see involve Mary Magdalene. This story about Mary is not in the Bible but I think it’s biblical. She has messed up and sinned again – whatever that sin is – and she is ashamed to go back to Jesus. He’s forgiven her once but she doesn’t know how Jesus can forgive her again. Peter (will be on the left) and Matthew (on the right) go and find her and convince her to return. Then you see her with Jesus.

VIDEO

SLIDE 15 I think we’ve all been there or know someone who has. We’ve sinned once and wondered how we got there again. We may feel like we’ve reached the point where we just can’t be forgiven again. Like Mary, God forgave me last time but can I even ask God to forgive me again. Someone might say, “But you don’t know my sin.” Do you know David’s? He committed adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah. Uriah is listed among David’s mighty warriors. David knew him personally but it didn’t stop him from sleeping with his wife. And then David had Uriah killed.

This story from David’s life and this psalm teach us that God does forgive. When we confess our sins God is faithful and just and forgives our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.