Psalm 51 The Sacrifice God Accepts - A Broken and Contrite Spirit

This passage paints a picture of what a broken and contrite spirit looks like.

Background:

David has commited a serious sin with Bathsheba.

In his attempt to “cleanse” himself he takes Uriah’s life.

Nathan approaches him concerning his sin.

Knows God’s power to forgive. - v. 1-2

v. 1 - multitude of thy tender mercies, lovingkindness (steadfast love), blot out

v. 2 - wash thoroughly, cleanse

v. 7 - purge, wash whiter than snow=scrubbing of a stain on clothes

v. 9 - hide thy face, blot out=complete removal

v. 12 - restore

v. 14 - deliver

Application:

Have you experienced God’s tender mercies in salvation, trusting God’s power alone?

Believer, you must daily trust His power to forgive.

Knows his own position against the standard God requires. (heart) - v. 3-6

David was guilty and here’s how he describes it:

v. 1 - my transgressions=a rebellious act against authority

v. 2 - iniquity=crooked or bent, sin=missing the mark

v. 3 - transgressions, sin

v. 4 - against thee, done this evil in thy sight

v. 5 - born in iniquity

v. 10 - his heart and his spirit had been affected

v. 12 - his joy had been altered

v. 14 - guilty of shedding blood

God requires a standard that David knows he cannot and did not meet.

Integrity, uprightness

Application:

We cannot meet the standard God requires as we were born crooked, bent.

We must understand that there is nothing in us that can earn God’s forgiveness.

His holy standard must be met and was met by Jesus Christ.

Knows that he is not able to cleanse himself. He is not able to fix his own heart issue. - v. 7-12

Psalm 119:9 KJV 1900

BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?

v. 8 - God’s chastening hand has dealt a crushing blow to David’s inward parts.

So David asks for a new heart in v. 10-12.

The Heart:

The Bible speaks often of thinking or acting with the heart.

It is the seat of the mind, emotions, and will.

Genesis 6:5 KJV 1900

And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

It is not just the source of emotions as we are inclined to think, it is where the will and thought originate.

Produces emotions: joy, sorry, anger, anxiety, love

It also: thinks, wills, plans, makes decisions, is the source of all of our words

Proverbs 23:26 KJV 1900

My son, give me thine heart, And let thine eyes observe my ways.

What your heart most loves is what you will trust and be committed to. (relationships, games, wants)

Feelings arise out of the hearts inclinations.

What the heart most wants the mind finds reasonable, the emotions find valuable, and the will finds doable. (talking yourself into a purchase you know you shouldn’t make, Manaus Basketball team)

Your ‘loves’ show what you actually believe in.

Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.

Matthew 6:21 KJV 1900

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

No wonder God reminds us that He ignores the outward appearance and looks on the heart.

Application:

The term in v. 10 for create is ONLY used with God as the subject.

Not the labours of my hands

Can fulfill thy laws demands;

Could my zeal no respite know,

Could my tears forever flow,

These for sin could not atone;

Thou must save, and thou alone. (Augustus Toplady)

v. 11-12 - David prays this because there is a feeling that he should be banished from God’s presence because of his sin.

Only God can cleanse the stain of sin and restore our relationship.

God does the work of restoring our heart. My heart is naturally deceitful and wicked. God must give us a new heart.

Desires to sing aloud the righteousness of God. v. 13-17

David knows that no outward conformity will be pleasing to God but rather his heart needed to be broken and cleansed.

David knows that no outward conformity will be pleasing to God but rather his heart needed to be broken and cleansed.

If man could cleanse himself, he would glory in himself. But, because God is the source of cleansing, the Psalmist praises Him for His righteousness.

v. 7 hyssop

Numbers 19:17–20 KJV 1900

And for an unclean person they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin, and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel: And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons that were there, and upon him that touched a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave: And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even. But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the Lord: the water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean.

Those who are truly forgiven will seek to tell others of God’s grace. - v. 13-14

Experiencing God’s redeeming grace gives us a desire to see other’s joy restored and a desire to praise God for what He has done toward them. - v. 14-15

If we could restore our own relationship with God (Abraham) we would receive the glory. God restores to us a clean heart so that He might receive all the glory.

Conclusion:

David’s sacrifice to God was a broken spirit and a contrite (crushed bones) heart.

A contrite heart is not:

One that is sad it got caught.

One that is upset because God is “disappointed” with them.

A contrite heart is:

Broken because of failure to meet God’s standard

Broken because of selfish pride that grieved the Holy Spirit

Broken because of the current state of its heart

Formal, outward obedience could never result in forgiveness.

There had to be a heart dealt with by the Holy Spirit who convicts (deep distress over sin) of sin.

My sacrifice should be the same as David’s.

Heart: Whatever we most value and cherish in our hearts “subtly but infallibly controls the whole person’s direction and values.

“What captures your heart’s trust and love controls your feeling and behavior.”

Your ‘loves’ show what you actually believe in.

Understanding the extent of God’s mercy towards me will bring about a broken and contrite heart for my rebellion towards Him.

No List of Sins