Have you ever had somebody love you so much that they would sincerely tell you if you were wrong? Having our shortcomings pointed out is never pleasant. Our pride might get bruised, our self esteem may be damaged, but if we are truly in the wrong, wouldn't we want somebody to let us know?
2 Samuel chapters 11 and 12 reveal a major sin that David the king of Israel committed. God loved him enough to send a prophet, Nathan, to set him straight. Here is a synopsis: In the spring, when kings go out to battle, David stayed home. He sent his generals to fight his battle for him, but he was fighting an internal battle that no one knew about--the battle of lust. He liked to take walks on his roof or balcony, and he spied his neighbor's wife while she was bathing. He asked around, and found out her name was Bathsheba, and that she was the wife of one of his generals named Uriah.
David knew that Uriah was out fighting, because David himself had ordered his generals to go wage war without him. Having both motive and means for mischief, David sent for Bathsheba. When she visited the king's house, David seduced her. Later, Bathsheba sent word to David that she was pregnant, and the baby had to be his, because her husband was out fighting battles against Israel's enemies. David sent word to the front lines to send Uriah home. However, Uriah was an honorable man, and would not go home to his own bed and his own wife, because the other soldiers and officers were at war and could not afford that luxury. David saw that Uriah did not sleep with his wife, so David sent word to the other generals to have Uriah killed. He asked that Uriah be put on the front lines of the battle, and then had the army retreat, leaving Uriah vulnerable.
The plan worked. With Uriah dead, David made Bathsheba one of his wives. No one questioned whether the child that she bore months later might not be David's (at least not out loud). God knew the truth. In His own time, after David might think he had gotten away with it, God sent the prophet Nathan to the king.
Nathan told David a parable. "Once upon a time," he said, "There were two men, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had many flocks and herds. The poor man only had one little ewe lamb, that he loved dearly. A traveler came to visit the rich man. Rather than take from his own flock, the rich man stole the little ewe lamb from his poor neighbor, and slaughtered the animal so that they might prepare a feast for the visitor. What do you think should happen to this rich man?"
David was indignant. With an oath, he declared that the rich man should die for this crime against the poor man. At the very least, he should observe Jewish law and restore fourfold what he had stolen from the poor man. Nathan looked squarely in David's eyes, pointed an accusing finger, and said, "You are the man!" He described how David had been given the kingdom, and multiple wives and concubines, but he was not satisfied. David took the wife of Uriah, an honorable man, and dishonored her. David lusted after that woman whom Uriah had truly loved. Therefore God would judge David severely.
This is the background to the writing of Psalm 51. This is a psalm of penitence, of repentance and remorse. It is so powerful that many prominent people have spoken it as their last words. Historians note that this psalm was recited in full by Sir Thomas More and Lady Jane Grey when they were about to be hanged during the violent reign of Henry VIII and Queen Mary. Missionary William Carey, who pioneered a ministry to India, requested that this psalm be the text of his funeral sermon.
Let's look at this psalm together, and try to unpack its pearls.
A Prayer of Repentance
A Plea for Mercy
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to Your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. --Psalm 51:1-2
In the opening lines of this psalm, David owns up to his shortcomings. Three times he references my transgressions, my iniquity, my sin. There is no blaming others. There is no playing the victim. He alone was responsible for his actions.
I think there is a greater spiritual truth here, one that David will revisit a number of times in later verses. That universal truth is that we are wretched sinners, unworthy of the attention of a holy God. Assumptions are made about God here, as well. Yes He is holy, without question. But He is also merciful, able to overlook our sins because He desires fellowship with us.
Acts 3:19-20 says, "Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send the Christ appointed for you--Jesus." In the Old Testament, God instituted a system of animal sacrifices for the sins of the people. Under the New Covenant, Jesus became a sacrifice for us, the Anointed One sent by God. He took on our sin so that we could take on His righteousness. Colossians 2:14 says He forgave our sins "by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross."
A Prayer of Confession
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You and You only have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You may be justified in Your words and blameless in Your judgment. --Psalm 51:3-4
David had turned a blind eye toward his sin before being confronted by Nathan the prophet. Once his eyes were opened, however, he saw there were many reminders of his sinful act. There was Bathsheba's pregnant belly when he took her into his house. There was the child, who died as God's judgment for the sinful acts. There was Nathan's convicting sermon culminating in the accusing phrase, "You are the man!" David doubtless played that scene over and over in his mind.
When David said, "Against you only have I sinned," he did not mean to discount the sins committed against Uriah (murder, adultery), against Bathsheba (seduction, adultery, being responsible for the loss of her son), against the nation of Israel (betrayal, failure to lead righteously), and the army (not leading them into battle, making them complicit in Uriah's death).
1 Corinthians 8:12 says, "Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ." Our sin has a ripple effect that sometimes we don't even see. Ultimately, however, the sin against God is the most damning.
Plunging the depth of David's need
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, You delight in truth in the inward being, and You teach me wisdom in the secret heart. --Psalm 51:5-6
There were no scandals surrounding David's birth. Most commentators believe that David was making reference to Original Sin. Romans 5:12 says, "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, so death spread to all men because all sinned." We are all under Adam's curse. Adam was driven out of the Garden of Eden and more importantly out of the presence of God because of his sin. We are all sinners in need of a Savior.
But God is faithful. I don't want to leave this passage without going back to a phrase used in verse 1. David pleaded for God's mercy because of His "steadfast love". The Hebrew word here is ḥeseḏ which is variously translated merciful goodness, loving kindness, Godly faithfulness or favor. 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our since and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Without the faithful mercy of God, we would be surely lost.
Prayer for Restoration
Restoration through the blood of sacrifice
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that You have broken rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. --Psalm 51:7-9
The word purge implies more than just an outward whitewashing of sin. It literally means to "de-sin me." This is usually commemorated with a religious rite. Hebrews 9:19 says, "For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people." Blood was sprinkled on the people as a sign of their obedience. Under the New Covenant, baptism is a way that this sign of obedience is commemorated.
Why would David say that he rejoiced in his brokenness? Charles Spurgeon said, "A broken heart can never long be divided from the broken Savior." We are brought low so we can look up to Him. We are broken and spilled out for our good and His glory.
Restoration of the Heart
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. --Psalm 51:10-11
Augustine wrote, "Our hearts are restless til they find their rest in You." We all need to be cleansed from the inside out, no matter our nationality or language or culture. Acts 15:9 says, "He made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith." Ephesians 4:23-24 says, "Be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." Surely we cannot do that with our old hearts. We were born sinful; we must be born again.
We long to be in the presence of Christ. It is a tragedy to be shunned from His presence. Romans 8:9b says, "If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ." There is diversity of thought in God's kingdom, and diversity of peoples, but not diversity in the Spirit. There is only one true faith.
Restoration of the Joy of Salvation
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will return to you. --Psalm 51:12-13
Thank God for second chances through repentance. Think how Peter must have felt when he denied Jesus three times. But Jesus singled him out in Luke 22:32. "But I have prayed for you, Simon," Jesus said, "that your faith may not fail, and when you have returned, strengthen your brothers."
Before God's mercy is bestowed on us, sin separates us from God. After we are met with His mercy, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ. Our salvation is secure, but sin can separate us from the joy of our salvation. God can restore our joy if we confess our sins and repent.
Restoration of Praise
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of Your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. --Psalm 51:14-17
Our unrighteousness separates us from God. Jesus came to be our sacrifice, to shed His own blood for our bloodguiltiness, so that His righteousness could be counted on our behalf. 1 John 1:9 again: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
David recognized this when he was confronted with his own sin. He responded with remorse and repentance in hopes of restoration into God's embrace. We should have someone in our lives who loves us enough to confront our own sins, so that we can repent and be restored in our hearts to joy and praise.
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