The Title of Psalm 51 is explicit with respect to the author and to the circumstances around which it was written. “A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him after he had gone into Bathsheba.” The fact that the Psalm reverberates with remorse and, in addition, the mention of “blood guiltiness” (Psa. 51:14), gives a clear link to the sad record of David’s adultery with Bathsheba and the subsequent murder of Uriah (II Sam. 11 and 12).
Nathan’s delivery of the Lord’s condemnation was blunt: “Thou art the man!” (II Sam. 12:7). Even as David reeled with shock at the disclosure, reassurance came: “The Lord has put away thy sin” (II Sam. 13). Nevertheless, tragic consequences would reach beyond David to affect his family and nation. (Perhaps when we are tempted to sin, it may serve as a deterrent if we consider the consequences on our natural and spiritual family).
Grace toward sinners
Although David was not the first or the last disciple of God to lust after another man’s wife (Jesus taught that to lust in one’s heart is adultery), he was unique in that he was in the position of power and authority to act out his adulterous desire. Obviously, we are not endowed with the power to eliminate someone in battle, but to hate is the spirit of murder: “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath everlasting life abiding in him” (I Jn. 3:15).
Such behavior, as David found to his cost, destroys our close relationship with the Lord. Nevertheless, the comfort of mercy came with the message of Nathan. Likewise, we take encouragement when we consider the greatness of God’s grace toward sinners. He forgave the horrendous sins of David as He later forgave the apostle Paul, the self-styled “chief of sinners” (I Tim. 1:15). Our God is a jealous God, but He is also “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious… keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin” (Ex. 34:6,7).
David was acutely aware of experiencing an inner “drying up” and loss of fellowship with God in spite of being forgiven (Psa. 32:4). He yearned to have the favor of an intimate relationship restored, knowing, however, that more was needed than simply saying: “I have sinned against the Lord” (II Sam. 12:13). David had to seek that restoration with an attitude conducive to forgiveness; he had to show contriteness. Here is the role model for us when we confess our sins and seek to know again the joy that is ours in Christ.
Unlimited forgiveness
Much is revealed in the Psalm about David’s spirituality. For example, his appeals are on the basis of God’s loving kindness and the multitude of His tender mercies, not on the perception of his own works. His attitude fits with that of the publican rather than the Pharisee (Lk. 18:10). There is in the request to blot out his sin, an understanding that forgiveness means God putting the sin completely out of His sight; a forgiveness so unlimited, in fact, that God treats the sinner as though the sin had not occurred.
Another facet of David’s understanding is the need to be cleansed. Sinning makes the inclination to repeat the process even stronger (Rom. 6:16) and David is aware of this. Like us, he needed help to overcome and did not hesitate to ask for it.
Seeking forgiveness may some times arise from a desire to ease a guilty conscience. With the man after God’s own heart, it was much more than that; he desperately wanted to be rid of his sin and to be put right with the Lord. “Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin” (Psa. 51:2). Here is demonstrated the maxim that the plea for forgiveness must be accompanied by a genuine desire for cleansing. Confessing his crime, David acknowledged that he had sinned against God and recognized the justice in the condemnation. “Against thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest” (Psa. 51:4). Yes, he had committed grievous wrongs to Uriah but, above all, he had despised God and had given cause for his enemies to blaspheme. Attitudes are unchanged today; the unbeliever seems to find vindication in the downfall of the faithful: “I thought he was supposed to be a Christian!” is a common expression.
Down the centuries the statement: “Behold, I was shape in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psa. 51:5) has led many to think that David blamed his mother for his problems. On the contrary, we see David recognizing the inherited impulses to sin that shaped his life toward iniquity. God wants truth to be in our inward parts and to this end will give wisdom to the discerning. Shadows of the substance At our memorial service, how appropriate is the cry: “Purge me with hyssop” (Psa. 51:7). Hyssop refers to the herb used in sprinkling the blood of the Passover lamb. It was also used in sprinkling the blood of sacrifice on a healed leper and in the offering of the red heifer. All of these rituals were but shadows of the substance of the sacrifice that we are here to remember today. By inspiration, David looked forward to the same event and we share his hope of being totally purged from sin and made “whiter than snow,” our bodies fashioned like the glorious body of Christ.
Each one of us must surely identify with the request for the creation of a “clean heart” and the renewal of a “right spirit” (Psa. 51:10). To obtain this on our own is impossible. It must be a goal sought through the creative power of God’s word working in our minds, encouragement from other disciples, and the humbling, uplifting discipline of prayer.
There will be moments when we despair and plead with God not to cast us off. David’s plea that God not cast him out of His presence or take His holy spirit from him reflects the oppression of heart and profound sense of loss he was experiencing (graphically described in Psalm 32). The sentiments are understandable, for there is an uplifting of mind and heart, a noble purpose leading to real joy when one is in harmony with the things of God. A life lived in the presence of God and His son inspires and enriches the lives of disciples throughout trials, adversities, and old age. In comparison, the pleasures of sin are tawdry and short-lived, as David well knew. An illicit association with a beautiful woman brought him only passing satisfaction, but resulted in guilt and lifelong troubles and woes.
Burden of guilt
Desperately he prayed that God uphold him with His free Spirit (Psa. 51:12). The word free is translated as “willing” in Exodus 35, where the people of Israel were stirred up by God to offer materials for making a sanctuary in which He would dwell. David asks for help to ensure that his service to the Lord be willing and enthusiastic, not a grudging adherence to rules. Being so energized, the ensuing joy would overflow into an irresistible desire to tell others of the goodness and mercy of God. “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation…then I will teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee” (Psa. 51:12,13). Although our sins are perhaps less published, we who value our special relationship with God, through His son, also feel a burden of guilt when we do what we know to be wrong. Knowing that our sins are forgiven in Christ should motivate us to reach out to the god less in our society and show them the wonder of God’s plan of salvation.
Adding to the remarkable spiritual maturity of David is his insight into the symbolism associated with animal sacrifice. God had no pleasure in an automatic ritual devoid of understanding in the mind of the offered. The rite was instituted to teach people about their relationship to God and the right attitude of approach. What He required was a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart.
He does not require someone who has lost all will, hope and desire to live; rather He wants one in whom self-righteousness, pride and self-reliance are set aside by the humbling appreciation that we are as but dust in God’s sight, and totally dependent upon His grace.
The lamb without blemish
In common with Abraham, who rejoiced to see the day of the Lord Jesus (Jn. 8:56), David was a prophet (Acts 2:29) and must have seen the sinless anti type in the sacrificial lamb without blemish. This is the one we are here to remember today; the one in whom we are thoroughly washed and cleansed from our sins. We share in the petition of his ancestor as he looked forward to the culmination of God’s purpose: “Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem” (Psa. 51:18). The Lord in His mercy, grant that we may be selected among the precious jewels that adorn the walls of the New Jerusalem.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One