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Psalm 51:1-9
~19 min read
TRANSCRIPT
Our text for this morning's message is taken from Psalm 51, verse 1-9. Psalm 51 was one of seven psalms written by King David, known as the Penitential Psalms. The other psalms were Psalms 6, 32, 38, 102 and 143. The word ‘penitential’ is an expression of great sorrow for sin that leads to seeking forgiveness and restoration. Out of the seven Penitential Psalms, perhaps Psalm 51 was the most well-known.
Allow me to give you the background of this psalm. It was one of the saddest stories in the Bible. Remember, David sinned of adultery with Bathsheba and then his subsequent sin of murder in an attempt to cover up his sin of adultery. David was the hero of the Old Testament, a man after God's own heart, appointed by God to be the king of Israel. He was a mighty man in the battlefield, fearless. When he was young, he killed Goliath, the Philistine, a giant of the enemy. He was a man with great poetic gifts who could write beautiful Psalms. But he was also a man of sin. He had a problem with women. When he wanted a woman, he would take her, no matter who she might belong to.
One day, from the roof of his palace, he saw Bathsheba washing herself. She was the wife of Uriah, one of his military officers. Some people wonder why Bathsheba could be seen washing herself, so they believe that she was not innocent, for she placed herself in a position to be seen by the king on his rooftop. But the Bible is silent about this matter, so it is best not to speculate. Nonetheless, the story was that David took her and committed adultery with her, and she became pregnant.
Now David was in a dilemma, and he wanted to cover up his sin. So he arranged for Uriah to return from his military duties to sleep with his wife so her pregnancy could be passed on to him. But Uriah was a faithful officer; he refused to return home while all his soldiers were fighting in the battlefield. So David decided to send him to the front of the battlefield where he was certain that Uriah would be killed. True enough, Uriah was killed. Then David proceeded to marry his widow, as if it was a noble thing to do.
According to the Mosaic law, David should have been stoned to death. But God was gracious and merciful to him. His life was spared, but that did not mean there were no serious consequences. Later on, his child died, and all his other children had different sorts of troubles. It was a most painful experience for David. Sins have very serious consequences. When you and I have sinned, we must never cover up our sins; we must confess and repent. We must never play the fool with our sins.
David was a child of God; he knew God and he worshiped Him. The question is, how could a child of God continue to live his life after he had committed such horrendous sins? How could his sins not affect his worship, his prayer life, his services, his fellowship with other believers, his relationship with God? Will God continue to let him languish in the guilt of his sins and not cause him to repent? Most certainly not. God was so gracious and longsuffering; He waited and waited for at least nine months for David to confess his sins, which he did not. Finally, God sent the prophet Nathan to confront him.
Nathan told David the story of a wealthy man who had many flocks and a poor man who had only one little ewe lamb. The wealthy man stole from the poor man his only little lamb and killed it. David responded furiously, ‘That man deserves to die immediately.’ Nathan said to him, ‘Thou art the man, David. Thou art the man.’ At that moment, God did the most wonderful thing; He brought conviction into David's heart so much so that he was crushed. David broke down, confessed, and repented.
At some point after that crisis, in humility, David wrote Psalm 51. So that is a brief background of this psalm; it was a psalm about God's grace that drove David to confession, repentance, seeking for restoration.
Dear friend, let us search our hearts this morning. If there be any sin that is hindering us from our worship, any sin that we have committed, perhaps no one knows, but surely God knows and it has affected us in our prayer life, in reading the Bible, in our fellowship, even in coming to church, we struggle. Let us not put the blame on others. Let us be like King David, and then we will be able to experience true confession, repentance, and the subsequent restoration.
This is the title of our message: True Confession, Repentance, and Restoration. We will only focus on the first part of Psalm 51, and the next part we will consider it next week.
I. The Appeal For Mercy
Our first point is: The Appeal for Mercy. Let us begin with verse one: "(To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.) Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.”
For the sins of intentional murder and adultery, death is the inevitable judgment. David knew that; he knew the only way of escape from facing this penalty is through the forgiveness of sin, and the only way he could receive forgiveness is through mercy. So he cried out, “Have mercy upon me, O God.”
We cannot come to God on the basis of justice. Justice would demand that you and I be judged accordingly. We cannot come before God on the basis of wisdom. The more we know about God and ourselves and our sinfulness, the more we will be stricken with fear. The reason why we dare to approach God and dare to hope for reconciliation is because of mercy. When we sin against God, we deserve to be punished. Mercy withholds the punishment we deserve, so we must plead for mercy just as David pleaded with God: "Have mercy upon me, O God."
Throughout the Bible, God has revealed Himself to be a merciful God. In the book of Exodus, God delivered the Israelites out of oppression in Egypt. He helped them to cross the Red Sea. He gave them manna from heaven to feed them on a daily basis for 40 years. And yet, they complained that there was no meat. He gave them quails. He was their pillar of fire by night, pillar of cloud by day. When they were thirsty, they murmured again, and God gave them water. Later on, they chose to worship the golden calf. What did they deserve from God? Judgment. But God was merciful; He withheld the judgment they deserved.
Once, there was a lawyer who represented a client for a criminal case. His client was trembling with fear. The lawyer saw his client shaking, and so he said to him, ‘Do not be afraid; I will make sure you receive justice.’ His client cried out, ‘Justice is not what I want; I want mercy. I want mercy.’
Dear friend, we need mercy for we have sinned against God. Even as believers, we are not perfect. We sin against Him, whether it be in our speech, in our thoughts, in our deeds. Do you think God does not know? He knows. Perhaps you have committed a terrible sin, a sin that you are so ashamed of, and you are wondering, will God forgive me? Will He be merciful to me? Or you have sinned and repented, and then you sin again and repented, and then you sin again. You have received so much of God's mercy already. You are so miserable, you are so fearful. Will God's patience be exhausted? Will His mercies be overspent? Yesterday, I asked for His mercy; today, I ask for His mercy again. Will there come an end where I will no longer receive God's mercy?
Dear friend, God is so merciful, and His mercy is according to His loving-kindness and according to the multitude of His compassion. That is the meaning of the word “tender mercies”. You look at these three words; they are the attributes of God: mercy, loving-kindness, and compassion. And God's attributes are perfect and infinite. They cannot be exhausted. You and I should not fear to approach God to plead for mercy. We should be fearful if we do not come to Him and plead for mercy.
The only way we can come to Him and plead for mercy is through the conviction of our sins. So each time God convicts our hearts through His Word, through the wonder-working of His Spirit, whether it be from the sermon we hear, from reading our Bibles during quiet time, or through a brother or sister in Christ who shares with us a portion of God's word, we must not harden our hearts. Like David, we must plead for mercy.
II. The Appeal For Forgiveness
Our second point is: The Appeal for Forgiveness. Verse 2 and 3 say, “Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.”
Notice David used three different words to describe his sins: iniquity, transgression, and sin. The word iniquity means perversion, distortion, and twisting of something. David knew that murder and adultery were a perversion, a distortion, a twisting of God's moral law, yet he did it anyway. The word transgression means to cross a forbidden boundary, and it is a serious rebellion. That is what we have done each time we sin; we cross this forbidden boundary set for us by God's Word, and it is a serious rebellion. The word sin, we all know, means falling short or to miss the mark. God sets the standard, and then we miss the mark; we fall short of it, like an arrow misses the target.
Remember Romans 3:23 says, ‘For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.’ So whenever we sin, we must not take it lightly. We must consider how this word is described for us in the Holy Scriptures: a perversion, distortion, and twisting of God's Word. It is to cross the forbidden boundary. It is to fall short of God's standard.
One of the biggest problems with the world today is that people no longer want to acknowledge sin as sin. People come up with all kinds of definitions to make themselves feel better. Drug addiction, alcoholic addiction, gambling addiction, sex addiction are not acknowledged as sins; they are known as social diseases. If they are diseases, that means you are sick, and if you are sick, it is not your fault. You are just in that situation; it just so happens that you are caught up in that situation. You do not need to go to the Saviour because it is not a sin. So you need to go to the secular counsellor; you need to go to the psychologist and so forth. That is just how subtle this evil world system is, and we must never succumb to it.
You and I must acknowledge sin as sin because the Bible says so. All these three words, iniquity, transgression, and sin, not only point to David's personal failure but, most importantly, it is the fact that he was aware of what he had done wrong. If David was not aware of what he had done wrong, he would not be confessing his sins; he was fully aware.
You see, all our problems with sin must begin with this starting point: an awareness of our sins. The reason why unbelievers do not confess their sins is that they do not believe themselves to be sinners. And the reason why the believers do not confess their sins is that sometimes they do not recognise that they have sinned. You may ask, how is that possible? Well, it could be the lack of understanding God's Word, self-righteousness, or self-delusion, self-deception that can cause us to be so blinded that we do not recognise our own sins.
David was well aware that he had sinned, and the moment he was confronted, it doesn't matter even if he was the king because he was convicted by the Spirit of God. And he said in verse four, "Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight". Many people have debated that this is not entirely right because David had not only sinned against God, but he also sinned against Bathsheba, against her husband Uriah, against his own family, and even the nation of Israel which eventually also was affected. Why then did David say, ‘Thee only have I sinned against Thee alone’?
Firstly, sin in its very definition is against God because it is only by God's Law that sin is called sin. When a child steals money from his parents, some parents may say that is naughty, that is mischief. Only before God, it is sin. Every country has its own laws, and in the eyes of that particular country, which exercises its own laws, that wrong may be a crime. But in another country, it may be permissible. Only before God, it is sin.
Secondly, it is only because of our relationship with God that we understand our neighbour is made in the image of God. So when David sinned against Bathsheba and Uriah, he was sinning against the individuals who were made in God's image. Ultimately, he was accountable to God who created those individuals. That was the reason why David said, “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned.”
When Nathan the prophet confronted David, he cried out, “I have sinned against the LORD” (2 Samuel 12:13). David said at the end of verse four, "that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.” If God pronounces judgment against us, if God judges us for our sins, and it meant devastating consequences, incurable diseases, death, or hell, or if we are forever separated from God, God is still blameless and just. That is what it means.
Verse five, David said, "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me." It does not mean that David was born out of an adulterous affair; he was not. He was not putting the blame on his mother. David was confessing and taking full responsibility for his sins. He was confessing that there was never a moment in his entire life when he was not a sinner. David did not say, ‘Well, I'm basically a good person. It was only this one time, only a moment of weakness.’ But rather, he said in all honesty, ‘This is really what I am. This is my character. This is something deeply rooted in my nature. This is my DNA, so to speak, in our modern language. I am born a sinner.’
Dear friend, if we want to confess our sins, we must take full responsibility for our sins. We must not confess our sins and then with the same mouth, put the blame on someone else—our wives, our husbands, or our children, ‘Oh, it was all because of them. That was why I've sinned.’ Do not put the blame on Satan or the devil, ‘Oh, it was the work of the devil.’ Do not put the blame on the circumstances or the situation, ‘Oh, timing was just not right. That was why I fell into sin.’ Surely, do not put the blame on God. We must never confess our sins and then try to minimise our responsibilities. It will never be accepted. True confession is when you and I take full responsibility and acknowledge in our hearts, ‘I'm a sinner. I have sinned against God in this matter. Have mercy upon me, oh God. Have mercy upon me.’
Verse 6 says, “Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.” In other words, God desires not only just an outward purity but, more importantly, an inward purity. And this inward purity is influenced by His truth. There are some people who outwardly show that they are very loving, generous, kind, godly, and pure. But inwardly, they are empty of those virtues. It is all but an outward show. Do you think God does not know? He sees into the deepest recesses of our hearts. He knows.
But at the same time, there are others who say, ‘Well, that is right. What really matters is what is inside, not what is outside because God sees the heart. God sees what is inside. So it doesn't matter what I do outwardly. I can dress sensuously. I can behave in a worldly fashion. I can say what I want to say. I can behave any way I want.’ That is a lame excuse for sin. Do you think God is blind, that He can only see what is outside and not what is inside? God sees everything, both the inside as well as the outside. Nothing can escape His eyes.
Here, God desires the inward purity because it is the inward purity that would influence the outward purity. If you want to deal with sin, you have to deal with the root problem, and the root problem is the heart. If you have an issue with lust or if you have an issue with anger, pride, greed, jealousy, or envy, is it not a heart issue? Most certainly, you have to deal with the heart. The only way is to fill your heart with God's truth, which is able to transform your life and make you wise. Then you will be able to live a godly life. That is the reason why David said God desires this inward purity, that His people inwardly would be influenced by His truth. And when you are inwardly pure, then it will manifest this purity outwardly. God sees everything, whether inwardly or outwardly. He desires His people to be pure.
III. The Appeal For Cleansing
Our third and final point is: The Appeal for Cleansing. It actually begins with verse one when David pleaded with God, "blot out my transgressions". And then again, he pleaded in verse 9, "blot out all mine iniquities". Here again, David used three words to describe his desire for cleansing: blot out, purge, and wash. Let me briefly explain.
Firstly, he said, "blot out my transgressions". To blot out means to erase or wipe away. In ancient times, the materials which the people wrote on were very expensive—those pieces of papyrus. So sometimes, those written texts were no longer needed. They would not just throw away those materials because they were extremely precious. What they would do is that they would blot out or erase, wipe away, and turn the pages sideways and write new words. That is the idea.
THE BOOK OF PSALMSMorning Devotion 1Morning Devotion 1Psalm 1:1
Wonderful Words of LifeWonderful Words of LifePsalm 1:1-3
Morning Devotion 2Morning Devotion 2Psalm 1:2
Morning Devotion 3Morning Devotion 3Psalm 1:3-6
Having Confidence In Times Of TroubleHaving Confidence In Times Of TroublePsalm 3
Pray with Your Eyes OpenPray with Your Eyes OpenPsalm 5:1-12
Message 3: The Test of TrustMessage 3: The Test of TrustPsalm 11:1-7
Morning Devotion 2: Psalm 13Morning Devotion 2: Psalm 13Psalm 13
Message 4: The Life of TrustMessage 4: The Life of TrustPsalm 20:1-9
Learn To Deal With DepressionLearn To Deal With DepressionPsalm 42
Dealing with DepressionDealing with DepressionPsalm 42
God Is Our RefugeGod Is Our RefugePsalm 46
Morning Devotion 3: Psalm 46Morning Devotion 3: Psalm 46Psalm 46
True Confession, Repentance and Restoration [Part 1]True Confession, Repentance and Restoration [Part 1]Psalm 51:1-9
Morning Devotion 1: The Joy of Thy ForgivenessMorning Devotion 1: The Joy of Thy ForgivenessPsalm 51:1-9
True Confession, Repentance and Restoration [Part 2]True Confession, Repentance and Restoration [Part 2]Psalm 51:10-12
The Joy of SalvationThe Joy of SalvationPsalm 51:10-12
Morning Devotion 4: The Joy of Thy SalvationMorning Devotion 4: The Joy of Thy SalvationPsalm 51:10-19
True Confession, Repentance and Restoration [Part 3]True Confession, Repentance and Restoration [Part 3]Psalm 51:13-19
O Come, Let Us Worship the LordO Come, Let Us Worship the LordPsalm 59:1-11
Hear My Cry, O God!Hear My Cry, O God!Psalm 61:1-8
The Man that is Blessed of the LordThe Man that is Blessed of the LordPsalm 65:4
Wilt Thou Not Revive Us Again?Wilt Thou Not Revive Us Again?Psalm 85:1-13
Teach Us to Number Our DaysTeach Us to Number Our DaysPsalm 90:10-12
Morning Devotion 1: Psalm 90:10-12Morning Devotion 1: Psalm 90:10-12Psalm 90:10-12
The Lord Is KingThe Lord Is KingPsalm 93
Christian ParentingChristian ParentingPsalm 127:3-5; Matthew 10:37; Matthew 6:32; Psalm 113:9; Psalm 128:3
What Shall We Give Unto The Lord For All His Benefits Towards Us?What Shall We Give Unto The Lord For All His Benefits Towards Us?Psalm 116:12
Morning Devotion 2: Obedience to God’s WordMorning Devotion 2: Obedience to God’s WordPsalm 119:1-8
Morning Devotion 3: The Cleansing Power of God’s WordMorning Devotion 3: The Cleansing Power of God’s WordPsalm 119:9-16
I Was GladI Was GladPsalm 122:1
Christian ParentingChristian ParentingPsalm 127:3-5; Matthew 10:37; Matthew 6:32; Psalm 113:9; Psalm 128:3
Message 7: What are children for? Heritage of godly seed for Christ!Message 7: What are children for? Heritage of godly seed for Christ!Psalm 127:3, Malachi 2:15, Ephesians 6:4
Christian ParentingChristian ParentingPsalm 127:3-5; Matthew 10:37; Matthew 6:32; Psalm 113:9; Psalm 128:3
A Prayer in the CaveA Prayer in the CavePsalm 142
