I was talking with a friend recently and remembered something that came to me months ago. Psalm 51 is generally considered to be a Psalm that David wrote shortly after the death of Bathsheba's husband. David was spoken of as a man after God's own heart. Yet, David still sinned, including the arranged murder of the husband of a woman he wished to acquire for himself. We can say that we would never stoop to killing someone, or that David was the worst kind of sinner, but in God's eyes, anything less than perfection is worthy of death forever.
So, if death is the wages of our sin, then why does God show mercy on us, and what did the penalty of death that Jesus Christ suffered tell us about the amazing love of God for us? David spoke truly from his heart when he poured his soul out and repented of his sin before a holy God. David's true spirit in this passage can be found without much investigation. I have prayed this passage as a prayer of repentance before. It is not only the sin of murder that brings a man to his knees, but every thing we do to grieve the God that sent His Son to die in our place should be met with the graveness that David shows in his soul here.
We all need to be reminded often that there is nothing we can do to deserve the riches of heaven and forgiveness of our sins. This is why I love the remembrance service (also known as communion or the Lord's table). We meet around the table weekly and, as the Holy Spirit moves, we share what the Lord lays on our hearts. The whole service is focused around the bread and wine. It is a somber time of reflection of what God sacrificed for us, for ME. I am never so humbled as when I take the time to reflect on what this time really means.
David acknowledges the depths of his sin, knowing that he was a sinful creature from the time of conception, as all sons of Adam share in the sinful nature. He then asks the Lord to cleanse him, to purge him, and wash him clean. His desire here is to be made clean, not to get forgiveness so he can feel better, but honest desire to be an entirely new and clean creation before God.
Verse 10 brings us from the repentance to what he knows God truly wants from him. "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. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with your free spirit."
I see from this portion of the tearful prayer of David that he wishes to be restored and made clean. He knows that he deserves to be cast away, but he also knows the heart of God that wants nothing more than to see His servant restored. I also note that he asks God to restore the joy of "thy salvation" not his own salvation. David knows that he could not have gained his own salvation nor could he ever deserve it, but it came freely from God who rightly could have killed him where he stood, but instead reached out in mercy and love and restored His servant.
Many times we miss the buildup of circumstances to verse 13" Then will I teach transgressors your ways, and sinners shall be converted unto you" I would conclude that the brokenness of David spilling himself out, poured out unto God, begging for mercy, leads the way to sinners to come to repentance.
In many recent conversations with a friend, I see this coming over and over to me, that we must repent of our sins, and not just the lying, stealing, or covetous thoughts. We all know what sins are so easily brought to mind when we pray, but how many times do we completely disregard the commands of God and then not consider this disregard for our commission a blatant sin. We stand in the face of God making excuses for being ashamed of the gospel, for not being the husbands and wives, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters that we should be. We do not only sin when we break the 10 commandments, but any time we know to do good and then don't follow through with action. All the nice words in the world will not make up for the action of God's people in following with what God tells us to do.
So, it all comes back to the basics. Repentance must happen before God can use us. If we don't get ourselves right with God, and then ask for His leading and follow the scriptural commands, we don't have to wonder at all why God isn't seen as moving, or if we are not clear of God's leading. It sometimes takes time for God to show us what to do, but if we are negligent in the basic things we already know to do, why would the Lord trust us with larger things? I know for me, I had to repent of an attitude of pride towards others, and wrong thoughts towards fellow believers. I also had to ask God to forgive me for not truly seeking His face, along with needing the forgiveness for other areas of disobedience in my life. I have not yet arrived, but thanks to the lesson of this psalm, I know where to start. I also have learned that if I am not right with God, He will not use me, and I miss the blessing of what the Lord has for me. He may use someone else, and that is something I will have to live with. When I think about that, I am renewed in my quest to follow wholeheartedly after God, thanking Him often for the debt that was paid on my behalf, a debt that I could never pay.
Mark
