The Way of the Crossნიმუში

Broken and Contrite Hearts

Psalm 51

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
so that sinners will turn back to you.
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
you who are God my Savior,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise.

May it please you to prosper Zion,
to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
in burnt offerings offered whole;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Reflection on the passage:
The story behind this psalm reflects one of the darkest times in King David’s life. David, the one called “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:22), committed adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of his mighty soldier Uriah, and then arranged for Uriah to be killed in battle to cover up what he had done (see 2 Samuel 11-12). Over time David must have allowed the condition of his heart to go horribly amiss; for even after committing these acts, it took the Prophet Nathan’s confrontation to wake David up to the reality of his sin before God. Yet we see in this moving and penitential psalm that as true conviction comes, so does hope. David, with a broken and contrite heart, throws himself before our merciful and loving God, the only One who can cleanse, restore, and renew him.

David realizes that as much as he has hurt others, his sin is first and foremost against God, causing a break in this most important of relationships. That is why David pleads for God to not take the Holy Spirit away from him, likely remembering how this had happened to King Saul. Further, David sees that his sinfulness is part of his human condition from birth, not just about his current actions.

Only God, in His mercy, can take away the stain of sin and make David clean again: “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow” Hyssop was a plant that priests used to sprinkle water on those who were unclean as part of a purification rite. David knows that a sacrificial rite by itself cannot make him clean – only God can. David’s part is to come before God with a “a broken and contrite heart”. Then it is God who creates in him a “pure heart” and “renews a steadfast spirit” within him. Note that the Hebrew word for “heart” means more than emotions – it is our inner self that also includes our mind, intentions, and will.

What is the condition of our hearts, as we move into the way of the cross? Perhaps like David we have accommodated a sin in our life, numbing ourselves to its effect on others and on our relationship with God. May we pray today for God to show us our hearts, to give us tears of conviction, and to help us lift our brokenness to Christ so that He can do the work of renovation on our hearts.

Suggested spiritual practice:
Confession Prayer with Psalm 51
1. Begin by praising God who is holy, merciful, and full of love beyond measure.

2. Ask God to show you if there is any sinful attitude or action that He is inviting you to confess to Him.

3. After confessing, thank God for the amazing forgiveness that is available to you in Christ, who cleanses you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

4. Invite Jesus to do His cleansing, restoring and renewing work on your heart. Take some time to just be with Jesus as you lift to Him your heart.

5. Read Psalm 51, or a segment of it, as your closing prayer.