A Road Map for Life | Remembering Our Redeemer Sample

IT GETS REAL (Psalm 51)

We don’t know the historical setting of every psalm, but we certainly know the setting for Psalm 51. In fact, the inscription tells us that it is “a psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him after he had gone in to Bathsheba.”

We know exactly where it fits in David’s life - after he had committed adultery, then lied and murdered to cover it up (2 Samuel 11). It was after the preacher came, put his finger in his face, and said, “Thou art the man” (2 Samuel 12:7).

This is David’s setting for Psalm 51. But where does it fit in your life? Let’s get right down to where you live. Is there anything between you and God today? Is the Holy Spirit pointing at you as Nathan did to David? If there is, then Psalm 51 is a beautiful psalm of confession and cleansing.

This psalm is not divided into parts as much as it has repeated refrains. It has the same emphasis woven throughout. It is not just some outline David gave to God. The Lord is not interested in your nice prayers and how well you can recite them. This is the groan of a broken man, the outpouring of a heart that longs to be right with God again.

There are 19 verses here, and I wish we had many days to explore them. It is rich, and you can never exhaust it, because it is just full of infinite truth. But we will read a portion of this prayer, and you can determine if it is a prayer you need to make your own.

Verses 1-2: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.”

The word “throughly” means "again and again." This is not something we just do one time.

Verses 3-6: “For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, 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. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.”

1. David got personal with God. Nothing is real until it is personal. Notice how many times “me” and “my” are mentioned in these verses. He was not making some general prayer or talking about the sins of others. This was specifically about his own sins.

This is the most important thing: David finally acknowledged that his sin was against one person only: God. Did he sin against Bathsheba, their baby, Uriah, and even his own family? He certainly did. He also sinned against the entire nation of Israel.

Yet, in verse 4 he said, “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight.” You cannot be right with God until you realize that you are wrong with Him. You cannot come clean with God until you realize how defiled you are in His holy presence. You have transgressed God’s law and fallen short of His holiness. You have been crooked in your own heart instead of straight as you ought to be.

David began by recognizing who and what he was before God. He understood that God wants truth. When you give Him the truth, He gives you wisdom. Confession is about agreeing with God about your sin. You must see your sin as He sees your sin.

2. David made his plea to God.

Verses 7-12: “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”

David’s prayer was ultimately about one specific thing, even though he made several requests. Bottom line, he wanted to be clean. There are numerous references in verses 7-12 to cleanliness.

Do you realize how dirty we really are? We defile our consciences and fill our minds with filth. Our hearts are continually dirty, it seems. The only thing that can cleanse us is the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son. We must get to the heart of the matter.

And it is not just about results. Sometimes we just want things to be better. But David did not begin with the request to regain his joy. He asked first to be right; then he knew the joy would return.

Don’t just deal with the effect. Deal with the cause. Confess the root, not just the fruit.

Notice the shift beginning in verses 13-19.

“Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.”

This passage shows what is produced after a person gets right with God.

There is a testimony. That is the best kind of teacher.

There is a new song. Sin closes you up and takes your joy away. When you get right with the Lord, He opens you up.

There is a new prayer. I love that this psalm ends with David praying not for himself, but for others. When you are right with God, you will pray for others and want them to be right with Him.

My challenge to you today is to get on your knees with Psalm 51 before you. Do not read it; pray it. Forget where it fits in David’s life and concentrate on where it fits in your life.

May the Lord help every one of us to come clean with God and be right with God!