Quick Backdrop
Most of us know about David killing Goliath in a show of strong faith, Most of us also know about David, during a time of weak resolve, committing scandalous adultery with Bathsheba. Fewer of us know that despite David’s major failing, he was exalted later in the New Testament as an ancestor of Jesus and a “man after God’s own heart.” It’s one of the biggest spiritual turn-arounds of all time, and it had everything to do with Psalm 51. A psalm can bring great comfort to us for the times when we’ve really blown it.
The What
Nathan, a prophet, made a gutsy move in confronting David about his actions with Bathsheba. It could have gone badly for Nathan; but with his wise use of a parable, David was deeply convicted. (If you ever need a model for confronting someone on a sensitive issue, Nathan’s scene with David in 2 Samuel 12 is your guidebook.) David apparently penned Psalm 51 shortly after the confrontation.
Below are some bite-sized bits from Psalm 51, each with its own set of questions to help you bring the psalm into your own heart.
Bite-Sized Bit 1
• How does David open his confession time with God?
• What does He say about God?
Psalm 51:1-2
“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.”
Bite-Sized Bit 2
Here is David’s actual confession.
• What do you see that indicates how he owns his actions?
Psalm 51:3-6
“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.”
Bite-Sized Bit 3
Not only does David ask for the dirt to be cleaned out, he takes it a few steps further.
• What does He ask of God in these verses?
Psalm 51:7-12
“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.”
Bite-Sized Bit 4
If you ever have any question about how to get rid of distance between you and God when you’ve displeased God, here is what you do.
Psalm 51:15-17
“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.”
The So What
It’s a fact of the Christian life: We all make mistakes. We all have instances in our journeys when we create distance between us and God. Psalm 51 gives us a way back to closeness with God. So, what do you have going on in your life right now that you know is creating distance between you and God? Write these in a journal or on a separate piece of paper. Take a few moments to pray through Psalm 51 as your own personal confession. You may want to follow David’s pattern:
1. Trust God’s mercy.
2. Own the sin.
3. Plea for cleansing.
4. Ask for joy and purity to replace your sin.
5. Commit to a humble heart.
More than a record of David’s confession, Psalm 51 is a picture of God’s view of us when we blow it. He’s merciful and compassionate. This, along with His soft heart, is why David later was described as a man after God’s own heart. Further, this psalm offers hope for all of us as we allow God to clean us up from our dirt.
