When You Want to Say “I’m Sorry” to God S30e92 Ps 51

Shouldn’t David be "the Jeffery Dahlmer" of the Bible? Isn’t David “as bad as Hitler?”  Yes, except that Psalm 51 happened.

David has committed Lust, adultery, and murder. 

You cannot sugar coat this.  He has misused the power that was supposed to be used to care for a nation, to kill and covet parts of that kingdom. 

He has betrayed this family; he has been disloyal to his office; he has offended the Lord.

How is David going to get out of this mess?  You gotta go to Psalm 51.  Join me!

https://youtu.be/4eIvrpmmJpk

Transcript

When You Want to Say “I’m Sorry” to God S30e92 Ps 51

This is the 2nd most famous “I’m sorry” passage in the Bible. (Peter betrayal is the most famous)

Famous for a reason. First is the situation : David has committed Lust, adultery, and murder. Kingdoms have fallen for each of those.

You cannot sugar coat this.  He has misused his power that was supposed to be used to care for a nation,  to kill and covet parts of that kingdom. 

He has betrayed this family; he has been disloyal to his office; he has offendedprimarily Lord. He’ll tell us as much.

Yet, we honor David today. All of Israel honors David.  Christ sits on David’s throne…How is all that possible? Shouldn’t we be condemning David? Shouldn’t David be the Jeffery Dahlmer of the Bible? Isn’t David “as bad as Hitler?” as we are apt to say? Yes. Except that ps51 happened.

It could have ended like that. But something rare happened: repentance. Something precious was restored.

How do you travel the path between foolishness and forgiveness?

 This psalm is the bridge.

Ps51 starts with murder and ends with mercy. Listen carefully. Humbly.

Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God

51 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

1    Have mercy on me, O God, 

according to your steadfast love; 

       according to your abundant mercy

blot out my transgressions. 

2    Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, 

and cleanse me from my sin! 

3    For I know my transgressions, 

and my sin is ever before me. 

4    Against you, you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight, 

       so that you may be justified in your words

and blameless in your judgment. 

5    Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, 

and in sin did my mother conceive me.

6    Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,

and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. 

Have mercy on me ACCORDING to what: Hesed. Your faithfulness. Your promise to stay with us knuckleheads, dispite our rebellions. I have broken my half of the covenant, and the covenant would be utterly destroyed absent Your maintaining HESED toward us., your steadfast love, your abundant mercy.

Asks a fundamental question:

Could this mercy be enough for what I have done?

Does the universe have enough mercy to counter what evil I’ve done?

Is there enough mercy for this sin? Enough Good to conquer Evil?

Is the power of God more powerful than evil?

If so, How do I ACCESS this mercy for me? For my loved ones?

 according to God’s great mercy, Hesed faithfulness, covenantal solidness:

         Yes, if asked for correctly—there is enough mercy for this.

Ownership:        3           For I know my transgressions, 

and my sin is ever before me. David’s sin has struck him.  “Oh my goodness, what have I done”

:Identification: 4          Against you, you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight, 

       so that you may be justified in your words

and blameless in your judgment. 

5    Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, 

and in sin did my mother conceive me.

:All sins are ultimately against God

There is no question, David has also sinned against Uriah, now dead, and Bathsheba. But let’s go to the source of that human to human violation:

David has been  rebellions to His ways

David acknowledges the Lord’s sight  yet dispised it:

:Honesty:6            Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, 

and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. 

As we go forward with this process, lets call the truth the truth

You desire honesty: Truth in the inward being.

The primary work of this psalm is in the secret heart.

David said, right up to his confrontation with Nathan the prophet: my sin isn’t that bad. I wouldn’t even call it a sin, it’s just a difficult situation. I did what I had to do. I’m not that bad.  I’m not as bad as hitler.

Ps51 calls sin a sin. Tells the Truth. What I did was sinful and it was sinful against the One that made me and favored me.  It was the ultimate betrayal. I have betrayed the One who loves me most.

Conclusion

We cannot read Ps 51 at  a distance. 

We cannot experience this work at arms length. 

It is the most in your face, in your heart and in your business psalm.

In many ways, it is the most practical, most usable, most helpful psalm in the cannon. 

You mean to say this is the most important psalm? Maybe yes.

         Without ps51 there is no psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd…

Except for Ps51, and the process that is summarized in this song, We would be reviling David to this day. 

But no, he has left us something precious: a process to follow and a posture of the heart to maintain. 

When you want to say “Im sorry to God” Ps 51 is a great place to start.