David has written many of the Psalms that we have looked at so far, and in them we find a man who truly loves God, and wants to please Him. In one place the scriptures refer to him as a “man after God’s own heart.” Yet here we have Psalm 51 which is a plea for forgiveness, of mercy, like no other. When we read the historical narratives of David’s life as found in the Biblical books of Samuel, we find out that he was anything but perfect. He at one point loses himself in a whirlpool of sin by committing adultery with the wife of a loyal commander of His troops. When she is found to be pregnant, he schemes and schemes to cover his shame, but every attempt fails. Eventually he plots and carries out the murder of his commander. He believes he has avoided the scandal of anyone knowing, But here is the thing: God sees it all. To this King, God sends a prophet, who exposes the sin for all to see. What does David do then? He repents. Psalm 51 is his prayer of repentance.
Now, today it seems we have within and outside the church, a lot of misunderstanding about repentance. We have been exposed to the over dramatic, the superficial, the emotional idea of conversion so that we have lost track of how substantial true repentance is. Repentance by definition is a reversal of ones direction in life. It is a 180 degree turn in what you live for. Repentance is more than an emotional moment where you experience something of the transcendent, though it can be. It is a basic change of life. That is what Psalm 51 describes and demonstrates.
When David repented of what he had done, he not only sought to be forgiven, but to change the direction he was going in his life. The sin with Basheeba, and the murder of her heaven was more than a momentary slip up. It signified the beginning of a downward spiral away from God. It was this that caused David to repent, to humble himself before God, and seek his forgiveness and healing for His soul. When he prays he shows us the reality of true repentance, and how faithful God is to forgive.
First, David shows us that repentance is based on God’s grace and nothing of what we can do.
“Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.”
It is God’s divine nature to love us, to show us mercy, and this is what David looks to when he needs forgiveness. It is God’s doing, and before his sin David is without resource if God does not give to Him his grace. Only God can make him clean, only the Almighty can heal me from what I have done and brought upon myself.
Second, our sin is ultimately against God and Him alone. This does not mean we can’t hurt others by our selfish acts, and often do, but that when it is all added up at the end of the day, our selfishness is a rebellion against God. We are his creation, and when we act selfishly we are asserting our will over and against His. This is always the case with sin. We may need the forgiveness of our fellow humans in this life, and that may be forth coming or not. However, we always need his forgiveness, and it can be depended on for those who are repentant.
So only God can make us right. Only God may declare us right. Only God can give grace to our repentance, and accept our humbleness of heart and take us back to himself. Only God. And when God forgives you become clean and whole relationally to Him. What he declares no one can change. “…wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”
Psalm 51 is apart of my praying. I repeat these words every day because I think they cultivate in my prayers a humility that acknowledges a need for a repentant heart everyday I walk this heart. Out loud, daily I pray,
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
This is my prayer. David would say, “Make it yours.”