BQ NO 70 - WHAT MORAL LESSONS CAN WE LEARN FROM THE STUDY OF PSALM 51?
By Ezekiel Kimosop
INTRODUCTION
Psalm 51 carries a preamble which identifies the author and the circumstances under which he wrote it. The Psalm is believed to have been written by David following his rebuke by prophet Nathan after his sin with Bathsheba wife of Uriah the Hittite.
The story of David's rebuke and repentance is found in 2 Samuel 12.
Psalm 51 reveals David’s brokenness and his acknowledgement of God’s grace and mercy in forgiving and cleansing sin. It also conveys the moral lessons that the writer learned from his imprudence. We shall examine this passage from a devotional standpoint.
DAVID'S PLEA FOR GOD'S MERCY AND CLEANSING
Psalm 51 opens with a plea by David for God's mercy (51:1). There are a number of specific pleas by David that spread across this Psalm that we shall identify as we progress in our study.
David's opening words reveal some of the divine attributes of God. He is full of lovingkindness and tender in mercy. These are powerful biblical truths that should be uppermost in our minds as we approach the presence of God each day.
God's lovingkindness and mercy are unconditional and no mortal can exhibit the tenderness of God in extending undeserved grace to sinful men. The Bible teaches in Romans 5:8 that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
In Psalm 51:1-2, David pleads with God to blot out his transgressions and thoroughly wash his iniquity and cleanse him from his sin.
The passage of Psalm 51contains heavy Hebrew synonymous parallelism which involves the use of different words to express the same idea. For instance blotting out transgressions is essentially the same thing as cleansing or washing the sin or iniquity. God alone has the divine prerogative and power to forgive sin and to permanently blot it away from us forever. Unlike us who forgive and keep a record of offenses, God forgives and totally forgets, never bringing them again to our charge!
The Bible teaches in Psalm 103:12 that "As far as the east is from the west, So far has God removed our transgressions from us."
It is instructive to note that no church minister or priest has the authority or power to forgive sin. God never delegated this authority to any man. Christ alone can blot away our sins by means of the atoning power in His sinless blood that He shed at Calvary!
Let us for a moment compare this passage with the parallel truths outlined in Psalm 102 which describes the pain of sinful disobedience and God's judgment.
THE DEPRAVITY OF SIN: PARALLEL LESSONS FROM PSALM 102
The imagery of the pelican and the desert owl in Psalm 102:6-7 reveals a forlorn life of isolation. This is how low sin can take us. The reproach from the psalmist's enemies shows the shame and humiliation that sin heaps on us (Psalm 102:8)
The next four verses of Psalm 102:9-12 portray the pain of God's judgment on the sinner. The psalmist mourned and wept because of God's righteous judgment upon him. The fact that the psalmist admits that God had cast him away (Psalm 102:10) is evidence that his fellowship with God was broken by sin.
Sin isolates us from the presence of God. We should always quickly repent of known sin in order to avoid the alienation from His divine presence. It is perilous to live in sinful rebellion because we shall be exposed to spiritual attacks and humiliation from Satan (cf. 1 Corinthians 5).
SIN AS A VIOLATION OF GOD'S LAW
Now back to Psalm 51.
Psalm 51:3-4 records David’s admission of guilt which had goaded him continually. More significantly, David acknowledges that his sin with Bathsheba was primarily a violation of God's law even though it was a sin against the woman and her husband in that it violated the sanctity of the marriage covenant. Hebrews 13:4 says "marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled, but fornicators and adulterers God will judge."
God was justified in punishing David for his sin. God may severely punish us in His chastisement but we also learn from Scripture that God tampers justice with mercy. The Bible teaches in Psalm 103:10 that God does not punish us as our sins deserve! He is a gracious and merciful God!
David deserved to be deposed from the throne and executed for his sin but God chose to show him special mercy, perhaps on account of David’s own previous life of faithfulness. Instead God took away the life of David’s son from the illicit affair (see 2 Samuel 12:15-23).
Did you know that by God's divine standards, none of us deserves to be alive today? Yet God in Christ graciously forgives us and restore us to Him, sinful as we are! (Psalm103:10-13).
THE TRAIL OF ADAMIC SIN AND THE INNER TRANSFORMATION IN CHRIST
In Psalm 51:5, David admits his innate sinfulness, saying, "behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me."
David rightly recognizes the perpetuity of the sin of Adam following his fall in the Garden of Eden. Adam's sin was subsequently imputed upon all generations of men until Christ. Some Christian traditions have attempted to dispute the imputation of guilt upon humanity. That is a discussion for another day.
When Jesus was revealed as God incarnate, He offered to nail the sin of Adam on the cross for those who believe in Him. Only Christ was without sin [2 Corinthians 5:21].
Again, and contrary to the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, Mary the mother of Jesus was herself born sinful and was saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. The last record of Mary in Scripture describes her communion with the Jerusalem Church (Acts 1). Nothing in Scripture teaches that Mary was sinless or that she ascended to heaven.
Those who are in Christ have been justified by His redeeming blood so that they are adjudged righteous before God. This does not suggest that believers can attain sinless perfection on earth! If that was possible then 1John 1:8-10 should be expunged from the Scripture!
Psalm 51:6 confirms that the truths of God's word are not subject to relativism as some purport to teach today. It is based on God's desire to transform us inwardly so that we are daily renewed in our knowledge of God and grow in Christ.
2 Cor. 5:17 says "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new."
We daily live by God's grace and by the leading of His Spirit and the admonition of His word. We should willingly submit to spiritual and moral sanctification by the leading of the Holy Spirit. Subsequently, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are better able to discern the holy standards of God and to desire to walk in a manner that pleases Him.
David learnt these truths after his illicit affair with Bathsheba and its aftermath. We too can learn from his sinful disobedience and His restoration by God following his repentance.
THE PURGING OF THE REPENTANT HEART
In Psalm 51:7-9 David's revisits his earlier plea for cleansing. This emphasis is significant in showing the depth of his anguish and his desire for total spiritual restoration from his sin.
The mention of purging by hyssop in Psalm 51:7 is significant for it underscores David’s wholehearted desire to be freed from the power of guilt. The washing by hyssop was a process of ritual cleansing described in Leviticus 14:4 and Numbers 19:6.
How badly do you seek to be reconciled with God when you fall into sinful disobedience?
Notice that David did not repeat his transgressions. He learnt from his moral excesses and accepted God's chastisement. He became a better man, a better leader, going forward. The Bible reveals that he was later approved of God [cf. Acts 13:22].
Can you think of the many times you acted in disobedience to God? Were you remorseful in his presence. What moral lessons did you learn from the imprudence?
THE RENEWAL AND RESTORATION OF THE SINFUL HEART
Psalm 51:8-12 speaks of David’s desire for spiritually healing and total restoration.
The joy and gladness mentioned in Psalm 51:8 are symbols or marks of a restored soul which is free from guilt. The enemy often seeks to bring to our memories the pains of our sinful past. We should turn those memories over to God, reminding the enemy that we were forgiven.
David then asks God not to hide His face from him. This is a plea that God should not reject him but mercifully restore him. This is the desire of any erring saint.
Psalm 51:10 is perhaps the most famous Scripture text of this powerful psalm. David asks God to create in him a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within him.
A clean heart is one without any known sinful condemnation. It is a heart that is at peace with God, not because of sinless perfection but by reason of our assurance of reconciliation with God. 1 John 3:21 says "Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God."
THE BEAUTY OF A CONTRITE HEART
David's plea in Psalm 51:10 is instructive of our yearning for total transformation in his attitude and conduct so that we are constantly aware of God's divine standards concerning us and are better able to obey Him in circumstances that our moral fabric is tested (cf. James 1:2-4).
Joseph exemplified a clean heart and clear conscience when he wrested his way from the grip of Potiphar's amorous wife who desired to draw him into sinful disobedience.
He was conscious of God's standards for him even though he was in a foreign land, serving as a slave. God's standards do not change, no matter where we go in this world.
Notice the question that Joseph posed to this wicked Egyptian woman in Genesis 39:9, saying "How then can I do this wickedness and sin against God?"
Does this question inform your moral view today?
We may perhaps try to rationalize our disobedience in an attempt to justify it based on the prevailing circumstances. You may hear a believer argue, "What did you expect me to do in that situation? I was just helpless....!"
Nothing could be further from the truth! The Bible teaches that no temptation is too hard for God's people to escape! [1 Corinthians 10:13]. James 1:13-14 says "Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God" for God cannot be tempted by evil no does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his desires and enticed."
David could have found a lame excuse for his sin with Bathsheba but nothing could have deflected God's righteous anger against him!
LESSONS FROM DAVID'S DISOBEDIENCE
Notice that David promises God that he will use the lessons learnt from his disobedience to "teach transgressors your ways and sinners shall be converted to you" (Psalm 51:13).
This is true of us too. We may save many from following the slippery paths of disobedience that we happened to have walked so that they may escape such snares.
The million dollar question is this: Do we teach others by our painful experiences and do we learn from our erring and those of others?
THE CLEANSING OF BLOOD GUILT
In Psalm 51:14, David admits his guilt of murder. He had arranged with Joab, his army commander, for the murder of Bathsheba's husband Uriah. Uriah was not a Jew but a Hittite. He was one of David’s elite officers, perhaps a distinguished soldier who was part of David’s fugitive band during his wilderness experience. His beautiful wife did not escape David’s eyes and Satan took advantage of David’s weakness over women to bring him down.
After sleeping with Bathsheba, she got pregnant and reported it to the king. David quickly devised a cover up plan and called for her husband to be given a royal discharge from the battlefront so that he may return to his wife.
Uriah, who was an innocent and faithful officer in David's army, honorably and respectfully rejected David's royal overtures which were intended to cause him to return to his wife as part of the cover up.
Uriah slept outside the door of the king's house in solidarity with his colleagues who were at the warfront (read 2 Samuel 11). He could not bear the shame of pleasure and comfort when his colleagues were facing danger out there!
When David noticed that his tricks had failed, he opted to place Uriah in harms way and the man was finally killed in battle. David took Bathsheba as his wife.
God was watching David’s every move and was sorely displeased by David’s evil deeds. He determined to punish him for his sins (see 2 Samuel 11:26-27). He does the same for His covenant people.
God ultimately forgave David for his brokenness but He took the life of the child from his sinful union with Bathsheba as part of his series of punishments on him.
In Psalm 51:15 David reveals his desire to praise God. This is part of his longing for restoration from guilt now that his spiritual confidence is restored. Only God can restore our confidence and strength after our disobedience.
This is an important truth for every believer undergoing restoration from moral disobedience. We need to humble ourselves in the presence of God so that He may restore us to His paths.
We should not run away from God and from the congregation of His covenant people in rebellion when we sin. Instead we should subject ourselves to church discipline in full submission so that we may be restored into fellowship with God and with our Christian community.
God has vested spiritual responsibility on our congregation leaders to rebuke sin and restore the erring to the way of Christ (cf 1 Timothy 5:19-20; James 5:19-20).
THE POWER OF A BROKEN HEART
Psalm 51:16 -17 conveys deep spiritual truths concerning God's expectations. David says that God neither desires sacrifices nor burnt offerings, things that David would have gladly provided in exchange for his cleansing.
However, David acknowledges by the leading of the Holy Spirit that God desires a broken spirit and a contrite heart above all else. This does not imply that an atoning sacrifice was irrelevant but that God's pleasure is not in the burnt offering per se but in the full restoration of the heart of the sinner!
David was truly broken for his sinfulness and this is the reason that God restored him fully.
It appears that king Saul was not remorseful for his disobedience and that explains why God rejected him. He was proud and defensive even when confronted with his sins by Samuel the prophet (1 Samuel 15).
CONCLUSION
Do you acknowledge and confess your sins? Could you be carrying the burdens of unconfessed sin in your heart? Struggle no further but yield to the admonition of God's Spirit and repent in truth so that God may forgive you and restore you to fellowship with Him and with His covenant people.
Finally, we learn from the life of David that he touched the heart of God by his obedience and pursuit of the things of God.
God conveys a beautiful tribute to David in Acts 13:22, saying "I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will."
What greater honor could David have received from God! The LORD overlooked David’s chequered past but could not forget his zeal for God.
None of us is perfect but God looks at us in a wholesome way through the blood of Christ.
Many people desire to leave a great legacy of power and social influence, including great wealth or possessions but few people care to touch the heart of God by their righteous living the way David and other faithful saints did.
David had his many failings yet one thing distinguished him above all else: his desire to please God and to do His will.
David later desired to build God's temple in Jerusalem but God forbade him from doing it and instead commanded that it shall be built by his son Solomon.
David however gathered the temple materials and left it to Solomon to build the temple which was later destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC. However, we know that the temple was David’s vision.
What dreams do you seek to accomplish for God in your life? How will you and I be remembered by God when our days are gone and what shall we have to our credit when we appear in the presence of Christ?
Paul looked forward to the crown of righteousness even as he awaited his martyrdom in a Roman prison (2Timothy 4:7-8). Bible scholars say that 2 Timothy was Paul's last prison letter.
He had finished the race and kept the faith. To his credit, Paul preached the gospel in a far larger frontier than his Jerusalem counterparts did and suffered untold afflictions for his faith. He wrote 13 New Testament Epistles.
David wrote most of the Psalms we read in the Bible today, thanks to his life of spiritual devotion and unwavering faith in God. He was a brave warrior and a great worshipper of God who built his spiritual intimacy with God and loved and treasured the word of God [Psalm 119:10-12,105].
What stands us out in our generation?
How is your walk with God today? Are you walking in the liberty that Christ has ordained for His saints or are you dwelling in sinful disobedience and carrying the burden and guilt of unconfessed sin?
Psalm 51 can be summed up in one statement: Sin is grievous but there is power in the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse our sin if we approach His throne of grace with brokenness of heart.
Shalom
© Ezekiel Kimosop 2021
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