Psa 51:1-6 | KingComments | STEP | Psalm 51 is the response of the believing remnant to the exhortation of Psalm 50. They are called to call upon the LORD “in the day of trouble” ( ). They have “a broken spirit” and “a broken and contrite heart” ( ) and tremble at His word ( ). That response is the sacrifice that is pleasing to God. In Psalm 50 it is the sacrifice of thanksgiving and the vow offering ( ), in Psalm 51 it is the sacrifice of a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart ( ). We can divide Psalm 51 into three parts: 1. deal with reconciliation. 2. deal with the demand for forgiveness. 3. talk about restoration and praise. If we compare some of the concepts that appear in these three sections, 1. “wash me thoroughly” ( ), 2. “purify me” ( ) and 3. “deliver me from bloodguiltiness” ( ), we get a sense of the deep humiliation David went through in order to come to a complete restoration and praise through repentance and forgiveness. It is a psalm “for the choir director” ( ). That means that it is meant for others who have a similar experience to the one David expresses in this psalm. See also at Psalm 4:1. That David intends this psalm “for the choir director” shows that he is truly broken. This psalm is the fourth “penitential psalm” of the seven found in Psalms (Psalms 6; 32; 38; 51; 102; 130; 143). It is the middle and also the most profound of those seven psalms. For “a Psalm of David” see at Psalm 3:1. The occasion of the writing of the psalm is David’s adultery with Bathsheba ( ). Nathan came to David after David had come to Bathsheba. The Spirit uses a play on words here. Nathan came to David to make David’s sin known. His sin is multiple. First he commits the sin of adultery “after he had gone in to Bathsheba” to sin with her by committing adultery with her. Then he sins by killing Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, with a trick, thereby incurring blood guilt ( ). The Hebrew word for “transgression” in and is plural. Of David it is said that he did “what was right in the sight of the Lord, and did not deviate from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite” ( ). What David did – adultery with Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife, and the murder of Uriah – is a type of Israel’s twofold sin in 1. the acceptance of antichrist, which is (spiritual) adultery, and 2. the rejection of Christ, which is murder (cf. ). David first concealed his sins for about a year. It was only through Nathan’s ministry that he was broken and confessed his sins, after which he was immediately told that the LORD had taken away his sin ( ). Yet we see in this psalm that confession and forgiveness can be a process. Real understanding of sin and the awareness and acceptance of forgiveness take time. It is evidence of a deep work of God’s Spirit when it takes some time. Those who confess their sins and claim forgiveness just as quickly have no idea of their sinfulness before God and are insincere in their confession. David’s confession is prophetically applicable to the believing remnant. As mentioned above, the people have sinned in two respects: 1. They have committed adultery against God by associating with the antichrist ( ). 2. They have committed murder by bringing Christ to the cross ( ). The first sin is the transgression of the commandments on the first stone tablet of the law that governs one’s relationship to God. The second sin is the transgression of the commandments of the second stone tablet of the law which governs the relationship toward one’s neighbor. The first is the sin of depravity, the other is the sin of violence ( ; cf. ). After Nathan convinced David of the terrible sins he had committed, David’s first question to God is whether He will be gracious to him ( ). The Old Testament gives provisions for manslaughter without intent, but David’s sin is premeditated murder. There is no forgiveness for that in the Old Testament. David knows that he deserves the death penalty. He has no right to continue living unless God is gracious to him. In doing so, he asks that God is gracious to him “according to” His “lovingkindness”. David appeals to Who God is ( ). He then asks God to blot out his transgressions from His criminal record, to remove them from it, so that he no longer has a criminal record (cf. ; ). He acknowledges that He has broken God’s commandments “you shall not commit adultery” and “you shall not kill”. He doesn’t condone these transgressions, but confesses them without apology. Indeed, there are no excuses for adultery and fornication. They are sins that cannot be undone. David has an indelible guilt on him. The only possibility of erasure lies in “the greatness” of God’s “compassion”. To this he appeals. The Hebrew word for sin, chata’a , means to miss the goal that God has set for His creature, which is the glorification of God toward creation (people) ( ). Sin is, as it were, a blot on his clothing, or his outward revelation, and therefore must be washed. David is not only guilty because of his sin, but he has also become dirty because of it ( ). He asks not only for the expiation of his transgression through forgiveness on the basis of compassion, but also to be washed clean of his “iniquity”. The word for “wash thoroughly” is used to wash dirty clothes clean. David’s sins are “as scarlet” ( ) and can never be made white by men. Washed clothing speaks of a new beginning with God ( ). The Hebrew word for “iniquity” is awon . The meaning is “to act crookedly, not sincerely”. It is acting as “a crooked and perverse generation” does ( ). The conscience no longer works. It is turned off. As king, he is God’s representative and has an exemplary function. It is his calling and mission to lead the people in the way of God and to show them how God is to be served. Instead, through his sins he has dirtied his example. God’s Name has been disgraced by his behavior. That disgrace must be washed clean and only God can do that. Finally, David asks God to cleanse him from his sin. In this is the idea of leprosy. Sin, like leprosy, is an impediment to drawing near to God (cf. ). Through sin the relationship with God is broken and man falls short of the glory of God. Because of his sin, David no longer has access to God in His sanctuary, where everything is pure and holy, in accordance with Who God is. He longs for restoration of his fellowship with God and therefore he asks to be cleansed (cf. ). What David asks for in these opening verses shows that he has an understanding of what sin brings about and what it takes to be delivered from its burden. He asks for ‘blotting out’, ‘washing’ and ‘cleansing’. To ‘blot out’ is to completely remove the record of one’s transgressions. ‘Washing’ is the removal of the dirt of the blot of sin. ‘Cleanse’ refers to cleansing his heart and conscience in connection with his iniquity. The first is toward God, the second toward men, the third is toward himself. When all that happens, his transgressions, his iniquities, and his sins are completely forgiven.

‏ Psalms 51:1-6

Introduction

Psalm 51 is the response of the believing remnant to the exhortation of Psalm 50. They are called to call upon the LORD “in the day of trouble” (Psa 50:15). They have “a broken spirit” and “a broken and contrite heart” (Psa 51:17) and tremble at His word (Isa 66:2b).

That response is the sacrifice that is pleasing to God. In Psalm 50 it is the sacrifice of thanksgiving and the vow offering (Psa 50:14), in Psalm 51 it is the sacrifice of a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart (Psa 51:17).

We can divide Psalm 51 into three parts:

1. Psa 51:1b-6 deal with reconciliation.

2. Psa 51:7-13 deal with the demand for forgiveness.

3. Psa 51:14-19 talk about restoration and praise.

If we compare some of the concepts that appear in these three sections,

1. “wash me thoroughly” (Psa 51:2),

2. “purify me” (Psa 51:7) and

3. “deliver me from bloodguiltiness” (Psa 51:14),

we get a sense of the deep humiliation David went through in order to come to a complete restoration and praise through repentance and forgiveness.

Prayer for Cleansing

It is a psalm “for the choir director” (Psa 51:1a). That means that it is meant for others who have a similar experience to the one David expresses in this psalm. See also at Psalm 4:1. That David intends this psalm “for the choir director” shows that he is truly broken. This psalm is the fourth “penitential psalm” of the seven found in Psalms (Psalms 6; 32; 38; 51; 102; 130; 143). It is the middle and also the most profound of those seven psalms.

For “a Psalm of David” see at Psalm 3:1.

The occasion of the writing of the psalm is David’s adultery with Bathsheba (2Sam 11:1-5 ; 2Sam 12:1-12). Nathan came to David after David had come to Bathsheba. The Spirit uses a play on words here. Nathan came to David to make David’s sin known.

His sin is multiple. First he commits the sin of adultery “after he had gone in to Bathsheba” to sin with her by committing adultery with her. Then he sins by killing Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, with a trick, thereby incurring blood guilt (Psa 51:14). The Hebrew word for “transgression” in Psa 51:1b and Psa 51:3 is plural.

Of David it is said that he did “what was right in the sight of the Lord, and did not deviate from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite” (1Kgs 15:5). What David did – adultery with Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife, and the murder of Uriah – is a type of Israel’s twofold sin in

1. the acceptance of antichrist, which is (spiritual) adultery, and

2. the rejection of Christ, which is murder (cf. Jn 5:43).

David first concealed his sins for about a year. It was only through Nathan’s ministry that he was broken and confessed his sins, after which he was immediately told that the LORD had taken away his sin (2Sam 12:13). Yet we see in this psalm that confession and forgiveness can be a process. Real understanding of sin and the awareness and acceptance of forgiveness take time. It is evidence of a deep work of God’s Spirit when it takes some time. Those who confess their sins and claim forgiveness just as quickly have no idea of their sinfulness before God and are insincere in their confession.

David’s confession is prophetically applicable to the believing remnant. As mentioned above, the people have sinned in two respects:

1. They have committed adultery against God by associating with the antichrist (Jn 5:43b).

2. They have committed murder by bringing Christ to the cross (Jn 5:43a).

The first sin is the transgression of the commandments on the first stone tablet of the law that governs one’s relationship to God. The second sin is the transgression of the commandments of the second stone tablet of the law which governs the relationship toward one’s neighbor. The first is the sin of depravity, the other is the sin of violence (Gen 6:11; cf. Mt 5:31 ; 21).

After Nathan convinced David of the terrible sins he had committed, David’s first question to God is whether He will be gracious to him (Psa 51:1b). The Old Testament gives provisions for manslaughter without intent, but David’s sin is premeditated murder. There is no forgiveness for that in the Old Testament. David knows that he deserves the death penalty. He has no right to continue living unless God is gracious to him. In doing so, he asks that God is gracious to him “according to” His “lovingkindness”. David appeals to Who God is (Exo 34:6-7).

He then asks God to blot out his transgressions from His criminal record, to remove them from it, so that he no longer has a criminal record (cf. Col 2:14; Isa 43:25 ; Isa 44:22). He acknowledges that He has broken God’s commandments “you shall not commit adultery” and “you shall not kill”. He doesn’t condone these transgressions, but confesses them without apology.

Indeed, there are no excuses for adultery and fornication. They are sins that cannot be undone. David has an indelible guilt on him. The only possibility of erasure lies in “the greatness” of God’s “compassion”. To this he appeals.

The Hebrew word for sin, chata’a, means to miss the goal that God has set for His creature, which is the glorification of God toward creation (people) (Rom 3:23). Sin is, as it were, a blot on his clothing, or his outward revelation, and therefore must be washed.

David is not only guilty because of his sin, but he has also become dirty because of it (Psa 51:2). He asks not only for the expiation of his transgression through forgiveness on the basis of compassion, but also to be washed clean of his “iniquity”.

The word for “wash thoroughly” is used to wash dirty clothes clean. David’s sins are “as scarlet” (Isa 1:18) and can never be made white by men. Washed clothing speaks of a new beginning with God (Gen 35:2).

The Hebrew word for “iniquity” is awon. The meaning is “to act crookedly, not sincerely”. It is acting as “a crooked and perverse generation” does (Phil 2:15). The conscience no longer works. It is turned off.

As king, he is God’s representative and has an exemplary function. It is his calling and mission to lead the people in the way of God and to show them how God is to be served. Instead, through his sins he has dirtied his example. God’s Name has been disgraced by his behavior. That disgrace must be washed clean and only God can do that.

Finally, David asks God to cleanse him from his sin. In this is the idea of leprosy. Sin, like leprosy, is an impediment to drawing near to God (cf. Psa 51:7). Through sin the relationship with God is broken and man falls short of the glory of God. Because of his sin, David no longer has access to God in His sanctuary, where everything is pure and holy, in accordance with Who God is. He longs for restoration of his fellowship with God and therefore he asks to be cleansed (cf. 1Jn 1:9).

What David asks for in these opening verses shows that he has an understanding of what sin brings about and what it takes to be delivered from its burden. He asks for ‘blotting out’, ‘washing’ and ‘cleansing’. To ‘blot out’ is to completely remove the record of one’s transgressions. ‘Washing’ is the removal of the dirt of the blot of sin. ‘Cleanse’ refers to cleansing his heart and conscience in connection with his iniquity. The first is toward God, the second toward men, the third is toward himself. When all that happens, his transgressions, his iniquities, and his sins are completely forgiven.

Confession and Repentance

David knows his transgressions (Psa 51:3). Awareness of this is necessary if God is to do His work of restoration. There must be complete openness about it. His sin is constantly before his eyes since Nathan discovered it for him. This is not a pleasant state, but it is extremely beneficial. Only when God sends Nathan to him does he come to full and sincere confession. This psalm is proof of that.

Although David has sinned against his neighbor, he confesses that he has sinned against God, yes, against God only (Psa 51:4; 2Sam 12:13a). The point of sin is first and foremost that it is evil in God’s eyes. Dishonor has been done to God. Any sin against a neighbor is first and foremost a sin against God. If this awareness is not at the top, there will be no thorough confession. Then there is only regret and that mainly about the consequences, but no repentance for the deed.

God is absolutely righteous. If we acknowledge that we have sinned against Him and done what is evil in His sight, we acknowledge that He is righteous in His judgment of sin. The word ‘confess’ means ‘to say the same thing’. To confess a sin is to see a sin as God sees it and to say of it the same as He says. This is what David did when Nathan confronted him with his sin on behalf of God. He admitted God was right in His judgment of the sin he committed. Paul quotes this verse in the letter to the Romans, the letter in which he explains what the righteousness of God is (Rom 3:4).

God defines what sin is. Sin is anything done without the acknowledgment of His right to our lives. Man was created for the goal of glorifying his Creator. He misses that goal by living as a sinner (Rom 3:23). In His law, He states what man must do and what He will do if man breaks the law. When God judges because His law has been broken, He proves that He is pure. His “eyes are too pure to approve evil” (Hab 1:13a). Only when a person acknowledges that God is righteous and pure God can declare that person righteous and pure.

David descends even deeper into the problem of sin. He acknowledges that he was “brought forth in iniquity” and “in sin … conceived” by his mother (Psa 51:5). This is not a shrugging off of his guilt, but the recognition that he is a sinner to the core of his being. He speaks not only of his sins as deeds, but of the sin that is in him as the source of the deeds, of the sinful nature that every man has (cf. Rom 7:18a).

We call this “original sin”, which is every human being’s nature since Adam fell into sin. We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners. The teaching on this is given in the letter to the Romans. It is recommended that we read that letter regularly. Seeing the difference between sin as an act and sin as a source is fundamental if there is to be a profound confession. This statement by David is a rare and yet clear statement about original sin in the Old Testament (cf. Job 14:4 ; Job 15:14 ; Job 25:4; Psa 58:3).

David has a deep understanding of what God seeks and values (Psa 51:6). He knows that God desires “truth in the innermost being”. The innermost is the inner self, the soul or heart (cf. Job 38:36). He experienced in his feelings that God had no joy in his innermost being, nor did he experience God’s joy when he hid his sins in his innermost being. Joy is the result of God’s work. He creates the joy (Isa 65:17-18). The truth in which He finds joy is the recognition of sin before Him and the acceptance of His judgment of it without reservation.

If in the sinner that truth is present as a deep conviction, then God “makes known wisdom in the hidden part”. There is room in the innermost being through confession and now God can make His wisdom known therein. As a result, the restored believer can make the right decisions in the choice he is always faced with: the choice between good and evil.