For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.
Passage: Psalm 51
1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
4 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.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
so that sinners will turn back to you.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
you who are God my Saviour,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15 Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise.
18 May it please you to prosper Zion,
to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
in burnt offerings offered whole;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.
A. Find Out:
- Of what is David aware? v.1-5
- What does he ask to happen? v. 7-9
- What then does he ask to happen? v.10- 12
- What does he say he will then do? v.13-15
- Of what principle is he aware? v.16,17
- What does he finally ask? v.18,19
B. Think:
- Read 2 Sam 12:7-9,13,14 to see the context of this psalm.
- What do you observe is the order in v.1-15?
- Why is the principle of v.16,17 so important?
C. Comment:
David is aware of his sin (v.1-5)! He is aware of his transgressions (wandering from righteousness), iniquity (offence against God’s holiness) and sin (wrong doing). He is aware that this is all against God. It may have involved people but all sin is against God!
He is also aware of HIS NEED FOR CLEANSING (v.7-9), his need to be washed so his wrongs are all taken away by God.
He is also aware of HIS NEED TO BE CHANGED (v.10-12), his heart needs dealing with so that he can remain in relationship with God. Without this change he is still lost.
He knows the EFFECTS OF A RIGHT HEART (v.13-15), that if God does this for him then he will be able to teach others and will be able to sing and speak praise.
Over all this, David is aware that it’s a heart matter, not a matter of religious ritual. He can’t get away with his wrongdoing by just bringing sacrifices, God wants a complete change in him , and he needs God’s help to achieve all this. Without the Lord he is lost. Finally he appeals to the Lord (indirectly) to do all this for Zion ‘s sake, for the good name of Jerusalem , His city. When the king is right the city can be right. In all this David exhibits great understanding. Do we?
D. Application:
- All Sin is against God. It is to Him we confess and seek forgiveness.
- Confession alone is inadequate. It also requires a heart change.