START WITH SCRIPTURE:
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OBSERVE:
Psalm 51 is no doubt one of the most famous of the “Penitential Psalms.” Attributed to David, the heading provides a context that we can easily understand: that this Psalm was written after the Prophet Nathan confronted David about his sin with Bathsheba.
The story behind all this has all the ingredients of a television crime show murder mystery: intrigue, sexual attraction, conspiracy, murder, confrontation. What it also has that the murder mystery might lack, however, is true repentance.
For the sake of review, the background of the story is found in 2 Samuel 11-12. One gets the impression that David is loafing a little. His troops are out on a distant battlefield besieging the city of Rabbah of the Ammonites. David is relaxing on his rooftop, and beholds a beautiful woman bathing. In the words of Mel Brooks’ version of King Louis in History of the World Part One, “It’s good to be the king!” David indulges his lust. Bathsheba becomes pregnant. The complication of the story is that Bathsheba is married to one of David’s best soldiers, Uriah the Hittite! So David compounds the problem by arranging for Uriah’s death in battle. David is then free to marry Bathsheba. But God lays it on the Prophet Nathan’s heart to confront David with his sin. No doubt that was a difficult task! Nathan uses a clever story to help David see an injustice, and David becomes irate against the perpetrator of the injustice. Then comes the twist: Nathan says, “You are the man!”
David writes Psalm 51 from a broken and penitent heart. He is counting not on his own repentance or expiation, but only on the mercy of God. He is certain of God’s unfailing love and great compassion. He has no other choice.
The only remedy for his sin is the hope that God will blot out, cleanse, and wash his sins away. He does not try to bargain with God, or make any excuses.
In fact, he admits his transgressions and his sin. We might be a bit puzzled that he also adds Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight. If this is truly written following the famous incident from 2 Samuel, David has committed adultery, deception and murder! How can he possibly say that he has only sinned against God?
Possible options may include that this Psalm wasn’t actually written by David at all, but by an anonymous author confessing his spiritual sins against God, not against other people. Or it may be that David is saying that as king of Israel, he is ultimately accountable to God, since no one else other than God has the authority to judge him or punish him. I prefer the second possibility for the sake of consistency with the account from 2 Samuel.
And we also have here a clear statement of birth sin — suggesting that sin is innate in the human character: Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. This may be as clear a statement confirming the doctrine of Original Sin as we may find.
Nevertheless, David also expresses the utmost confidence in the power of God to cleanse him of his sin. The hyssop branch was dipped in water in certain temple rituals and used as a ceremonial symbol of cleansing. But his cry is for complete and total cleansing — for his sins to be blotted out. He is not asking that God ignore the sin, but forgive it.
Even more, he begs God to completely cleanse his heart, renew a right spirit, and not to abandon him. He prays that the Holy Spirit may not be removed. In other words, on the other side of repentance he wishes to be a new man, to be utterly changed — for the joy of salvation to be restored. He is not interested only in avoiding the consequences of his sin — he wants to be completely renewed spiritually and morally!
My only wish is that the lectionary editors had included verse 13, to show what life on the other side of his sin might be like: Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. This illustrates that the repentance and renewal that he seeks is not merely personal but social — his confidence that his experience might be constructive in turning others back toward God.
APPLY:
It is often said that before we can truly turn to God, we must recognize our brokenness. Before we can repent, we must be convinced of the reality of our sin.
The saying is attributed to C.S. Lewis that “Christianity has nothing to say to those who do not recognize that they are sinners.”
If we begin with our brokenness, Psalm 51 will speak to us about our condition; and for us to our God.
The good news – no, the great news – in this Psalm is that it expresses the absolute faith that though we are broken, God is merciful, loving, compassionate; and he will not only cleanse us of sin but also restore us and renew us and fill us with his Holy Spirit.
And then he will give us a commission to reach others with the same good news of mercy and forgiveness that we have received!
RESPOND:
How well I can identify with the cry of David for mercy! No, I haven’t murdered anyone or committed adultery, but I can remember all too well trying to excuse my sins and selfishness, and that painful moment of realization that I had sinned against God.
The network of relationships that one makes over the years, and the possibilities for wronging, injuring, and exploiting others becomes tangled. In that sense our sin is not merely against flesh and blood human beings, but against God himself. And ultimately it is only God who can free us from this net of self.
Our Lord, forgive me for my convoluted sense of self-importance, and my heart that is curved in upon itself. That is the root of my problem. Have mercy on me, cleanse me of my sin, renew my heart, fill me with your Holy Spirit, and empower me to reach others with this message of reconciliation. Amen.
PHOTOS:
“Psalm 51-10” by New Life Church Collingword is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
“Psalm 51-1” by New Life Church Collingword is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
The photo used as a background: "45 rpm record" by Paul Sherman has been released into public domain.
SOAR Lectionary Bible Study 